Mickey Surasky

The first story is interesting but it’s all downhill from there. I’ve read his other work and these stories strike me as pieces that got shelved early in his career due to their being less than great. Each story starts out enthusiastically with the promise of a great future but you get the sense that they are the beginning of novels the author couldn’t bring to fruition. At the end of each one the reader feels ultimately let down. There’s lots of repetitiveness and meandering mixed with moments of observational brilliance which also makes for a frustrating and disappointing read. Most of all, one feels taken advantage of by deceptive marketing ( Lincoln Highway did this too ). I think this is the publisher trying to make a buck off of the success of A Gentleman in Moscow. Take a pass.