BOX

I couldn't turn the pages fast enough because I was laughing so hard. From the first page to the last, it was wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am tension and surprise, beginning with a brief introduction of Dr. Box that painted him without a stroke left undone. Dr. Box is an odd duck, indeed, but does he ever come up against a gang of characters that make him look normal when he lands in Kentucky on a quest to meet someone he can love after searching the internet. At every turn, something hammers this man with one complication after another, one crazy woman after another who's nothing what she showed him on the internet after another. But it's the prettiest cheerleader in the county that keeps yanking the chain of this man's heart. This book was knee-slapping fun, even if it seemed to stretch the limits of the believable at the time. Locke sucked me into the story with such skill there was no time to question anything. All I could do was hold still (except for my thumb hammering the Kindle) and enjoy the ride. I've got to get the rest of this series and hunker down for some more fun and a read that sweeps me away.

What happens when the worlds biggest narcissist goes hunting horny women in the south? Everything you'd come to expect from Dr. Gideon Box and MORE! It's hard to review a book like "Box" without ruining some of the fun, so I'm going to be intentionally vague. As per usual, Dr. Box has gotten himself in a heap of trouble. When you think things have hit rock bottom for him, they get worse. Imagine, the homecoming queen (young and beautiful, the belle of south) dares you to steal a policeman's handcuffs, then lets you handcuff her to the fence behind the diner, and kiss her. This is the kind of thing Dr. Box lives for ... though he wants more than a kiss ... and the cop turns out to be the girl's father! This is the start of Dr. Box's trip, landing him in hot water before he makes it to even one of the three women he's supposed to hook up with. When things go bad does he stop? Nope. But by the end of the book it's clear he should have. What John Locke does well with Box is what he did even better in "Bad Doctor" (my hands down favorite of the Box books), he keeps you turning the page with outlandish scenarios and engaging dialogue. The books feel short, but if you look at the page count, you'll see they aren't. They're just so fun that they read at lightning speed. These aren't "thinking" books, they're suspend disbelief and have fun books. In "Box", every southern trope was done, every stereotype explored, and still, it was a good read. I miss the medical aspect that was present in "Bad Doctor" and am disappointed that the book didn't pick up where "Bad Doctor" left off, but those are the breaks I guess. Oddly, an excerpt from "Bad Doctor" appears at the end of "Box", which is out of order since "Bad Doctor" (I believe) came first. "Box" ends at 87%. Always a bummer. But the book was a good time. I like the characters, the off-the-wall plot, and John Locke has an undeniable knack for pulling a reader in and dragging them along for a speedy ride. His pacing is fantastic, his dialogue perfect, and he's original. Seriously, kudos for making this stuff up. A recommended read if you're looking for a good time. There's this lady ... and she's waiting to show you her horses.

Pun completely intended. While I truly enjoyed Box, I think this series will be even better when Dr. Box returns to a setting where his talents can fully be used for good (or evil, as it suits him). This story was so completely out of the realm that Mr. Locke's Donovan Creed fans are used to, so it may seem a bit "off." I say that simply because Creed's story is refered to in this book, so readers may expect the same sort of writing here. This plot is very, very different, and the cast of characters could come from a bad (in an entertaining, can't look away from the crash way) reality show. Maybe I need to mentally distance Box from Creed. Maybe the next Box novel will return to the type of storyline we found in Bad Doctor. Maybe Box will retire to the Caribbean and become a plastic surgeon (ha!). I just mean that I have no idea where this series is headed, and I can not wait to find out. I do hope Box goes back to his nefarious ways. I almost felt sorry for him in this book, and I'd rather not. No matter what, I applaud Mr. Locke's writing and look forward to his next book. The sheer number of novels that he puts out is amazing. That each is stellar, solid and continuously entertaining is even more astounding. I have read every single one of his books and have nothing but wonderful things to say about them. Bravo, Mr. Locke!

First, an apology of sorts: When I read and absolutely fell in love with John Locke's "Bad Doctor" featuring sociopath and world-renowned pediatric surgeon Gideon Box, I thought it was the first in the series. Apparently, I was wrong - this one is. And I'll share something else: Had I read it first, I would have stopped right here. No, it's not awful (the most noticeable difference is that Box seems to have started as a cardio-thoracic surgeon who inexplicably morphed into pediatrics). In fact, it's rather entertaining - if your idea of entertainment is following the good doctor's escapades through the back woods of Kentucky chasing down three women he met on an online dating service. Every country bumpkin cliche you've ever heard is in there (plus a few you probably haven't), and along the way Box gets beaten up, hung, arrested and held at gunpoint yet manages to live to brag about it. At no time, though, does he do any real doctoring, nor does his tendency to kill people who've done him wrong back in his hospital setting show up anywhere as in "Bad Doctor." For the most part, the book is silly. Sometimes, I admit, silly is funny (my favorite is the retort Box's young, shapely girlfriend makes to an older, portly ex-girlfriend who's just made a reference to the former lady's need for a training bra: "At least I get measured for my bras...instead of surveyed." Mostly, though, silly is just silly, and the best I can say beyond a few chuckles is that it's short - I read it in under three hours. Based on my love of what I thought was the first book in the series - which I got free at Amazon.com - I was willing to ante up $2.99 for this one and another $2.99 for the third, "Outside the Box." I'll put it this way: If "Outside" is at least half as good as "Bad Doctor," I'll figure I got my money's worth.

