Rate this book

The Day Of The Jack Russell (2009)

by Colin Bateman(Favorite Author)

3.94 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0755346777 (ISBN13: 9780755346776)

languge

English

genre

Humor

publisher

Headline

series

Mystery Man

review 1: TDJR is a comic crime caper, laced throughout with humour, gags, and oddball characters, and I found myself laughing out loud on a fair few occasions. Bateman’s writing is witty and engaging and the pages fly by. He has a natural gift for crafting dialogue, which crackles off the page. The only thing that riled was the main character, who is a a condescending, anally-retentive, know-it-all megalomaniac and hypochondriac. Heaven knows what Alison, his supposed girlfriend, sees in him. I know that’s how he’s meant to be, but as a narrator I found him all but impossible to warm to. The plot just about holds together given the madcap action and an investigation style that specialises in leaps of faith based on the plot devices of various classic crime novels. Overall, an... more entertaining read, and worth checking out if you like comic crime capers.
review 2: Okay, this is the second book in the "Mystery Man" series. It has been six weeks since our unnamed hero solved The Case of the Dnacing Jews. He has since started to build a reputation and is still solving small cases (as well as trying to sell his books at extortionate prices in his shop, No Alibis). However, work seem to have dried up and he is hardly getting any customers in his shop. That is until The Case of the Cock-Headed Man lands on his doorstep. Although that is solved quickly, Mystery Man soon finds himself in a mixture of double murder, conspiracy and why is everyine obsessed with that stuffed Jack Russell?Compared to "Mystery Man", I found this book frustrating. Bateman pulls us into the bizarre mind of Mystery Man so deep it is difficult to get out of. What seems to be a case of Norman Bates syndrome in the first book (a shy man with a few problems and a nasty mum), a new Mystery Man comes to light in this book: a seriously hypochrondriac with OCD and is very laddish. I mean, very laddish. He is in fact, very insensitive and quite shallow and callous. Still, this book is very darkly funny. You become drawn into the case wondering who did it but please, this is Mr Bateman. It is never simple when it comes to his crime fiction. This author really makes you think (when usually you can figure it out before the protagonost does). Bateman tries very hard to be clever but compared to "Divorcing Jack", it is quite a difficult read and comprehend but it is good. Very good. Go read now! less

Download links for: The Day of the Jack Russell

Advertising