Plugged

( 52 )

Overview

The long-awaited crime caper so outlandish, so maniacal, so wickedly funny, it could have only come from the mind that brought you Artemis Fowl.

Daniel McEvoy has a problem. Well, really, he has several, but for this Irish ex-pat bouncer at a seedy, small-time casino the fact that his girlfriend was just murdered in the parking lot is uppermost in his mind.

That is until lots of people around him start dying, and not of natural causes. Suddenly...

See more details below
Hardcover
$24.07
BN.com price
(Save 3%)$24.95 List Price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up In Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (Hardcover)
  • All (27) from $1.99   
  • New (7) from $4.73   
  • Used (20) from $1.99   
Plugged

Available on NOOK devices and apps  
  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK HD/HD+ Tablet
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for Windows 8 Tablet
  • NOOK for iOS
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK for Windows 8
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for Web

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

NOOK Book (eBook)
$11.99
BN.com price

More About This Book

Overview

The long-awaited crime caper so outlandish, so maniacal, so wickedly funny, it could have only come from the mind that brought you Artemis Fowl.

Daniel McEvoy has a problem. Well, really, he has several, but for this Irish ex-pat bouncer at a seedy, small-time casino the fact that his girlfriend was just murdered in the parking lot is uppermost in his mind.

That is until lots of people around him start dying, and not of natural causes. Suddenly Daniel's got half the New Jersey mob, dirty cops and his man-crazy upstairs neighbor after him and he still doesn't know what's going on. Bullets are flying, everybody's on the take and it all may be more than Daniel's new hair plugs can handle.

And Daniel's got to find the guy who put in those hair plugs—or at least his body—and fast, or else he'll never get that voice out of his head. Head-spinning plot twists, breakneck pacing and some of the best banter this side of Elmore Leonard's Detroit, will keep you on the edge of your seat and itching for more.

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

Eoin Colfer might be an unfamiliar name to most adult readers, but his young readers series about master criminal Artemis Fowl has made him a bestselling author on both sides of the Atlantic. In his debut adult fiction, Colfer pulls out all stops. Its not easily summarized plot proliferates before our eyes, but it involves multiple murders, corrupt cops and angry mobsters, and an apparently ineffective hair transplant. What it all adds up to will stagger imaginations. One early online reviewer ventured a guess: "If Carl Hiasson married Raymond Chandler and engaged Dave Barry to be a surrogate mother, Plugged would be the progeny."

