Of Wee Sweetie Mice and Men

Dan Starkey #2

by Colin Bateman

Fat Boy McMaster is a hopeless heavyweight boxer, but he has managed to become champion of Ireland, and his devious manager has succeeded in setting up a gigantic payday (largely for himself, admittedly) with a St Patrick's Day fight in New York against Mike Tyson. Journalist Dan Starkey is hired to write the book of the whole affair. Starkey tries to persuade his wife Patricia to give their marriage another try, but he has not succeeded before boarding the plane for the Big Apple with McMaster and his deeply suspect entourage. Once there McMaster's wife is kidnapped, almost every interest group is outraged, the Champ is chased all over town by gunmen of varying allegiance, Starkey's marriage is saved - and, yes, there is the Big Fight to consider too!

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Ireland, Irish Literature, Humor, Audiobook

334 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 1996

About the author

Colin Bateman was a journalist in Northern Ireland before becoming a full-time writer. His first novel, Divorcing Jack, won the Betty Trask Prize, and all his novels have been critically acclaimed. He wrote the screenplays for the feature films of Divorcing Jack, Crossmaheart and Wild About Harry. He lives in Northern Ireland with his family.

Reviews

[Glenn Russell]

Of Wee Sweetie Mice and Men by Colin Bateman starts out in Belfast and quickly moves to New York City where Dan Starkey joins Fat Boy Bobby McMaster and team - his mission: to write a book about the European Heavyweight Champ from Northern Ireland taking on Mike Tyson at Madison Square Garden on St Patrick's Day.

What a novel! You want action and more action, hype and more hype, romance and more romance, you've come to the right place - Eros and Thanatos in full Irish bloom laced with signature Starkey humor.

I enjoyed Colin Bateman's Divorcing Jack (Dan Starkey #1) and I certainly enjoyed Of Wee Sweetie (Dan Starkey #2). What a wild ride. There's way too many twists and curves, swivels and zigzags as the story hits on nationalism, ethnic blending, racism, bigotry, religious extremism, terrorism (mostly Irish), beauty (mostly female) and the effects of booze and mass media for me to even begin to outline arc of plot. Thus, I'll shift to a highlight reel featuring a number of my favorite bits, as per -

Dan's Wife - Patricia and Dan have been married for seven years and now their relationship is in crisis. Patricia stays in Belfast when Dan goes to the Big Apple but Dan does something he's never done before - he writes Patricia a letter. A life changer.

Press Conference - Once their plane lands in New York, Dan attends a press conference with both Bobby McMaster and Mike Tyson. The press asks question; Bobby gives them answers that bring a scowl to many faces and a smile to Mike's. Turns out, in addition to being a boxer, Bobby might have made it as a stand-up comic. I read this chapter (and listened to the audio) multiple times - one of the true howlers in the book.



Irish Twist - Bobby McMater's team includes one Stanley Matchett who has spent much of his younger years slitting Catholic throats back in Belfast. Hey, if you want some protection, Stanley's the perfect guy. Dan isn't exactly thrilled having Matchett around and the exchanges between murderer and journalist can get a tad touchy.

Lovely Lauren - What's a trip to New York without a visit to a Times Square live sex show? Dan partakes and meets a young beauty - well, you'll have to read for yourself.



Thar She Blows! - Dan, Bobby and others from the Boxer's crew hire a boat (not in New York, a bit further to the north) to catch sight of whales. Surprise! A whale pushes itself into the plot and creates a dramatic turning point.

Northern Ireland - Although in the US, the fighting spirit of the Protestant versus Catholic country lives on. You can take the boys out of Belfast but you can't take Belfast out of the boys.

Hey, Colin! Thanks for another Dan Starkey novel. I'll be reading the next novel in the series, for sure.


Belfast's finest - Colin Bateman, born 1962

[Gary Sites · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel with a title as cool as “Of Wee Sweetie Mice and Men” is just begging to be at least taken off of the shelf. If that catchy handle isn’t enough, the boxer throwing a jab on the cover, with a little mouse atop his glove, should certainly get your attention. If I hadn’t already been directed to this book by my friend, Glenn, that title and cover art would have gotten me to give this one a try.
Bateman grabbed a hold of me with the first paragraph.

