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One Man Down: A Novel
The tale of a stumped policeman, a third man, and a well-placed shot. It’s 1984. Princess Diana has just given birth to her second child. The legendary comic Tommy Cooper has died on stage (quite literally). And Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle are gloriously oblivious to it all as they strive to enthral the nation with their television commercials for the advertising agency Gordon Deedes Rutter. But all is not as rosy as it might seem in the frenetic world of Soho. Following a disastrous presentation to a manufacturer of diarrhoea tablets, Lovejoy and Finkle let off steam by playing cricket for an old school friend - but in doing so, stumble upon a nest of vipers involving a gay vicar, a small-time antique fraudster, a photographer, and blackmail. There can only be one outcome and it’s going to entail murder.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 25, 2025
2 people want to read
About the author
Alex Pearl
21 books63 followersBack in the distant mists of time, Alex spent three years at art college in Maidstone; a college that David Hockney once taught at, and later described in a piece for The Sunday Times as the 'most miserable' episode of his life. Here, Alex was responsible for producing - among other things - the college's first theatrical production in which the lead character accidentally caught fire. Following college, he found employment in the advertising industry as a copywriter. He has turned to writing fiction in the twilight years of his writing career.
His novella, 'Sleeping with the Blackbirds' - a black, comic urban fantasy, was initially written for his children in 2011 and published by PenPress. It was longlisted by the Millennium Book Awards 2018 and selected by the Indie Author Project in 2019 for distribution to public libraries across the US and Canada..
In 2014 his short story, 'Scared to Death' - the fictionalised account of the first British serviceman to be executed for cowardice during the First World War, was published in an anthology ('The Clock Struck War') by Mardibooks along with 22 other short stories to mark the centenary of the Great War.
Alex's psychological thriller, 'The Chair Man' set in London following the terrorist attack in 2005 was published as an e-book by Fizgig Press in 2019 and as a paperback in 2020. It is his first full-length novel, and was a Finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2021.
His comic murder mystery, 'A Brand to Die For' is set in the 1983 world of advertising, and is only the second murder mystery ever set in London's adland. The first being 'Murder Must Advertise' by Dorothy L Sayers back in 1933. His sequel 'One Man Down' has been taken up by Roundfire Books.
Alex's claim to fame is that he is quite possibly the only person on this planet to have been inadvertently locked in a record shop on Christmas Eve.
His novella, 'Sleeping with the Blackbirds' - a black, comic urban fantasy, was initially written for his children in 2011 and published by PenPress. It was longlisted by the Millennium Book Awards 2018 and selected by the Indie Author Project in 2019 for distribution to public libraries across the US and Canada..
In 2014 his short story, 'Scared to Death' - the fictionalised account of the first British serviceman to be executed for cowardice during the First World War, was published in an anthology ('The Clock Struck War') by Mardibooks along with 22 other short stories to mark the centenary of the Great War.
Alex's psychological thriller, 'The Chair Man' set in London following the terrorist attack in 2005 was published as an e-book by Fizgig Press in 2019 and as a paperback in 2020. It is his first full-length novel, and was a Finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2021.
His comic murder mystery, 'A Brand to Die For' is set in the 1983 world of advertising, and is only the second murder mystery ever set in London's adland. The first being 'Murder Must Advertise' by Dorothy L Sayers back in 1933. His sequel 'One Man Down' has been taken up by Roundfire Books.
Alex's claim to fame is that he is quite possibly the only person on this planet to have been inadvertently locked in a record shop on Christmas Eve.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 15, 2025
One Man Down, by Alex Pearl, drops you right into the smoke-filled offices and long lunches of London’s 1980s advertising scene. It starts with the sudden death of Tom Lovelace, senior partner of Anderson & Lovelace, and the shockwaves that follow. What you get from there is not so much a whodunit as a game of musical chairs, with colleagues and rivals making moves to grab the best seat in the house. There’s even a small blackmail thread dropped into the plot. But the blackmail subplot is very much off the beaten path of the main story. The real fun is in the back-and-forth between characters. Barbed comments, awkward meetings, and little digs are woven into the narrative with a sly British wit that Pearl does so well.
This book shines in capturing the betrayal, rivalry, and shifting alliances within the advertising scene. Every character has a motive, even if it’s just ego. Pearl nails down the satire of office politics right, making this more of a fun and entertaining romp, much like one might see in a sitcom. While the pettiness and absurdity of office politics are highlighted well, it sometimes skims the surface instead of cutting deep. Constant jumps in point of view pulled me out of the story. Though I would have preferred to settle into a scene, these jumps weren’t terrible. They just made the narrative feel choppy, creating what feels more like a collection of scenes than one clear arc.
As a whole, One Man Down is cleverly written and funny in a lot of places. Some scenes contained details that painted clear pictures of those old-school meetings and power lunches. A lot of the dialogue, which I emphasize, is sharply written, captures those slow-building grudges with layered subtext. This kind of dialogue is no easy feat to master, and Pearl does it quite well. Overall, the scenes and dialogues capture the feel of the 80s, but with scenes that feel loosely related to each other. As a reader, this shifting focus lost me at times and made it difficult for me to truly immerse myself in the story and root for one single character.
So, if boardroom battles and clever jabs are your thing as a reader, then I think you’ll enjoy One Mad Down. It’s a relatively short story that does create a strong sense of space, which will most certainly provide a few nights of entertaining reading.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book shines in capturing the betrayal, rivalry, and shifting alliances within the advertising scene. Every character has a motive, even if it’s just ego. Pearl nails down the satire of office politics right, making this more of a fun and entertaining romp, much like one might see in a sitcom. While the pettiness and absurdity of office politics are highlighted well, it sometimes skims the surface instead of cutting deep. Constant jumps in point of view pulled me out of the story. Though I would have preferred to settle into a scene, these jumps weren’t terrible. They just made the narrative feel choppy, creating what feels more like a collection of scenes than one clear arc.
