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Jack Parlabane #2
Country Of The Blind
The murder of a media mogul in his country mansion appears to be the result of his disturbing a gang of would-be thieves. The robbers are swiftly caught, but when they are unexpectedly moved to a different prison they escape. Back in Edinburgh, a young solicitor reveals to the press that one of the subjects had left a letter with her some time before the break-in which proves his innocence. Jack Parlabane, journo-extraordinaire, is intrigued, but when he approaches the lawyer he discovers someone else is trying to get near her—someone with evil intent, political connections of the highest order and a corrupt agenda.
Fast-moving, blackly humorous and intriguingly credible.
Fast-moving, blackly humorous and intriguingly credible.
404 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
131 people are currently reading
1022 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Brookmyre
40 books1,540 followersChristopher Brookmyre is a Scottish novelist whose novels mix politics, social comment and action with a strong narrative. He has been referred to as a Tartan Noir author. His debut novel was Quite Ugly One Morning, and subsequent works have included One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night, which he said "was just the sort of book he needed to write before he turned 30", and All Fun and Games until Somebody Loses an Eye (2005). Brookmyre also writes historical fiction with Marisa Haetzman, under the pseudonym "Ambrose Parry."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
August 19, 2025
Pff, it was not an easy read. To be honest, I probably did not understand around 30% of the novel. Partially, because of the Glaswegian vernacular used by the author and masterfully narrated by Angus King. Also, partially due to some historical and cultural facts with which Scottish people might be more familiar than I am. The other 70% was amazing and made up for my partial puzzlement.
The blurb: “The murder of a media mogul in his country mansion appears to be the result of his disturbing a gang of would-be thieves. The robbers are swiftly caught, but when they are unexpectedly moved to a different prison they escape. Back in Edinburgh, a young solicitor reveals to the press that one of the subjects had left a letter with her some time before the break-in which proves his innocence. Jack Parlabane, journo-extraordinaire, is intrigued, but when he approaches the lawyer he discovers someone else is trying to get near her—someone with evil intent, political connections of the highest order and a corrupt agenda.”
Country of the Blind is different than the 1st volume in Jack Parlabane series. On one hand, the tone is altered. If in the first volume, the tone was light and the laughs were many, here the author gets very political and sometimes even ranty. On the other hand, the structure is different. In this book, all characters have an almost equal page count, we get to learn a lot about all of them, their hopes and dreams, their motivations. The focus changes from one character to another and from one timeline to another. I really liked the structure, even though initially it can feel a bit boring and. However, the effort of putting up with the author’s plans will pay off as the reader will get emotionally invested in the story.
So, it starts slow but the tension gradually builds up and it becomes unputdownable in the last 100 pages or so.
The blurb: “The murder of a media mogul in his country mansion appears to be the result of his disturbing a gang of would-be thieves. The robbers are swiftly caught, but when they are unexpectedly moved to a different prison they escape. Back in Edinburgh, a young solicitor reveals to the press that one of the subjects had left a letter with her some time before the break-in which proves his innocence. Jack Parlabane, journo-extraordinaire, is intrigued, but when he approaches the lawyer he discovers someone else is trying to get near her—someone with evil intent, political connections of the highest order and a corrupt agenda.”
Country of the Blind is different than the 1st volume in Jack Parlabane series. On one hand, the tone is altered. If in the first volume, the tone was light and the laughs were many, here the author gets very political and sometimes even ranty. On the other hand, the structure is different. In this book, all characters have an almost equal page count, we get to learn a lot about all of them, their hopes and dreams, their motivations. The focus changes from one character to another and from one timeline to another. I really liked the structure, even though initially it can feel a bit boring and. However, the effort of putting up with the author’s plans will pay off as the reader will get emotionally invested in the story.
So, it starts slow but the tension gradually builds up and it becomes unputdownable in the last 100 pages or so.
July 25, 2008
Let's face it, i really want to marry Christopher Brookmyre and have his sarcastic babies.
January 7, 2019
OK I'm going to go out on a limb here and give this five bloody brilliant stars! I'll admit its maybe not for everyone. If you can't handle Scottish vernacular or off the wall humour it may not be for you (I did laugh out loud quite a lot during the reading). That's not to say its a comedy or even a light story. Oh no, its deadly serious but Christopher Brookmyre has a turn of phrase that just appeals to me. It might be a Scottish thing because I also find a lot of humour in Stuart MacBride's books and heaven knows some of them are quite gruesome. The Scots are very good at insults!
This is the second Jack Parlabane story and Brookmyre has really hit his straps with it. Parlabane is a freelance journalist with a nose for a scorching story and the balls to go all out after it risking life and limb. I can't begin to describe the plot, its quite complicated but we have blackmail, murder, setting people up as scapegoats, more murder, cover-ups, corruption and more murder. Its a conspiracy theorist's wet dream and I just loved it!
This is the second Jack Parlabane story and Brookmyre has really hit his straps with it. Parlabane is a freelance journalist with a nose for a scorching story and the balls to go all out after it risking life and limb. I can't begin to describe the plot, its quite complicated but we have blackmail, murder, setting people up as scapegoats, more murder, cover-ups, corruption and more murder. Its a conspiracy theorist's wet dream and I just loved it!
October 8, 2023
I really struggled to get into this book, but enjoyed it enough to know that if I just could focus on it, I’d breeze through. Travelling came timely.
The book has all the trademark Brookmyre (and certainly all the trademark Parlabane); dark humour, violence, absurd situations and a clever plot. The problem, this time, is that the story is not enough for this many pages. I realised that a wee bit in and it carried through all of it. The backstory parts are long and repeated and makes you lose pace a bit. Sometimes the backstories in themselves are good, but on multiple occasions they are little more than background information (or “info dumps” in bold reviewer jargon). This is why the 3 stars. If you read the others, you’ll not be disappointed. I would not start with this one though.
