Thanks to Grove Atlantic for the ARC.

I’ve read all of Hoffman’s books now. Every Man A Menace was a weird masterpiece. White Van more of a straight grizzly crime novel but framed in a bizarrely different way. Clean Hands was a legal thriller but also has an off kilter vibe.

Which brings us to this one. It’s good, but a much more regular gritty crime story with stock characters. I kept waiting for something else to kick in, story or language wise, and it sort of does toward the end when the plot ratchets up - but overall this book was playing it safe for me.

The exception to this was the Helen character, who was delightfully oddball. The book touches out some zeitgeisty themes like white nationalism (which to be fair is not really a new phenomenon, as American as apple pie and gerrymandering) and the stuff about steroids was different - never really seen this sort of thing in a crime novel before.

Worth reading if you’re into that gritty crime vibe, but after Every Man A Menace I think I was expecting something a bit more epic in scope.

An interesting book, though I found it a bit slow at times, but the themes are very relevant. Bunny (male) and his buddy Jerry find themselves in trouble after Jerry persuades Bunny to beat up the ex husband of one of his customers he sells steroids to, she's become jealous of a new woman he's become interested in. Jerry and Bunny meet up to do the beat down, and since it takes place in a well lit affluent neighborhood, it's all caught on camera. They are quickly arrested and Bunny is quickly offered a deal, integrate himself with a white supremist organization and report back to the feds and charges will be dropped. Bunny ends up working at a used car dealership where he eventually meets the guy that runs the supremist organization, who invites him to their compound and to become one of them. Bunny finds out that they are planning some very bad stuff, but the feds don't appear interested in that, they want a notebook that the leader has. Meanwhile Jerry is still in jail trying to figure out how Bunny got out before him. Events go quickly once Bunny is at the compound and the last part of the book was a page turner. I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Atlantic Monthly Press for the ARC.

The novel centers around Bunny Simpson, a clerk at a Denver cigarette store, His friend Jerry comes up with an idea to beat someone up for money and the two of them get arrested. Bunny then becomes an undercover informer in a white nationalist group.
The description given for the novel is "an exhilarating thriller" but i didn't see it as exhilarating. Interesting at points for sure.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you for the ARC!

This book really reminded me of "Since the Layoffs" and "The Anthology" both in tone and in content, both of which I really liked.

A vaguely racist MMC takes no responsibility for the consequences of his actions and makes a lot of presumptions about the people he encounters, similar to Holden Caufield. It then makes perfect sense when he gets tangled up in infiltrating a white supremacist group.

A good read but doesn't add anything super new to the narrative. The author plays in to archaic stereotypes that he's clearly never encountered. This is a book for men and nothing like I would have expected from the cover. But I enjoyed it as much as I would an action movie.

The author imbeds each character with deep seated hate, so as to make the MMC seem better. The book does not pass the bechdel test and the women in the book disrespect themselves, thus the minus 1 star.

Oh 89, misspelled ads as adds

This was a pretty good book! It was full of action, plot twists and asshole men. It is actually scary that this book is giving a pretty accurate portrayal of these extremists and the way their mind is so fucked up. It pokes fun of them which is good, but still scary that some people are like this

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Thank you NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and the author of Friends Helping Friends for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this reading, Bunny is a very interesting character and the book is full of plot twists. The writing is ok but it took me some time to get used to. Overall it was a very good and enjoyable reading.

Bunny is such a captivating character to follow! It almost felt like the other characters were playing a game of catch-up, never quite reaching the same depth of development as Bunny.

The peachy background and rounded letters of the cover had me expecting something entirely different, but the premise quickly set my expectations straight. I don't believe the cover gives the book justice.

The plot moves at a fast pace, and while there are a few moments where minor plot points appear without really going anywhere, Friends Helping Friends still delivered exactly what I was hoping for: raw, unfiltered conversations, a gripping storyline, and a well-developed main character.

The title is a fitting snapshot of the story – friends helping friends. It explores toxic masculinity and the consequences of poor decision-making, all of which round up to a satisfying read. I’d recommend it to fans of the genre!

Thank you NetGalley, Grove Atlantic, and the author of Friends Helping Friends for this ARC.

