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Heart Seizure
Spence Tailor, a lawyer with an actual set of principles, loves his mama, Rose. Rose—with advanced cardiomyopathy and a rare blood type—is scheduled for a heart transplant. But when the president's heart craps out during a photo op three months before the national election, the White House chief of staff orders the FBI to seize the heart that was going to Rose—all in the name of democracy. But Spence isn't about to let anybody steal what rightfully belongs to his mom. So with the help of his reluctant older brother, they hijack the heart, inadvertently kidnap a beautiful cardiac surgery resident, and take to the road in a '65 Mustang—with all the president's men in potentially murderous pursuit.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
107 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Bill Fitzhugh
23 books111 followersBill Fitzhugh worked at several FM rock radio stations in the 1970s and 1980s. Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, he prefers The Band, Little Feat, and Van Morrison to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Iron Butterfly. The author of numerous screenplays and five comic novels, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife and his record collection.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
July 23, 2021
What a road trip! Originally published in 2003, Heart Seizure is a political and healthcare comedy with a hilarious cast of characters and a whole lot of action.
At the heart of the story, two brothers Spence and Boyd are trying to save their mother's life. Rose Tailor needs a new heart and is getting ready for the operation at Mulholland Memorial Hospital.
In DC, President Webster is ushered for a jog along the Reflecting Pool by his campaign manager to create confidence that the president has the stamina to run the great nation. While jogging, the president keels over and the WH doctor deems he needs a heart transplant. WH Chief of Staff cited this as a matter of national security and cut inline for the heart. With a rare blood type, they found a suitable one in Los Angeles. FBI agents were sent to steal the heart from the hospital, but Spence and Boyd are able to prevent that from happening. They have two hostages, a gay cop, and a surgeon then took off with their mother and the heart in a cooler.
While the president's condition is kept from the public, the brothers are labeled as terrorists with an attempt on the president's life. The media is having a field day covering the news. Senator Peggy Check of Virginia couldn't let this opportunity slide. As a political opponent, she sent two ex-special ops goons to prevent the heart from being delivered to DC.
I had such fun reading this book that pokes fun at politicians on both sides. Bill Fitzhugh is a talented writer to pull this off and I would love to read the other three books in Transplant Tetralogy.
Thank you Farrago and Netgalley for this digital copy.
Jeff P.
Ch.5 At gunpoint, Spence had officer Bobb stash his motorcycle in a hedge of bougainvillea.
At the heart of the story, two brothers Spence and Boyd are trying to save their mother's life. Rose Tailor needs a new heart and is getting ready for the operation at Mulholland Memorial Hospital.
In DC, President Webster is ushered for a jog along the Reflecting Pool by his campaign manager to create confidence that the president has the stamina to run the great nation. While jogging, the president keels over and the WH doctor deems he needs a heart transplant. WH Chief of Staff cited this as a matter of national security and cut inline for the heart. With a rare blood type, they found a suitable one in Los Angeles. FBI agents were sent to steal the heart from the hospital, but Spence and Boyd are able to prevent that from happening. They have two hostages, a gay cop, and a surgeon then took off with their mother and the heart in a cooler.
While the president's condition is kept from the public, the brothers are labeled as terrorists with an attempt on the president's life. The media is having a field day covering the news. Senator Peggy Check of Virginia couldn't let this opportunity slide. As a political opponent, she sent two ex-special ops goons to prevent the heart from being delivered to DC.
I had such fun reading this book that pokes fun at politicians on both sides. Bill Fitzhugh is a talented writer to pull this off and I would love to read the other three books in Transplant Tetralogy.
Thank you Farrago and Netgalley for this digital copy.
Jeff P.
Ch.5 At gunpoint, Spence had officer Bobb stash his motorcycle in a hedge of bougainvillea.
July 30, 2021
Spence Taylor's mother, Rose, is scheduled for a heart transplant. She has been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and because of a rare blood type, hearts are not so easy to come by. So when one does become available, Spense is absolutely delirious with joy.
A few months before the national elections, the president has a heart attack and needs a heart transplant. Amazingly enough, he is of the same blood type as Rose.
White House chief of staff orders the FBI to seize the heart that was going to Rose .. all in the name of democracy.
There is no way, Spence will allow his mother's heart to be taken away from her. So begins one of the funniest pursuits ever.
Spence, along with his brother, decide to kidnap the heart. They also inadvertently kidnap a cardiac surgery resident. Jumping into a '65 Mustang they are barely ahead of the all the president's men. Spence will stop at nothing to keep the heart for his mother. The FBI will continue the chase until they have the heart back ... or they stop the kidnappers by any means possible.
The story-telling is sheer funny! One of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time. I loved the characters .. the conversations are priceless. I can hardly wait to see what's next.
Many thanks to the author / Farrago Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this funny, funny novel. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
A few months before the national elections, the president has a heart attack and needs a heart transplant. Amazingly enough, he is of the same blood type as Rose.
White House chief of staff orders the FBI to seize the heart that was going to Rose .. all in the name of democracy.
There is no way, Spence will allow his mother's heart to be taken away from her. So begins one of the funniest pursuits ever.
