turn the beat around

Will Fairweather has been struggling. He’s in his mid 40s, and he feels every one of those midlife pains, in his back, in his knees, and in his intestines when he eats spicy food. That’s why he avoids it. He avoids chipotles. He avoids going out. He tires to live a quiet, safe life.

And then his wife kicks him out.

She’s not trying to hurt Will. But Audrey has been with him, and in the years since his mother died, he’s just been surviving. But Audrey wants more. She wants to live again. She wants to be part of the couple who would travel to Spain to learn how to dance. But all Will wants to do is stay home and worry. And she couldn’t take any more.

When it turns out that Will doesn’t really have anywhere else to go, Audrey reaches out to the one person on Earth that Will doesn’t want to deal with. The man is a member of one of the most popular rock bands of the ‘70s. The man is a legend on the drums. The man is Will’s father.

Red Fairweather is a rock and roll god who abandoned Will when he was just a teenager. Will hasn’t seen his father in decades. He didn’t reach out when Will’s mother died. And Will doesn’t want to reach out now. Except that moving out of his home means he has to find another place to live, and all he can afford is a tiny flat in a dangerous neighborhood. So Will swallows his pride and moves back into the room he spent time in as a teenager.

Right away, Will and Red are at odds. Red tries to reach out, but Will doesn’t want to hear it. But Red wears Will down, and Will finds himself hanging naked off of Red’s balcony during a massive Holy Moly party. As the days go by, Will finds himself starting to let down his walls a little, and Red finds himself opening up about the years he missed and his reasons for that. But will it be enough for father and son to be able to meet in the middle?

Old Boys is a comedy about the things in life that go wrong and the things in life that go right. It’s about the moments that define us and the courage it takes to feel those moments fully. It’s about love and sacrifice and family. And it’s about a llama named Chunky Lumps.

I enjoy the novels of Nick Spalding. They are readable and enjoyable. There’s always humor and heart, with several unexpected surprises that make me laugh out loud. I thought Old Boys was especially sweet, as Will’s and Red’s relationship evolved and Will found his way back from his fears and depression. There are some slow spots in the novel, but it’s a good family story with a satisfying ending, including a woman playing “Fat Bottomed Girls” on the organ.

Egalleys for Old Boys were provided by Amazon Publishing UK through NetGalley, with many thanks.