San Antonio Express-News
"Channeling noir stylists from Raymond Chandler to Elmore Leonard, Eoin Colfer the Irish author of the million-selling "Artemis Fowl" series for teens, goes a little crazy in his head-spinning, hilarious first novel for adults. "Plugged" introduces us to the charismatic Daniel McEvoy, who uses the lethal skills he learned in the Irish army as a strip-club doorman who finds himself in deep sewage with the cops and the Irish mob — thanks to his best friend, a crooked doctor who is giving him hair implants."
New York Journal of Books
"Plugged is a miles-apart transition for the acclaimed young adults' author, as he makes the brave leap to adult fiction—not the easiest of leaps to make, especially if that leap is the wide and dangerous canyon of hardboiled crime where safety nets are as scarce as a Tony Soprano's diet. Thankfully, Mr. Colfer's leap of faith has him landing expertly and solidly on his feet with page-turning ease. Funny, acerbic, crazed, riveting, sardonic—with just the right amount of hard-boiled dialogue—Plugged is everything you want in a summer read."
Associated Press Staff
"Eoin Colfer, primarily known for his children's books featuring Artemis Fowl, shows he can write a terrific crime novel for adults with Plugged . . . Plugged is that rare book that mixes terrific suspense with laugh-out-loud humor. McEvoy and his attitude will appeal to fans of both the crime novels of Elmore Leonard and the wacky characters prevalent in the novels of Carl Hiaasen."
The Chicago Sun-Times
"Colfer makes the transition [to adult literature] with his facility for the delightful Irish turn of phrase intact, even if many of those phrases are saltier this time around . . . the sharp curves come fast and so do the dips that make you feel giddy. Colfer keeps up the furious pace."
The Guardian (UK)
"In the journey towards crime fiction, Eoin Colfer is helped by the fact that his children's hero, Artemis Fowl , was a master criminal. The narrator of Plugged is also quite a dodgy dude. This comedy of vanity in an action protagonist alerts us that we are in the territory of comedy crime, in the style of Carl Hiaasen. As he showed with the Artemis Fowl books, Colfer is an engaging and inventive writer with a strong sense of the rhythm of a story, its twists and riffs. Always entertaining page by page, the book also has a truly unexpected sex scene and much sassy dialogue."
Foreword Reviews
"Eoin Colfer makes his crime fiction debut with a bang… With swift pacing and plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the very end, Colfer’s crime caper has all the makings of a classic thriller. Daniel tries to hide his insecurities and chivalrous weak spot behind his wry, self-deprecating humor, and his witty voice deftly blends comedy with the noir storytelling. A clever ending leaves room for a sequel and fans clamoring for more of this sensitive Irish rogue."
Booklist
"Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl youth series, employs similar techniques in this one—breathless plotting, humor, and wordplay—but he adds a diverse armory of guns, grenades, and stilettos. Fans of Ken Bruen’s hilarious odes to murderous psychopaths will want to get Plugged."
Mystery Scene Magazine
"Keeping New Jersey sleazy, Plugged is full of fake boobs, Irish gangsters, dirty cops, and a sea of salty language. And like a double shot of Jameson on an empty stomach, the buzz comes on quick . . . Colfer's prose is generous with the jokes and nimble with plot twists."
Lisa Scottoline
"Great writers can write anything, and Plugged is proof. Its author is Eoin (pronounced 'Owen') Colfer, a name you might recognize because he wrote the best-selling 'Artemis Fowl' books for young adults, as well as a sequel to Douglas Adams’s "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy." Taken together, those books feature fairies, unemployed gods, a boy genius, a green alien and a galactic president, which means it’s not easy to categorize Colfer or his writing. That’s a good thing. Because now he’s produced a bang-up crime novel for adults. This might lead you to think you’re in Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen or even Damon Runyon country, but you’re not. Although there are echoes of all three writers in Plugged, Colfer's novel is dominated, driven and fully animated by a refreshingly original voice . . . Colfer has the deftest of touches, so he underplays them at every opportunity, which makes the reader care all the more. Plugged packs a powerful dramatic wallop for such a slim volume, like a flyweight with a knockout punch. And Daniel McEvoy becomes a knight errant in a sensitively wrought study of the effects of war on the human soul. As I said, great writing."
Cindy Adams
"Author Eoin Colfer, who created those Artemis Fowl books, lives in Ireland. Again, hair-raising, dark bad boys, crime, events where your wife's brother gets selected 'designated drunk.' Daniel McEvoy's a bouncer, Irish. Like, what else? Lives there a villain who's Norwegian? His girlfriend gets suddenly dead. It's a crooked doctor, menacing homeland mob, seedy New Jersey club, more booze—and such prose as squeezing certain sensitive parts of a male Rottweiler. And Page 264's 'Little virgin Connie didn't want hands on her ass.' Eugene O'Neill it's not. Irish it is."
Patrick Millikin
"The bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl novels dedicates this, his first crime novel for adults, to fellow Irish writer Ken Bruen, who 'made him do it.' The result is an infectious blend of hardboiled lunacy mixed with Celtic black humor that is held together by Colfer's own glorious voice."
L. Dean Murphy
"If Carl Hiasson married Raymond Chandler and engaged Dave Barry to be a surrogate mother, Plugged would be the progeny. Oh, grow up! This is a zany crime caper where such things are possible. With the unlikely title—redolent of Chandler's characters being "plugged" with lead bullets—the bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series makes his hilarious crime fiction debut á la Elmore Leonard. Incredible imagination won't suffice to solve this who-what-and-whydunnit. This five-star story in the vein of Robert Coover's Noir has more twists than a box of rotini pasta."
Marilyn Stasio
"Compared with that criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl, Dan McEvoy is a bungling idiot. But that's essentially the appeal of Eoin Colfer's first adult protagonist, an expat Irish Army veteran who appears in Plugged . . . lots of bloody fun."
Declan Burke
"Colfer's first adult crime novel, Plugged is a gloriously ramshackle comedy crime caper. As a narrative vehicle the story is a getaway car careering downhill and losing wheels at every corner. Colfer, however, is too experienced a storyteller to get carried away himself. The propulsive chaos masks a palpable appreciation of the crime novel itself, not simply in terms of his playful subversion of the genre's tropes but also in Colfer's willingness to warp the parameters of what is essentially a conservative narrative form. Successfully blending the subgenres of comedy crime caper and hard-boiled noir is no mean feat, as those who have read Donald Westlake's pale imitators will confirm. Colfer's exuberance in this respect will delight the connoisseurs jaded by crime novels that insist on adhering to a predictable norm. Scabrously funny, furiously paced and distinctively idiosyncratic, Plugged ultimately comes to a belated reconciliation with the genre's conventions, but only after a titanic and entertaining struggle that suggests Colfer's first adult crime novel will not be his last."
Library Journal
Colfer, the author of the "Artemis Fowl" YA fantasy series, makes his adult crime fiction debut with this tale of Daniel McEvoy, who might be a doorman at a low-rent casino in Cloisters, NJ, but who once upon a time served two tours of active duty in the Irish army. The most excitement he's had in some time, though, is getting hair plugs from his unlicensed doctor friend, Zeb. Then Daniel finds one of Irish Mike's lieutenants waiting at Zeb's place of business, with a stiletto handy. After a bit of lethal self-defense and accompanying cover-up, Daniel returns to the club to find Connie, the hostess and potential girlfriend, dead in the parking lot. He's not sure whether to suspect the work of Irish Mike, or whether an irate customer could be to blame. The body count rises steadily as Daniel gets himself into various situations both dangerous and hilarious involving good and bad cops, crooked lawyers, barrels of steroids, and assorted mayhem. VERDICT Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard fans should enjoy this hard-boiled novel with a dash of humor. [100,000-copy first printing; national tour.]—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Lib., Wisconsin Rapids
Kirkus Reviews

