The Coaster
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read, Open EPUB eBook)
Bob Patterson considers himself an Everyman—albeit an Everyman with a rich, beautiful wife, two good kids, and a mail-it-in job that ignores his law degree. Despite his good fortune, Bob is idling through life, bored at work and at home. In short, he is the proverbial Coaster.
Bob's wife, Sarah, is the anointed heir to the empire built by her father, Sam—a kind of Kansas City, Missouri, Warren Buffet. Fine by Bob, the family soccer mom. But early one morning he and Sarah awake to terrible news.
Sam's death reveals he appointed Bob to be the trustee of his personal fortune and, as the IRS currently has it, he'll be in charge of his mother-in-law's money. Even more terrifying, Bob realizes he faces the prospect of actually working all day, for stakes that matter.
Is the reappearance of Bob's wildest fraternity brother from college and a proposal from a bland businessman with a plan that seems too good to be true mere coincidence? A businessman who refuses to take No for an answer. After a lifetime of choosing the path of least resistance, will Bob finally take a stand when his family needs him most? If so, where?
Bob peppers his story with sports and pop culture references and wry commentary on everything from the sex lives of married couples (such as they are) to the enormous cost of being "honored" at a charitable event. Bob knows what the hero should do in the situations he encounters (he's read the books and seen the movies, too). He doesn't have "a very particular set of skills" or a secret past in the Special Forces. He's just a regular guy who handles extreme pressure and threats to his family about like you'd expect (not well). It's going to take all he's got (really, more than he's got) to raise his game. Fortunately he's got an ace-in-the-hole...at home.
Darkly comic, The Coaster turns the conventions of the mystery/suspense genre upside down.
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
Erich Wurster. (2016). The Coaster. Sourcebooks.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Erich Wurster. 2016. The Coaster. Sourcebooks.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Erich Wurster, The Coaster. Sourcebooks, 2016.
MLA Citation (style guide)Erich Wurster. The Coaster. Sourcebooks, 2016.
| Library | Owned | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Shared Digital Collection | 1 | 1 |
OverDrive Product Record
- images
- cover:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/2363-1/{71A0706D-9B0D-4A97-B345-95E2CF909A4E}IMG100.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- thumbnail:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/2363-1/{71A0706D-9B0D-4A97-B345-95E2CF909A4E}IMG200.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover150Wide:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/2363-1/{71A0706D-9B0D-4A97-B345-95E2CF909A4E}IMG150.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover300Wide:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/2363-1/{71A0706D-9B0D-4A97-B345-95E2CF909A4E}IMG400.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover:
- formats
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781464205682
- name: Adobe EPUB eBook
- id: ebook-epub-adobe
- identifiers:
- identifiers:
- type: ASIN
- value: B07VNH1T6W
- name: Kindle Book
- id: ebook-kindle
- identifiers:
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781464205682
- name: OverDrive Read
- id: ebook-overdrive
- identifiers:
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781464205682
- name: Open EPUB eBook
- id: ebook-epub-open
- identifiers:
- otherFormatIdentifiers
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781464205675
- mediaType
- eBook
- primaryCreator
- role: Author
- name: Erich Wurster
- isOwnedByCollections
- True
- title
- The Coaster
- dateAdded
- 2016-09-23T02:50:00Z
- contentDetails
- href: https://link.overdrive.com?websiteID=141&titleID=2725692
- type: text/html
- account:
- name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
- id: 1151
- sortTitle
- Coaster
- crossRefId
- 2725692
- id
- 71A0706D-9B0D-4A97-B345-95E2CF909A4E
- starRating
- 3
OverDrive MetaData
- isPublicDomain
- False
- formats
- fileName: TheCoaster_9781464205682_2725692
- partCount: 0
- fileSize: 868493
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781464205682
- rights:
- type: Copying
- value: 0
- type: Printing
- value: 0
- type: Lending
- value: 0
- type: ReadAloud
- value: 1
- type: ExpirationRights
- value: 0
- name: Adobe EPUB eBook
- isReadAlong: False
- id: ebook-epub-adobe
- onSaleDate: 4/2/2024
- samples:
- source: From the book
- formatType: ebook-overdrive
- url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=71a0706d-9b0d-4a97-b345-95e2cf909a4e&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
- fileName: TheCoaster_2725692
- partCount: 0
- fileSize: 0