The book has all the trademark Brookmyre (and certainly all the trademark Parlabane); dark humour, violence, absurd situations and a clever plot. The problem, this time, is that the story is not enough for this many pages. I realised that a wee bit in and it carried through all of it. The backstory parts are long and repeated and makes you lose pace a bit. Sometimes the backstories in themselves are good, but on multiple occasions they are little more than background information (or “info dumps” in bold reviewer jargon). This is why the 3 stars. If you read the others, you’ll not be disappointed. I would not start with this one though.
February 25, 2019
Really enjoyed this Scottish political David-and-Goliath adventure with lots of humor and great characters. I’ll definitely be reading the next book.
February 2, 2023
Brookmyre is a great story teller, but can be a little long-winded. This is the second Parlabane novel and there's the usual blend of action and satire.
These books are at the awkward stage where they are old enough to feel outdated, but not yet old enough to be delightfully vintage and reminiscent of a lost time.
Entertaining and satisfying enough, but also eyerollingly silly and a bit 90s.
These books are at the awkward stage where they are old enough to feel outdated, but not yet old enough to be delightfully vintage and reminiscent of a lost time.
Entertaining and satisfying enough, but also eyerollingly silly and a bit 90s.
November 28, 2018
Argh, that annoying "gotta-read-this-second-book-so-can-read-on-the-series" -dilemma.
The book takes ages to get going, Parlabane appears way too late, I'm already bored when he appears and it's too late to save it.
The story wasn't even funny like the first one was and many of the chapters had the same exact pattern:
The wind is blowing from the east -type of description
followed by person A doing something he does every day which he hates for reasons XYZ
followed by a trip down memory lane: how things used to be and what happened that lead person A to that doing of something that was disrupted by all the reminiscing
+ end chapter on a sudden cliffhanger.
Next chapter:
The sun is shining -type of description followed by person B doing something she does every day which she hates...
Spammy was great, I like Sarah - there was wayyy too little of her - and Parlabane was more like a sidekick, I mean...no!
The book takes ages to get going, Parlabane appears way too late, I'm already bored when he appears and it's too late to save it.
The story wasn't even funny like the first one was and many of the chapters had the same exact pattern:
The wind is blowing from the east -type of description
followed by person A doing something he does every day which he hates for reasons XYZ
followed by a trip down memory lane: how things used to be and what happened that lead person A to that doing of something that was disrupted by all the reminiscing
+ end chapter on a sudden cliffhanger.
Next chapter:
The sun is shining -type of description followed by person B doing something she does every day which she hates...
Spammy was great, I like Sarah - there was wayyy too little of her - and Parlabane was more like a sidekick, I mean...no!
August 9, 2016
Country Of The Blind continues to be "Quite The Fantastic An Experience". Mr. Brookmyre is wearing his politics all over himself in this book. Jack Parlabane - Oh Jack, what do I say about you? What are you? Are you God? Are you human? Or are you just an experience that gets inside my head and takes up residence? EXPLOSIVE is probably the only word that can define Jack Parlabane. Every thing you do is magic!! Period!!!
As someone has said already "If you fail to read Brookmyre before you die, you haven't lived". And "if you haven't met Jack Parlabane yet, you haven't been born yet". Like the first book in the series (Quite Ugly One Morning), Country Of The Blind leaves a lingering taste that is rich and exotic. Apart from the explosive Parlabane, EACH and EVERY character of this book is sketched to perfection. However, there is a distinct difference in the structure of this book. In Quite Ugly One Morning, the entire plot was led by Parlabane. In Country Of The Blind, Parlabane shares the space with ALL the players in the game. In fact, the pages dedicated to Parlabane are so less (in comparison) that it leaves you panting and drooling to get more of Parlabane.
Parlabane continues to be clutter breaking in his all brains, all intelligence, all tracker of truth. But in addition to this book, he is in a relationship as well, which is just as hilarious, raunchy with lip smacking attitude and yet so very endearing. Parlabane continues to throws all alarm bells screaming danger and YET we are still getting drawn towards him.
You simply CANNOT miss this series. But remember, the moment you pick up this book you are shoved into a Parlabane situation. And when your world turns into a Parlabane Situation, you can do NOTHING except fasten your seat belts and hope to come out sane on the other side.
Boy oh Boy - I am suffering from PJPED (Post Jack Parlabane Ecstaticy Disorder).
As someone has said already "If you fail to read Brookmyre before you die, you haven't lived". And "if you haven't met Jack Parlabane yet, you haven't been born yet". Like the first book in the series (Quite Ugly One Morning), Country Of The Blind leaves a lingering taste that is rich and exotic. Apart from the explosive Parlabane, EACH and EVERY character of this book is sketched to perfection. However, there is a distinct difference in the structure of this book. In Quite Ugly One Morning, the entire plot was led by Parlabane. In Country Of The Blind, Parlabane shares the space with ALL the players in the game. In fact, the pages dedicated to Parlabane are so less (in comparison) that it leaves you panting and drooling to get more of Parlabane.
Parlabane continues to be clutter breaking in his all brains, all intelligence, all tracker of truth. But in addition to this book, he is in a relationship as well, which is just as hilarious, raunchy with lip smacking attitude and yet so very endearing. Parlabane continues to throws all alarm bells screaming danger and YET we are still getting drawn towards him.
You simply CANNOT miss this series. But remember, the moment you pick up this book you are shoved into a Parlabane situation. And when your world turns into a Parlabane Situation, you can do NOTHING except fasten your seat belts and hope to come out sane on the other side.
Boy oh Boy - I am suffering from PJPED (Post Jack Parlabane Ecstaticy Disorder).
January 15, 2009
Jack Parlabane is back! What initially looked like a one-shot story (Quite Ugly One Morning) has turned into an excellent series -- the second book is much more serious, in-depth, and interesting, while still being totally wacky and wild, in true Brookmyre style. In this one, a bizarre killing becomes personal as one of Jack's friends appears on TV as a suspect long enough to look terrified and give Jack a private message, before dying of apparent suicide. As Jack digs into the case, he begins to uncover a conspiracy of frightening proportions, that points to some of the top politicians in the country. Which, of course, only makes him happy.