Colfer's adult crime-fiction debut—after his bestselling Artemis Fowl YA series—introduces a big, brash, bawdy, balding anti-hero.

Transplanted from Ireland to the picaresque vale of Essex County, N.J., sharp-witted, hair-challenged, ex-professional soldier Dan McEvoy finds he must cope with a nonstop barrage of problematic issues, all with pain and suffering potential.Dan's used to that, however. A gypsy once told him he had "an aura that looked like shark-infested water." Consciousness raised, Dan does what he can to keep the sharks at bay. Now, down on his luck though ever hopeful, he is minding his own business as lead bouncer at Slotz—an acknowledged dive, but a man's got to eat while he waits for a turn-around—when a drunken patron plants a kiss where he shouldn't. Connie, the hostess whose anatomy has been transgressed, complains. Dan moves in and unwittingly begins a chain reaction that ends with the lead bouncer as the lead suspect in Connie's murder. The word "ends" overstates the case, of course, since Dan is to trouble what bad boys like him are to a certain kind of woman. Consider tempestuous Detective Ronelle Deacon, for instance, who beds and cuffs Dan with equal vigor. Or the deluded widow Delano, in whose erotic fantasy Dan is a stand-in for her long-lost husband. Add to this a volatile mix of ill-intentioned baddies—a shady shyster, a mobster in search of misplaced booty and an intemperate ghost—who batter and bruise him from his toes to the follicles of his in-progress hair transplant, and it's a near thing whether or not Dan will make it to the sequel undoubtedly scheduled.

It's a considerable step from the world of YA to this novel's extreme raunchiness, and some in the fan base—new readers as well—may view it with alarm. Others will find the goings-on funny enough to forgive anything.

Lisa Scottoline
Great writers can write anything, and Plugged is proof…Colfer's novel is dominated, driven and fully animated by a refreshingly original voice…Plugged packs a powerful dramatic wallop for such a slim volume, like a flyweight with a knockout punch. And Daniel McEvoy becomes a knight errant in a sensitively wrought study of the effects of war on the human soul.
—The Washington Post
Marilyn Stasio
Dan's chivalric mission of mayhem makes no logical sense, but it does attract the attention of numerous unsavory characters and results in lots of bloody fun.
—The New York Times
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781590204634
  • Publisher: Overlook Press, The
  • Publication date: 9/1/2011
  • Pages: 288
  • Sales rank: 472,241
  • Product dimensions: 5.90 (w) x 8.90 (h) x 1.20 (d)

Meet the Author

Eoin Colfer

EOIN COLFER is the New York Times bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series and the sixth installment in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, And Another Thing . . . . He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children.

Biography

Eoin Colfer is a former elementary school teacher whose Artemis Fowl series has become an international bestseller. He is also the author of The Legend of Spud Murphy, The Wish List, and the New York Times bestseller The Supernaturalist.He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children.

Author biography courtesy of Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children.

Good To Know

Some fun and fascinating outtakes from our interview with Colfer:

"My original ambition was to be a comic book artist. I would still love to write a comic one day."

"I have a real hatred of queues. If I see a queue of more than four people, I will leave the building and come back another day."

