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That's Not Right
Amber is a young videographer who has landed her dream job. She is to produce a web series based on a late-night talk radio show dealing with the unexplained. She is a huge fan of the show, and its host, Jack Owens, who she hopes to help reveal the world’s most cryptic secrets.
The first secret she reveals is Jack’s. He doesn’t believe any of this crap. To him, the show is just a cushy job that allows him to support himself and his wife without having to try very hard. He doesn’t want to leave his house, go anywhere near the things he’s reported on or the people who come on his show, who he thinks, or at least hopes, are liars.
But go near them, he will! And so will you! Join Jack and Amber as they
Monstrous Creatures
Scientific Anomalies
Shadowy Conspiracies
Secretive agencies
Medical Abnormalities
Ancient curses
Life After Death and/or the Key to Immortality (Yes! Both of those things!)
All that, and some really creepy kids!
Read this book, and you’ll agree, “That’s Not Right.”
The first secret she reveals is Jack’s. He doesn’t believe any of this crap. To him, the show is just a cushy job that allows him to support himself and his wife without having to try very hard. He doesn’t want to leave his house, go anywhere near the things he’s reported on or the people who come on his show, who he thinks, or at least hopes, are liars.
But go near them, he will! And so will you! Join Jack and Amber as they
Monstrous Creatures
Scientific Anomalies
Shadowy Conspiracies
Secretive agencies
Medical Abnormalities
Ancient curses
Life After Death and/or the Key to Immortality (Yes! Both of those things!)
All that, and some really creepy kids!
Read this book, and you’ll agree, “That’s Not Right.”
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2024
148 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Scott Meyer
50 books31 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 12, 2025
Great fun. Full RTC
July 7, 2025
this was fun. Meyers does snarky and bickering so so well.
July 13, 2025
A fun take on an x-files monster-of-the-week trope. with the classic splash of Scott Meyers humor. makes you think and laugh at the same time.
June 30, 2025
Just plain fun :). I have enjoyed the combination of Scott Meyer and Luke Daniels before and it did not disappoint, here. There's no great depth, but there were plenty of smiles. The book doesn't take itself all that seriously and the end result was definitely worth my time. This was enjoyable as a fun stand-alone story.
January 22, 2025
Another delightful novel by Scott Meyer. Funny and clever without feeling like it's trying too hard to be funny. I find Meyers sense of humor to be just right most of the time. The book is also enhanced in audiobook form by the incredible performance of Luke Daniels. Daniels seems to be the only narrator that Meyer's trust and for good reason. It's a riot.
May 12, 2025
That’s Not Right is my first book by Scott Meyer, whom I know from his web comic Basic Instructions (now available via Patreon here). I’ve been a fan of Basic Instructions for approximately ever and when Scott took a long sabbatical, I was inconsolable; luckily, he didn’t just come back, but is on top form. But this is supposed to be a review of the book, not the comic…
Jack and Amber are a bit like Scully and Mulder, if The X-Files was 1) funny, 2) written and produced today, when everyone and their dog (called Dad) aspires to be an #influencer, 3) completely different. And also cynical. Jack, the host of a radio show about the unexplained and the fantastic, called That’s Not Right – hence the book’s title – does what he does, because ‘I like my rut. I’ve worked hard to create this rut. We’re damn lucky to have a rut this nice. A lot of people would love to have this rut.’ Amber, fresh out of a super popular show in which her ex and some other guys hit each other in the balls with golf balls – millions of views – wants to take Jack’s radio fame all the way to the top. She is very distraught to discover that Jack doesn’t really believe his callers and upset when she tries to deliver the best material she can, only to have it rejected. The content that gets views is not supposed to be interesting. It’s supposed to have Jack accidentally humiliating himself in as many ways as possible.
