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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Sprout Mask Replica in Books

Nov 26, 2019

Sprout Mask Replica

Robert Rankin | 1997 | Biography, Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy, Science Fiction/Fantasy

7.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

I always use this book to illustrate just how off the wall Rankin's writing is. Purportedly his autobiography, he gets run over by a bus and killed halfway through. That really ought to give the reader some some of idea that this is not entirely serious.

Telling the "stories" of various family members then moving onto his own life this is less a coherent novel with a plot than the literary equivalent of an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus; a series of sketches with some recurring characters and ideas which don't behave according any of the accepted standards of story telling.

The result is an absolute hoot as a stream of consciousness experience, especially as Rankin re-uses his well-tested recurring gags. However it is by no means his best work; the lack of a plot means that the book just sort of ends and it does rely a little too much on knowing nods to previous works.

Not a bad read, and certainly worth a go if you like something that's unusual and bursting with odd ideas but there are better Rankin books to read.

Kudos

JT (287 KP) rated My Lovely Wife in Books

Mar 11, 2020

Gripping unique thriller (0 more)

Early Twist Will Leave You Wanting More

I told myself this year that I would read more. I'm trying to write my own thriller so thought it would be good to get some tips from a few unknown authors to get a bit of inspiration - so far I haven't been disappointed.

My Lovely Wife does something that I haven't come across yet - it drops the twist within the first chapter. It's a bold move but certainly, a clever one as it leaves the reader wondering what the rest of the story is going to entail. In this one a married couple is a pair of serial killers working together, while at the same time trying to live a normal family life, raising their two kids and going to work.

Things go a bit pear-shaped when they try to resurrect someone from the past that the town they are living in know all too well. Throw in a few more late twists and you have a cracking thriller which I guarantee you won't put down. I would love to see a film made of this.

Kudos

Merissa (14132 KP) rated Taking Root (The Eros Tales #1) in Books

Jul 30, 2019

Taking Root (The Eros Tales #1)

Katherine McIntyre | 2019 | Contemporary, Romance, Thriller

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Taking Root (Eros Tales #1) by Katherine McIntyre

TAKING ROOT is the first book in the Eros Tales, and this promises to be a fantastic new series.

Danny's life was turned upside down when she was seventeen. Since then, she has travelled the States, never setting down roots, and never knowing when she will be moving on. She is sent to a town so very close to where she grew up, knowing the risks she will have to take if she meets anyone she once knew. She wasn't counting on the steadfast stubbornness of one Adrian Dukas though.

This was brilliantly written, showing Danny's loneliness and the trials and tribulations she has lived through, without it detracting from the current set up. Also, you get enough details about her father to make it horrific, without it going into information overload. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading, and I found the pacing to be very smooth. With no plot holes I fell through, this was a gripping story from start to finish.

I loved the Dukas family, and I sincerely hope we will be seeing more of them. Absolutely recommended by me.