The thing I loved about this book was the characters' enthusiasm for doing totally insane things. They feel like real people -- brilliant one moment, and then completely forgetting to do something critical the next. It's that weird mixture of competence and stupidity (something like "I just pulled off the crime of the century! Whoops, where did I leave the keys to the getaway car?") that just feels totally authentic and familiar.
And Spammy may be my favorite character *ever*.
The thing I loved about this book was the characters' enthusiasm for doing totally insane things. They feel like real people -- brilliant one moment, and then completely forgetting to do something critical the next. It's that weird mixture of competence and stupidity (something like "I just pulled off the crime of the century! Whoops, where did I leave the keys to the getaway car?") that just feels totally authentic and familiar.
And Spammy may be my favorite character *ever*.
August 13, 2012
This book is incredibly... satisfying. I think satisfying is the word I am looking for. Every witticism and reference has you nodding along thinking "yeah! 'Bout time someone pointed that out" or "Damn, I love that song" or just thinking, "I wish I had the nerve and talent to write this kind of thing".
I found this book took a little longer to get into at first - possibly because I was expecting the avalanche of hate and spite that comes from Simon Darcourt at the beginning of "A Big Boy Did it and Ran Away". However, the pace picks up and it becomes incredibly bloodthirsty which is what made this book quite so satisfying, particularly after Rupert Murdoch and everything else that has been going on. And who doesn't like a book that rips the Tory Party to pieces?
The characters seemed very realistic to me, and it was perhaps a little unnerving when you find yourself relating to Spammy the stoner...
This is the first of the Jack Parlabane novels that I have read, can't wait to get into the others.
I found this book took a little longer to get into at first - possibly because I was expecting the avalanche of hate and spite that comes from Simon Darcourt at the beginning of "A Big Boy Did it and Ran Away". However, the pace picks up and it becomes incredibly bloodthirsty which is what made this book quite so satisfying, particularly after Rupert Murdoch and everything else that has been going on. And who doesn't like a book that rips the Tory Party to pieces?
The characters seemed very realistic to me, and it was perhaps a little unnerving when you find yourself relating to Spammy the stoner...
This is the first of the Jack Parlabane novels that I have read, can't wait to get into the others.
October 24, 2011
Great read, attacking disturbingly contemporary issues in the world of politics, media industry and finance. The second Jack Parlabane high octane thriller set in his native Scotland has his sharp wit signature, but I found it leaning more toward the scary than the humorous. Why? Because it reminded me very much of another series I'm reading now: Transmetropolitan. Parlabane and Spider Robinson are cast from the same mold, foulmouthed, irreverent towards the law or authorithy, angry at injustice and caring for the small people. The scary part comes from the fact that the setting of Country of the Blind is in our reality, not in some dystopian metropolis of the future.
The story starts with the murder of the most famous British newspaper owner, apparently by a group of small time crooks. Roland Voss may be an imaginary character, but it is very easy to compare events from the book with recent revelations in the British press about a media magnate who has the politicians and the police in his pocket.
If I were to grumble a bit about the book, I would say Brookmyre gets carried away by his anti-establishment rants and they hurt a little the pacing of the book. Also, the humor is great, but it is often parochial and I felt the need to check on Wikipedia some obscure reference to local politicians or pop culture icons, not to mention football players or Scottish jargon.
The story starts with the murder of the most famous British newspaper owner, apparently by a group of small time crooks. Roland Voss may be an imaginary character, but it is very easy to compare events from the book with recent revelations in the British press about a media magnate who has the politicians and the police in his pocket.
If I were to grumble a bit about the book, I would say Brookmyre gets carried away by his anti-establishment rants and they hurt a little the pacing of the book. Also, the humor is great, but it is often parochial and I felt the need to check on Wikipedia some obscure reference to local politicians or pop culture icons, not to mention football players or Scottish jargon.
February 28, 2019
Bit spoiled for audio choice at the moment, having decided to really concentrate on back to favourite series. This is the second Jack Parlabane book from Scottish writer, and world class pointer out of the idiocy of some aspects of life, Christopher Brookmyre (I was particularly pleased to find Gordon Duncan also reading / listening to this as it is another of my all time favourite Brookmyre books).
Gordon's advice re listening to the opening chapter of this book in the car came a little late alas, and there were a few moments when I did think if I was going to die, I hoped the people extracting me from the car had a similar sense of humour.
All of Brookmyre's books work well in text format, but there's something extra about the audio - the precise reading out of some of the funniest (okay and crudest) lines you're going to hear for quite a while. Perhaps not with your gran in the car is the only other warning I'd add.
Gordon's advice re listening to the opening chapter of this book in the car came a little late alas, and there were a few moments when I did think if I was going to die, I hoped the people extracting me from the car had a similar sense of humour.
All of Brookmyre's books work well in text format, but there's something extra about the audio - the precise reading out of some of the funniest (okay and crudest) lines you're going to hear for quite a while. Perhaps not with your gran in the car is the only other warning I'd add.
September 1, 2022
4.5 Stars!
This was one of the books written in the period from 1996 to 2001 when Brookmyre went on a wonderful run of books, (aside from “Boiling A Frog”), where year after year he was pulling out one cracking novel after another, which featured a whole load of characters fizzing with hilarious quirks and inadequacies, finding themselves in all sorts of bizarre and entertaining situations.
These were novels mixed with darkness, violence and a whole load of laughs and cultural references aplenty. His blend of political insight and black humour coloured and layered some great plot lines, which twisted and turned all through the darker recesses of central Scotland and beyond.