“Peace had settled over the city like the skin on a rancid custard. Everybody wanted it, just not in that form. The forecast remained for rain, with widespread terrorism.”

Boy, Howdy! I think this was the most fun I’ve had with a book in all of 2021. I love boxing, comedy, and weird characters. This page-turning thrill ride is the crazy misadventures of unlikely, heavyweight contender, Fat Boy McMaster and his entourage preparing for a mismatch of a title shot with the champion, Mike Tyson. Fat Boy “can’t fight, he has the charisma of a bag of sugar and more in common with tripe than hype. He is the Great Fat Hope”.
Our motley crew welcome the chance to leave the atrocities of Northern Ireland behind for the more settled conditions of New York City. Ha! Right from the frying pan, and into the fire.

Special thanks to Glenn Russell for introducing me to Colin Bateman’s work.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read. There are times when the plot becomes ridiculous, but it is clear that the author doesn't want the book to be taken over-seriously. The humour is well-done, and the conclusion is satisfying.

[Mikkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25, close to a 4,5 but the plot goes just a little bit too over the top for it to be as good as the first one. Still so great and fun and easy to read and I'm definitely excited for the rest of the series and Bateman in general.

[Alicia Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, adventurous, pure fun.
Witty, engaging dialogue throughout.
Pure Colin Bateman.

[Daniel Henshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humorous in parts, occasionally poignant, but largely forgettable.

[Susan Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irish Journalist Dan Starkey is back in his second appearance. The first, Divorcing Jack, was great and this one may be better. Bateman who is a wonderful and hilarious story teller has moved his story this time out of Ireland, to the Northeast part of the U.S. Semi-decent heavy weight boxer, Bobby McMasters is pitted as the great white hope against Mike Tyson for a St. Patrick's Day match. Starkey's been hired to write a book about the whole thing. Ireland meets New York in the 1990's itself is a set up and Bateman takes it all the way. Bateman's next novel is already out in the U.K. I hope it swims across the pond at a fast clip!

[Paul Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 in the series featuring intrepid, less-than-investigative journalist, Dan Starkey. This time Dan goes to New York, contracted to write a book about the challenge for the world heavyweight boxing title of the unlikely Crossmaheart hero, "Fat Boy" McMaster. Violence and mayhem ensue, with Colin Bateman's trademark wit, elements of farce, and satirical poking of fun at sectarianism, terrorism and, on this occasion, racism.

[Francis Pellow · Rating 2 out of 5]

found starkey's sarkiness too much and the violence a bit over the top.

[Mighty Mick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Below par for Mr Bateman, but still an easy entertaining read.

[Etnagigante · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title match for heavyweight title between Mike Tyson and Irish Bobby McMaster on Saint Patrick Day in New York is the beginning of adventures in this book. Dan Starkley, writer and journalist, had to write on the contender and follow him from Belfast to USA, around a couple of States try to find out who kidnapped boxer's wife, Mary.
Full of humor and trying to put down racial and political diverging point of view, this book worth the time you can spend on it.
Maybe you will enjoy reading it with a couple of pints.

[Alsjem · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so glad to have finished this book. The writing is easy to read, funny in places and the dialogue clever and witty but overall I just did not enjoy this. I'm not sure if it was the back drop of a boxing story line or that Dan Starky is just too flawed as the central character. Maybe it just wasn't action packed enough. I don't know, but this will be the last Colin Bateman adult book I read.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "lovable curmudgeon" finds himself in another situation. This time in New York dealing with Mohammedites, American "Irish", Mike Tyson and whales.
As much is going on around him, Dan's got some major turmoil back home that needs to be worked out.

[Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

While funny at times, this didn't make me laugh half as much as Divorcing Jack. It was an entertaining book that was fun to read, but ultimately it was just a little better than average from a plot standpoint. Funny, but unfortunately, not as good as his previous work.

[Gregor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off a bit slow, but over all a good story as mad as something you would read in a Hiassen book