Over the course of the book, divided into a few parts, they discover the unexplained can sometimes be explained and, as the truly explosive final part proves, sometimes…can’t, because truth is stranger than fiction (which is true). That’s Not Right is greatly enjoyable, although not without flaws – the conversation with the physics professor unfortunately makes way too much sense to work as satire and was the only part I skimmed. The humour in the book is definitely of the British variety, which is interesting coming from an author born in the US and based in Europe. It’s not a laugh-out-loud book, but the short sketches/one-liners (the web comic background is showing) brought a lot of snørts from me. There are four cats, a dog, an eel-man, a professor (‘I profess to be one!’), and of course the smallcano – and a range of characters that are, really, characters not to be forgotten easily.
The open ending suggests there might be a follow-up and I definitely hope for one. Meyer’s writing bursts with fresh ideas, the book reads smoothly and easily, and apart from minor niggles – I know that writer advice suggests only ever using the verb ‘said’, but seeing it five times in five sentences is not something I particularly like – I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend That’s Not Right to fans of The X-Files who have sense of humour, ideally British-leaning, and for people who think influencers are really a conspiracy theory.
(7.5/10 rounded up to 4/5 for Goodreads)
My ratings:
5* = this book changed my life
4* = very good
3* = good
2* = I should have DNFed
1* = actively hostile towards the reader*
Jack and Amber are a bit like Scully and Mulder, if The X-Files was 1) funny, 2) written and produced today, when everyone and their dog (called Dad) aspires to be an #influencer, 3) completely different. And also cynical. Jack, the host of a radio show about the unexplained and the fantastic, called That’s Not Right – hence the book’s title – does what he does, because ‘I like my rut. I’ve worked hard to create this rut. We’re damn lucky to have a rut this nice. A lot of people would love to have this rut.’ Amber, fresh out of a super popular show in which her ex and some other guys hit each other in the balls with golf balls – millions of views – wants to take Jack’s radio fame all the way to the top. She is very distraught to discover that Jack doesn’t really believe his callers and upset when she tries to deliver the best material she can, only to have it rejected. The content that gets views is not supposed to be interesting. It’s supposed to have Jack accidentally humiliating himself in as many ways as possible.
Over the course of the book, divided into a few parts, they discover the unexplained can sometimes be explained and, as the truly explosive final part proves, sometimes…can’t, because truth is stranger than fiction (which is true). That’s Not Right is greatly enjoyable, although not without flaws – the conversation with the physics professor unfortunately makes way too much sense to work as satire and was the only part I skimmed. The humour in the book is definitely of the British variety, which is interesting coming from an author born in the US and based in Europe. It’s not a laugh-out-loud book, but the short sketches/one-liners (the web comic background is showing) brought a lot of snørts from me. There are four cats, a dog, an eel-man, a professor (‘I profess to be one!’), and of course the smallcano – and a range of characters that are, really, characters not to be forgotten easily.
The open ending suggests there might be a follow-up and I definitely hope for one. Meyer’s writing bursts with fresh ideas, the book reads smoothly and easily, and apart from minor niggles – I know that writer advice suggests only ever using the verb ‘said’, but seeing it five times in five sentences is not something I particularly like – I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend That’s Not Right to fans of The X-Files who have sense of humour, ideally British-leaning, and for people who think influencers are really a conspiracy theory.
(7.5/10 rounded up to 4/5 for Goodreads)
My ratings:
5* = this book changed my life
4* = very good
3* = good
2* = I should have DNFed
1* = actively hostile towards the reader*
February 21, 2025
you can tell that Meyer enjoyed writing this, it’s charming. But it feels like a remix of every book he’s written. I know his book too well so I’m able to recognise tiny references- it revolves around a character getting filmed just like in the authorities, they had a similar falling out to Phillip and Martin in book 1. The bassoon! And a bunch of other tiny stuff. Better than brute force though imho. Cute book, enjoyable but I’ll probably enjoy it more on the reread!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2025
This was a fun book. Each chapter was its own story about whatever mystery they were investigating.
April 11, 2025
I would enjoy a sequel to this story.
