A pro softball player, an alcoholic husband, a drug deal out of town, and buried treasure-the postmodern and vibrantly pulpy debut novel from Hob Broun The heroine of Odditorium is Tildy Soileau, a professional softball player stuck in a down-and-out marriage in South Florida. Leaving her husband to his own boozy inertia, she jumps at the chance to travel to New York with Jimmy Christo, only recently released from a mental institution, and make some much-needed cash on a drug deal. Adventure is just as much a motivating force, though, and Tildy quickly gets involved with a charismatic drug dealer; meanwhile, in carrying out business, Jimmy is dangerously sidetracked in Tangier. By the time the two are back in Florida, a financial boon greets them, but here, too, trouble is in the wings. Formally daring and full of jolts of the unexpected, Odditorium is an addictive romp through shady realms.
"I have been in touch with writers for almost 30 years. In the course of that time, none has shown me the courage exhibited by Hob Broun, whose example and bravery shall not perish."
