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The Last Lemming
TV naturalist ‘Prof Leo’ Sanders makes it to his deathbed without a whiff of scandal — then confesses his career-defining wildlife discovery was a hoax. A National Treasure shattering his own reputation on YouTube is enough to spark a media frenzy, and the curiosity of part-time journalism student Claire Webster who makes him the subject of her dissertation.
Her investigations lead to Prof Leo’s estranged family, and a high-flying advertising guru he also slandered in the video. Ultimately Claire uncovers the truth behind the discovery of the Potley Hill Lemming — the first new species of British mammal in a century. It’s a mystery spanning four decades; a tale of greed, obsession and long-forgotten murder at a lonely beauty spot.
'A revered TV naturalist with a guilty secret, a cute critter, a brand of stout and a lovelorn personal trainer all collide with tragi-comic results in this witty whydunnit. The Last Lemming combines pathos, humour and mystery to irresistible effect.’ Suzi Feay, literary critic
Her investigations lead to Prof Leo’s estranged family, and a high-flying advertising guru he also slandered in the video. Ultimately Claire uncovers the truth behind the discovery of the Potley Hill Lemming — the first new species of British mammal in a century. It’s a mystery spanning four decades; a tale of greed, obsession and long-forgotten murder at a lonely beauty spot.
'A revered TV naturalist with a guilty secret, a cute critter, a brand of stout and a lovelorn personal trainer all collide with tragi-comic results in this witty whydunnit. The Last Lemming combines pathos, humour and mystery to irresistible effect.’ Suzi Feay, literary critic
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 10, 2020
3 people want to read
About the author
Chris Chalmers
7 books10 followersChris Chalmers arrived unexpectedly following a Beatles' concert at Southport Floral Hall when his mum was induced by the stomping. His career as a published author began aged six with a poem, Jumbo Jabber, in The Liverpool Echo. The editor, retitling it Elephants Are Our Favourites, gave him a taste of the collaborative process that was to play a major role in his subsequent career in advertising.
After many years and a few awards creating campaigns at top London agencies for everything from The Economist to ballet shoes, Chris took the plunge into the world of contemporary fiction. His first published novel, Five To One, is now available with further titles for adults and children to follow.
He lives in South-West London with his partner, a quite famous concert pianist. Chris was once the understudy on Mastermind, has travelled to 40 different countries, and swum with iguanas. He's written a diary for 42 years and never missed a night.
After many years and a few awards creating campaigns at top London agencies for everything from The Economist to ballet shoes, Chris took the plunge into the world of contemporary fiction. His first published novel, Five To One, is now available with further titles for adults and children to follow.
He lives in South-West London with his partner, a quite famous concert pianist. Chris was once the understudy on Mastermind, has travelled to 40 different countries, and swum with iguanas. He's written a diary for 42 years and never missed a night.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 18, 2020
What a little gem this book is. Right from the start your interest is piqued by Pamela telling Leo to go and catch his yeti. Let the monster hunt begin! Well maybe not a yeti but this amateur monster hunter does discover the Potley lemming in the 80’s. The first new British mammal species in a century.
Fast forward to present day and after releasing a YouTube video on his deathbed confessing it to be a hoax. Claire who is studying journalism is using his claims as part of her dissertation. Delving into his life and family Claire uncovers more than she bargained for.
The humour throughout regularly brought a smile to my face peppered with a chuckle. However this book also has a dark vein running through it and some surprising revelations.
This is a genre crossing romp combining mystery, comedy and even a little hint of romance telling a tale of obsession and the lengths people go to. The characters are well written and relatable and personally I am an 80’s girl so the author couldn’t have picked a better time to go back to. Even referencing the great storm which I remember even though I slept through it.
So if you fancy something a little different then I recommend giving this unusual book a read.
July 17, 2020
The blurb for this book had me intrigued and wanting to read it, and I'm so pleased I did.
The book is based around the current day story of Claire, who is undertaking a journalism course and writing her dissertation. The subject of her dissertation takes us back to 1987 and Prof Leo who recounts for us his journey of the discovery of the Potley Hill Lemming. It also took me back to reminisce about so many things in the 1980s I had forgotten. With the references being spot on for that time frame, including that famous storm.
Whilst Claire is on the trail of Prof Leo and what his confession means, we also get the back story of her life. I really liked the character of Claire. As her dialogue appeared I had to double check who had written this book, because he has really got inside the head of a woman - it all reads so true to life. Claire is a PT at a gym for her day job and I did like all the little tidbits of insider knowledge drip fed into the book, maybe some of it will rub off! She's also looking for love - but this is no romance novel and her love interest left a lot to be desired on that front!