Okay let me say first that I am technically OOU (One of U) as I have read everything John Locke has written. I've really enjoyed the Emmett series and have been greatly pleased with the new Gideon Box character. I just finished "Box" and I have to say it was one of the funniest and interesting stories yet! I genuinely laughed out loud on many occasions. If you are new to John Locke then start at the beginning with Lethal People and get to know Donovan Creed first following the story line progressions thru each book. Eventually Locke's multitude of characters pop up in each others books giving you a real working knowledge of personalities and quirks. My only gripe is the sudden 203% increase in the book prices. Up until this book, Locke's Kindle editions have all been .99 cents and with their shortness and intense action it was a good buy. When I purchased "Box" for $2.99 I fully expected there to be a larger more in depth story that went on for at least an additional 100 pages or so from the normal .99 cent books. I was wrong. Just like gasoline the price has increased exponentially for no reason and like most restaurant meals you are now getting the same or less for more money. Shame on your greedy soul John Locke...I feel betrayed.

What an outrageous book! I have never laughed so hard in a long time. The characters were incredible, the story just ridiculous and it made for wonderful reading entertainment. What an imagination to come up with this story! One of my favorite lines was at the beginning of chapter #43; "Welcome to Kentucky: three million people, twelve last names!" I was laughing to the point of exhaustion and just thinking about this line now starts the chuckling all over again. I don't know if the folks from Kentucky would find this funny, but I think it's a classic line that highlights the inbred characters in thie novel. Hysterical, priceless, irreverent fun!

Lididinous physician Gideon Box ventures into the wilds of licentious Kentucky in an attempt to sift a good woman from a field of three chosen from a dating site, but then he meets Trudy Lake, the most beautiful waitress/homecoming queen in all of Kentucky, along the way. She may or may not be married to her brother which, of course, complicates things. A little. John Locke is unlikely to make many new friends in his conservative home state with BOX, but fortunately for him (and for us) there are 49 other states full of nut jobs willing to forgo a Happy Meal to purchase it. BOX is certainly Locke's most raunchy effort to date, though he's never been one to shy away from the scatological. Not to give anything away here, but there's a whole deal in a car and references to a baboon that had me spewing secretions from my nostrils. BOX is an absolutely hysterical story that in true Lockean style flies from improbably hilarious sex scenes to a ludicrously laughable violent scenes in the blink of an eye. There's nothing sacred in Locke Land. Flitting between Box and Trudy Lake as duel first person storytellers, the narrative unfolds quickly and effortlessly. But it's the dialogue that sets Locke apart as a writer. It's a wonder he hasn't written a screenplay yet--or didn't land on the staff of some TV show long before he started cranking out books. And crank 'em out, he does. Sheesh. BOX is of course a novella, not nearly long enough to be called a novel. Even with its SEE SPOT RUN sized font there's not enough here to make it a full length book. As in all of Locke's creation, BOX rips along at super-sonic speed from the first page to the abrupt, leave-'em-hanging ending. It's works for Locke. We just keep coming back for more.

Here we go again folks; Dr. Box is on a trip to Kentucky (as John Locke explains, a state with only twelve last names) to find love. Dr. Box does find his true love, Trudy but not through the dating service as he thought. Trudy comes with a lot of baggage: Family... If you are not smiling as you read each page, you are laughing out loud. This book is a hilarious, quick and enjoyable read, another Locke classic. I can't wait to see what Dr. Box gets into next. Keep them coming John. Boston Bob

I read this book expecting it to be like other books by this author. I was disappointed because it was not great. Having said that I still read the entire book because I wanted to see how it ended. I guess I just don't understand this style of writing.

I love John Locke's books! They are unique, funny and hold you captivated from the beginning to end and as much as I hate the phrase "a real page turner" they really are! Box is brilliant and you have to love Gideon Box. Some of the one liners in this book had me laughing out loud! If I had one criticism it would be that the book was too short.

Good humour. Story moves quickly, no long boring descriptions of what the characters are wearing. If a bit unbelievable at times, still entertaining and an easy read.

I read this book after reading Bad Doctor by the same author. I thought this was a better book. I really enjoyed the book and could see how things detailed in the book could spiral out of control

I've read every one of John Locke's fictional books for Kindle, and each one cost £0.77. This is ridiculously cheap for some of the most innovative and exciting writing available today so I really don't begrudge paying an extra £1.20 for "Box", which is right up there with his best. So, you are probably wondering why only three stars. It's because it's a horrible let-down to find that when you think you are only 80% through the story, you turn the page and find that that's it. End of. What follows is the opening to another story. That wouldn't be so bad if it was a new story, but it's not. It's the previous book (Bad Doctor) in the series. I think it's a fair bet that most people finishing Box will have already read Bad Doctor.