- identifiers:
- type: ASIN
- value: B07VNH1T6W
- name: Kindle Book
- isReadAlong: False
- id: ebook-kindle
- onSaleDate: 4/2/2024
- samples:
- source: From the book
- formatType: ebook-overdrive
- url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=71a0706d-9b0d-4a97-b345-95e2cf909a4e&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
- fileName: TheCoaster_9781464205682_2725692
- partCount: 0
- fileSize: 269051
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781464205682
- name: OverDrive Read
- isReadAlong: False
- id: ebook-overdrive
- onSaleDate: 4/2/2024
- samples:
- source: From the book
- formatType: ebook-overdrive
- url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=71a0706d-9b0d-4a97-b345-95e2cf909a4e&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
- fileName: TheCoaster_9781464205682_2725692
- partCount: 0
- fileSize: 687967
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781464205682
- name: Open EPUB eBook
- isReadAlong: False
- id: ebook-epub-open
- onSaleDate: 4/2/2024
- samples:
- source: From the book
- formatType: ebook-overdrive
- url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=71a0706d-9b0d-4a97-b345-95e2cf909a4e&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
- keywords
- value: Mystery and Suspense
- value: Fiction
- value: mystery
- value: murder
- value: Books
- value: mystery thrillers and suspense
- creators
- role: Author
- fileAs: Wurster, Erich
- bioText:
Erich Wurster lives in Prairie Village, Kansas with his wife and teenage daughter. He also has three sons. It's been a pretty long marriage. When he is not writing, Erich spends his time thinking of excuses to avoid writing and annoying his daughter by talking to her friends in the car. This is his first novel.
- name: Erich Wurster
- imprint
- Poisoned Pen Press
- publishDate
- 2016-08-02T00:00:00-04:00
- isOwnedByCollections
- True
- title
- The Coaster
- fullDescription
Bob Patterson considers himself an Everyman—albeit an Everyman with a rich, beautiful wife, two good kids, and a mail-it-in job that ignores his law degree. Despite his good fortune, Bob is idling through life, bored at work and at home. In short, he is the proverbial Coaster.
Bob's wife, Sarah, is the anointed heir to the empire built by her father, Sam—a kind of Kansas City, Missouri, Warren Buffet. Fine by Bob, the family soccer mom. But early one morning he and Sarah awake to terrible news.
Sam's death reveals he appointed Bob to be the trustee of his personal fortune and, as the IRS currently has it, he'll be in charge of his mother-in-law's money. Even more terrifying, Bob realizes he faces the prospect of actually working all day, for stakes that matter.
Is the reappearance of Bob's wildest fraternity brother from college and a proposal from a bland businessman with a plan that seems too good to be true mere coincidence? A businessman who refuses to take No for an answer. After a lifetime of choosing the path of least resistance, will Bob finally take a stand when his family needs him most? If so, where?
Bob peppers his story with sports and pop culture references and wry commentary on everything from the sex lives of married couples (such as they are) to the enormous cost of being "honored" at a charitable event. Bob knows what the hero should do in the situations he encounters (he's read the books and seen the movies, too). He doesn't have "a very particular set of skills" or a secret past in the Special Forces. He's just a regular guy who handles extreme pressure and threats to his family about like you'd expect (not well). It's going to take all he's got (really, more than he's got) to raise his game. Fortunately he's got an ace-in-the-hole...at home.
Darkly comic, The Coaster turns the conventions of the mystery/suspense genre upside down.
- reviews
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
May 30, 2016
Wurster salts his first novel, a tale of greed and mayhem, with an ironic and engaging commentary on the foibles of modern mankind. Bob Patterson is a pleasant incompetent whose greatest achievement until this story begins was marrying well. On the sudden death of his father-in-law, a Kansas City, Mo., business mogul, Bob is unexpectedly appointed executor of the extensive estate instead of his supercompetent wife, Sarah. When erstwhile fraternity buddy Dave “Corny” Cornwallis unaccountably visits, and a slick salesman, Tom Swanson, pushes a business proposal that turns out to be too good to be true, events rapidly churn into a whirlpool of criminal madness. Bob finds inner resources he never knew he had as one ordeal presages the next, even more dire calamity. But with Sarah’s help, Bob manages to cope and survive. There are perhaps a few too many discourses on the absurd aspects of society and the human condition, plus a noticeable plot hole or two, but all in all Wurster has delivered an exciting and enjoyable read.
