Holy bajole, this was the funniest thing I have read in a long time. To call The Tuxedo Society by Paul Rudnick “not your typical spy thriller” feels almost criminally understated because this book is operating on its own fabulous wavelength. I do not think two pages went by without a laugh out loud moment. From the second Andrew "Drew" Birnbaum is swept into the orbit of this elite group of queer spies, the story explodes into chaos and never once slows down. Every member of the Tuxedo Society brings their own kind of brilliance to the madness, from lesbian real estate moguls to a tech genius to former operatives who feel like they walked straight out of a fever dream. It reads like a spy spoof that knows exactly what it is and leans all the way in with sparkle and attitude.
This book is unapologetically big and I could talk about it for days. Maybe it was the protein bar (a bomb) or the yoga mat masquerading as a gun, or maybe it was the fact that Drew is still afraid of his mom... I LOVED IT ALL! The satire lands, the pop culture nods hit, and the whole thing feels wild, theatrical, and delightfully ridiculous in the best possible way. This is not about realism. This is about the vibes, the one liners, the absurdity, and the joy of watching everything spiral into campy perfection. It is loud, chaotic, and an absolutely ridiculous good time. I had so much fun with this one and honestly kind of wish the Tuxedo Society were recruiting because I would sign up immediately.
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