This was the first Christopher Brookmyre novel I read and it really started something. I was hardly past the first few pages and found myself compelled to read the whole thing.
I know this sits in the crime section, but its so much more than that. There's a constant black humour running through the whole book, even when there are bleek or violent sections you can still find yourself smirking at the way characters deal with it.
After reading this book I ended up buying and reading everything else that Brookmyre has written.
If you like gritty Scottish drama, humour and a real ripping read, you will love this.
This has the funniest first chapter I have ever read. Even now, it still makes me cry with laughter. This was the first Christopher Brookmyre that I read, and the first featuring Jack Parlabane, investigative journalist. The criminal element appears to be totally inept, and Jack gets into all sorts of scrapes trying to get to the truth.
I bought this book having read the reviews and wished I hadn’t, I found neither the plot nor the characters credible and the “fun” side of it quite passed me by. If you find descriptions of people wading through “spew” entertaining this may be for you, but I prefer my humour to be more “grown-up” and subtle.
I don't think many would argue that Brookmyre is one of the best crime writers to come out of Scotland in the past 30 years and while some of his novels have missed the mark, Quiet Ugly One Morning showcases the well-oiled crime stories he's famed for and is still my favourite. His strength is definitely in his dialogue.