Like most of his books you don’t need to be Scottish to enjoy them, but if you are you certainly get just that little bit more from them. In terms of capturing the nuance and spirit of western Scotland vernacular and mind set. I can’t think of anyone who does it better. Welsh does the east coast best and Iain Banks is probably a better writer, but he doesn’t quite capture the working class with the same precision and clarity that Brookmyre’s early work does. This is another funny, clever piece of work from one of the finest novelists working in Scotland.
This was one of the books written in the period from 1996 to 2001 when Brookmyre went on a wonderful run of books, (aside from “Boiling A Frog”), where year after year he was pulling out one cracking novel after another, which featured a whole load of characters fizzing with hilarious quirks and inadequacies, finding themselves in all sorts of bizarre and entertaining situations.
These were novels mixed with darkness, violence and a whole load of laughs and cultural references aplenty. His blend of political insight and black humour coloured and layered some great plot lines, which twisted and turned all through the darker recesses of central Scotland and beyond.
Like most of his books you don’t need to be Scottish to enjoy them, but if you are you certainly get just that little bit more from them. In terms of capturing the nuance and spirit of western Scotland vernacular and mind set. I can’t think of anyone who does it better. Welsh does the east coast best and Iain Banks is probably a better writer, but he doesn’t quite capture the working class with the same precision and clarity that Brookmyre’s early work does. This is another funny, clever piece of work from one of the finest novelists working in Scotland.
June 24, 2019
For whatever reason, this took an absolute age to get going and when Parlabane showed up, it still didn't fully click into gear. The plot sounds a lot more interesting than it actually is with Brookmyre far more interested in living through his characters and ranting about the state of politics in the UK at the time (still applicable..?)
After the fourth or fifth chapter in succession where we start in the present then go into a political rant which segues into an entire character's backstory, it all gets a little too similar with the same vulgar jokes and casual humour used for the various folks involved. It was still entertaining but there was a definite pattern at play here and Country for the Blind wasn't quite as tight as its predecessor.
After the fourth or fifth chapter in succession where we start in the present then go into a political rant which segues into an entire character's backstory, it all gets a little too similar with the same vulgar jokes and casual humour used for the various folks involved. It was still entertaining but there was a definite pattern at play here and Country for the Blind wasn't quite as tight as its predecessor.
November 10, 2014
This second book featuring the conspiracy-cracking Scottish journalist Jack Parlabane was even better than the first one. This time around we have smug, evil politicians and their incompetent henchmen pitted against the meek yet resourceful underdog. The story is suspenseful, and there are some wonderful characterizations.
There is plenty of humor and a lot of Scottish dialect (maybe enough to annoy some people, but I enjoyed it). It has none of the gross-out descriptions of the first book, which was just fine with me. It is a bit dated, with a lot of references to British politics in the 90's.
There is plenty of humor and a lot of Scottish dialect (maybe enough to annoy some people, but I enjoyed it). It has none of the gross-out descriptions of the first book, which was just fine with me. It is a bit dated, with a lot of references to British politics in the 90's.
June 14, 2021
Another Christopher Brookmyre story told with humour, but frightening in its possibilities. Jack Parlabane, maverick journalist willing to break all the rules to get the story, is a great character and the rest of the protagonists are fully developed and very credible. There is more time taken on the back stories and explanations than the first book in the series, but still exciting and fun to read.
November 12, 2007
Anything by this guy that I've read so far has been great, and this was no exception.
February 6, 2021
DNF. Plodding, rambling political diatribe.
March 6, 2019
Four burglars are arrested near the scene of a brutal murder of a newspaper mogul. Enter jack parlabane investigative journalist, conspiracy detector extrodinaire, all round action hero, and if you ask me more than a wee bit smug self righteous plonker. The plot is ok and the vitriol splashed over the Tory establishment a little dated but still enjoyable. Why not.
July 29, 2011
Ah, it's that difficult second book: your publisher's champing at the bit, you've not quite got your next story together, you're sick to the back teeth of your leading character and need some time away from him...
So Jack takes absolutely ages to appear and Nicole, the lawyer, is a very poor substitute, despite the care taken in the opening chapter to construct her back story. You've got to love Spammy though. I hope he reappears at a later date.
Good, but not brilliant.
So Jack takes absolutely ages to appear and Nicole, the lawyer, is a very poor substitute, despite the care taken in the opening chapter to construct her back story. You've got to love Spammy though. I hope he reappears at a later date.
Good, but not brilliant.
October 27, 2024
I am loving this series. The plots are completely bizarre and the protagonist is off the wall at times. In general I am not a fan of the press but Jack Parlabane has a way of manipulating the media in pursuit of all that is fair and just.
March 28, 2017
Another entertaining read. 3.5 stars - the one knock I'd say I had on it was that all of the villains were somewhat excessively and obviously villainous - caricatures, really.
July 15, 2024
The second Parlabane investigation centres on the murder of a billionaire media magnet who, along with his wife, had his throat cut. his two bodyguards were shot and killed. Quickly, police latch onto a band of previously convicted thieves - The Robbin Hoods, four men who'd robbed from the rich and... kept it for themselves. However, all is not so certain in this seemingly open and shut case as, a few days before the robbery / murder, one of the men, Tam, had given an envelope to a lawyer, the letter inside refutes the apparent events and claims the thieves are innocent. Enter Jack Parlabane to sort everything out...
Oof, this was an irritating novel. It had the makings of being rather good yet was horribly undermined by vast sections of exposition from each of the characters - an internal monologue meant very little dialogue - which just dragged the pace right down as each person outlined where, why and how they were in the plot (literally). Off the top of my head I can think of seven, yes seven characters that behave in this way, yet I wouldn't be surprised if it was eight or nine.
When the actual action got under way (after some 80 pages) it clipped along nicely, until crashing into the next wall of exposition. Shame as the characters themselves are excellent (although some, like Jenny the cop are diluted by being part of a large crowd) and the investigation itself is fun. A couple of points to note, there's a LOT more swearing than Quite Ugly One Morning (if you don't like the C bomb being dropped then don't even start the book, frankly) and there's more use of Scottish dialect and pronunciation.
