King Clown by Mark Lages

King Clown is the story of Adam Stern, a middle-aged man dealing with pneumonia and his father's death. A recovering alcoholic, Adam, while hospitalized, has vivid dreams in which past and present collide in some interesting and amusing ways.

When our protagonist's father dies, he leaves Adam a box with a handful of strange, and unrelated items, including a poem that references a "King Clown." With no idea who or what this king clown is or its relation to him, Adam spends his time in the hospital attempting to figure out why this poem was left for him.

This is my second Mark Lages book and his writing style is consistent throughout. He writes conversationally and the book is riddled with personal stories designed to further character development, which he does well.

If you're looking for a thrill ride, this isn't your book. But if you want a slow burn with interesting, fun and sometimes heart wrenching background stories, King Clown might be for you. I find myself reflecting on his books and realizing I enjoyed them, but sometimes become restless while reading. I think I'd rather sit down and chat with Lages face-to-face to hear his many wonderful stories (although he's told me he writes better than he converses-ha!).

Many thanks to the author for the book in exchange for an honest review.
See this review on Goodreads. Buy this book here.