What do you think?
Rate this book
Out of the Frying Pan
Brighton sculptor Vonnie Sharpe's laidback routine is shattered when her flatmate Gina is carjacked during a bank robbery.
287 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2020
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 9, 2022
Set in Brighton, Out Of The Frying Pan follows the story of Vonnie and her arty friends as they try to find out what happened to Vonnie’s flatmate Gina after a bank robber carjacks her and uses her as his getaway driver.
This was a book I was really looking forward to reading. I like a book that will make me laugh and the synopsis certainly gave me that feeling. The book opens strongly with Gina dropping Vonnie off at the bank and then proceeding to try to park her little car, unsuccessfully for a long time. When a robber, who has tried to steal from the bank Vonnie is in, can’t get his bike started, spots Gina and carjacks her.
This setup did have me ready for a giggle-fest, however, whilst there were some amusing moments throughout it wasn’t the laugh-out-loud book I had believed it was going to be. I struggled to warm to Vonnie who for days after her friend has been taken proceeds to behave as nothing has happened, just that her flatmate wasn’t there, then suddenly she decides to become a detective when the police don’t seem that bothered about the carjacking or missing Gina either.
The book moves along at a slow to steady pace and we meet a whole host of arty friends of Vonnie’s who give up their time to find Gina with some bizarre consequences. There are plenty of twisty moments and some serious scenes too. It certainly is a different book that had a cosy mystery feeling to it, perhaps this is why I didn’t fully engage with the story as they really aren’t my cup of tea! That and the excessively long chapters, a big bugbear of mine.
Overall, this is an unusual cosy crime mystery that will give you a giggle now and again. It has a decent enough plot and gives you a real feeling for the seaside resort of Brighton, a place I haven’t visited in over 20 years.
This was a book I was really looking forward to reading. I like a book that will make me laugh and the synopsis certainly gave me that feeling. The book opens strongly with Gina dropping Vonnie off at the bank and then proceeding to try to park her little car, unsuccessfully for a long time. When a robber, who has tried to steal from the bank Vonnie is in, can’t get his bike started, spots Gina and carjacks her.
This setup did have me ready for a giggle-fest, however, whilst there were some amusing moments throughout it wasn’t the laugh-out-loud book I had believed it was going to be. I struggled to warm to Vonnie who for days after her friend has been taken proceeds to behave as nothing has happened, just that her flatmate wasn’t there, then suddenly she decides to become a detective when the police don’t seem that bothered about the carjacking or missing Gina either.
The book moves along at a slow to steady pace and we meet a whole host of arty friends of Vonnie’s who give up their time to find Gina with some bizarre consequences. There are plenty of twisty moments and some serious scenes too. It certainly is a different book that had a cosy mystery feeling to it, perhaps this is why I didn’t fully engage with the story as they really aren’t my cup of tea! That and the excessively long chapters, a big bugbear of mine.
Overall, this is an unusual cosy crime mystery that will give you a giggle now and again. It has a decent enough plot and gives you a real feeling for the seaside resort of Brighton, a place I haven’t visited in over 20 years.
January 29, 2022
Picaresque, light, original novel set amongst young creative sub-culture of Brighton.
Refreshingly insouciant, fast faced with plot twists and turns and gentle humour.
I read this quickly as it was an addictive page turner and highly diverting. A fresh, new voice to enjoy.
You will be pleased you read it.
Refreshingly insouciant, fast faced with plot twists and turns and gentle humour.
I read this quickly as it was an addictive page turner and highly diverting. A fresh, new voice to enjoy.
You will be pleased you read it.
January 2, 2022
I loved the vibrant setting in Brighton and meeting the heroine's amusing and unusual friends. Vonnie herself was an interesting character, balancing her art and making ends meet financially whilst trying to discover what had happened to her flatmate. Her life is exciting and unpredictable and despite initially not being sure, I fully warmed to her by the end.
I felt the mix of quite serious crime and more light hearted elements of Vonnie's life worked well and kept me on my toes in terms of tone and crime solving.
It was a page turner and I loved the epilogue. A good read.
I felt the mix of quite serious crime and more light hearted elements of Vonnie's life worked well and kept me on my toes in terms of tone and crime solving.
It was a page turner and I loved the epilogue. A good read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews