Here's what Amazon reviewers say

about Thin Blue Smoke

Thin Blue Smoke

Authentic is the word that comes to mind when describing this book. The characters, the plot--nothing forced here. I love the themes the book explores and the way Worgul weaves his various characters' lives together. Oh, and that ending! I won't say anything to give it away, but the ending stayed with me for a long time. Writing that is honest touches me and that's what this book did. Can't wait to see what will come next from this talented author.

— Lisa R. Mikitarian, Shenandoah Valley

Excellent word-of-mouth reviews will net this book big readership

Thin Blue Smoke was recommended to me by a close friend. I put off reading it for several weeks; I simply didn't think the subject would interest me. (Barbeque??!!) When I finally picked it up, I didn't want to put it down. I agree with another reviewer here that the book just made me feel good. The characterizations are what make Thin Blue Smoke shine--especially that of Ferguson Glen. Worgul could write a book just on Glen and I would read it in a heartbeat. As a former high school English teacher and an avid reader of fiction, I give this book a strong five stars and have already ordered copies to send to friends as gifts. Don't think that this book just will be about bbq--it is about the lives of several fascinating people and how they intertwine with one another--like thin blue smoke.

Just one word of warning, however. At some point while reading the book, it is definitely likely that you will get an irrestible urge to eat barbeque!

Worgul is a gifted writer. I'll be very interested in reading his next work.

— Alice, Rome, Italy

Where there's Thin Blue Smoke, there's . . .

You can truly feel the author's characters like you know them. Themes of music, baseball, prayer, and human tragedy swirl through this compelling story of lives intersected. Foodies and afficionados forever debate the finest barbecue, be it from Kansas City, Memphis, the Carolinas, or Texas. The best barbecue you'll find is in the pages of Thin Blue Smoke. It's a rewarding read -- right through the last surprising bite.

— Bill O' Neil, Lenexa, Kansas

Tasty & Filling

I loved, loved, loved this book! The characters are wonderfully complex & compelling and the description of the BBQ literally had my mouth watering & missing home. I highly recommend this book!

— April Killingsworth, Los Angeles

Excellent novel

I had begun reading almost strictly nonfiction because too many novels followed a predictable formula...not this one! Great character development and multiple plot lines keep this compelling to the end. Don't have to be a fan of barbecue to enjoy this read.

— Matt Tidwell, Shawnee, Kansas

I recommend it

If you're looking for BBQ gifts for hard-to-buy-for friends and relatives, you can't go wrong with Thin Blue Smoke. I read it cover-to-cover when it first became available on Amazon. It sounds like a barbecue book, and it certainly talks a lot about Kansas City BBQ. But it offers so much more than that. It's a book about life, about Kansas City, and about forgiveness. I think the chapters that focus on the character Ferguson Glen could be spun off into a stand alone novel. If a movie were made based on this fictional Episcopal clergyman, I'd be the first in line to purchase a ticket.

Congratulations (again) to Doug Worgul for a fine work. I can't wait for his next novel.

— Brian Pearcy, Plymouth, Michigan

Impressive

It is very difficult to impress me. This book did. Nothing predictable, nothing forced... just real characters in real-life situations; no sensationalistic hyperbole, but so riveting, and so genuine. I want to follow the characters even further. Full range of emotion. Hard to put it down. I will buy Mr. Worgul's next book before it is released.

— Fritz Edmunds Jr., Kansas City

Couldn't Put It Down

I was given this book as a gift and thought "wow, that's no thin book--this will last me through vacation." Wrong. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. The characters instantly became part of my life. I literally felt like I was in every conversation. The author did an excellent job of developing a number of complex characters and weaving their stories together in very surprising ways. I was disappointed when it ended...I want, no need, to know what the characters are doing today. Will there be a part 2?

— S. Gordon, Yucaipa, California

The NEW KC Masterpiece

Genuine and completely unpretentious; that is my heartfelt phrase to describe Thin Blue Smoke. Mr. Worgul has created a masterpiece of characterization, and the character list is not brief. But by the end of this novel you know each of them personally; their flaws, their wit, their heartbreaks, and their charming (and not so charming) idiosyncrasies. The personalities mesh into a perfect balance, despite obvious contrasts and socially presumed stereotypes. You will find yourself emotionally involved with them as if they were real. That alone would make this novel masterful...but there is so much more.

It's also an authentic portrayal of tragedy, fathers and sons, the love of a good woman, the love/hate relationship with good whiskey, redemption, and how God does (and doesn't) speak to His children. The situations and dialogue ring so true, and the humor that is laced throughout is priceless and always perfectly timed. This book made me foam at the mouth for brisket at 2am, and constantly had me singing along with one of its main characters: The Blues.

Without a doubt, this was the best book that I have read all year...so good that I plan to read it again. (Which I rarely ever do. Seriously.)

This novel was not just several hundred pages to pass the time. It was an emotional, spiritual, hilarious experience, and the soundtrack is still playing in my head.

— Michelle Roach, St. Louis

A book worthy of the themes it explores

This author respects his subjects and is patient enough to linger on the details that illuminate not only the characters but also a unique blend of American themes. The novel teaches the reader the "art" of barbeque, explores the challenges of faith and visits baseball of a prior era. However, at its core, this is a story about individuals and their struggles with themselves and events that continue to shape them. It's a book that will make you think. It might also make you hungry.