December 4, 2024
A very solid Scott Meyer book. Unlike every other novel Meyer has written, this one isn’t science fiction — paranormal comedy might be a better label, although “paranormal” doesn’t really fit within the genre of this book either. Regardless, Meyer’s classic comedic style and character banter is ever-present and very welcoming. This wasn’t his best book, but it was reliable and funny throughout, and I enjoyed the characters. In terms of the quality of this book, it’s not as good as Spell or High Water, but it’s better than The Authorities and Run Program.
In my Brute Force review, I detailed Meyer’s two main formulas: the Action-Downtime plot and the Double-Plot story. That’s Not Right is a twist on the Action-Downtime plot since it goes through a series of much smaller stories that play into the larger story (like the various robberies in Grand Theft Astro). The difference is that there’s no “action” in this book, and each story is unique. In fact, I loved every one of the small stories; they were fun, interesting, and amusing all around. I think this is a formula that could really be a winner for Meyer if he does it more.
The characters were very typical Meyer creations, but they feel distinct nonetheless. I loved the dynamic between Amber and Jack and their banter really made the novel for me.
Overall, this was a fantastic standalone from Scott Meyer. Of all his standalones, this one is probably his most accessible and representative of his work as a whole. While the plot isn’t as good as Off to be the Wizard or Grand Theft Astro, the overall quality is better than Astro. Of course you should always start with Off to be the Wizard — but this is a good alternative!
In my Brute Force review, I detailed Meyer’s two main formulas: the Action-Downtime plot and the Double-Plot story. That’s Not Right is a twist on the Action-Downtime plot since it goes through a series of much smaller stories that play into the larger story (like the various robberies in Grand Theft Astro). The difference is that there’s no “action” in this book, and each story is unique. In fact, I loved every one of the small stories; they were fun, interesting, and amusing all around. I think this is a formula that could really be a winner for Meyer if he does it more.
The characters were very typical Meyer creations, but they feel distinct nonetheless. I loved the dynamic between Amber and Jack and their banter really made the novel for me.
Overall, this was a fantastic standalone from Scott Meyer. Of all his standalones, this one is probably his most accessible and representative of his work as a whole. While the plot isn’t as good as Off to be the Wizard or Grand Theft Astro, the overall quality is better than Astro. Of course you should always start with Off to be the Wizard — but this is a good alternative!
July 9, 2025
Holy crap! This might be the funniest thing I've read this year, and I've read some doozies already. The humor is just so spot-on here, and with some incredible narration to really bring it to life.
The whole premise of a late night radio host being dragged from behind the mic and out into the world of YouTube by an eager young fan sounds a bit like a story that will be lost to time in a couple decades, sure, but at the same time, the wit on display here is played up so well that I don't know that it will be as big a problem as I first thought. It certainly helps that the radio program is a call-in show about conspiracy theories and other wackadoo hokum and he's very against the idea of making this into a filmed operation. It's a lot harder to pass this stuff off when you have to show it.
I loved the way this also read a bit like a collection of interconnected short stories or maybe novellas as well. It's a novel, but at the same time there's that sense that each of the segments of the book are the making of one video for the new channel. The way Jack and Amber play off each other is so great too, and I love how their working relationship develops over the course of the book.
And yeah, I just really had a great time with this. I listened at work and probably scared my coworkers a couple times laughing out loud more than a few times. I just couldn't help myself.
Oh, and I assume it's probably exclusive to the audiobook, but I love that this included a few minutes of bloopers at the end. More audiobooks need to do this. Especially the ones that are already comedy books. It just makes sense.
The whole premise of a late night radio host being dragged from behind the mic and out into the world of YouTube by an eager young fan sounds a bit like a story that will be lost to time in a couple decades, sure, but at the same time, the wit on display here is played up so well that I don't know that it will be as big a problem as I first thought. It certainly helps that the radio program is a call-in show about conspiracy theories and other wackadoo hokum and he's very against the idea of making this into a filmed operation. It's a lot harder to pass this stuff off when you have to show it.
I loved the way this also read a bit like a collection of interconnected short stories or maybe novellas as well. It's a novel, but at the same time there's that sense that each of the segments of the book are the making of one video for the new channel. The way Jack and Amber play off each other is so great too, and I love how their working relationship develops over the course of the book.
