The Adventures of Slim and Howdy by Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn (Book Review by Melissa Bartell)
The Adventures of Slim and Howdy
by Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, with Bill Fitzhugh
Buy from Amazon >>
The Adventures of Slim and Howdy is a comic romp based on the alter-egos of country music duo Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn (aka Brooks and Dunn). Several years ago, they began incorporating the fictional adventures of Slim (Dunn) and Howdy (Brooks) into their liner notes, and once enough adventures were created, they collaborated with Bill Fitzhugh, known for his comic mysteries.
In this novel, we’re introduced to Slim and Howdy separately, and we get to see how they meet – at a used car lot, in the twangiest part of Texas. There are abundant zingers and one-liners that follow, and some hilarious moments, including one scene where Slim tries to reclaim his guitar from Brushfire Boone by throwing a pair of hedge clippers and shooting at a refrigerator.
The pair bond quickly, and agree to travel together finding adventure or, more accurately, misadventure – along the way, in their pursuit of musical fame. During their travels, they run into terrorists, thieves, and upset boyfriends, until they finally land a gig at a roadhouse. Except that it’s not so final, because their boss Jodie Lee is kidnapped and held for ransom, and who else but Slim and Howdy could possibly ride to the rescue?
It’s clear that Bill Fitzhugh’s hand was the guiding one in this novel – keeping the plot (yes, there is a plot) moving forward, and not letting things get too far out of hand. I’m curious about his other work, and want to see how much of the voice of his novel was his.
I confess that I’m not a particular fan of Brooks and Dunn’s music, but even so, I enjoyed this novel. It’s silly at times, preposterous at others, and has no shame in making fun of its creators (in their fictional forms). For a nice summer read, you could do worse than to fill a glass with iced sweet tea, and spend an afternoon following Slim and Howdy around the desert and mocking their mishaps.
The Adventures of Slim and Howdy was released on May 12, 2008, and was published by Center Street Press.
Melissa A. Bartell left her heart in San Francisco, because her books took up too much room in her luggage. She is a freelance writer living and working in the Dallas, TX metroplex, and generally reads 2-3 books a week. She is the Senior Editor here at All Things Girl. Find out more about her on our About Page. You can find her at her blog as well as other places here and there.
