Murphy’s Luck 2: Revenge of the Jinx by Benjamin Laskin

Murphy’s Luck 2: Revenge of the Jinx follows a story as wacky as the characters – Murphy Drummer, an infinitely unlucky man, finds himself again in a sticky situation: the middle of a bank robbery. There, his bad luck seems to be contagious, and his efforts foil the robbery and garner the attention of the FBI. The story is fast-paced and consistently funny, throwing the reader into the hurricane that is the life of Murphy Drummer.

Laskin writes with a light and humorous touch, portraying the absurd in such a clear and matter of fact way that you can’t help but laugh: “Bonnie spun at the shriek and saw Murphy holding the chubby boy in front of him like an umpire’s chest protector. Murphy aimed the kid at the blonde, and applying the Heimlich maneuver, he squeezed. Pop!”

One must know going in that the book is farcical comedy, so it takes some serious suspension of disbelief, but once you accept the book’s tone, it’s an entertaining read throughout given the outrageous situations Murphy gets himself into, almost from the very start. Though it would certainly help to know Murphy’s backstory from the first installment, Laskin has written the sequel as a standalone story – the kind of series where you can pick up any book and drop right in.

Despite its elements of farce, Laskin has also created a bevy of relatable characters: Murphy, his wife, Joy, and the cast of bumbling agents are engrossing and amusing to the last page. All in all, this sequel may be improbable, but it is highly entertaining.