And yeah, I just really had a great time with this. I listened at work and probably scared my coworkers a couple times laughing out loud more than a few times. I just couldn't help myself.
Oh, and I assume it's probably exclusive to the audiobook, but I love that this included a few minutes of bloopers at the end. More audiobooks need to do this. Especially the ones that are already comedy books. It just makes sense.
February 16, 2025
Abszolút nem azt kaptam, amire számítottam, és nagyon örülök neki, mert hogy fantasztikusan jól szórakoztam. Én azt hittem, hogy egy szokásos cryptidvadászatban fogok részt venni, ami nyilvánvalóan sose rossz, főleg hogyha szereted ezt a zsánert, de hogy teljesen más lett belőle. Fogalmam sincs, hogy melyik sztori a kedvencem, mindegyik abszolút elragadó és valami hihetetlenül vicces volt - amihez semmi joga nem volt amúgy -, de azt hiszem az Eelman és a viselkedéskontrolláló fejfedős, aminek az istennek nem fog eszembe jutni a címe.
Nyilvánvalóan az első az, ami igazán lefekteti az alapokat, hogy akkor mégis mik fognak még itt történni a későbbiekben, na meg maga az összes csavara is hibátlan volt. Egyszerűen hibátlan.
A másik meg azért fogott meg, mert hogy néminemű emocionális zűr is benézett, ami nagyon jól volt adagolva, mert nem húzta le indokolatlanul az egész hangulatot, nem lógott ki, és megadta azt a kis plusz ízt, aminek én nagyon örültem.
Na meg maga az egész is szinte hisztérikus volt, legalábbis én komolyan elkezdtem rágni a körmöm, hogy na abból az egészből mi lesz.
Nem akarok elárulni semmit, mert ezt mindenkinek meg kell tapasztalnia a saját bőrén, de hogy így még agymosás alól nem szabadultunk meg.
Határozottan az egyik kedvencem lett, de hogy így instant, és egész biztosan elő fogom venni újraolvasásra, mert megérdemli.
Nyilvánvalóan az első az, ami igazán lefekteti az alapokat, hogy akkor mégis mik fognak még itt történni a későbbiekben, na meg maga az összes csavara is hibátlan volt. Egyszerűen hibátlan.
A másik meg azért fogott meg, mert hogy néminemű emocionális zűr is benézett, ami nagyon jól volt adagolva, mert nem húzta le indokolatlanul az egész hangulatot, nem lógott ki, és megadta azt a kis plusz ízt, aminek én nagyon örültem.
Na meg maga az egész is szinte hisztérikus volt, legalábbis én komolyan elkezdtem rágni a körmöm, hogy na abból az egészből mi lesz.
Nem akarok elárulni semmit, mert ezt mindenkinek meg kell tapasztalnia a saját bőrén, de hogy így még agymosás alól nem szabadultunk meg.
Határozottan az egyik kedvencem lett, de hogy így instant, és egész biztosan elő fogom venni újraolvasásra, mert megérdemli.
June 14, 2025
Jack Owens runs the kind of talk show that you only hear late at night on the far end of the radio dial. Various conspiracy theorists and cryptid sighters call in and Jack gives them a forum to explain what they believe, what they have seen, or what they believe they have seen. He encourages them, drawing out what they believe to be the truth.
And he doesn’t believe any of it at all.
That is why he is so resistant when his producers saddle him with Amber, a videographer and web series producer who will travel with Jack as he explores the unknown. Amber, not quite a true believer but at least willing to give things a chance, thinks that whatever they find it will make for good footage. Jack is sure that as soon as people see that there is nothing behind the stories his show will fail. The two head off on a cross country trip to see Eel Men, Haunted Portraits, and the ever popular Smallcano.
That’s Not Right is absolutely hysterical. I found myself pausing to yell out good lines to anyone who happened to be around at the time. Well written with excellent dialogue.
And he doesn’t believe any of it at all.