Spence, along with his brother, decide to kidnap the heart. They also inadvertently kidnap a cardiac surgery resident. Jumping into a '65 Mustang they are barely ahead of the all the president's men. Spence will stop at nothing to keep the heart for his mother. The FBI will continue the chase until they have the heart back ... or they stop the kidnappers by any means possible.
The story-telling is sheer funny! One of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time. I loved the characters .. the conversations are priceless. I can hardly wait to see what's next.
Many thanks to the author / Farrago Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this funny, funny novel. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
June 15, 2020
Another funny great read by Fitzhugh!!! Highly recommended....
May 28, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed Heart Seizure. The plot is completely crackers but is still engaging and entertaining and there is some blazing satire of several aspects of life in the USA, most notably healthcare, politics and the media.
The story concerns Spence and his brother Boyd who have very different views of the world, and their mother Rose who is elderly and in immediate need of a heart transplant. She and the President have the same rare blood type and it turns out that the President suddenly needs the heart allocated to Rose. An imbroglio develops which snowballs to immense proportions as various security agencies and political interests become involved and Spence, Boyd, Rose and a growing number of others go on the run.
It works, in the way that completely silly plots sometimes can, and it’s buoyed by real wit, engaging characters, good dialogue (which is sometimes very funny in itself) and the aforementioned scathing satire. I found it a very enjoyable read indeed which also had some important points to make – some of which have become even more important in the almost 20 years since the book was written. I can recommend this warmly and I’ll be looking out for more in this tetralogy.
(My thanks to Farrago for an ARC via NetGalley.)
The story concerns Spence and his brother Boyd who have very different views of the world, and their mother Rose who is elderly and in immediate need of a heart transplant. She and the President have the same rare blood type and it turns out that the President suddenly needs the heart allocated to Rose. An imbroglio develops which snowballs to immense proportions as various security agencies and political interests become involved and Spence, Boyd, Rose and a growing number of others go on the run.
It works, in the way that completely silly plots sometimes can, and it’s buoyed by real wit, engaging characters, good dialogue (which is sometimes very funny in itself) and the aforementioned scathing satire. I found it a very enjoyable read indeed which also had some important points to make – some of which have become even more important in the almost 20 years since the book was written. I can recommend this warmly and I’ll be looking out for more in this tetralogy.
(My thanks to Farrago for an ARC via NetGalley.)
August 7, 2021
Spence's mother is dying... desperately in need of a new heart. She is number two on the donor list, so they wait...
When he finally gets the call that his mother has a heart coming, Spence checks her in at the hospital. They have been here before and were sent home. He hopes this isn't a repeat. So they wait...
Awakened by a doctor, he's told to go see his mother as she will be in surgery soon to undergo the transplant. However, the situation changes and he finds out someone has essentially stolen his mother's heart and she needs to go home. So what does Spencer do? Steals it back and in the process kidnaps a heart surgeon along the way.
What Spence doesn't know is that the someone who "stole" his mother's heart is the President. What follows is pure chaos.
I haven't read a political satire before and I'm not sure I will again. I actually didn't know this was of that genre when I read the synopsis but it sounded like a fun read so here we are.
Overall, this wasn't bad. Some parts were definitely funny. Some parts were bland and some just (insert shoulder shrug). For me, this felt over the top and innundated with political facts and history. I'm not a political buff so I don't believe this was meant for me or readers like me. However, for those who love a good political satire I would recommend this one.
I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.
When he finally gets the call that his mother has a heart coming, Spence checks her in at the hospital. They have been here before and were sent home. He hopes this isn't a repeat. So they wait...
Awakened by a doctor, he's told to go see his mother as she will be in surgery soon to undergo the transplant. However, the situation changes and he finds out someone has essentially stolen his mother's heart and she needs to go home. So what does Spencer do? Steals it back and in the process kidnaps a heart surgeon along the way.
What Spence doesn't know is that the someone who "stole" his mother's heart is the President. What follows is pure chaos.
I haven't read a political satire before and I'm not sure I will again. I actually didn't know this was of that genre when I read the synopsis but it sounded like a fun read so here we are.
Overall, this wasn't bad. Some parts were definitely funny. Some parts were bland and some just (insert shoulder shrug). For me, this felt over the top and innundated with political facts and history. I'm not a political buff so I don't believe this was meant for me or readers like me. However, for those who love a good political satire I would recommend this one.
I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.
August 20, 2021
Vert good! The characters are a riot. Two brothers have a I'll mother waiting for a heart transplant. Bingo her new heart is ready.... But it suddenly isn't hers! Then the epic ride begins. Very well written, and great fun!
December 25, 2022
get off your soapbox and dont ever speak on black people again
July 24, 2022
A well made thriller packed with chuckles. And a good review of political motives versus public service in the context of medical ethics. I probably say this about any novel that combines humor and violence but it would be fun to see what the Coen Brothers might make of this. This is the first of a tetralogy. I’m sure I’ll read the second in time.
December 27, 2014
Mix Hiaasen, Barry, Dorsey, and Leonard and what do you get? Bill Fitzhugh. Bill enters the South Florida Wacko genre without even setting his books in Florida. This book should have been titled It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, heart transplant. Funny and irreverent, this book manages a rare feat, skewering politics without taking a side. While this book is a great beach read, you'll be sad you didn't pay more attention once you're finished.
April 24, 2021
What would you do if your aging mom needed a heart transplant and she was second on the list of patients to receive the next heart? That meant two people would need to die before she could get her heart. For Spencer Tailor, the news comes that a heart with his mother Rose’s rare blood type will be available shortly, as soon as the previous owner is done using it.
Down the hall, a grieving mother gives permission to donate her son Mardell Coleman’s organs. They can’t be harvested until Mardell is brain dead, which he’s not, yet. He’s in a permanent vegetative state. So they wait.
President Webster had open-heart surgery several months ago to repair a leaky value. He wants to impress upon the nation during his re-election campaign that he is fit as a fiddle, so he goes jogging … and collapses. He needs a heart transplant. His chief of staff used to be the unofficial 11th assistant director at the FBI, one with the funds and the means to get things done outside certain channels. An FBI agent arrives at the same hospital as Spencer Tailor’s mom and the dying Mardell Coleman and demands possession of the heart. He convinces the organ procurement team to inject experimental drugs into Mardell to stop brain activity. Being held at gunpoint convinces the surgeons to listen, and once they know the heart is bound for the President, they forget protocol and begin harvesting for him.
Senator Peggy Check has become her party’s first choice to run against President Webster. She’ll do anything to stop Webster from recovering. She’s managed to find her way onto certain Senate subcommittees and ends up with a two-man special ops team. Their mission is to stop the delivery of the donor heart bound for the President.
Spence Tailor has no intentions of letting this donor heart go to anybody but his mom, so he snags it from the doctor rushing it to the helicopter on the roof.
And that is just the beginning of this wild and crazy romp through California and politics and medicine and special forces. Familial love, bureaucracy, ambition, and brute force butt heads. Only Bill Fitzhugh could take on these enormous institutions and run them around each other til they’re dizzy. And he really knows his stuff. Details about weapons, drugs, and heart transplantation are not part of everyday dialogue, but they are in this book. Special ops from the FBI and the subcommittees baffle the mind. The acronyms alone are enough to populate a can of alphabet soup. I think the names may have been changed to protect the guilty, but the machinations of the people have not.
Fitzhugh is also the author of PEST CONTROL, THE ORGAN GRINDERS, CROSS DRESSING, and FENDER BENDERS. These are not in series, so there are no worries about picking them up in order. However, I caution you to not overdose on more than one at a time, they are that hilarious.
I’ve run out of adjectives to call this book – zany, madcap, wacky, off-the-wall, over-the-top, frenzied, hilarious, absurd, impossible, implausible -- but I believe it could really happen if the circumstances were right. However, it would probably be “more complicated than that.”
Down the hall, a grieving mother gives permission to donate her son Mardell Coleman’s organs. They can’t be harvested until Mardell is brain dead, which he’s not, yet. He’s in a permanent vegetative state. So they wait.
President Webster had open-heart surgery several months ago to repair a leaky value. He wants to impress upon the nation during his re-election campaign that he is fit as a fiddle, so he goes jogging … and collapses. He needs a heart transplant. His chief of staff used to be the unofficial 11th assistant director at the FBI, one with the funds and the means to get things done outside certain channels. An FBI agent arrives at the same hospital as Spencer Tailor’s mom and the dying Mardell Coleman and demands possession of the heart. He convinces the organ procurement team to inject experimental drugs into Mardell to stop brain activity. Being held at gunpoint convinces the surgeons to listen, and once they know the heart is bound for the President, they forget protocol and begin harvesting for him.
Senator Peggy Check has become her party’s first choice to run against President Webster. She’ll do anything to stop Webster from recovering. She’s managed to find her way onto certain Senate subcommittees and ends up with a two-man special ops team. Their mission is to stop the delivery of the donor heart bound for the President.
Spence Tailor has no intentions of letting this donor heart go to anybody but his mom, so he snags it from the doctor rushing it to the helicopter on the roof.
And that is just the beginning of this wild and crazy romp through California and politics and medicine and special forces. Familial love, bureaucracy, ambition, and brute force butt heads. Only Bill Fitzhugh could take on these enormous institutions and run them around each other til they’re dizzy. And he really knows his stuff. Details about weapons, drugs, and heart transplantation are not part of everyday dialogue, but they are in this book. Special ops from the FBI and the subcommittees baffle the mind. The acronyms alone are enough to populate a can of alphabet soup. I think the names may have been changed to protect the guilty, but the machinations of the people have not.
Fitzhugh is also the author of PEST CONTROL, THE ORGAN GRINDERS, CROSS DRESSING, and FENDER BENDERS. These are not in series, so there are no worries about picking them up in order. However, I caution you to not overdose on more than one at a time, they are that hilarious.
I’ve run out of adjectives to call this book – zany, madcap, wacky, off-the-wall, over-the-top, frenzied, hilarious, absurd, impossible, implausible -- but I believe it could really happen if the circumstances were right. However, it would probably be “more complicated than that.”