— Gareth Matthews, Leawood, Kansas

Delicious!

The book jacket says that "Thin Blue Smoke" is a novel about food, music, and love--and it is, but it's so much more than that. It's about barbecue in all its variants, but it's also about nourishment for the soul. It's about music--and so evocative of the richness of blues and jazz and gospel and rock and roll that readers can hear a soundtrack in their heads as they read. It's about love: parental love, love of men and women, the love of dear friends, and most of all, the love of God. "Thin Blue Smoke" will make you laugh and dance and sing and cry...and weeks later you'll be remembering bits of the richly layered plot and wondering what happened to the characters after you closed the book. Outstanding writing by Doug Worgul--I can't wait to read what he'll write next.

— Janet G. Ackerson, Three Oaks, Michigan

You won't be disappointed

I loved this book. I felt good every time I picked it up. More than good, I felt comfortable. I loved the story lines, the characters, and the writing. I would recommend this book to anyone.

— Barbara A. Rehm, Washington D.C.

Savory

Colorful, vivid characters. Writing so descriptive you can almost taste the BBQ. And the story's got meat on its bones. My favorite of '09 so far.

— J. Hinderer, Los Angeles

Characterization 101

Thin Blue Smoke should be required reading for writing students. The characters are so well developed, you feel as though you really know them--(and like most of them, warts and all). Weeks after finishing the book, I find myself thinking about the characters and wondering what they're up to. Bravo, Mr. Worgul.

— Kay Mahoney, Overland Park, Kansas

Opening a door to a new room

I don't know why, but novels have never been of interest to me. The closest I come to novels as a writing form would be biographies. I gravitate to history, philosophy, political writings, etc. A friend recommended Thin Blue Smoke, so I read it. Like much in life there are those that open a door to a room you have never explored. Thin Blue Smoke was such a room. In reading all of the above reviews, I agree with them all. The author took me to places and introduced me to people and raised some issues and shared profound understandings of life. It was not only a great experience, but it made room in my library for novels; I never discard a book that has become a part of me. Since reading Thin Blue Smoke I have read several more novels. Thanks to my friend and thanks to Doug Worgul my reading has become more interesting.

— Robert Odean, Ottawa, Canada

Step on in and feel at home...

When finished you will feel you have taken on new family members. While reading you actually can see faces and feel their emotions. A.B. Clayton (one of the main characters)was a young man I would have adopted by the time I was done. An expansive look at religion, love, hate, laughter and of course BBQ. Get it now, it will be a book you read more than once.

— Darin Cram, Kansas City

Great story!

I loved this book. I read a lot of books and this is one of my favorites. I will be telling everyone I know to get a copy. I hope there will be another book by this author. I didn't want this one to end.

— Sasota

If You Read Only One Book This Year, Make It This One

I love this book; the characters are terrific. The story revolves around a barbecue joint in Kansas City, and the odd assortment of people who work or eat there. On the surface, they have nothing in common other than their appreciation of fine barbecue. But as the story evolves, it's clear that the customers are a family of sorts and like family, they bicker and like family, they pitch in and help one another when necessary.

The characters are complex and have stayed with me long after I finished the book. Many of them struggle with personal failures as well as racism and religious issues. The book never goes overboard with these issues; rather, the author has perfect timing and knows when enough is enough. He also has perfect timing when it comes to humor. The book is funny in all the right places.

There's nothing thin about this book - it's rich with complicated characters.

— Ann Weisgarber, Houston

2009 Must Read

One of the best books I've read this year or any. It does an incredible job intertwining the stories of its characters who are all brought masterfully to life. From the SMOKE MEAT sign to Laverne's line that both kids are his, it was thoroughly entertaining. It does a great job of telling the intimate stories of the key characters each with their own life struggles and victories. It also has some excellent history of the Kansas City area and its barbeque heritage. Highly recommended.

— Duncan Sensenich, Leawood, Kansas

A quintessentially American novel

Doug Worgul's debut novel has the range and control of a veteran's work. He takes a wry look at a beautifully realised ensemble cast, refracted through the lenses of barbecue, blues, baseball and bourbon. Of these, barbecue is closest to the book's heart, and LaVerne, ex-baseball star and barbecue philosopher, is an offbeat and pleasantly flawed hero. At one point he discusses the essence of barbecue with another character (it's that kind of book), and they conclude that barbecue is the art of taking the worst cuts of meat, and transmuting them slowly over a low heat, making them into something wonderful. Worgul does something similar with his characters: poor, disadvantaged or alcoholic they may be, but over the course of this marvellous novel he smokes them until they too, turn into lives which fascinate and move us. This is a novel which takes to an America we'd all love to visit.

—Timothy Stretton, Boshham, England
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A fresh, earnest new voice...
Thin Blue Smoke is a unique and wonderful novel in which Doug Worgul has created a rich community of characters whose lives intersect in and around their local barbecue joint. Their stories unfold over time in bits and pieces, just like the stories of the people in our lives. And the more time you spend with them, the deeper your affection grows. This novel shares the stories of this group of people in a fresh voice that is both interesting and earnest.

Thin Blue Smoke is the type of novel you will want to return to again and again, just like a favorite vacation spot. After reading this novel, I feel like I have found a new circle of friends.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
—David Carnes, Overland Park, Kansas