London Irish

by Zane Radcliffe

London Irish by Zane Radcliffe (Paperback) London Irish is the blackest of comedies, blacker than the pint of Guinness that graces its cover and every bit as enjoyable! It's the story of Bic (his 'pen name'!) who runs a crepe stall in Greenwich as Britain prepares to celebrate the new millennium. Bic is out of sorts with London (the tourists, the lack of clean air) and Radcliffe perfectly captures that thing that a lot of us non-native Londoners feel - that there must be a better life outside the M25. I've lived in London for 4 years (originally from Galway) and can relate to Bic's desire to just pack a bag, go to an airport and take the first flight to 'Whoknowswhere'. But just as Bic decides to cut loose from the city and return to his homeland to start an ostrich farm, he meets Roisin and his world is turned upside down. From this point just try and put the book down. I couldn't. It's fast-paced and furious but always funny. And Bic's dog (Dunc, so named because Bic had rescued him from the Thames when someone had tried to drown the puppy!) is one of the finest comedy canine creations! Even though the levity is high, London Irish contains one of the most poignant expressions of a terrorist atrocity that you're likely to read. Slainte, Mr. Radcliffe!!

Genres: Fiction

279 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Winner of the WH Smith People's Choice Award [New Talent] for debut novel 'London Irish'. Best selling author of 'Big Jessie' and 'The Killer's Guide to Iceland.' All books available on Kindle.

Returning soon with the Hatterwick novels, a crime series featuring Detective Arden Donald, and set in the fictional coastal town of Hatterwick that straddles the England-Scotland border.

REVIEWS

'A rattling good yarn with quirky characters, pithy humour and a bagful of bizarre twists ... this is someone who can tell a story.' [Belfast Telegraph]

'Funny, absurd and memorable. Recommended.' [FHM]

'In the comic thriller genre London Irish is undoubtedly the best new title of the year.' [Daily Record]

'Deeply moving an exceptionally funny, Radcliffe takes us into a dark world but allows us to laugh all the way.' [Waterstones Books Quarterly]

'The Peace Process drafted by The Fast Show.' [Maxim]

Reviews

[John McDermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Attracted by its brilliant cover , I picked this up in a charity shop, not knowing anything about the author.
It turns out that this offbeat terrorist crime thriller reads like a cross between Carl Hiassen and Flann O'brien.
Despite the comic tone, the author still has something serious to say about the futility of sectarian violence. This was a well written debut that requires some suspension of disbelief and ultimately just falls short of being really great.
3.75 🌟.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. Both funny and serious. A sort of comic, slapstick thriller where the main character, who is completely innocent, becomes a wanted man as a result of a terrorist outrage in Greenwich. This fast paced narrative has several twists and turns and plenty of laughs.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This reminded me a bit of Stuart MacBride/Chris Brookmyre. Lots of dark humor and graphic detail. However by the middle of the book I began to cringe at all the one lines, bit overdone! Still it was a good story and had a better 2nd half than first with a nice little twist at the end.

[Kate Zarrella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was dumb and I loved every second of it.

[R G Routledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleverly written and very entertaining. Lovely novel.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was really funny, there was some really good lines in it, that i wish i could remember and use again but i never do...I liked the main character, I found him very likeable and wanted him to get out of trouble (dont want to give too much away). Roisin as a love interest i genuinely couldnt believe, to me she was just a miserable and rude little madam! This book starts with a mysterious murder which culminates in the unravelling of a huge and very exciting plot, personally i loved the twist at the end, and found the story of roisin and her brothers and her trust in them very well put together.

[Sara Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this book, one of my favourites, great story and full of humour.

[Louise Adinolfi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a great read but a beginning to my Irish updating before my trip in September