Murphy’s Luck 3: Curse vs. Jinx by Benjamin Laskin

Author Benjamin Laskin delivers his third dose of ludicrous laughter with Murphy’s Luck 3: Curse vs Jinx, which drops Murphy Drummer and his laundry list of hobbies and skills to his most exotic destination yet: the jungles of South America.

After learning that his in-laws have fallen victim to a bumbling cartel, Murphy must overcome his fear of leaving the house – and the fear of his own jinx – to save the day. With an endearing cast of bizarre characters, including his charming daughter Phaedra, who shares Murphy’s impossible luck, this book positively hums with life and anticipation for the next one-liner.

Throughout this Amazonian adventure, as with Laskin’s other books, the story veers to the absolutely surreal – comedic, yes, but also just plain weird, which is most certainly to its credit. The weirdness of the premise does take some suspension of disbelief, but once you’re on board with Laskin’s storytelling style, and Murphy’s personality quirks, the novel becomes a whimsical and raucously funny ride.

One of the weaker points carried over from the earlier books is the awkwardness of the dialogue. Laskin is great at seeing an opening for a good joke, but the conversations between characters still need to progress in believable and organic ways. Surreality needs reality as a balance, and some of the character interactions are a bit too off-kilter for the humor to be fully appreciated.

Overall, between hapless drug dealers, guys named Nacho, and Murphy Drummer’s inimitable fortune as he stumbles through the world, Murphy’s Luck 3 has all the hallmarks that makes Murphy’s Luck such a creative and entertaining series.