The book flip flops between the present day and 1987 as Claire delves deeper and more of the mystery is uncovered. There's certainly a few laughs in the book which can bring you up sharp when the darker side of the book is finally revealed.
I think there is mileage in Claire appearing in another book she's certainly got a lot going for her. A really good read and a little different journey taken to most books.
The book is based around the current day story of Claire, who is undertaking a journalism course and writing her dissertation. The subject of her dissertation takes us back to 1987 and Prof Leo who recounts for us his journey of the discovery of the Potley Hill Lemming. It also took me back to reminisce about so many things in the 1980s I had forgotten. With the references being spot on for that time frame, including that famous storm.
Whilst Claire is on the trail of Prof Leo and what his confession means, we also get the back story of her life. I really liked the character of Claire. As her dialogue appeared I had to double check who had written this book, because he has really got inside the head of a woman - it all reads so true to life. Claire is a PT at a gym for her day job and I did like all the little tidbits of insider knowledge drip fed into the book, maybe some of it will rub off! She's also looking for love - but this is no romance novel and her love interest left a lot to be desired on that front!
The book flip flops between the present day and 1987 as Claire delves deeper and more of the mystery is uncovered. There's certainly a few laughs in the book which can bring you up sharp when the darker side of the book is finally revealed.
I think there is mileage in Claire appearing in another book she's certainly got a lot going for her. A really good read and a little different journey taken to most books.
July 4, 2020
This charmingly penned yarn combines mystery, humour and a dash of romance to great effect. In Mr Chalmers’ inimitable style, we are introduced to the lives of two disparate central characters: in the form of TV naturalist, Prof Leo Saunders and Claire Webster, a young Personal Trainer with aspirations to become an investigative journalist.
There are two distinct threads to the narrative: one set in the mid 1980s and the other in the present-day narrated by our amateur female journalist.
The plot involves Saunders admitting on Youtube just before dying that his one claim to fame - the discovery of the Potley Hill lemming - was in fact a hoax, and that a certain advertising luminary had ‘blood on his hands.’ While the stunt is eventually written off as nothing more than unreliable ramblings of a sick man, Webster decides to investigate and use her findings for her dissertation on her journalism course.
This entertaining and deftly plotted tale involves a cast of colourful characters including some of the furry variety. It’s a skilfully woven yarn with some lovely descriptive passages that establish time and place. And in the best tradition, there are, of course, dead bodies.
‘The Last Lemming’ is a terrific romp of a read; witty, elegantly penned and thoroughly enjoyable.
Alex Pearl is author of ‘Sleeping with the Blackbirds’ and ‘The Chair Man’
There are two distinct threads to the narrative: one set in the mid 1980s and the other in the present-day narrated by our amateur female journalist.
The plot involves Saunders admitting on Youtube just before dying that his one claim to fame - the discovery of the Potley Hill lemming - was in fact a hoax, and that a certain advertising luminary had ‘blood on his hands.’ While the stunt is eventually written off as nothing more than unreliable ramblings of a sick man, Webster decides to investigate and use her findings for her dissertation on her journalism course.
This entertaining and deftly plotted tale involves a cast of colourful characters including some of the furry variety. It’s a skilfully woven yarn with some lovely descriptive passages that establish time and place. And in the best tradition, there are, of course, dead bodies.
‘The Last Lemming’ is a terrific romp of a read; witty, elegantly penned and thoroughly enjoyable.
Alex Pearl is author of ‘Sleeping with the Blackbirds’ and ‘The Chair Man’
July 14, 2020
This review of The Last Lemming by Chris Chalmers comes via a Blog Tour for Random Things Tours.
After the posthumous release of a deathbed confession video, which outed his discovery of a new lemming species a hoax and pointed the finger at a ‘murderer’, Prof Leo’s credibility is shattered. But he’s dead, so he’s not too worried.
Claire Webster thinks there might be more to the story and endeavours to investigate – leading to a series of interviews with concerned parties, midnight visits to crime scenes and career-making decisions.
The book flips back and forward between Claire’s investigations in the present and Prof Leo’s life in the 1980’s, outlining the circumstances of the discovery. All in all, it flows along nicely.
As an editor, however, I have issue with the number of ellipses (…) used. Someone had a big crush on them! My brain hiccuped a little as there was no distinct spacing between the ends of many sentences. I think a lot of them could easily be changed to periods/stops.
But that’s pretty much the worst thing I can say about this. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The writing is witty, erudite and charming. The characters are believable, relatable and fleshed. (Except Ryan, the Aussie. I didn’t like him much and I didn’t find him attractive, or very Australian. I can say that. I’m an Aussie.)
