Meantime: The gripping debut crime novel from Frankie Boyle

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Everyone will have their favourite character, I certainly do, but I won't list them out as I don't want to spoil the discoveries for anyone, but they are all in their own way simply superb. John Dugdale of The Times compared Meantime to the book Inherent Vice (2009) by Thomas Pynchon, which features a cannabis-consuming detective and mixes crime fiction with political satire.

They meet Chong, who seems to believe reality is simulated, and find signs that British Intelligence are involved in Marina's death. Sir Walter Scott described such novels as pearls on a string, they are “and then… and then… and then…” There’s nothing wrong with that, just do not expect elegance or tightly-knitted plotting. Chilton preferred the "clever descriptions" over the "shock-value ones" and said that the novel succeeds as Felix is "transfixing, sharp-witted and slightly horrifying". Your personal data will not be shared with any other organisations and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.I didn’t care about him, or the murdered woman, or any of the rag tag band of misfits he’d enlisted to help him solve the crime. well that was beyond a mind trip, the 'philosophical discussions' and tangents that the characters go off on often making me wonder if I hadn't actually consumed a few hallucinogens too.

I’m very happy that my wife is also a fan of Boyle’s because I certainly said “Hey, can I read you this one part? There’s also a great affection for Glasgow and its inhabitants, with all their screw-ups and foibles, and it’s this that gives the novel not just wit but heart. Now if you've ever seen a Frankie Boyle routine or really listened to his very unique and colourful way of describing all manner of things, then you can probably already guess how the storytelling in this book is likely to go. And yet with a slight twist of perspective, Frankie Boyle managed to infuse into the story moments of poignancy that were so unexpected their impact was more keenly felt and the story all the better for it.Meantime was Boyle's first fiction book, [2] though he had previously authored four non-fiction works: the autobiography My Shit Life So Far (2009); a collection of his columns from The Sun titled Work!

You Have Been Watching, Never Mind the Buzzcocks (as guest host and team captain when Phill Jupitus was unavailable for recording), and Argumental, as well as writing for Jimmy Carr's Distraction and Sean Lock's TV Heaven, Telly Hell. It's another of those books that I would also pop into one of my favourite genres - that being bonkers.As long as you pick up Meantime with an open mind and you’re not opposed to dark humour and a lot of swearing, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

You Have Been Watching, Never Mind the Buzzcocks (as guest host and team captain when Phill Jupitus was unavailable for recording), and Argumental, as well as writing for Jimmy Carr’s Distraction and Sean Lock’s TV Heaven, Telly Hell.I wasnt focused on trying to beat the detective and guess the culprit, I was just along for the ride and wanting to learn more about each character, which made this a nice stress-free yet nourishing read. Frustrating as some of these digressions are, Boyle’s key strength is in creating such a believable milieu, even when events are exaggerated, underpinned but never derailed by a tongue-in-cheek humour. And as for the AI angle … well that was beyond a mind trip, the ‘philosophical discussions’ and tangents that the characters go off on often making me wonder if I hadn’t actually consumed a few hallucinogens too. Inherent vices and scalpel-sharp jokes vie with a very human concern for those least garlanded in the rat race of life' Ian Rankin'Part whodunnit, part social safari, part extended stand-up monologue . When your lead character, and part time suspect, is a self confessed stoner, and the very varied group of friends who help him really aren't much better, you kind of get a hint of where this book is likely to lead.