January 30, 2019
A heart seizing good time.
Summary:
All Spencer wants is what most people want. A job that pays the bills, the appreciation of his peers, and someone to share it with. What he has is a one man law firm fighting the good fight against the big corporations and corrupt hospitals that try to deny patients life saving surgeries and treatments. While being a lawyer may pay well, it only does that if the lawyer is charging and Spence doesn’t always have the heart to charge the people that end up in his office. So there goes one and two. The third part is just best not talked about.
Something else that Spence desperately wants is for his ailing mother to receive a new heart. Out of the blue Spence’s prayers are answered and a heart become available that is a good match for his mother. After a previous false alarm Spence knows better than to get his hopes up but this appears to be the real deal. Of course there is a problem, but it is not one of Spence’s making.
The problem comes in the form of a president who suffered a “fainting” spell while out campaigning for his reelection bid. In reality the president has suffered a heart attack and he is neck to neck in the polls and whether or not he will make it to election day without a new ticker to pull him through. It turns out though that a match has just become available that was supposed to go to a certain old lady currently being prepped for transplant surgery.
At least that’s what Spence thought and when a crooked government agent takes his mom’s heart from the operating room for a quick transport to the president’s chest, Spencer does what any loving son would do. He takes the heart back, loads up his mother into his pickup truck and take off on a crazy road trip to save his mother’s life and give her the new she has been waiting for.
Along the way Spencer picks up a diverse crew of… er “volunteers” that include his unwilling and occasionally unwitting brother, the transplant doctor that refused to the let the heart go without a fight, a motorcycle police officer that had a sudden “revelation” about his self, a punk rock skater dude and whole other cast supporting characters that are trying to hinder, help or just get out of his way as Spence makes his way to his goal.
My Thoughts:
This is a great book to pickup when you are looking for a laugh. I’ve read a couple of other books by this author, Pest Control and Organ Grinders, and each new book continues to be as good as the last. This book continues that streak as the story moves at good pace and there were several laugh out loud moments in the story. The characters are memorable for the most part and only a couple are one note. If your looking for a good laugh give this one a look.
Summary:
All Spencer wants is what most people want. A job that pays the bills, the appreciation of his peers, and someone to share it with. What he has is a one man law firm fighting the good fight against the big corporations and corrupt hospitals that try to deny patients life saving surgeries and treatments. While being a lawyer may pay well, it only does that if the lawyer is charging and Spence doesn’t always have the heart to charge the people that end up in his office. So there goes one and two. The third part is just best not talked about.
Something else that Spence desperately wants is for his ailing mother to receive a new heart. Out of the blue Spence’s prayers are answered and a heart become available that is a good match for his mother. After a previous false alarm Spence knows better than to get his hopes up but this appears to be the real deal. Of course there is a problem, but it is not one of Spence’s making.
The problem comes in the form of a president who suffered a “fainting” spell while out campaigning for his reelection bid. In reality the president has suffered a heart attack and he is neck to neck in the polls and whether or not he will make it to election day without a new ticker to pull him through. It turns out though that a match has just become available that was supposed to go to a certain old lady currently being prepped for transplant surgery.
At least that’s what Spence thought and when a crooked government agent takes his mom’s heart from the operating room for a quick transport to the president’s chest, Spencer does what any loving son would do. He takes the heart back, loads up his mother into his pickup truck and take off on a crazy road trip to save his mother’s life and give her the new she has been waiting for.
Along the way Spencer picks up a diverse crew of… er “volunteers” that include his unwilling and occasionally unwitting brother, the transplant doctor that refused to the let the heart go without a fight, a motorcycle police officer that had a sudden “revelation” about his self, a punk rock skater dude and whole other cast supporting characters that are trying to hinder, help or just get out of his way as Spence makes his way to his goal.
My Thoughts:
This is a great book to pickup when you are looking for a laugh. I’ve read a couple of other books by this author, Pest Control and Organ Grinders, and each new book continues to be as good as the last. This book continues that streak as the story moves at good pace and there were several laugh out loud moments in the story. The characters are memorable for the most part and only a couple are one note. If your looking for a good laugh give this one a look.
March 17, 2025
Plot
Spence will go to any lengths to save his dying mother, but what happens when the president needs the same heart transplant? Why, steal it of course!
Spence Tailor, a lawyer with an actual set of principles, loves his mama, Rose. Rose – with advanced cardiomyopathy and a rare blood type – is scheduled for a heart transplant.
But when the president’s heart craps out during a photo op three months before the national election, the White House chief of staff orders the FBI to seize the heart that was going to Rose – all in the name of democracy. But Spence isn’t about to let anybody steal what rightfully belongs to his mom.
So with the help of his reluctant older brother, they hijack the heart, inadvertently kidnap a beautiful cardiac surgery resident, and take to the road in a ‘65 Mustang – with all the president’s men in potentially murderous pursuit.
My Analysis
This is a fantastic satire of medicine, government, politics, and more. This starts a little quirky, but rolls through until it’s reached the point of sheer craziness and fun.
The characters are wonderful. Spence, the hero, only wants what right and has a crazy plan to make it right. Boyd, his brother, doesn’t want to go along with it, but develops into his own type of hero. Debbie, the nurse, is along to provide the medical fun. Bobb, the cop, who keeps wondering why he tells everyone he’s homosexual. Rodgers and Hart, the two CIA agents who get in more trouble. Deal and Betty, the two Texans. Jed X, the dude skateboarder. Martin Brooks, the White House chief of Staff. Senator Check who tries to be southern.
Everyone in here is just a little—or more than a little—off. But it’s all good fun, and until the end, no one dies.
I had a difficult time with the ending. I felt a bit cheated, but I had to read it through to the end. It was still a smidge disappointing, but I think it ended like it should.
There are some laugh-out-loud moments and some medicalese that only doctors understand and some great poking fun of politics. Actually, there’s probably more truth to a lot of the political shenanigans than not.
Written in an omnipresent view that works. Each long chapter is titled with something to do with hearts.
My rank:
Blue Belt
Spence will go to any lengths to save his dying mother, but what happens when the president needs the same heart transplant? Why, steal it of course!
Spence Tailor, a lawyer with an actual set of principles, loves his mama, Rose. Rose – with advanced cardiomyopathy and a rare blood type – is scheduled for a heart transplant.
But when the president’s heart craps out during a photo op three months before the national election, the White House chief of staff orders the FBI to seize the heart that was going to Rose – all in the name of democracy. But Spence isn’t about to let anybody steal what rightfully belongs to his mom.
So with the help of his reluctant older brother, they hijack the heart, inadvertently kidnap a beautiful cardiac surgery resident, and take to the road in a ‘65 Mustang – with all the president’s men in potentially murderous pursuit.
My Analysis
This is a fantastic satire of medicine, government, politics, and more. This starts a little quirky, but rolls through until it’s reached the point of sheer craziness and fun.
The characters are wonderful. Spence, the hero, only wants what right and has a crazy plan to make it right. Boyd, his brother, doesn’t want to go along with it, but develops into his own type of hero. Debbie, the nurse, is along to provide the medical fun. Bobb, the cop, who keeps wondering why he tells everyone he’s homosexual. Rodgers and Hart, the two CIA agents who get in more trouble. Deal and Betty, the two Texans. Jed X, the dude skateboarder. Martin Brooks, the White House chief of Staff. Senator Check who tries to be southern.
Everyone in here is just a little—or more than a little—off. But it’s all good fun, and until the end, no one dies.
I had a difficult time with the ending. I felt a bit cheated, but I had to read it through to the end. It was still a smidge disappointing, but I think it ended like it should.
There are some laugh-out-loud moments and some medicalese that only doctors understand and some great poking fun of politics. Actually, there’s probably more truth to a lot of the political shenanigans than not.
Written in an omnipresent view that works. Each long chapter is titled with something to do with hearts.
My rank:
Blue Belt
June 30, 2021
I really enjoyed Fitzhugh's first book Pest Control. On the other hand, I didn't finish his next one, Organ Grinders. So I wasn't sure where I was going to come down on this one. It ends up that it was pretty much dead in the middle.
Spence Tailer is a lawyer who takes cases that help people but don't bring in much money. His older brother is a self-absorbed yuppy banker with the typical soccer-mom wife. And their mother, Rose, has a failing heart and a fairly rare blood-type and has been waiting for a transplant. When one shows up they get ready for the surgery...until government agents try to abscond with the heart because the President needs the transplant following a heart attack. Spence "kidnaps" the heart and, in the process, involves his brother, kidnaps a LAPD officer (who comes out), doesn't quite kidnap one of the heart transplant doctors, and begins a road trip with their Mom to find someone to transplant the heart that was hers by rights of the transplant list. Also involved is a second team of government agents working for a U.S. Senator who is running against the President in the election, attempting to keep the President from getting the heart...or just keep anyone from getting it.
If that all sounds like an opportunity for political satire, well it is. And Fitzhugh does a decent job with that, the sleaziness and underhandedness of American politicians and even throws in some shots at the media, particularly talk radio. The problem is that the book is at least 1/3 too long. There are decent sized swathes of the book that just drag. And that is not what you want from a humor book. And while the political satire was probably more on point in 2003, after the shenanigans of the last six years or so, the plot seems kind of like a day that ends in "y."
Overall, Fitzhugh is a pretty funny guy. And the book is probably worth a read. It's not as good as Pest Control. But I happily finished it.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.
Spence Tailer is a lawyer who takes cases that help people but don't bring in much money. His older brother is a self-absorbed yuppy banker with the typical soccer-mom wife. And their mother, Rose, has a failing heart and a fairly rare blood-type and has been waiting for a transplant. When one shows up they get ready for the surgery...until government agents try to abscond with the heart because the President needs the transplant following a heart attack. Spence "kidnaps" the heart and, in the process, involves his brother, kidnaps a LAPD officer (who comes out), doesn't quite kidnap one of the heart transplant doctors, and begins a road trip with their Mom to find someone to transplant the heart that was hers by rights of the transplant list. Also involved is a second team of government agents working for a U.S. Senator who is running against the President in the election, attempting to keep the President from getting the heart...or just keep anyone from getting it.