As a man, Mr Chalmers has written his female main character well – though there are a couple of things I don’t relate to, the writing makes sense within the character he’s created. Prof Leo himself is slightly crazy (as you’d expect, really) and though some of his actions are odd, they are also all totally within character.
In a nutshell, this is a witty ramble, bouncing through amateur monster-hunting, ‘what-should-I-do-when-I-grow-up’, journalistic ethics, advertising ethics, and how to get away with murder.
Recommended!
After the posthumous release of a deathbed confession video, which outed his discovery of a new lemming species a hoax and pointed the finger at a ‘murderer’, Prof Leo’s credibility is shattered. But he’s dead, so he’s not too worried.
Claire Webster thinks there might be more to the story and endeavours to investigate – leading to a series of interviews with concerned parties, midnight visits to crime scenes and career-making decisions.
The book flips back and forward between Claire’s investigations in the present and Prof Leo’s life in the 1980’s, outlining the circumstances of the discovery. All in all, it flows along nicely.
As an editor, however, I have issue with the number of ellipses (…) used. Someone had a big crush on them! My brain hiccuped a little as there was no distinct spacing between the ends of many sentences. I think a lot of them could easily be changed to periods/stops.
But that’s pretty much the worst thing I can say about this. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The writing is witty, erudite and charming. The characters are believable, relatable and fleshed. (Except Ryan, the Aussie. I didn’t like him much and I didn’t find him attractive, or very Australian. I can say that. I’m an Aussie.)
As a man, Mr Chalmers has written his female main character well – though there are a couple of things I don’t relate to, the writing makes sense within the character he’s created. Prof Leo himself is slightly crazy (as you’d expect, really) and though some of his actions are odd, they are also all totally within character.
In a nutshell, this is a witty ramble, bouncing through amateur monster-hunting, ‘what-should-I-do-when-I-grow-up’, journalistic ethics, advertising ethics, and how to get away with murder.
Recommended!
July 10, 2020
Professor Leo Saunders, an amateur ‘monster’ hunter, found fame in the 80’s after discovering The Potley Lemming.
Now in the present day, as he is dying of cancer he announces to the world, via YouTube, the Potley Lemming was a hoax…….oh and he claims an advertising exec ‘has blood on his hands’.
Claire, a personal trainer in a gym and a journalism student decides to investigate Prof. Saunders claims to use her findings as a basis for her dissertation. So the investigation begins.
The Last Lemming is a cosy mystery with great, well rounded characters who really lead this story of obsession, greed and murder. It’s full of humour and has a fun, engaging plot. I found this to be a thoroughly entertaining read.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and an eARC of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
Now in the present day, as he is dying of cancer he announces to the world, via YouTube, the Potley Lemming was a hoax…….oh and he claims an advertising exec ‘has blood on his hands’.
Claire, a personal trainer in a gym and a journalism student decides to investigate Prof. Saunders claims to use her findings as a basis for her dissertation. So the investigation begins.
The Last Lemming is a cosy mystery with great, well rounded characters who really lead this story of obsession, greed and murder. It’s full of humour and has a fun, engaging plot. I found this to be a thoroughly entertaining read.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and an eARC of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
July 24, 2020
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I was really intrigued by the blurb by this book and having read it, it was a great story!
I loved the plot line or this one and being a massive fan of the natural world and a crime fiction/mystery fan this one was always going to be right up my street!
I really enjoyed the author's writing style and they way that the story was told, the book has two main time themes, the mid 1980s and the present day. I loved that touch and for me it was a great and easy read and one that I could dip in and out of over the course of a couple of evenings.
The characters were great and I really enjoyed their interaction, they were well developed and really added to the story for me, I thought that Claire was great and loved following her through the book.
It is 4 stars from me for this one, it was a really good story and thoroughly enjoyable! Highly recommended!!
I was really intrigued by the blurb by this book and having read it, it was a great story!
I loved the plot line or this one and being a massive fan of the natural world and a crime fiction/mystery fan this one was always going to be right up my street!
I really enjoyed the author's writing style and they way that the story was told, the book has two main time themes, the mid 1980s and the present day. I loved that touch and for me it was a great and easy read and one that I could dip in and out of over the course of a couple of evenings.
The characters were great and I really enjoyed their interaction, they were well developed and really added to the story for me, I thought that Claire was great and loved following her through the book.
It is 4 stars from me for this one, it was a really good story and thoroughly enjoyable! Highly recommended!!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews