What do you think?
Rate this book
Barney Thomson Novella #2
The End Of Days: A Barney Thomson Novella
***See also THE BARBERSHOP SEVEN - the collected Barney Thomson novels***
December 2009. MPs are being murdered in revenge attacks for the expenses scandal, and Westminster is in a state of turmoil. With the government on the verge of collapse, the last Labour Prime Minister — desperately clinging to power — decides there is only one way to reclaim the government’s authority. Relying on dubious intelligence, he instructs the Army to make plans to launch an invasion of the eastern seaboard of the United States of America. As humanity stands on the brink of war, it may well be that we have reached the End of Days.
The world of men is at a crossroads: will it be annihilated, or will it survive and be allowed to evolve naturally into a beer-drinking sloth species with no appendages? Ultimately, when the blood stops flowing and the last money-grabbing MP has been stabbed in the head, the fate of us all and of Planet Earth itself will rest in the hands of one man: renegade barbershop legend, Barney Thomson.
Praise for Douglas Lindsay:
"pitch-black comedy spun from the finest writing. Fantastic plot, unforgettable scenes and plenty of twisted belly laughs." – New Woman
"This chilling black comedy unfolds at dizzying speed, managing to blend the surreal with the dullness of routine" – Sunday Mirror
December 2009. MPs are being murdered in revenge attacks for the expenses scandal, and Westminster is in a state of turmoil. With the government on the verge of collapse, the last Labour Prime Minister — desperately clinging to power — decides there is only one way to reclaim the government’s authority. Relying on dubious intelligence, he instructs the Army to make plans to launch an invasion of the eastern seaboard of the United States of America. As humanity stands on the brink of war, it may well be that we have reached the End of Days.
The world of men is at a crossroads: will it be annihilated, or will it survive and be allowed to evolve naturally into a beer-drinking sloth species with no appendages? Ultimately, when the blood stops flowing and the last money-grabbing MP has been stabbed in the head, the fate of us all and of Planet Earth itself will rest in the hands of one man: renegade barbershop legend, Barney Thomson.
Praise for Douglas Lindsay:
"pitch-black comedy spun from the finest writing. Fantastic plot, unforgettable scenes and plenty of twisted belly laughs." – New Woman
"This chilling black comedy unfolds at dizzying speed, managing to blend the surreal with the dullness of routine" – Sunday Mirror
- GenresFiction
141 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 25, 2014
This time around the barber extraordinaire Barney Thomson services are requires by British PM. Sure enough, since murders follow Barney like a shadow, there is a serial killer taking out key political players. There is also a plan to invade USA, which may or may not have been inadvertently suggested by Barney. These are the wild and crazy events of the second novella for Barney Thomson series and, while none of the subsequent reads seem to live up to the awesomely hilarious Long Midnight of Barney Thomson (first book in the series), this was a clever and funny political satire and locked office style murder mystery. Quick entertaining light read.
January 6, 2012
‘The End of Days’ is a rare find – as outlandish as it is outstanding, the stand alone novella featuring everyone’s favourite serial killer (who’s yet to actually kill anyone), Barney Thomson is a laugh a minute. Lindsay mixes a cocktail of equal parts murder and humour as Barney lands himself a position as inadvertent right hand to an insane Labour Prime Minister. Just so happens, a serial killer is on the loose taking out MP’s one by one at the same time – naturally it doesn’t take long before the law points the finger at Barney and the fun really beings.
Douglas Lindsay is fast becoming one of my favourite writers, one whose dexterity is on full display here switching from waxing lyrical of utter despair to shine a black light on the darkness that dwells within the hearts of men:
‘The gloom of the day seemed to sweep into the room, so that the three men were each suddenly gripped by an horrendous, soul-sapping melancholy, and despair whipped around them and sucked all hope and joy from them, as a bitter succubus sucks the life from the gods.’
To laugh out loud jocularity as is evident from the except below taken from one of the many irrational and incomprehensive diatribes delivered from the wayward PM:
‘I want a haircut that transcends hair. That’s what Gandhi had. He had a haircut that didn’t even need hair. I want something like that, but a haircut that doesn’t need hair but has hair anyway. You see where I’m coming from? You know that today isn’t about policy, it isn’t about substance or platforms or issues take a stance. It’s about hair.’
Who would’ve thought a plot centralised around a mad hatter of a Polly, a barber, a serial killer, and a nation on the verge of declaring the third world war would be so funny and fast paced that its consumption is measure in minutes rather than hours? As far as expectations go for Douglas Linsdsay’s work – set ‘em high dear readers, he’ll reach ‘em every time. Highly enjoyable from start to finish with a fantastic ending borrowing from the traditional who-done-it books of yesteryear. 4 stars.