If that all sounds like an opportunity for political satire, well it is. And Fitzhugh does a decent job with that, the sleaziness and underhandedness of American politicians and even throws in some shots at the media, particularly talk radio. The problem is that the book is at least 1/3 too long. There are decent sized swathes of the book that just drag. And that is not what you want from a humor book. And while the political satire was probably more on point in 2003, after the shenanigans of the last six years or so, the plot seems kind of like a day that ends in "y."
Overall, Fitzhugh is a pretty funny guy. And the book is probably worth a read. It's not as good as Pest Control. But I happily finished it.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.
July 6, 2021
Heart Seizure by Bill Fitzhugh is a part of what the author refers to as his ? Tetralogy; four books whose stories and characters are not connected save for the plot being a madcap romp around a different transplant.
By this book’s title the reader rightly assumes that a heart is involved. In short, an elderly woman and mother of adults, Rose, is next in line for such a surgery. Alas, she is unofficially bumped when through the secrecy of his office The President of the United States needs one.
Thus is the frame upon which hangs the rest of the story where FBI, CIA agents, working for either the President’s Chief of Staff, or a US Senator who aspires to be the first female President. This leads to a chase/game of keepaway as at first Rose’s sons, and later a doctor, a police officer and many more try their best to make sure the heart goes to the originally intended recipient.
This is the second book in the series and, as already mentioned, it stands independent from the one that came before. Fitzhugh presents a novel that is both funny and a commentary on our world today.
Heart Seizure informs the reader, makes them think, holds a mirror up to who we are, and with a dash of “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World,” helps us to take in these realities with a large dose of humor.
This reprint was written in 2003 and I am soon going to pick up the new, fourth in the series, merely on the merit over how much I enjoyed this installment in Bill Fitzhugh s transplant series.
By this book’s title the reader rightly assumes that a heart is involved. In short, an elderly woman and mother of adults, Rose, is next in line for such a surgery. Alas, she is unofficially bumped when through the secrecy of his office The President of the United States needs one.
Thus is the frame upon which hangs the rest of the story where FBI, CIA agents, working for either the President’s Chief of Staff, or a US Senator who aspires to be the first female President. This leads to a chase/game of keepaway as at first Rose’s sons, and later a doctor, a police officer and many more try their best to make sure the heart goes to the originally intended recipient.
This is the second book in the series and, as already mentioned, it stands independent from the one that came before. Fitzhugh presents a novel that is both funny and a commentary on our world today.
Heart Seizure informs the reader, makes them think, holds a mirror up to who we are, and with a dash of “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World,” helps us to take in these realities with a large dose of humor.
This reprint was written in 2003 and I am soon going to pick up the new, fourth in the series, merely on the merit over how much I enjoyed this installment in Bill Fitzhugh s transplant series.
June 30, 2021
This story follows Spencer and Boyd, two brothers who take drastic matters into their own hands in helping their mother receive a heart transplant. She was next on the list, she was admitted to the hospital and was set to go, when the CIA and Secret Service commandeered the heart for the President of the United States. This sets Spencer off and they end up going on a statewide run with the stolen heart followed by the CIA, FBI and other interesting characters. The story had too many moving parts with too many characters and back stories. I found myself skipping all of the other parts of the story that had nothing to do with Boyd, Spencer, their mother Rose and the stolen heart. The story only really needed those parts, the other stuff added seemed to be just fillers with odd history of government etc. The other odd part I found was one of the people that Spencer and Boyd came across was a police officer who announced he was 'gay' to everyone he met. I thought maybe this would lead to maybe Boyd also realizing he was attracted to men, especially since there were odd moments between the two that maybe would lead to that, but I found there was no point to this proclamation other than to throw this character in there to have him be something other than police. I understand there are other books in this series, but I did not find the writing style something that I would like to explore again the story was entertaining enough, just not my type of read.
October 2, 2021
A wacky adventure that stretches incredulity, Heart Seizure by Bill Fitzhugh would be wonderful for fans of Tim Dorsey or Carl Hiaasen. The campy tone is foreshadowed by a table of contents that all contains references to songs with “heart” in the title. Fitzhugh plies the “racing against time” device to crank up the tension and give the reader the feeling of escalating chaos. The cast of characters bloom into an almost unmanageable number, but the main protagonist in the novel is Spence Tailor. His mother, Rose has been on a long list for a heart transplant and has finally reached the top. Her sons go with her to prepare for the procedure when an unexpected event occurs—placing her claim to the donated heart in jeopardy. Spencer decides he must prevent his mother’s heart from being hijacked. He impulsively steals and flees with the organ. Then, he drags his mother and brother on a desperate search for a surgeon who will agree to do the transplant. Along the way, they pick up a motley crew of kidnap victims that include a doctor, several representatives of US Intelligence, and innocent bystanders. Heart Seizure is definite a classic caper, slapstick and ludicrous from beginning to end. As the reader is carried along by the quest, they must discard skepticism, buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Thanks to the author, William Morrow Books and Edelweiss for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Thanks to the author, William Morrow Books and Edelweiss for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
March 15, 2024
Spence Tailer is a lawyer who takes cases that help people but don't bring in much money. His older brother is a self-absorbed yuppy banker with the typical soccer-mom wife. And their mother, Rose, has a failing heart and a fairly rare blood-type and has been waiting for a transplant. When one shows up they get ready for the surgery...until government agents try to abscond with the heart because the President needs the transplant following a heart attack. Spence "kidnaps" the heart and, in the process, involves his brother, kidnaps a LAPD officer (who comes out), doesn't quite kidnap one of the heart transplant doctors, and begins a road trip with their Mom to find someone to transplant the heart that was hers by rights of the transplant list. Also involved is a second team of government agents working for a U.S. Senator who is running against the President in the election, attempting to keep the President from getting the heart...or just keep anyone from getting it. I needed this book right now. It's amazingly funny, with a pace that keeps you reading for the finish line. I rooted for the "terrorists" the whole time. Great play on the disingenuousness of government and media talking heads. Looked it so much I bought the other three in the series.
