The Donut Legion

The Donut Legion
AuthorJoe R. Lansdale
LanguageEnglish
GenreMystery/suspense/comedy
PublisherMulholland Books
Publication date
2023
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint
ISBN9780316540681

The Donut Legion is a comedy-mystery novel by American author Joe R. Lansdale.

Premise

The novel concerns a missing persons investigation centered on a Texas cult that claims knowledge of a flying saucer.

Lansdale has stated that his interest in and judgments of cults—including Pizzagate, QAnon, and Jim Jones—inspired the novel.[1]

Critical reception

In a positive review, the Associated Press said "Lansdale's prose is tight, he has laced his highly entertaining story with sly humor, and he has populated it with a cast of quirky characters."[2] Similarly, Gabino Iglesias of Locus called the novel a "master class" in "impeccable character development [with] a philosophical touch," and named it "one of Lansdale's best, most entertaining standalone novels."[3]

Conversely, Kirkus criticized "the otherworldly aspects of the [novel's] mystery [as] seriously muddled, and the whodunit, which might better be labeled a whathappened, [as] seriously disappointing."[4]

Future

According to Lansdale, a sequel novel entitled The Midnight Stars is forthcoming.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Joe R. Lansdale on The Donut Legion, Jane Goes North, and Conspiracy Theories". This is Horror (Podcast). 31 May 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Review: A writer investigates a UFO cult in East Texas". Associated Press. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  3. ^ Iglesias, Gabino (9 July 2023). "Gabino Iglesias Reviews The Donut Legion by Joe R. Lansdale". Locus. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Don't worry: Lansdale will surely be back next year with something more welcomely earthbound". Kirkus Reviews. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.