Douglas Lindsay is fast becoming one of my favourite writers, one whose dexterity is on full display here switching from waxing lyrical of utter despair to shine a black light on the darkness that dwells within the hearts of men:
‘The gloom of the day seemed to sweep into the room, so that the three men were each suddenly gripped by an horrendous, soul-sapping melancholy, and despair whipped around them and sucked all hope and joy from them, as a bitter succubus sucks the life from the gods.’
To laugh out loud jocularity as is evident from the except below taken from one of the many irrational and incomprehensive diatribes delivered from the wayward PM:
‘I want a haircut that transcends hair. That’s what Gandhi had. He had a haircut that didn’t even need hair. I want something like that, but a haircut that doesn’t need hair but has hair anyway. You see where I’m coming from? You know that today isn’t about policy, it isn’t about substance or platforms or issues take a stance. It’s about hair.’
Who would’ve thought a plot centralised around a mad hatter of a Polly, a barber, a serial killer, and a nation on the verge of declaring the third world war would be so funny and fast paced that its consumption is measure in minutes rather than hours? As far as expectations go for Douglas Linsdsay’s work – set ‘em high dear readers, he’ll reach ‘em every time. Highly enjoyable from start to finish with a fantastic ending borrowing from the traditional who-done-it books of yesteryear. 4 stars.
November 9, 2011
This is the first story I have read by this author but as the winter evenings are starting to draw in, I thought I’d give this novella a whirl and read it in an evening.
Barney Thomson, a talented Scottish barber who has never murdered anyone in his life, is summoned to Westminster to style the PM’s hair. Coinciding with Barney’s arrival is the start of parliamentary murder and mayhem. The body count was rising, the temperature was falling, in the air was the feeling of panic and the list of suspects of people who might want to overthrow the government by serial killer is constantly rising.
Detective Chief Inspector Frank Frankenstein and his sidekick DS Hewitt are tasked with investigating the serial killings.
The caricature of the PM is excellent and the debate as to what word would be the collective noun for a bunch of MPs is brilliant.
This is an excellent satirical lampoon and had me snorting with laughter all evening - so now I’ll have to work my way through the series of Barney Thomson stories!
Barney Thomson, a talented Scottish barber who has never murdered anyone in his life, is summoned to Westminster to style the PM’s hair. Coinciding with Barney’s arrival is the start of parliamentary murder and mayhem. The body count was rising, the temperature was falling, in the air was the feeling of panic and the list of suspects of people who might want to overthrow the government by serial killer is constantly rising.
Detective Chief Inspector Frank Frankenstein and his sidekick DS Hewitt are tasked with investigating the serial killings.
The caricature of the PM is excellent and the debate as to what word would be the collective noun for a bunch of MPs is brilliant.
This is an excellent satirical lampoon and had me snorting with laughter all evening - so now I’ll have to work my way through the series of Barney Thomson stories!
May 9, 2012
I have not read anything by this Author before but what a find. It had me laughing out loud in places. The names alone make you snigger. Off the page plot. A total satirical tearing apart of politics and politicians. The sheer genius of the Jekyll and Hyde potion, the invasion of America, the hair style - it all makes for a great read. As long as you don't take your politics too seriously that is.
January 10, 2012
Great fun! The references to contemporary culture and lampooning of British political life are fired at you faster and harder than Andy Murray's tennis balls, laying bare the pomposity and corruption of Westminster. I must now back track and start at the beginning of the Barney Thompson, the barber from Millport, series.
September 11, 2012
Excellent premise... the characters were all very intriguing but this book is horribly skeletal. The story has such great potential to be an epic novel... but all aspects of it moved a little too quickly and the ending was a sort of kiss-your-sister way to a finish. Such an under-told work. This COULD have been a masterpiece.
March 13, 2015
Another enjoyable romp with the world's unluckiest barber. This novella was a light and fun read continuing the mayhem from the novels.
I think you could read these novellas as stand-alone works; however, a knowledge of the novels is useful as there are often references to past characters and events.
I think you could read these novellas as stand-alone works; however, a knowledge of the novels is useful as there are often references to past characters and events.
September 18, 2012
Read it in a single session. Very funny. Mad. If you like murder and guts and tongue in cheek political shenanigans this is the book for you..
January 19, 2014
Oh Yeah--see my full review on lurid-lit.com.
March 4, 2014
Satire on Politicians.Poor
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews