The Shroud of the Thwacker - Hardcover

Chris Elliott

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1401352456 ISBN 13: 9781401352455

Publisher: Miramax, 2005

Synopsis

His name is Jack. And hes a nineteenth-century serial killer. But this Jack doesnt riphe thwacks. Jack the Jolly Thwacker is how hes known to history. Set in New York City in 1882, the story hilariously chronicles the adventures of police chief Caleb Spencer and his two cohorts, Evening Post reporter Liz Smith, and mayor Teddy Roosevelt, as they unravel the mystery of the worlds first (and most bizarre) serial killer. The elusive Thwacker dresses his victims in outlandish costumes, leaves behind taunting poetry, and leads the authorities on a wild chase through New York streets and scenes (complete with gas- powered wooden cell phones, carriages, gaslights, and Original Rays Pizzeria). Hot on the killers trail is, in a bizarre twist, Chris Elliott himself. Using historical records, he finds increasingly curious evidence that the killer might well be from the twentieth century. These investigations draw him literally into the case, as, in true Chris Elliott fashion, actual time travel comes into play.

About this title

About the Author

Chris Elliott is an Emmy-award-winning writer, producer, and comedian. He wrote for and performed on SNL, Late Night with David Letterman, and starred in the sitcom Get a Life and the films Cabin Boy and There’s Something About Mary. He recently co-starred in Everybody Loves Raymond. He lives in Connecticut.

From Publishers Weekly

The book debut from the Get a Life and Cabin Boy star is billed as a parody, but this murder mystery wrapped in laughter is simply straight-up enjoyable. Jack the Jolly Thwacker is leaving dead bodies all over 1882 New York City. Chris Elliott, a modern-day researcher, is tracking the serial killer through time. Elliott's wry humor fastens on the burgeoning, Boss Tweedified city, giving it a hilarious and vividly imagined set of anachronistic technologies and accoutrements (New York's Mayor Teddy Roosevelt, who has mysteriously disappeared, has a navel piercing). The narrative leaps back and forth in time, as 1882 police chief Caleb Spencer chases the Thwacker through the streets, and Elliott, convinced the killer is from the 21st century, chases him through time. Elliott's ability to time travel is facilitated by Yoko Ono (don't ask) and a willing suspension of disbelief, but the results are very amusing (if often infantile in the style of There's Something About Mary), with asides on every page that bring in everyone and everything from Typhoid Mary to Skyy Vodka. If Shroud feels like an extended, Americanized Monty Python skit, it's also a rousing good yarn.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Miramax
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1401352456
• ISBN 13: 9781401352455
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368