"I have four brothers and they are the inspiration for several of the sprites and gremlins in my books."

"I did a parachute jump recently and loved it. I would definitely take it up as a hobby if we had more clear sky over here in Ireland."

"I am a big theatre fan, and I go as often as possible with my wife. I actually started out in the theatre, writing plays for my actor friends."

Read More Show Less
    1. Also Known As:
      William Eoin Colfer (full name)
    2. Hometown:
      Wexford Town, County Wexford, Republic of Ireland
    1. Date of Birth:
      May 14, 1965
    2. Place of Birth:
      Waterford City, County Waterford, Republic of Ireland
    1. Education:
      Bachelor of Education, 1986; Education Diploma, 1987
    2. Website:
      http://www.eoincolfer.com

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 52 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(39)

4 Star

(6)

3 Star

(5)

2 Star

(1)

1 Star

(1)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 52 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 23, 2012

    I love colfers work but......

    This is not a chat room so stop the HP talk and talk plugged. I love hp but come on

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted August 18, 2011

    Can't miss this one!

    So how does an Irish guy end up as a down-and-out bouncer in Cloisters, NJ? Beats me, but Colfer's penned a fast-paced, hilarious, dark story about it. I was lucky enough to get an early listening copy of the audiobook, and it's great. John Keating reads, so you definitely get that Irish flavor, and his accent is easy to listen to. The best way to describe this book is a "dark caper" - it's witty, smart, dark, seedy & AWESOME! Forget what you know of Colfer as a young adult author, and dive into this book/audiobook!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 1, 2013

    Hi im jenny i a sixth year

    Im a sixth year in slytherin and my patronus is a cat and im really good at DADA and potiotions spesficslly love potions

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 6, 2013

    To the Host

    A lot of people sterotype California as a sunny place with countless beaches and tons of surfers. So wrong! But I know how you feel....Sort of. It doesnt matter whether one state is better than the other; all states are unique. Are Texas and Alaska the same? Of course not! The differences between states are a good thing, not a bad thing. But you are sterotyping states, as well! Not all Texans think Alaska is full of igloos and polar bears. I understand you may be offended by the sterotyping, but YOU ARE STEROTYPING, TOO! Please reconsider.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 6, 2013

    The Host

    Ok. Sooooooooo.......

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 6, 2013

    An I mean

    Send them to 740 first result.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 24, 2013

    I love colfers work but...

    I agree. Talk about the book not stupid harty potter. Go to the reviews on hp for that. I dont know if i should buy this book and im trying to see everyone elses opinion but instead i get stupid harry potter stuff. Just go away.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 15, 2013

    Ravenclaw- 3rd year

    Im ravenclaw and my patronus is a dalek! My favorite subject is Defense against the dark arts. Im a 3rd year and my name is charlie and im a girl.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 8, 2013

    Hi

    Can i join? My name is Danielle

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 27, 2012

    Can I talk to the minister of magic?

    F

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 28, 2012

    F

    Fxffa

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 29, 2012

    Hermione Granger

    When is the next yule ball? Victor and I had an amazing time!

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 13, 2012

    ANYONE ALIVE!?!?!

    BEEN WAITING FOR FOREVER FOR SOMEONE TO ACTUALLY TALK TO ME!!!!! DID Y'ALL DIE OR SOMETHIN???? Sunrise is impatiant... *usually sparkling green eyes cloud over resembling a storm*

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 31, 2012

    Halloween

    I love star wars so i dressed up as Boba Fett.( p.s. im a 11 yrs. girl);)

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 29, 2012

    To matt

    Of course, but how is the student a minister? Whatever. I will help.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 1, 2012

    Moonlight

    House - Gryffindor
    Year - second
    Favorite class - Magical Creatures
    Favorite teacher - Hagrid
    Least favorite teacher - Umbridge or Snape(depending upon whether Umbridge is teaching at the time)
    Animal/pet - black cat with violet eyes by the name of Nyra
    Patronus - a wolf
    Magick ability - natural spellcaster

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 28, 2012

    Help

    Im new to this so can someone help me? Btw im a ravenclawhatever tht means

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 15, 2012

    To celia

    Wut school r u in?

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 15, 2012

    Isaac to celia

    Can you teach me how to knit?

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 20, 2012

    Hi

    Hi everyone! I'm new, Im Emma, Ravenclaw and second year. My patronus is an owl and my favorite class is history of magic, which I dont think is as boring as everyone says it is. Anything important I should know?

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 52 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)