June 28, 2021
The story is about a son’s love for his mother, the value of right from wrong, national secrets and political spin. Rose Tailor, a critically ill patient with a rare blood type, is need of a new heart. After a long wait, Rose finally reaches the top of the heart transplant list. The death of a young man with the same rare blood type becomes the perfect heart donor. As Rose is preparing for surgery, the family is notified that she will not be receiving the heart after all. Rose’s son Spencer is furious that someone else will receive his mother’s new heart. He isn’t about to allow that to happen and hijacks the heart. What Spencer doesn’t know is that the FBI has been sent to retrieve the heart and fly it to Washington because the intended person is the President of the United States. What ensues is a wild and crazy laugh out loud silly adventure. Thoroughly enjoyed the escapism.
June 2, 2021
A Mad Cap, totally unbelievable yet entertaining caper, easy to read, with characters that make you laugh a loud.
A reissue from 20 years ago that feels relevant with some of the politics we face right now.
The Story is about Spencer and brother Boyd, who when a heart destined for their mum in a transplant op is taken last minute for the president, they decide to half inch the heart and set off on a mad dash to make sure mum gets what’s promised, it’s completely nuts. But it’s inoffensive, it’s almost charming and really rather good.
It’s a switch your brain, prepare to laugh and forget the world around you type of book that made me smile many times and I look forward to the rest of the trilogy from Farrago Books
A reissue from 20 years ago that feels relevant with some of the politics we face right now.
The Story is about Spencer and brother Boyd, who when a heart destined for their mum in a transplant op is taken last minute for the president, they decide to half inch the heart and set off on a mad dash to make sure mum gets what’s promised, it’s completely nuts. But it’s inoffensive, it’s almost charming and really rather good.
It’s a switch your brain, prepare to laugh and forget the world around you type of book that made me smile many times and I look forward to the rest of the trilogy from Farrago Books
July 2, 2021
I wouldn't have thought a book about a man trying to fight the government to ensure his mother gets a heart transplant would have me laughing out loud, but this certainly did! Fitzhugh takes partisan politics and government conspiracies to new levels of humor, and our hero, lawyer-with-a-heart (pun intended) Spence Tailor is the perfect person to put everything in its proper place. Complete with car chases, accidental kidnappings and nutty characters willing to help out along the way, this book had me turning the pages as quickly as possible, both to find the next laugh and to find out what would happen next. This is a great combination of humor and plot, I'm off to read more of his books!
July 3, 2021
A humorous story that brings an important social issue to the forefront.
This book is offbeat, fun, and quirky. The underlying theme is importantly so you do find yourself wondering what you would do in the same situation, but it is written so comically that you can’t take it too seriously.
I absolutely loved this book and am looking forward to the next one. The writing is easy to read. It is a great beach read or book to read curled up in front of the fire. The characters are outrageous. You will fall in love with their unique ways and find yourself rooting for the underdogs.
I received an ARC from Farrago through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.
This book is offbeat, fun, and quirky. The underlying theme is importantly so you do find yourself wondering what you would do in the same situation, but it is written so comically that you can’t take it too seriously.
I absolutely loved this book and am looking forward to the next one. The writing is easy to read. It is a great beach read or book to read curled up in front of the fire. The characters are outrageous. You will fall in love with their unique ways and find yourself rooting for the underdogs.
I received an ARC from Farrago through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.
July 19, 2021
Overall, I am left scratching my head at this read. The author clearly has a great idea of a story, but this reader feels the outcome was underwhelming. The author begins to build characters and a thick plot that quickly grabbed me and left me wanting more. The beginning story is feasible, and the author sprinkles bits of humor and satire in that at first seem to add to the adventure. However, as the story progresses, it becomes more and more farfetched. There are various extraneous characters towards the last third that to me retract from the underlying storyline. After significant, long buildup, I felt the book ended abruptly and left many questions still unanswered. Perhaps I am the wrong audience for this book?
