What do you get when a paroled mob hit man, a cop and his pregnant porn star wife, a prison warden, and a sexy trout dealer in crimson hiking boots all meet up in a small backwoods town in Pennsylvania? You get the hilarious book called Sleep with the Fishes by Brian M. Wiprud.

When an ex-mob hit man relocates to the small Pennsylvania fishing community after turning state's evidence against his mob buddies, all he wants to do is fish, despite the fact that all he knows about fishing he learned in jail from magazines. While all he wants is to be left alone with his rod and reel, Sid Bifulco finds that the local yokels have ideas of their own. And, when a Mafia killer and his old prison warden join the mix, Sid gets far more than he ever bargained for. The result is a suspenseful black comedy that is a side-splitting page-turner.

Wiprud is wickedly clever, and a genius when it comes to mixing comedy with a fast-paced thriller. Full of irony and humor, I laughed through most of book, but always found myself on the edge of my seat with each new plot twist. The book is full of quirky characters, and even the wildlife have something to add to the story. Sleep with the Fishes is one of the most warped, fascinating, and enjoyable reads I've had in a long while.

Sleep with the FishesIf there is one thing (among the many) that I can say about is that it's irreverently witty and darkly serious all at the same time. That's not an easy task to accomplish, but Brian Wiprud pulls it off. It' a compelling, character-driven story with a tightly crafted plot.

If you're looking for a big fish story (did you catch that?), this is definitely the book to pick up. is well worth investing a weekend to read.