Yoroppa

by Hertzan Chimera

There’s a mass murderer in the sleepy seaside town of Yôroppa who is listening to all the local gossip and using it to select his next victim. Only by keeping quiet can the inhabitants of the town hope to save themselves. Everyone is a suspect but, boy, can they gossip.

We see the town through this whining testimony of collective hatred, envy, rage, pride... each chapter is a different townsperson’s opinion on what’s happening in the novel.

When all of the major suspects have been killed off, who will remain as the prime suspect?

221 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 23, 2011

About the author

2004: The Fountains Institute (early) novels.

2008: Bukkakeworld and Planet of the Owls novels.

2011: Yoroppa and View from a Stolen Window novels.

2015: Free Planet and War World novels.

2020: Last of the Cathedra novel.

Reviews

[Byron 'Giggsy' Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. The books consists of multiple vignettes or related flash fiction entries that bring to us the odd citizens of Yôroppa and their insane thoughts and actions, and the horror of Yôroppa itself, which is scarier than the psychos inhabiting it. The writing mixes surrealism and irrealism with the traditional style of Mike Philbin mixed with that of William S Burroughs, ending in a unique result that is surely weird, yet oddly still is understandable and comes together, where at the end, we find out just which character in the novel is truly responsible the mass murders and destruction of any sanity left in Yôroppa. Its tough to guess just which character is guilty, but deep down, you will agree with Philbin's choice, as much as you don't want to admit it.