Divorcing Jack [Audio Cassette]

colin bateman (Author)

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0001054910
• ISBN-13: 978-0001054912
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

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.