Overall rating 3.5.
Oof, this was an irritating novel. It had the makings of being rather good yet was horribly undermined by vast sections of exposition from each of the characters - an internal monologue meant very little dialogue - which just dragged the pace right down as each person outlined where, why and how they were in the plot (literally). Off the top of my head I can think of seven, yes seven characters that behave in this way, yet I wouldn't be surprised if it was eight or nine.
When the actual action got under way (after some 80 pages) it clipped along nicely, until crashing into the next wall of exposition. Shame as the characters themselves are excellent (although some, like Jenny the cop are diluted by being part of a large crowd) and the investigation itself is fun. A couple of points to note, there's a LOT more swearing than Quite Ugly One Morning (if you don't like the C bomb being dropped then don't even start the book, frankly) and there's more use of Scottish dialect and pronunciation.
Overall rating 3.5.
August 20, 2025
Taken as a whole, this was an entertaining and different piece of tartan noir, an early one in Brookmyre's oeuvre, but one with a lot of the aspects which he would later hone into something even better. Whilst reading this, however, I did find the first half rather chewy and heavy on the (often witty, but sometimes 'too much') description and background of his cast of characters. Parlabane comes across more superhuman than in some others of the series (which I didn't find particularly convincing) but this tale of the conspiracy behind four men performing a robbery at a local media magnate's mansion, at which the victim, his wife, and two bodyguards are killed, and how associated characters are embroiled.. it developed into a compelling and enjoyable read only somewhere around the mid point.
June 19, 2020
Reading this made 1998 feel far more than 22 years ago such has the world moved on.
Despite the usual Scottish left wing drivel, (its now amusing how the demonised Tory leadership in this book who are portrayed as eating babies for breakfast, all seem much less evil now they are making tv programs about trains whilst wearing lurid pink trousers.
In Summary, 1990's politics, evil Tories, bad soldiers, good Scottish hack, English Bad, Jocks good.
I did enjoy it though.
Despite the usual Scottish left wing drivel, (its now amusing how the demonised Tory leadership in this book who are portrayed as eating babies for breakfast, all seem much less evil now they are making tv programs about trains whilst wearing lurid pink trousers.
In Summary, 1990's politics, evil Tories, bad soldiers, good Scottish hack, English Bad, Jocks good.
I did enjoy it though.
August 17, 2018
‘Build ‘em up then knock ‘em down.’
The copy of this book that I read has a quote from the Independent's review splashed across the cover: "Tartan noir." It's a fantastic description for a fantastic book in what is proving to be a fantastic series.
She was witnessing the bizarre Parlabane thought-process in full, insane, runaway-train-with-a-madman-at-the-controls tilt.
Christopher gives us a more mature follow-up to Quite Ugly One Morning, with an entirely different kind of story and a whole new cast of supporting characters. But it's got everything that are quickly proving to define this series: the morally grey and deliciously developed Jack Parlabane, his just as well-handled partner Sarah Slaughter and police contact Jenny Dalziel (who is a well-portrayed lesbian character conceived in the 1990s - miracles happen), new characters that hook you in emotionally, and an excellently-webbed plot that's laced with clever socio-political satire.
He keeps up his structure of giving the reader the who quite early on, and spending the rest of the novel with Jack Parlabane and the rest of the novel's cast as they unravel the why and how. This remains a hugely effective structure. The suspense and fear are only heightened for the omniscient reader by being inside the antagonists' head and knowing, not guessing, what they are capable of. It's Hitchcock's rules of suspense at work, and it is stunning.
Ordinary people get murdered. Poor people get murdered. Black people get murdered. Women get murdered. We don’t get murdered.
The one thing is the pacing - mostly at the beginning. Brookmyre's done away with the potty humour dependence in this one, but it seems that in the first book, the poop jokes may have distracted from some pretty slow going. Things pick up and get very engaging after the first third or so, so try to be patient, but we do learn a lot of backstory that never proves to be particularly relevant. Perhaps Brookmyre keeps the characters in question on in later books, but for now it feels like he's risking sacrificing quite a few readers to spend a lot of time establishing things for no particular reason.
Regardless, this is overall just another example of Christopher Brookmyre's skill as a writer of a crime thriller that is rich in Scottish flavour and gives equal priority to character, relationships, and plot. This is another feast, leaving the reader both full and hungry for the next one.
‘You’re somewhere over the rainbow and the bad news is the munchkins aren’t fucking friendly.’
Just, er, nota bene: don't give this one to your Conservative friend.
The copy of this book that I read has a quote from the Independent's review splashed across the cover: "Tartan noir." It's a fantastic description for a fantastic book in what is proving to be a fantastic series.
She was witnessing the bizarre Parlabane thought-process in full, insane, runaway-train-with-a-madman-at-the-controls tilt.
Christopher gives us a more mature follow-up to Quite Ugly One Morning, with an entirely different kind of story and a whole new cast of supporting characters. But it's got everything that are quickly proving to define this series: the morally grey and deliciously developed Jack Parlabane, his just as well-handled partner Sarah Slaughter and police contact Jenny Dalziel (who is a well-portrayed lesbian character conceived in the 1990s - miracles happen), new characters that hook you in emotionally, and an excellently-webbed plot that's laced with clever socio-political satire.
He keeps up his structure of giving the reader the who quite early on, and spending the rest of the novel with Jack Parlabane and the rest of the novel's cast as they unravel the why and how. This remains a hugely effective structure. The suspense and fear are only heightened for the omniscient reader by being inside the antagonists' head and knowing, not guessing, what they are capable of. It's Hitchcock's rules of suspense at work, and it is stunning.
Ordinary people get murdered. Poor people get murdered. Black people get murdered. Women get murdered. We don’t get murdered.
