Private detective Frank Harken could really, really use a cup of coffee.
Can you blame him?
His new case features a missing woman, a flaky client, a cranky security officer, a mysterious assassin, an overbearing mob boss, an ice-cold enforcer, and the best mini-golf the world has ever seen. Did we mention the fate of millions is at stake?
“Stein delivers a madcap sci-fi take on the hard-boiled detective genre in this fun, near-future romp that’s chock-full of rapid-fire wit, tongue-in-cheek literary allusions, and playful futuristic absurdity… Stein keeps the stakes high and the laughs coming … Sure to appeal to fans of Douglas Adams, this zany, uproarious mystery is a constant delight.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Get ready for some super great fun! The Great American Deception is a hilarious (and deeply disturbing) voyage through a futuristic netherworld of caffeinated robots and diet pizza. Somewhere—possibly nowhere—Douglas Adams is sighing pleasurably with a combination of approval and afterlife indigestion.”
—Gary Shteyngart, author of Little Failure and Lake Success
“The Great American Deception is by far the most enjoyable novel told from the point of view of a futuristic coffee machine I have ever read!”
—Ben Schwartz, actor and writer
“In this witty delightful crime noir, a coffee machine steals the show… This is an entertaining read with high stakes and fast paced action.”
—Sci-Fi and Scary (starred review)
“The Great American Deception is such fun to read! Both funny and insightful, this Scott Stein original sends up the conventions and conceits of contemporary life in a daffy, cultural mash-up.”
—Paula Marantz Cohen, author of Suzanne Davis Gets a Life and Beatrice Bunson’s Guide to Romeo and Juliet
“A laugh-out-loud detective noir that reads like Twin Peaks meets Futurama. Even the footnotes are hilarious!”
—Jacopo della Quercia, author of The Great Abraham Lincoln Pocket Watch Conspiracy and co-author of MacTrump
“An amusing SF private eye/coffee spoof, chock-full of silicon circuits, served with laughs. This coffee tale offers good taste (to the last drop).”
—Kirkus Reviews (full review)
“Wordplay at its finest. You’ll love Stein’s mashups, and you might even be tempted to give it a second read-through for the absorption and enjoyment of it all.”
—Independent Book Review (full review)
“Monty Python meets Sam Spade in the future… This book is absolutely hilarious… It takes a lot of guts to make the hero and narrator of your book a rolling robotic coffee maker, but that is indeed what Scott Stein has done, to great effect.” (The Inside Flap Podcast, audio clip below)
Available from Audible. Check out a free sample.
The Great American Deception on Goodreads
Clues for Easter Eggs in The Great American Deception
Interview in Drexel College of Arts and Sciences newsletter
Featured in Snowflakes in a Blizzard
