"Dick Cheney Shot Me in the Face" Review by Jeff Merrick

In the opening and title story of his riveting collection, Timothy O’Leary returns fire, blasting the S.O.B. Cheney with true facts spun out by a fictional victim in a most entertaining way.  As with all of the stories, O’Leary’s exuberant, fast-paced style bobs us down rivers of his savvy takes on the cultures, fun, fears, and realities of our time.

“One Star” gets into the heads and hearts of a struggling immigrant restaurant family and struggling, married, U.S. born customers disappointed by a declined Groupon.  A drunken Yelp-like review exposes a cleavage too often exploited by politicians and leading to consequences both sides regret.

A has-been sitcom actor was content with his life of booze and pussy as a travelling stand-up comic until he is blind-sided by an up-and-coming talent using the technology and tools of today in “Hecklers.”  

A widower who avoided cell phones and blames them for the death of his wife takes another look at his departed wife and the phone’s benefits when the neighbor boy shows him a video of her at her best in “The Tower.”  

Each story in this collection is a gem of thought, language and craft.  Some are funny, some are darkly funny (e.g., “Adolph’s [Hitler] Return”), and others are dramatic.  All are superbly entertaining.  Together, they process and contextualize the world around us from the perspective of someone who has been paying attention for the past four decades.  

Personally, I finish about one in every nine books I begin.  I finished this one in no time. My biggest criticism is that I wish there were even more than eighteen stories. 

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Tim O'Leary's book "Dick Cheney Shot Me in the Face" is available for preorder and releases on 2/16/2017.