The Sparrow Conundrum by Bill Kirton
The blurby bit -
Chris Machin isn’t his
name, at least not to the bottom feeders in Aberdeen squabbling over North Sea
oil and gas contracts. Chris has a code name, and when his garden explodes, The
Sparrow takes flight, plunging everyone involved into chaos and violence.
A sociopathic cop and an interfering ex-girlfriend don’t exactly make for clarity of thinking, not when the one fancies a bit of violence to add spice to an arrest. The ex adds other, more interesting dimensions to Chris’ already complicated life.
The bodies pile up—some whole, some in fragments—and two wrestlers join the fray. A road trip seems just the solution but then so do Inverness, a fishing trawler and a Russian factory ship as the players face … The Sparrow Conundrum.
A sociopathic cop and an interfering ex-girlfriend don’t exactly make for clarity of thinking, not when the one fancies a bit of violence to add spice to an arrest. The ex adds other, more interesting dimensions to Chris’ already complicated life.
The bodies pile up—some whole, some in fragments—and two wrestlers join the fray. A road trip seems just the solution but then so do Inverness, a fishing trawler and a Russian factory ship as the players face … The Sparrow Conundrum.
The review -
The Sparrow Conundrum is
a laugh-a-paragraph comic crime caper set against the backdrop of the oil
industry in Aberdeen. A full range of funny-bone tickling is on offer for the
discerning reader; from a grin sparked by a witty comment, to a chuckle ... to
a hefty belly-laugh when a delightful set piece reaches its hilarious
conclusion.
The characters that Bill
Kirton serves up in The Sparrow Conundrum are a continuous delight throughout
the book. My favourites were the sociopathic detective Lodgedale and the crime
boss Eagle who surely had his head turned by a gang of bullies at a private
school.
Kirton is a master of the
comic. His scenes are carefully orchestrated for maximum laughs and his
language carefully chosen to tickle.
If you like a change from
the normal mystery/ thriller fare and you don’t take your crime fiction too
seriously you owe it to yourself to get a copy of The-Sparrow-Conundrum. Hiaasen,
Bateman and Moore should be looking over their shoulder, 'cos Kirton has
arrived.
(The above link takes you to Amazon - it should be noted there are plenty of other ways to buy this -bloody good - book)
I just finished this book myself ... and loved it.
ReplyDeleteSounds good.
ReplyDeleteisn't he clever, Linda?
ReplyDeleteIt's a wee bit different, Ricky and worth checking out. And Bill's a good guy.
if Bill does a US tour, I could arrange for some serious groupie action
ReplyDeletehahaha - love it, Thea. I'm sure, given this sort of response, Bill could be persuaded.
ReplyDeletemaybe you two dudes might want to travel together...oh, the humanity!
ReplyDeleteThea, you do realise that comments on blogs are legally binding, I hope.
ReplyDeleteAnd Michael, that night we held hands and you promised me the world, I had no idea you were serious.
Bill, I was only trying to talk you in off the ledge. Next time I'll just let you try out your superman cape from the 10th floor!
ReplyDeleteBill, did you mentioning binding?
ReplyDeleteOMG and to think I missed this post due to my FRICKIN internet. But not for much longer.
ReplyDeleteThis book was so surprising. Not that it would be good, but the total departure from Bill's serious detective books. I loved it.
I'll be in D.C. after Christmas. How bout a parade then? Thea and I could gather the masses. By then the monument should be back open and Bill could use some of the ropes to exhibit this apparel and promote his books.
Sorry, Marley - are you speaking in naughty metaphor? Ropes to exhibit his apparel?
ReplyDeleteMonument? Masses? My (gulp) "apparel"? I'm on the ledge again, Michael.
ReplyDelete