The one thing is the pacing - mostly at the beginning. Brookmyre's done away with the potty humour dependence in this one, but it seems that in the first book, the poop jokes may have distracted from some pretty slow going. Things pick up and get very engaging after the first third or so, so try to be patient, but we do learn a lot of backstory that never proves to be particularly relevant. Perhaps Brookmyre keeps the characters in question on in later books, but for now it feels like he's risking sacrificing quite a few readers to spend a lot of time establishing things for no particular reason.
Regardless, this is overall just another example of Christopher Brookmyre's skill as a writer of a crime thriller that is rich in Scottish flavour and gives equal priority to character, relationships, and plot. This is another feast, leaving the reader both full and hungry for the next one.
‘You’re somewhere over the rainbow and the bad news is the munchkins aren’t fucking friendly.’
Just, er, nota bene: don't give this one to your Conservative friend.
February 15, 2025
I really loved the second book in this series. It's impressive when a writer can get in the mind of so many different characters, even very offensive ones. It's also impressive the plotting, structure, time shifts and character development. I just thought it could have been a bit tighter at the start, just took a bit too long to get going while dwelling on the polemics a bit. Looking forward to the next. Brilliant writer.
March 16, 2022
4.5 stars
First thing off the bat, in this book, this elite named Roland Voss is murdered. I want to say he's a Rupert Murdoch look alike. Reporting the news,
"Eventually, out of facts and out of quotes, they moved on to reaction, which in most cases was blank disbelief....
ordinary people got murdered. Poor people got murdered. Black people got murdered. Women got murdered. We don't get murdered.
Occasionally one of us manages to off himself by mistake with the wife's knickers over his head or gets found upside down in a septic tank after a share crash, but we don't get done in by the unwashed when we're trying to enjoy a spot of hunting and fishing in the countryside. We're safe from that sort of thing.
Aren't we?"
After I read this, I knew I was going to love this book. This is the second one I've read from this author, but it's been 8 years since I read the first one.
Tam McInnis, his son Paul, Tam's friend Robert, and Paul's friend Spammy, have been set up to take the fall for the murder of Voss. Tam McInnes had giving Nicole an envelope, before the Voss murder, telling her to hold on to it, and to open it if he did not come back after the weekend.
Nicole's boss Mr Campbell tells her the background behind Tam McInnis:
" 'he was a burglar. Not by profession, just by, well, a combination of circumstance, naivety and probably a bit of booze, in the first instance. He and his Pals robbed country mansions; you know that much. The first one was the home - a home - of the man who took the decision to close down the car plant where they had all worked, because labor was cheaper in the Third World. They had intended the robbery as a protest, a stunt, if you like; said they were originally planning to give the gear back. However... To cut a long story short, when it became apparent that nobody had a bloody clue who had done it, they decided to keep their mouths shut and ended up doing it again someplace else. The spree lasted a few months; they hit I think seven, maybe eight places. But the thing is, they mostly hit places when they were empty; and if someone was going to be home, they made sure they were in and out without a soul knowing. Do you see what I'm saying?'
She nodded and smiled, feeling a welcome moment of comfort as some aspect of solidity of reassurance returned.
'they never hurt anyone,' she said.
They were dubbed "Robin's Hoods."
The prime minister to Scotland does not feel any loyalty to Scotland. Though his father is Scottish, his mother is English. For the PR value of it, he goes to a football (soccer) game, but he's embarrassed in it, and the press has a field day with it.
When the announcers say that he is in the crowd, the crowd starts booing, and a concerted chanting begins:
" 'durty English bastard. Durty English bastard.'
'Ally Dalgleish, you're a wanker, you're a wanker - Ally Dalgleish, you're a donkey's arse.'
But the nightmare didn't end there. It turned out some malignant and no doubt pinko director at the BBC had chosen to zoom in on his face during the pre-match playing of the national anthem, and of course after the first roll on the drums he had launched full-throated into 'God save our gra... ' before stopping as he realized that everyone else was singing 'oh flower of Scotland'. To compound the gaffe; he didn't know any of the words to the stupid bloody dirge, and the cameras had returned a couple of times to show him closed-mouth and blushing as those all around him strove to burst a lung. "
This crooked politician is involved in the murder of Voss up to his eyeballs.
It all goes back to the start of sending off all the jobs from the First World to the Third World. Margaret Thatcher was a huge proponent of this, but our own crooked politicians had their hands in it up to their shoulders.
"We have to wreck the unions. We have to slash jobs. We have to worry less about health and safety, because it eats into profit. We have to decimate wages, because we're in a global labor market now, and that means we're competing with the Third World.
......
Of course it was all fucking stitch-up. What had later been discovered by this investigative hack was that the government instigated the whole thing. They had very quietly decided to pull the plug on the subsidies, and tipped the wink to the americans, assuring them that there would be no public blame, and then there was no potential for damage to 'the special relationship.' [of English capitalists to American capitalists?]
Why?
Christ, why not?
The government had nothing to lose. The money that would have gone into subsidizing Meiklewood [car factory where Tam McInnes and his chum Robert worked] could be spent on something useful instead, like nuclear submarines, or tax cuts. And the loss of a few thousand jobs wasn't a drawback, it was a bonus. Mass unemployment wasn't a government failure, it was a government strategy - as everyone well knew. It was the weapon they used to break unions, force down wages, dictate conditions. But it was more sophisticated than that. It wasn't merely a question of finding any three or four million people to haunt the thoughts and weaken the resolve of every disgruntled employee. It was a specific three or four million people, Tam knew.
It was three or four million people like him.
They hadn't been out just to break their strength - they had been out to break their spirit. To do is to be; the Tories took away what they did. They took away what they were, took away what their fathers had been, took away their past and their legacy, and left them not just without means, but without purpose. And a man without purpose offers Little Resistance as a foe. He has nothing to fight for, and no comrades in arms.
Steel. Call. Ships. Cars.
They closed whole industries.