July 20, 2021
Wow.....I can't say that I've ever read anything like this! It's like slapstick hilarious humor.....with a serious point/message. And I might guess that much of this nonsense that he presents, actually has base in degrees of reality......which might lead this tale to be about as scary as it is funny! It touches on politics, medicine, pharmacy, wacky characters, chase scenes, crazy encounters, life/death, relationships........ I think I laughed out loud at about every other page! I might even say a 4.5 star rating is more accurate....definitely memorable! I look forward to reading more of Bill Fitzhugh's work!
I received this e-book from publisher Farrago Books via NetGalley, after offering to read it & post my own fair & honest review.
I received this e-book from publisher Farrago Books via NetGalley, after offering to read it & post my own fair & honest review.
February 25, 2022
I did not know that I was waiting for this book this year, but I was. This is the first book I have read from this author and I immediately want more. I already picked up another book from the author's tetralogy to enjoy. This book was definitely satire on our American medical hellscape complete with a tinge of political satire thrown in for the fun of it,. This was an adventure of sorts that keeps you tied into your seat to see what is going to happen next. The play on words, conversations, and interactions between characters were well written and most of the time pretty fun. There is definitely a high level of fantasy to this book, however there is also a part that is making an important statement. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley. This was highly enjoyable.
June 24, 2021
This isn’t my type of book, which is probably why I spent most of the book cycling back and forth between “I can’t put this down” and “I want to DNF this.” I feel like the idea was really interesting but it jumped between point of views and getting to experience each character’s personal inner turmoil became annoying. Between that and random facts about the cost of a highway or a random politic history fact interrupting a slow moving scene, it was easy to lose motivation to keep reading to the end. All in all, this is the type of book I wish I wanted to tell my friends to read, but probably never would out of fear that they wouldn’t enjoy it.
August 27, 2021
Heart Seizure:
A Review (3***)
By Bill Fitzhugh
Touted as a book for fans of Carl Hiaasen, I pretty much agree. Not as madcap or off the wall as some of Hiaasen’s early works, but still out there.
I enjoyed the plot — entertaining, with plenty of twists/turns, but I thought that character development was short-changed. Debbie did not start to appear until over half-way through; Connie blossomed suddenly and lately. Spence and Boyd fared better. The wrap-up was hasty and truncated, and although it gave us what we needed to know, it was not graceful.
All that said, I’m reading some more by Bill Fitzhugh soon.
A Review (3***)
By Bill Fitzhugh
Touted as a book for fans of Carl Hiaasen, I pretty much agree. Not as madcap or off the wall as some of Hiaasen’s early works, but still out there.
I enjoyed the plot — entertaining, with plenty of twists/turns, but I thought that character development was short-changed. Debbie did not start to appear until over half-way through; Connie blossomed suddenly and lately. Spence and Boyd fared better. The wrap-up was hasty and truncated, and although it gave us what we needed to know, it was not graceful.
All that said, I’m reading some more by Bill Fitzhugh soon.
June 27, 2021
Heart Seizure by Bill Fitzhugh was pretty good. The plot was very far fetched but it was an adventure. Spence Taylor's mother Rose needs a heart transplant. She has a rare blood type but a heart is found. But then the President of the US needs a heart too. Spence and his brother take the heart and a doctor and are chased across the country by the President's men. The story is fun and crazy. I thought the writing was very good with a lot of crazy things happening.
If you like a good romp this is it. It is really not my cup of tea but it was a fun read
If you like a good romp this is it. It is really not my cup of tea but it was a fun read
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September 9, 2021It was a pretty humorous read
Mr. Fitzhugh has a real talent for subtle hilarious humor in his writing. I might even call it "sneaky humor" because he sort of sneaks it into the story and catches you by surprise with it. I found myself chuckling -- yes, chuckling -- several times during this book. Sometimes he heaps a whole lot of information on you, but then he snacks you with some very clever humor to kind of wrap it up. It's a bit like he's saying, "Okay, I gotta get this information into the plot, oh, and then this funny thing took place."
Mr. Fitzhugh has a real talent for subtle hilarious humor in his writing. I might even call it "sneaky humor" because he sort of sneaks it into the story and catches you by surprise with it. I found myself chuckling -- yes, chuckling -- several times during this book. Sometimes he heaps a whole lot of information on you, but then he snacks you with some very clever humor to kind of wrap it up. It's a bit like he's saying, "Okay, I gotta get this information into the plot, oh, and then this funny thing took place."
February 23, 2019
About halfway through the book I was thinking this would make for an excellent season of a very absurd TV show. The plot pulls in a lot of what I have come to expect from a Fitzhugh book (this is the fourth of his I've read)- an oblivious but earnest hero, shady government officials, biting caricatures, social commentary, and a freewheeling series of increasingly unlikely scenarios. I enjoyed it.
October 9, 2022
Heart Seizure is a funny, madcap adventure involving an ailing mother, her two sons and the president and all that goes with him. Do not expect this to be a serious novel involving a heart transplant. This is a very funny book about a serious subject, and I say that with a big smile on my face. You will cheer and laugh out loud while reading this very entertaining book.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Farrago Publishing for this ARC.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Farrago Publishing for this ARC.
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