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
August 1, 2016
Bob Patterson is a coaster; a guy who ties his fortunes to someone higher up the food chain. His job as head of a division of his father-in-law's company doesn't require much input from him. His wife, Sarah, is president of Bennett Capital, and their life is well regulated; galas and benefits and rescuing horses and occasional lovemaking keep Bob going. Suddenly, Sarah's father dies, leaving Bob as the trustee of Sam Bennett's multibillion-dollar personal fortune. What's a coaster to do? When blackmail and murder raise their ugly heads, Bob finds out he actually can accomplish quite a lot when necessary. VERDICT Aficionados of comic mysteries such as those by Tim Dorsey will delight in Wurster's laconic, humorous prose; Bob's wry, self-deprecating, and hilarious musings offer keen observations on everything from sports to sex.
Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
June 1, 2016
Readers must be warned: don't let the first 26 pages put you off this fine novel. Wurster is setting up a story involving corporate jerks and has his narrator, Bob Patterson, come off as a primo jerk. In a short space, he belittles wife, colleagues, anybody unfortunate enough to swim within his ken. But then his father-in-law, who subsidized Patterson's plush, pointless life, dies, leaving Patterson, for no apparent reason, in charge of his investment empire. Readers who have hung on will be rewarded, as Wurster spins a devious plot out of his hero's bewilderment. Sharks appear, and Patterson battles them, but this is not a heartwarming story of one man's redemption through steady employment. As he learns what this corner of corporate America is really up to, Patterson reveals a treacherous streak of his own. The style is witty and knowing, as when Patterson wishes he had a cold-blooded but loyal killer chum to rescue him, just like those pop-novel detectives. The violent finale boils with surprises, all the while staying mordantly funny. A rumbustious read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)
- popularity
- 112
- links
- self:
- href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/71a0706d-9b0d-4a97-b345-95e2cf909a4e/metadata
- type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
- self:
- id
- 71a0706d-9b0d-4a97-b345-95e2cf909a4e
- starRating
- 3
- images
- cover:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/2363-1/{71A0706D-9B0D-4A97-B345-95E2CF909A4E}IMG100.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- thumbnail:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/2363-1/{71A0706D-9B0D-4A97-B345-95E2CF909A4E}IMG200.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover150Wide:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/2363-1/{71A0706D-9B0D-4A97-B345-95E2CF909A4E}IMG150.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover300Wide:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/2363-1/{71A0706D-9B0D-4A97-B345-95E2CF909A4E}IMG400.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover:
- isPublicPerformanceAllowed
- False
- languages
- code: en
- name: English
- subjects
- value: Fiction
- value: Mystery
- value: Humor (Fiction)
- publishDateText
- 8/2/2016
- otherFormatIdentifiers
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781464205675
- mediaType
- eBook
- shortDescription
Bob Patterson considers himself an Everyman—albeit an Everyman with a rich, beautiful wife, two good kids, and a mail-it-in job that ignores his law degree. Despite his good fortune, Bob is idling through life, bored at work and at home. In short, he is the proverbial Coaster.
Bob's wife, Sarah, is the anointed heir to the empire built by her father, Sam—a kind of Kansas City, Missouri, Warren Buffet. Fine by Bob, the family soccer mom. But early one morning he and Sarah awake to terrible news.
Sam's death reveals he appointed Bob to be the trustee of his personal fortune and, as the IRS currently has it, he'll be in charge of his mother-in-law's money. Even more terrifying, Bob realizes he faces the prospect of actually working all day, for stakes that matter.
Is the reappearance of Bob's wildest fraternity brother from college and a proposal from a bland businessman with a plan that seems too good to be true mere coincidence? A businessman who refuses to...
- sortTitle
- Coaster
- crossRefId
- 2725692
- publisher
- Sourcebooks
- bisacCodes
- code: FIC022000
- description: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General
