Kirkus Reviews Verdict:
"GET IT"
Kirkus Reviews describes John B. Peoples as "... a twisty tale. An offbeat and memorable tale of one man’s will to doggedly pursue a just quest."
The full review is below and you can go to the following word: link.
"Cowan’s literary novel tells the story of a very unlucky lottery winner.
John Peoples is a 41-year-old divorced man who works in sales for Western Telecom in Los Angeles. He lives in a one-room apartment in a converted garage—the nicest place he can afford, given his alimony and child support payments. When John splits the cost of a lottery ticket with his loathsome boss Ed White, it seems like nothing much will come of it. But the lottery ticket only costs a dollar, and the top prize is some $40 million. Why not take the risk for 50 cents? Ed keeps the physical ticket, and John writes down the winning numbers in his sales book. As luck would have it, the ticket is a winner, and naturally, John would like half of the winnings, as agreed. Of course, Ed is not an honorable person, so trying to extract the prize will be no easy task. Ed does everything he can to stay away from John, who tracks him down regardless. During the ensuing car chase, John crashes his vehicle, which sends him to the hospital with a spinal cord injury. While he’s recovering, he speaks with an attorney. It turns out that John may have a case—not only against Ed, but also against the California Department of Transportation (or “Caltrans”). After all, Caltrans gets sued “all the time for negligence and the injuries they may be responsible for.” But the case against Ed could come down to circumstantial evidence, and it’s unlikely to be a simple matter.
John digs deep to find the strength to right the wrong that’s been committed against him. His life may have been significantly altered by his accident, but his adventure doesn’t end in a hospital room; indeed, it’s not even limited to Los Angeles. The novel’s excitement stems not from its restlessness but from seeing what unpredictable moves John will make next. It may seem impossible that he could ever get justice from “a real douche” like Ed—but John proves to be a man of unrivaled determination. When John tells Ed directly, “I will follow you to the ends of the earth if I need to,” readers will wonder if this will really be the case. Such direct comments are surprisingly bracing and effectively help to move the story along, but readers will mainly come to appreciate John’s relatable openness as he shares his observations, his worries, and even his offhand complaints: “I truly did love Los Angeles, and I truly do. I just wish it were quieter and cleaner.” As bizarre as John’s story may be, he himself is a relatable figure whom many readers will be happy to follow, whatever might befall him. Meanwhile, Ed is a suitable villain, and someone who clearly has failed to learn “compassion and the golden rule.” Who will come out on top? Readers do find out the answer, but only after the affable protagonist leads them through a twisty tale. An offbeat and memorable tale of one man’s will to doggedly pursue a just quest."
Reviewed by Dylan Insch for Readers’ Favorite
John B. Peoples by Michael Cowan follows John, a salesman living out of a small converted garage and struggling under the weight of alimony payments. Everything changes in an instant when a ticket he chipped in to buy with his boss, Ed, hits a multi-million dollar jackpot. Quite unexpectedly, Ed hoards the ticket and decides to run off with the full payout. John's immediate, angry pursuit leads to a horrific crash on the Los Angeles freeway, leaving him paralyzed and facing months of painful rehabilitation. While adjusting to his new reality, John connects with a lawyer to build a case, only to find out his ex-boss has scrubbed his trail completely clean. Can a man on the mend successfully hunt down a thief who has all the money in the world to stay hidden?
John B. Peoples by Michael Cowan is a suspenseful thriller that really hooks you with its unique take on a betrayal plot. Cowan excels at taking a familiar revenge storyline and turning it into an examination of true human resilience. The most impressive parts are the vivid scenery paired with well-developed side characters, like John’s loyal childhood friend, who helps him renovate his home, and his teen daughter, Amy, who steps up as his researcher and cheerleader during his recovery. The conversations flow effortlessly, and Cowan addresses the shift from independence to a major injury with real care. I love that the plot avoids forced twists just to create an air of suspense; the high stakes easily carry the momentum forward. The author paces the timeline beautifully, contrasting the heavy, looming threat of a manhunt against the slow, draining realities of inpatient rehab. If you are looking for an exciting thriller that tackles justice, survival, and real-life issues, you will love this one.
5 Star Gold Review From Literary Titan
John Peoples’ life has unraveled. He is divorced, stuck in a converted garage, and drifting without any real sense of purpose. Then fortune appears to intervene. He and his boss share a lottery ticket and win a staggering $40 million jackpot. For a brief moment, John believes everything is about to change. Instead, his boss disappears, seemingly intent on claiming the winnings alone. John gives chase, only to suffer a catastrophic spinal injury. Even that does not break him. He presses on through a globe-spanning pursuit, with his share of the money always just beyond reach.
John B. Peoples, by Michael Cowan, is a work of contemporary fiction built around a familiar yet compelling figure. John may call to mind the biblical Job, a man battered by forces that seem arbitrary, relentless, and impossible to make sense of. Trial follows trial. Misfortune arrives without warning. Any promise of stability vanishes almost as soon as it appears.
John is portrayed as an essentially decent man. He has flaws, certainly, but nothing that justifies the endless chain of setbacks that defines his life. He seems marked by misfortune, as though he has been fated to struggle while others move easily toward comfort and success. Yet he refuses to surrender. He is determined to recover what is his, and his vanished half of the lottery winnings becomes more than money. It becomes justice. It becomes dignity. It becomes the embodiment of everything he has been denied.
In many ways, John stands in for the person who grows up in a prosperous society and still never quite manages to get ahead. Cowan taps into that quiet resentment, that weary longing produced by watching others enjoy wealth, security, and privilege while one’s own life is shaped by random, punishing turns. When the possibility of a better life hangs so close, so visible, so maddeningly attainable, how far would someone go to seize it? That is the question at the heart of the novel. Cowan answers it through a character study that feels persuasive, human, and deeply affecting.