That is why he is so resistant when his producers saddle him with Amber, a videographer and web series producer who will travel with Jack as he explores the unknown. Amber, not quite a true believer but at least willing to give things a chance, thinks that whatever they find it will make for good footage. Jack is sure that as soon as people see that there is nothing behind the stories his show will fail. The two head off on a cross country trip to see Eel Men, Haunted Portraits, and the ever popular Smallcano.
That’s Not Right is absolutely hysterical. I found myself pausing to yell out good lines to anyone who happened to be around at the time. Well written with excellent dialogue.
June 1, 2025
First 5 stars of the year. Considering this is written in late May makes me questions my picks so far...
This was an interesting take. The grumpy veteran radio host is paired up with the newbie to start a youtube channel themed around the "paranormal".
This show is the framing device for what amounts to a collection of comedic short stories.
The format works, the characters fun and nothing is serious. I think my only complaint about it is that at one point the camera woman was actively trying to humiliate her partner on-camera for the views. While people do that on Youtube it's coordinated and both parties agree to it, when it's one sided it just comes off as exploitive and ugly.
The lip service in the epilogue doesn't fix it buuuuuut the book was entertaining up till that point so not holding it against it.
This was an interesting take. The grumpy veteran radio host is paired up with the newbie to start a youtube channel themed around the "paranormal".
This show is the framing device for what amounts to a collection of comedic short stories.
The format works, the characters fun and nothing is serious. I think my only complaint about it is that at one point the camera woman was actively trying to humiliate her partner on-camera for the views. While people do that on Youtube it's coordinated and both parties agree to it, when it's one sided it just comes off as exploitive and ugly.
The lip service in the epilogue doesn't fix it buuuuuut the book was entertaining up till that point so not holding it against it.
June 19, 2025
Scott Meyer is a master of comedy, and pairing him with narrator Luke Daniels is pure audiobook gold. Together, they deliver one of the most entertaining duos in the industry.
This book plays out like a clever anthology, with our heroes diving into bizarre and hilarious mysteries for a radio show on the verge of cancellation—a show dedicated to exploring the weird and unexplained. Each episode uncovers something stranger than the last, but as the investigations unfold, they stumble upon something even wilder than conspiracy theories themselves: the truth.
Funny, fast-paced, and full of charm, this book is a must-read (or listen!) for fans of humor, sci-fi, and supernatural twists. Highly recommended if you love stories that don’t take themselves too seriously but still manage to sneak in some clever insights.
This book plays out like a clever anthology, with our heroes diving into bizarre and hilarious mysteries for a radio show on the verge of cancellation—a show dedicated to exploring the weird and unexplained. Each episode uncovers something stranger than the last, but as the investigations unfold, they stumble upon something even wilder than conspiracy theories themselves: the truth.
Funny, fast-paced, and full of charm, this book is a must-read (or listen!) for fans of humor, sci-fi, and supernatural twists. Highly recommended if you love stories that don’t take themselves too seriously but still manage to sneak in some clever insights.
December 19, 2024
Even as he creates new characters in different situations and worlds, there is just something so trademark about Scott Meyers humor and writing. Luke Daniels serving as narrator again elevates and provides that consistency and comfort zone. While I wouldn’t place this at the same level as Brute Force and the first Off to be the Wizard books, I genuinely laughed out loud several times listening to this one. Scott still has gas in the tank for those funny turns of phrase. As long as he’s writing, I’ll be reading.
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February 26, 2025Scott Meyer is hilarious, or past books have struck me so. I tried this one, and liked the sample enough that I downloaded the audiobook. The audio reader was SO over the top, though, that it took me out of the story. I thought, ok, I'll try just reading the kindle. But then I came to a parodied story of a man who had such a severe skin condition that he was mistaken for a monster, and I knew I was supposed to think it was funny, but I'm a doctor, and I couldn't help but empathize with the "patient." I stopped listening. Weird reason for most, perhaps.
December 10, 2024
Hilarious from top to bottom!
I've read novels by Scott Meyer that made me a fan of his funny plots, but "That's Not Right" got the crown.