Scotland had to change, the Tories insisted. It's days of heavy industry were gone, and it's future, as envisaged by Thatcher, was as a 'service economy'. Tam would have found the idea hilarious if the reality hadn't been so fucking painful."
And all of that leads us to where we are now. Fucked. Gawd I love this author.
It takes a few dozen pages to get used to the Scottish dialect that the author writes conversations between his characters in. Here's a sample, when the three remaining Robbin Hoods are confronted by two of the men working for Dalgleish on the framing of them. He calls Spammy SKinnymalinky, because Spammy is gaunt and gangly.
" 'Save it, Faither,' Paterson spat. 'this isnae the fuckin' movies. I don't need to prove to masel' that I can waste any I'm yous cunts.' He shook his head derisively. 'you think this gangly yin wasnae just lucky back there? Yous think yous were fuckin' geniuses 'cause the polis never found you? Listen, Faitherr, an' you listen as well, Daddy Long Legs. The only reason yous cunts made it this far is because they were followin' orders to look in the wrang places, an' because they knew we had yous in oor sights the whole fuckin' time. Wan phone call, wan order, and yous three were dropped. And the phone call's came, by the way.' "
Well, I had a few moments where I was on the edge of the seat, thinking Jack Parlabane and his fiance Sarah were going to bite the dust, but Jack Parlabane knows what he's doing.
Great political and capitalists put-down. If only we had a few people like Jack Parlabane around now.
First thing off the bat, in this book, this elite named Roland Voss is murdered. I want to say he's a Rupert Murdoch look alike. Reporting the news,
"Eventually, out of facts and out of quotes, they moved on to reaction, which in most cases was blank disbelief....
ordinary people got murdered. Poor people got murdered. Black people got murdered. Women got murdered. We don't get murdered.
Occasionally one of us manages to off himself by mistake with the wife's knickers over his head or gets found upside down in a septic tank after a share crash, but we don't get done in by the unwashed when we're trying to enjoy a spot of hunting and fishing in the countryside. We're safe from that sort of thing.
Aren't we?"
After I read this, I knew I was going to love this book. This is the second one I've read from this author, but it's been 8 years since I read the first one.
Tam McInnis, his son Paul, Tam's friend Robert, and Paul's friend Spammy, have been set up to take the fall for the murder of Voss. Tam McInnes had giving Nicole an envelope, before the Voss murder, telling her to hold on to it, and to open it if he did not come back after the weekend.
Nicole's boss Mr Campbell tells her the background behind Tam McInnis:
" 'he was a burglar. Not by profession, just by, well, a combination of circumstance, naivety and probably a bit of booze, in the first instance. He and his Pals robbed country mansions; you know that much. The first one was the home - a home - of the man who took the decision to close down the car plant where they had all worked, because labor was cheaper in the Third World. They had intended the robbery as a protest, a stunt, if you like; said they were originally planning to give the gear back. However... To cut a long story short, when it became apparent that nobody had a bloody clue who had done it, they decided to keep their mouths shut and ended up doing it again someplace else. The spree lasted a few months; they hit I think seven, maybe eight places. But the thing is, they mostly hit places when they were empty; and if someone was going to be home, they made sure they were in and out without a soul knowing. Do you see what I'm saying?'
She nodded and smiled, feeling a welcome moment of comfort as some aspect of solidity of reassurance returned.
'they never hurt anyone,' she said.
They were dubbed "Robin's Hoods."
The prime minister to Scotland does not feel any loyalty to Scotland. Though his father is Scottish, his mother is English. For the PR value of it, he goes to a football (soccer) game, but he's embarrassed in it, and the press has a field day with it.
When the announcers say that he is in the crowd, the crowd starts booing, and a concerted chanting begins:
" 'durty English bastard. Durty English bastard.'
'Ally Dalgleish, you're a wanker, you're a wanker - Ally Dalgleish, you're a donkey's arse.'
But the nightmare didn't end there. It turned out some malignant and no doubt pinko director at the BBC had chosen to zoom in on his face during the pre-match playing of the national anthem, and of course after the first roll on the drums he had launched full-throated into 'God save our gra... ' before stopping as he realized that everyone else was singing 'oh flower of Scotland'. To compound the gaffe; he didn't know any of the words to the stupid bloody dirge, and the cameras had returned a couple of times to show him closed-mouth and blushing as those all around him strove to burst a lung. "
This crooked politician is involved in the murder of Voss up to his eyeballs.
It all goes back to the start of sending off all the jobs from the First World to the Third World. Margaret Thatcher was a huge proponent of this, but our own crooked politicians had their hands in it up to their shoulders.
"We have to wreck the unions. We have to slash jobs. We have to worry less about health and safety, because it eats into profit. We have to decimate wages, because we're in a global labor market now, and that means we're competing with the Third World.
......
Of course it was all fucking stitch-up. What had later been discovered by this investigative hack was that the government instigated the whole thing. They had very quietly decided to pull the plug on the subsidies, and tipped the wink to the americans, assuring them that there would be no public blame, and then there was no potential for damage to 'the special relationship.' [of English capitalists to American capitalists?]
Why?
Christ, why not?
The government had nothing to lose. The money that would have gone into subsidizing Meiklewood [car factory where Tam McInnes and his chum Robert worked] could be spent on something useful instead, like nuclear submarines, or tax cuts. And the loss of a few thousand jobs wasn't a drawback, it was a bonus. Mass unemployment wasn't a government failure, it was a government strategy - as everyone well knew. It was the weapon they used to break unions, force down wages, dictate conditions. But it was more sophisticated than that. It wasn't merely a question of finding any three or four million people to haunt the thoughts and weaken the resolve of every disgruntled employee. It was a specific three or four million people, Tam knew.
It was three or four million people like him.
They hadn't been out just to break their strength - they had been out to break their spirit. To do is to be; the Tories took away what they did. They took away what they were, took away what their fathers had been, took away their past and their legacy, and left them not just without means, but without purpose. And a man without purpose offers Little Resistance as a foe. He has nothing to fight for, and no comrades in arms.
Steel. Call. Ships. Cars.
They closed whole industries.
Scotland had to change, the Tories insisted. It's days of heavy industry were gone, and it's future, as envisaged by Thatcher, was as a 'service economy'. Tam would have found the idea hilarious if the reality hadn't been so fucking painful."
And all of that leads us to where we are now. Fucked. Gawd I love this author.
It takes a few dozen pages to get used to the Scottish dialect that the author writes conversations between his characters in. Here's a sample, when the three remaining Robbin Hoods are confronted by two of the men working for Dalgleish on the framing of them. He calls Spammy SKinnymalinky, because Spammy is gaunt and gangly.
" 'Save it, Faither,' Paterson spat. 'this isnae the fuckin' movies. I don't need to prove to masel' that I can waste any I'm yous cunts.' He shook his head derisively. 'you think this gangly yin wasnae just lucky back there? Yous think yous were fuckin' geniuses 'cause the polis never found you? Listen, Faitherr, an' you listen as well, Daddy Long Legs. The only reason yous cunts made it this far is because they were followin' orders to look in the wrang places, an' because they knew we had yous in oor sights the whole fuckin' time. Wan phone call, wan order, and yous three were dropped. And the phone call's came, by the way.' "
Well, I had a few moments where I was on the edge of the seat, thinking Jack Parlabane and his fiance Sarah were going to bite the dust, but Jack Parlabane knows what he's doing.
Great political and capitalists put-down. If only we had a few people like Jack Parlabane around now.
March 26, 2017
Ο Jack Parlabane είναι ο άνθρωπος που μάλλον δεν θα θέλαμε να είμαστε αλλά να έχουμε όλοι φίλο. Πιο αστείο, πιο πολιτικό, πιο καυστικό από το ντεμπούτο του, το δεύτερο μυθιστόρημα του Brookmyre γράφτηκε το 1997 αλλά υπάρχουν ολόκληρα κεφάλαια τα οποία μιλάνε για το σήμερα. Χαρακτήρες, backstories, και πλοκή που εκτυλίσσεται σε κάτι λιγότερο από πέντε μέρες καταπιάνεται με ένα σωρό ζητήματα και τα καταφέρνει περίφημα ενώ ταυτόχρονα σε διασκεδάζει. Με διεισδυτική και διορατική ματιά σφάζει, άλλους με το βαμβάκι, άλλους όχι και τόσο. Το πόσο μου άρεσε σίγουρα βασίζεται και στην πολιτική μου συμφωνία, αλλά δεν αφήνει κανένα αλώβητο στην κριτική του, κι αυτό είναι η επιτυχία του.
Θα το πρότεινα ανεπιφύλακτα αλλά όχι σε όλους.
on a sidenote, διάβαζα στις 21 του μήνα το κεφάλαιο που ο αρχισυντάκτης της εφημερίδας με την οποία συνεργάζεται ο Parlabane σκέφτεται το μέλλον της έντυπης δημοσιογραφίας, τον ανταγωνισμό με τα νέα μέσα (κυρίως την άμεση κάλυψη των γεγονότων από την τηλεόραση την εποχή στην οποία αναφέρεται), το κοινό που σε αυτή τη νέα κατάσταση θρέφεται με sensetionalism και όχι με ουσία και πως η σοβαρή και ερευνητική δημοσιογραφία μπορεί να επιβιώσει σε αυτή την κατάσταση, όχι μόνο οικονομικά αλλά και ως λειτούργημα. Δυο μέρες αργότερα, μετά τα γεγονότα στο Westminster κι αφού δεν είχα δει λεπτό τηλεοπτικής κάλυψης, αναζήτησα με μεγάλη προσοχή το άρθρο το οποίο θα διαβάσω για να ενημερωθώ. Ίσως τελικά αχνοφαίνεται ελπίδα.
Θα το πρότεινα ανεπιφύλακτα αλλά όχι σε όλους.
on a sidenote, διάβαζα στις 21 του μήνα το κεφάλαιο που ο αρχισυντάκτης της εφημερίδας με την οποία συνεργάζεται ο Parlabane σκέφτεται το μέλλον της έντυπης δημοσιογραφίας, τον ανταγωνισμό με τα νέα μέσα (κυρίως την άμεση κάλυψη των γεγονότων από την τηλεόραση την εποχή στην οποία αναφέρεται), το κοινό που σε αυτή τη νέα κατάσταση θρέφεται με sensetionalism και όχι με ουσία και πως η σοβαρή και ερευνητική δημοσιογραφία μπορεί να επιβιώσει σε αυτή την κατάσταση, όχι μόνο οικονομικά αλλά και ως λειτούργημα. Δυο μέρες αργότερα, μετά τα γεγονότα στο Westminster κι αφού δεν είχα δει λεπτό τηλεοπτικής κάλυψης, αναζήτησα με μεγάλη προσοχή το άρθρο το οποίο θα διαβάσω για να ενημερωθώ. Ίσως τελικά αχνοφαίνεται ελπίδα.
June 30, 2021
This is the second book in the Jack Parlabane series that I’ve read and I’ll definitely be going back for more. I agree with another reviewer that it’s not as tight as his previous one, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters have a lot of depth to them, perhaps a wee bit too much since it slowed the story’s development. Perhaps that was intentional, delayed gratification being what it is. I enjoyed reading the passages in dialect which gave greater authenticity to the characters. I felt that I was getting insider understandings about Scottish attitudes toward the union, English parliamentarians and the overall distrust of government. I think that Brookmyre is a very talented, clever writer. He managed to voice my own cynicism toward media moguls — a particular one comes to mind — as well as the privileged political elite whose sole ambition appears to be maintaining their party’s and their own power above all and for the so-called greater good. This book offer good value entertainment and a thoroughly satisfying, enjoyable denouement.
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