Divorcing Jack [Paperback]

Colin Bateman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 11, 1996

An adulterous fling with a anonymous woman who is soon found murdered plunges Belfast journalist Dan Starkey into the district's violent politics, as his search for the woman's killer leads him into the highest reaches of power. A first novel.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In Colin Bateman's first novel, Divorcing Jack, a witty Belfast newspaper columnist named Dan Starkey gets drunk, falls in lust, and finds himself helplessly mired in trouble with his wife and the law. Shortly after Starkey's wife catches him in the arms of another woman, that woman is murdered and Starkey becomes the prime suspect. Turns out the deceased woman was related to an important political figure, and now thugs from several of Northern Ireland's factions are out to get Starkey. The columnist decides he must track down the killer in order to clear his own name. During the investigation, he uncovers a scandal that could potentially alter the outcome of the next national election--and destroy the country's hopes for peace.

Mostly though, this thriller chronicles the beleaguered journalist's lame efforts to stay out of trouble. Starkey isn't exactly a man of action; in fact, he's a likable character partly because he knows he's a weak man. Late in the book, Starkey sums up his predicament: "The world was still after me, Patricia was still missing, I was still a killer on the run, and I had a disturbing tendency to burst into tears, but I wasn't going to let little things like that get me down." He copes with stress by 1) drinking too much and 2) making jokes. When a nun in a miniature car saves Starkey from a hail of gunfire, for instance, he spends a few moments wondering what the proper name of her headgear is and decides to call it a Godpiece. Dan Starkey makes an entertaining guide to war-torn Northern Ireland, even while he discovers again and again that the pen is not mightier than the sword. --Jill Marquis

From Publishers Weekly

Witty, fast-paced and engaging, Bateman's debut novel deals with the dilemma of a young Belfast columnist who looks beyond his marriage for sexual satisfaction only to get caught up in a search for damaging information about a prominent political candidate. When Dan Starkey returns to the apartment of his new conquest, Margaret McBride, after going out for pizza, he finds the young brunette riddled with bullets; worse, Starkey accidentally kills the woman's mother during a subsequent struggle in the dark. Margaret turns out to have been a politician's daughter, and her dying utterance ("divorce... Jack... divorce") sends the fugitive Starkey in pursuit of a tape that reveals the sordid past of the leading candidate in the upcoming election for prime minister. As he hunts for the tape, Starkey is pursued by several parties, including an IRA contingent with a reputation for mayhem and violence. With the exception of an unexpected ending turning on double murder, the plot machinations are formulaic, but Bateman rarely lets the action flag. What makes this tale stand out, however, is the wit and charm of its protagonist, a sweet-tempered cynic with a devilish sense of humor. The intricate Irish politics are gracefully rendered, and Bateman's wry take on the gritty Belfast landscape adds an appealingly light touch. The author apparently has another Dan Starkey novel in the works; that's very good news indeed.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing (September 11, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559703598
• ISBN-13: 978-1559703598
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,097,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, unexpected fun, March 8, 2002

By 

A. Whitney (Silicon Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Divorcing Jack (Paperback)

This book proved to be a quick read as the story was engaging, funny and written in face-paced language. Dan Starkey is a regular guy with typical vices. When a drunken night results in some poor choices and even poorer outcomes, he has to muddle through a murder mystery. He's no Hercule Poirot and makes a few mistakes, but his brains and heart make up for what he lacks.
Dan is a likeable character with a realistic and humorous approach to life. Landing himself in the middle of a Northern Ireland political scandal is not in his plan, but the reader can see how this everyman deals with the situation. The Ireland issue is quite pivotal. As an American totally in the dark about this conflict, it was interesting to read about it, even in fiction.
There are several murders in this book, but none are very gorey.Bateman's writing is funny and honest. He has wit, but avoids sounding as if he is throwing it in your face. This book would be great for a long plane ride or as an addition to your summer reading list.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Noir Meets Lenny Bruce in a Bomb Filled Amusement Park, October 2, 2003

By 

Jennifer "Editor, EXPLETIVE DELETED" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Divorcing Jack (Paperback)

Most of us have had a night or two where, mired in alcohol, bad decisions have been made. I don't for a second think that a complete lack of alcohol would make our protagonist, Dan Starkey, a contender for canonization. But, it would keep me from wanting to box this characters ears as I burst out laughing at his latest installment of a good idea.

This perennially soused journalist has a talent for saying the witty thing at the wrong time. The whirlwind of death, danger, politics and sex that picks him up and plunks him down, well the worse for wear, begins with a kiss wrapped around a shared breath mint. A mint shared with a woman he barely knows as his wife whispers in his ears, "You have twenty-four hours to move out."

This paves the way for bad decision number two and the beginning of a domino effect in Starkeys life. Within the prescribed twenty-four hours, the other woman will be dead and Starkey will be the number one suspect. The one clue that could lead Starkey to the real killer slips through his fingers like a greased eel.

This very funny, very intelligent book could have been a mere candy bar between literary meals. It is, instead, a full meal itself. An insider's view into the raging political scene of Northern Ireland in the mid 90s and the warped marriage of a co-dependent couple are tightly conveyed. The sarcasm and fallibility of a hero doing all the wrong things for all the drunk reasons plays beautifully against the fast paced nature of this thriller.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT, September 13, 2002

By 

blair (ontario) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Divorcing Jack (Paperback)

bateman wonderfully depicted the violent aspects of northern irish culture in divorcing jack. beautifully dark humour is strewn throughout the pages. although content is of a sensitive and horrid nature (the "troubles"), one can not help but laugh out loud frequently. a great first novel for him, and his books to follow are equally as interesting and enjoyable.