Customer Reviews

One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

`One Fine Day in the Middle of The Night' is an all-action satire from Scotland's leading satirist - Christopher Brookmyre, a resolute left-winger with a great command of the English language and a publishing deal he's not afraid to use! Liberally sprinkled with popcorn culture references, Brookmyres writing is a strange mixture of the slightly more intelligent Hollywood escapism (?) and liberal left-wing conscience that guarantees a thick veneer of `smart' social commentary. Nevertheless, Brookmyre's unashamed homage to his action hero heritage ensures an attention-grabbing plot where, in true Die-Hard tradition, trigger-happy but fallible mercenaries take hostages at the gala preview of a ludicrous hotel built on a disused oil drilling rig. Not only does Brookmyre make some intelligent social commentaries about the police, the oil industry, the travel industry, and a few other sacred cows (like religion and politics), he does it in a way that entertains and amuses.

What sets Brookmyre apart from the pack is that he is obviously a skilled author (his sentence structures are not the short, declarative ones you would expect from an action writer) and yet he can drop in references to popular music, television and cinema without looking out of date. Unlike authors like Ben Elton, he has enough intelligence to control his social commentary, keeping it in equal proportion to the absurd plot of the book. It's not high literature, but it doesn't want to be. This makes the whole thing easier to stomach and while you may think, being an action novel, it will be an easy read, this is not always the case. Nonetheless, it's a very worthwhile read.

If you have difficulties getting hold of any Brookmyre titles, they're ALL available on amazon.co.uk (Including Brookmyre's latest offering `A Big Boy Did It And Ran Away')

My stomach still aches from two of the funniest scenes I have read in the last ten years both contained in this book. Prize winning sheep and Bruce Wilis antics; brilliant.

I first read his 'all fun and games until someone loses an eye' and found myself jumping up with my arm raised over head shouting YES! Most embarassing. I have not been so gripped by an author for too long. This guy is fantastic.

Brookmyre is one of the few authors who can make me laugh out loud. This was the second of his books that I read and (forgive the cliche) I could hardly put it down. He always has a semi-political message, but he masks it under some really funny adventure. The scene where the ex-cop starts gets involved in the story is truly genius. He has a talent for making you care about his characters. People do occasionally die in Brookmyre's books, but he stays well away from really bringing you down. This book will make just about anyone happy -- it's a great book for a quiet evening at home but won't tax you too greatly if you're looking for a holiday read.

This is a very funny book. A bunch of Scottish 30-somethings are invited to a school reunion on an oil rig that has been converted into an offshore resort by one of their school colleagues. A terrorist assault takes place and the rest you'll have to read the book for. There are some great one-liners and some 'highly unlikely but all the funnier for it' situations that some of the characters get into. The author also hits the nail on the head with some of his insights into the affect that school has on the rest of your life, and the many reasons why people are drawn to school reunions. There's a fair amount of straight action in the book so there's not a laugh on every page, so I gave it 4 stars. Definitely recommended.

Funny, fast-paced, and violent. The literary equivalent of a summer action blockbuster, but with better character development. Perfect beach reading.

It's got a bit of everything: blood and guts, sharply observed social situations, distinct characters at cross purposes, and a few set pieces that are for falling on the floor and dying of laughter.
When some British mercenaries take over a floating hotel hosting a ten year high school reunion, thinking that the assembled group is a bunch of rich investors, things happen. Mistakes are made. All to the benefit of the reader.

True to his roots, Brookmyre uses his fair share of Scots slang and colloquialisms. As an American reader, I found the Scottish language bits easy to pick up and had no problem integrating the Scot-centric words into the general flow of the narrative.

That said, this is a great and really funny story. If you like Tim Dorsey, Christopher Moore, Robert Rankin, Carl Hiaasen, Elmore Leonard, or any other screwball hip writer, this is the stuff for you. Anyone else pooh-pooh-ing on this novel probably reads Grisham or Clancy for a laugh.

I have tried a number of the authors that other amazon folks have recommended as being "as funny as Christopher Moore" (whom I have loved ever since finding a proof copy of Coyote Blue at a flea market for $1) but so far this one is the best. The characters are fleshed out and funny, lovingly eccentric, the action is not predictable, and best of all the ending is creative and not just a blood bath. The beginning is a bit bloody, but hang in there for a great ride with a wonderful bunch of characters you would love to party with. Lots of fun, and the man can write.

If you can amagine a book that takes you back to your childhood, and then transports you to your present day, with all your experiences under your belt, and then lets you be that child again, then this is the book.
You will not be able to put this down, and I challenge anybody to read this book and not laugh out load once.
I hope that anybody that reads this book gets as much enjoyment from it as me.

I find it disappointing that many people use mayhem generally. And it never really seems to get worked into the plot satisfactorily. Thankfully, there is Christopher Brookmyre to remedy this situation. Mr. Brookmyre chooses his words with crisp, dramatic, and killingly comedic perfection. I wish I were someone who has yet to read this book. I think the last time I laughed out loud this often was when I read either another title by this author (although this one is my favorite) or maybe Naked by David Sedaris. I have bought this book several times to give to friends and family. Decommissioned oil rig as leisure fantasy world...off the coast of Scotland.... sigh.