Title: The Third Step: The Smoking Gun and the Coughing Nails, a Real Red Herring, the Isometrics of Tobacco and the Power of Nonsense.
Author: Al Lucas
Publisher: lulu.com
ISBN: 978-0359264889
Pages: 198
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Reviewed by: Tony Espinoza

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We all want to make sense of the world around us. So many things can become confusing or mixed up, making life more difficult to live in. From politics and family to romance and work, having a clear-cut understanding of the world is what helps so many people live their lives daily. However, the only way to make sense of the world sometimes is with a bit of nonsense. As British author Roald Dahl once said, “A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.”

In author Al Lucas’s The Third Step: The Smoking Gun and the Coughing Nails, a Real Red Herring, the Isometrics of Tobacco and the Power of Nonsense., the author once again finds the antihero Paul Undres back in the driver’s seat. The twisted back and forth thoughts of the protagonist find Paul living not as a crack addict, alcoholic, or sex addict, but instead as a cigarette addict instead. Having served his time in prison, the ramblings of a confused and recovering addict find him searching for love and romance. In a desperate bid to help a woman he has fallen in love with, he seeks the aid of a doctor whom he believes can cure her of her ailments, as he did Paul. In a grand battle of thoughts in his own mind between the gods above and below, Paul must admit to truths about himself.

What a truly creative and unique story. The author takes readers on a trippy and almost psychedelic journey through Paul’s mind as he traverses the later years of his life. Immediately the author begins exploring the confused thoughts of the protagonist’s mind, from his confusion over his gender and sexual identities to the complex family life he has had thus far and even his desire to find love. Through the self-described “nonsense” that the narrative becomes, a real beauty and eloquent nature to the author’s writing takes center stage, highlighting the powerful affect drugs and alcohol can have on a mind over time, and how complex we as individuals can be.

This is the perfect read for those who enjoy a blend of humor and drama in their literary fiction genre. As a fan of the genre, I found myself drawn into this personal character arc overall and the rambling beauty of the author’s writing. The narrative and Paul himself almost felt like a literary personification of every addict’s demon, and the pitfalls of failing to recognize the lines that addicts often cross.

A meaningful, thoughtful, and entertaining read, author Al Lucas’s The Third Step: The Smoking Gun and the Coughing Nails, a Real Red Herring, the Isometrics of Tobacco and the Power of Nonsense., is a must-read drama and humor-filled literary fiction book. The latest chapter in this series does an excellent job of forcing the reader to consider the author’s words carefully, and the shocking conclusion to this chapter of the saga of Paul Undres will leave readers wanting more.