This one concerns what seems to be a semi-legal mercenary-type company who do stuff like evaluating high-security installations by attempting to break into them. After scientist who is performing research into a new type of weapon is kidnapped, they are called in to try and get him back, before he (and his secret) is sold to the highest bidder. And the person they need who can really help to is the scientist's mum, who's more used to hoovering than espionage.

Well this was another good one. After I read and enjoyed Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks, I had checked out some reviews which said that that book was not typical. But while this was quite a different story, it was reall entertaining, and while it did suffer a bit from the "inelegant variation" which I'd noticed in previous Brookmyre books, I didn't mind this much at all.

It is a bit Tom Sharpe-ish in the silliness of the plot, but it was nevertheless very entertaining (better than Tom Sharpe). But what did quite impress me was that there was some quite good straight writing in there. In particular, the second chapter, which talks about Jane's life (Jane being the mother of the scientist) is quite touching in its description of how her youthful dreams have come to nothing, and of her life as a middle-aged mum with a dull husband. This wouldn't have been out of place in a "proper" novel and it was a pleasant surprise to find it in here.

Can't remember much quotable stuff but I did really enjoy it.

Re-read this in 2017. I'd remembered it being a really good one that I'd recommended to Steve, but the second time round, the pace felt a lot slower. It wasn't nearly as hectic and over the top as other Brookmyre can be - at least, there were periods where nothing seemed to be happening. So I did enjoy it, but not as much as I'd been expecting to.

Completed : 10-Oct-2010

Completed : 09-Sep-2017