Hardly I read a page that didn't made me guffaw at the scene that was developed.
Jack and Amber relationship along the story, plus the problems they faced made my day, week, month and year!!
I've read novels by Scott Meyer that made me a fan of his funny plots, but "That's Not Right" got the crown.
Hardly I read a page that didn't made me guffaw at the scene that was developed.
Jack and Amber relationship along the story, plus the problems they faced made my day, week, month and year!!
August 18, 2025
I’m giving the book 4 stars, for how it was written more than what was written. This book was worth reading for the humor and characters. What the characters actually did across the story and how they developed was not particularly interesting. Still, I can’t discount the importance of just reading something because you like the author’s voice or characters.
January 4, 2025
Hilarious book
This book was hilarious. Multiple times I literally burst out laughing. Such a great story and I really hope there is more to come. Scott Meyer is one of my favorite authors and this book is just a perfect example of why. Highly recommend.
This book was hilarious. Multiple times I literally burst out laughing. Such a great story and I really hope there is more to come. Scott Meyer is one of my favorite authors and this book is just a perfect example of why. Highly recommend.
January 11, 2025
Always funny
I don't know what it says about me that Jack seemed to be me in a lot of ways. That said, the book was hilarious as always. Any time you pick a Meyer book you're in for some laughs.
I don't know what it says about me that Jack seemed to be me in a lot of ways. That said, the book was hilarious as always. Any time you pick a Meyer book you're in for some laughs.
January 17, 2025
A must read!
I didn’t know what to expect from this book, but it was hysterically funny with witty banter and a nice dose of karma at the end. When does the book for season 2 come out?
I didn’t know what to expect from this book, but it was hysterically funny with witty banter and a nice dose of karma at the end. When does the book for season 2 come out?
February 26, 2025
While there were a few spots that seemed a bit too long, I enjoyed this book and felt that it could make for an interesting TV/streaming series.
Not a fan of the narrator. The voice choices he made for most characters seemed strange.
Not a fan of the narrator. The voice choices he made for most characters seemed strange.
April 26, 2025
no conspiracy, this is a lot of fun!
Fun, escapist adventure between a radio show host specializing in conspiracy theories and the videographer hired to film him. Along the way, they visit freaks, geeks, and ebven a mutant alligator.
Fun, escapist adventure between a radio show host specializing in conspiracy theories and the videographer hired to film him. Along the way, they visit freaks, geeks, and ebven a mutant alligator.
April 28, 2025
I've enjoyed every Scott Meyer book I've tried so far, starter with Master of Formalities...
This is a skeptic radio DJ that runs a paranormal call-in show, meeting some of his callers for a documentary... lots of fun, lots of funny... could be a series... reminded me a bit of Kitty Norville...
This is a skeptic radio DJ that runs a paranormal call-in show, meeting some of his callers for a documentary... lots of fun, lots of funny... could be a series... reminded me a bit of Kitty Norville...
May 20, 2025
Meh.
I love Scott Meyer and Luke Daniels. The book was cute. It didn't really go anywhere. It was a nice story about eclectic people and things they see/believe...see and believe. There really isn't a climax to the story. It is very even-kilter.
I love Scott Meyer and Luke Daniels. The book was cute. It didn't really go anywhere. It was a nice story about eclectic people and things they see/believe...see and believe. There really isn't a climax to the story. It is very even-kilter.
December 10, 2024
Scott Meyer’s book hit me in the perfect place of funny, interesting, and comforting for some reason. This is a delightful read
December 26, 2024
A typical Meyer book, which is to say light, fun escapism with some laughs. It was what I needed.
Excellent narration.
Excellent narration.
January 6, 2025
If you think dickies are funny, that's the kind of humor you'll find here. I read for quite a few pages before giving up on the unfunny blather and nothing much happened. I tried. DNF
January 15, 2025
Fun read
Easy fun read, quirky humor and almost plausible plot line. I've also read his the authorities book, same type of feel
Easy fun read, quirky humor and almost plausible plot line. I've also read his the authorities book, same type of feel
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews