Today’s recommendation is one I picked up because (1) I have read this author before and (2) I was intrigued by the title. The book is a couple years old from what I can tell and the internet says that there is a movie in the works based on the book. Let’s look at Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride.
“Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride broke my heart. And then it somehow mended that shattered heart, made it beat more buoyantly than before. We need books like this and writers like Will Leitch now more than ever.”—Richard Russo, author of Empire Falls and the North Bath Trilogy of “Fool” novels.
As a parent, I think you would do just about anything for your kids. Lloyd McNeil is in a situation that any parent would hate to be in. In the book, you find out how he handles the situation and will leave you pondering what you might do in the same scenario. He is the Amazon synopsis:
From the Alex Award-winning and Edgar-nominated author of How Lucky, this twisty, funny, and ultimately uplifting novel follows a father in a race against time to provide for his child.
Lloyd McNeil has just learned he has months to live. He also learns that his twenty years as a beat cop in Atlanta haven’t earned him enough money to take care of his teenage son, Bishop, after he’s gone. But when Lloyd discovers his police benefits will increase exponentially if he dies in the line of duty, he comes up with a plan.
Lloyd begins to throw himself into one life-threatening situation after another to try to get himself killed and to provide for his son . . . but he keeps failing—and surviving. To his shock, his accidental heroics make him an inspirational icon in the community. But time is still running out for Lloyd to get his affairs in order, to teach Bishop the lessons he needs to be a good person, and to say goodbye.
Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride is a surprising, unforgettable blend of suspense, humor, and compassion. It is a novel about what we leave behind and what we learn along the way, a bighearted and stirring story about the depths of a father’s love for his son.
This was such a great story. The love that Lloyd has for his son is apparent throughout the story. With his plan in place, he still wrestles with whether or not he is doing the right thing. The story played out very much like a movie, so I was glad to see that one was in development.
As the synopsis said, there are plenty of emotions that you’ll feel as you read the story. There are some very funny moments and moments where you are on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. It was a book that moved at the perfect pace and left me wanting more.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 