This was my first read by Patrick Hoffman - and I was not disappointed!
Lots of plot twists, and lots of action.
The writing style took a bit of getting used to, but by the halfway point it all came together and was quite easy to follow.

Would recommend!

The story begins with a simple premise—500 dollars to rough someone up—but quickly escalates into a nightmarish descent into the depths of America’s far-right extremism.

Hoffman brilliantly portrays Bunny, a seemingly average man with a relatively stable moral compass. As he’s thrust into a situation that tests the limits of his ethics and survival instincts, we get a glimpse into the toxic and hardened extremist group in which he is forced to go undercover.

Overall, this is a dark, compelling read that explores the shadowy corners of the human psyche and the dangerous allure of extremist ideologies. It’s a powerful reminder of the thin line between ordinary life and the abyss and the choices we make when pushed to the brink. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate intense, character-driven thrillers.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and the author of Friends Helping Friends for this eARC.

Friends Helping Friends follows our main character (Bunny) and his friend (Jerry) as they help someone out (Helen) for some cash. What follows is a series of events landing Bunny in an undercover investigation to take down a racist organisation.

The most enjoyable element of this story was the characters and how they spoke to each other. You'll get to experience non-perfect humans, having non-perfect internal dialogues (this was fun) and then making non-perfect decisions. At the core the book really is about friends helping friends (weather its legal or not!). How far would you go to help a co-worker? A gym buddy? Your druggie friend? Your abusive uncle?

Also Helen was a highlight - once you learn her story and her circumstance you get to understand why she does what she does.

I give this 3 stars - there are some lose ends here and there, plot points brought up seemingly for no reason...but the book is easy reading with a satisfying finale.

Thank you NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and the author of Friends Helping Friends for this eARC!

Friends Helping Friends is a gripping story about Bunny and Jerry, two friends who appear to mean well but find themselves in trouble after needing money. Jerry offers Bunny $500 to beat up the cheating ex-husband of a woman he knows and is interested in. Helen is a body-builder and, since taking steroids, becomes increasingly more vengeful. Bunny and Jerry are arrested for the attack but Bunny is given an opportunity - avoid prison by taking a plea deal and going under cover in a white nationalist group under federal investigation. Quickly, he becomes involved in this hostile and toxic environment, knowing full well he would be killed if the men found out he was a snitch.

This is a gripping and captivating book, making the reader question morally ambiguous scenarios. It is written simply to reflect the life of Bunny, and delves into complex topics such as toxic masculinity, religion and the darker aspects of human nature.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. i’m

Thank you NetGalley, The Publisher and the author of Friends Helping Friends for this E-ARC! I rate this book a 4.5/5. Took me a little to get use to the style of writing but once I did it was a total page turner for me with an interesting plot that kept me very intrigued.

A good story.
With twists and lots of action.
The ending was satisfying and well-developed.
I wanted to read more. More about these characters, more about this topic.
A good easy read and therefore quick and Page Turner.
The only thing I didn't like was the beginning and the way the book was organized (it took me some time to get used to the writing style).


(4.8/5 stars)
Netgalley book, thanks for the advance copy.

The blurb is a little misleading; this isn't a thriller, despite having several truly nail biting sequences. It's a noir; one which lopes its way somewhat leisurely into its premise, and then keeps the pages turning until the final moments. Well-written, stripped-down prose, compelling scenes, with three compelling protagonists and an array of chilling villains. A totally satisfying read.

I really enjoyed this overall (with the exception of the slight mention of animal abuse - that's always a difficult one for me). The characters were believable enough to be hateful, especially from a mental health standpoint.
At times it felt like the story line was going in too many directions at one time. This plus the lack of chapters made it difficult to focus on the story or find a good pausing point. It all came together in the end with a satisfying conclusion which I very much enjoyed.

Starred Review:

Bunny and Jerry pair up to help a hot lawyer teach her cheating ex a lesson. Well lets just say things go sideways and toot fast. Despite both Bunny and Jerry trying to do the right thing they have to get in bed with criminals all over the Denver area to get themselves free of the mess they helped create.

A killer crime novel full of bad guys and little good. Fantastic. Page turner and a classic crime noir