As a whole, One Man Down is cleverly written and funny in a lot of places. Some scenes contained details that painted clear pictures of those old-school meetings and power lunches. A lot of the dialogue, which I emphasize, is sharply written, captures those slow-building grudges with layered subtext. This kind of dialogue is no easy feat to master, and Pearl does it quite well. Overall, the scenes and dialogues capture the feel of the 80s, but with scenes that feel loosely related to each other. As a reader, this shifting focus lost me at times and made it difficult for me to truly immerse myself in the story and root for one single character.
So, if boardroom battles and clever jabs are your thing as a reader, then I think you’ll enjoy One Mad Down. It’s a relatively short story that does create a strong sense of space, which will most certainly provide a few nights of entertaining reading.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2025
-A Delicious Murder Mystery with Generous Dollops of humour and history-
Review of 'One Man Down'
Quote Alert
"𝐀𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐲, 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐫; 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐲; 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭; 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥; 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐞; 𝐈𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐰𝐬, 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜; 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞."
'One Man Down' is a story that wraps a murder in an equal dose of history and humour. Set in the 80s (Princess Diana is about to give birth to Prince Harry) and Angus and Brian have just eaten dirt at the hands of a (pompous cantankerous?) client.
The duo work at an advertising firm, Gordon Deeds Rutter and have failed miserably to pitch a travel and tourism based ad campaign to a client who wants them to make a serious campaign for diarrhoea pills. This was one of the most hilariously written Prologue pieces I have ever read. To blow the steam off, they go for an old friend's cricket match. And here, as they say, all hell breaks loose.
Pearl is proficient at clubbing different emotions: humour with drama, humour with thrill and humour with even emotions. It's a gifted writer's skill to pluck and use humour in almost any situation. But the thrilling part of the story wasn't compromised.
Many stories have been penned around the theme of friendship and finding yourself and your place in the world while being bolstered by the friends you have and the support they give. The storytelling is engaging and the writing style skilful. The characters feel real and full bodied, not lifeless and cardboardish. The reader feels helpless as there is only one goal in the present and now: to finish the book. Everything else comes later.
Review of 'One Man Down'
Quote Alert
"𝐀𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐲, 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐫; 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐲; 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭; 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥; 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐞; 𝐈𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐰𝐬, 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜; 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞."
'One Man Down' is a story that wraps a murder in an equal dose of history and humour. Set in the 80s (Princess Diana is about to give birth to Prince Harry) and Angus and Brian have just eaten dirt at the hands of a (pompous cantankerous?) client.
The duo work at an advertising firm, Gordon Deeds Rutter and have failed miserably to pitch a travel and tourism based ad campaign to a client who wants them to make a serious campaign for diarrhoea pills. This was one of the most hilariously written Prologue pieces I have ever read. To blow the steam off, they go for an old friend's cricket match. And here, as they say, all hell breaks loose.
Pearl is proficient at clubbing different emotions: humour with drama, humour with thrill and humour with even emotions. It's a gifted writer's skill to pluck and use humour in almost any situation. But the thrilling part of the story wasn't compromised.
Many stories have been penned around the theme of friendship and finding yourself and your place in the world while being bolstered by the friends you have and the support they give. The storytelling is engaging and the writing style skilful. The characters feel real and full bodied, not lifeless and cardboardish. The reader feels helpless as there is only one goal in the present and now: to finish the book. Everything else comes later.
May 10, 2025
One Man Down" masterfully blends history, humor, and murder, creating a captivating narrative. Set in the 1980s, the story follows Angus and Brian, two advertising professionals, as they navigate a chaotic world. After a disastrous pitch meeting, they find solace in a cricket match, where unexpected events unfold. The author skillfully combines humor with drama, thrill, and emotion, crafting a story that resonates with readers.
The novel explores themes of friendship and self-discovery, showcasing the characters' growth and development. The storytelling is engaging, and the writing style is polished, bringing the characters to life. As the plot unfolds, readers become invested, eager to reach the conclusion. The author's ability to balance humor and suspense makes "One Man Down" a compelling read.
The novel explores themes of friendship and self-discovery, showcasing the characters' growth and development. The storytelling is engaging, and the writing style is polished, bringing the characters to life. As the plot unfolds, readers become invested, eager to reach the conclusion. The author's ability to balance humor and suspense makes "One Man Down" a compelling read.
July 30, 2025
Crime fiction and comedy can sometimes make strange bedfellows, but in the right hands it can be beguiling. Back in time, The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill shared the same kind of subtle social comedy employed by George and Weedon Grossmith, while the Bryant and May novels by the late Christopher Fowler were full of excellent gags. So, how does One Man Down by Alex Pearl measure up?
For starters, this has to be tagged as historical crime fiction, as it is set in a 1984 London, in the strange (to me) world of advertising copywriters and their attempts to secure contracts to sell various products. It may only be forty years ago, but we are in the world of Filofaxes, Psion personal organisers and IBM golfball typewriters. The main thread of the plot involves two lads who are connoisseurs of the catch phrase and sorcerers of the strap-line. Brian and Angus become involved in a complex affair which includes a depressive photographer who is arrested for exposing himself to an elderly former GP on the seafront at Margate, and the attempt to blackmail a gay vicar. Incidentally, the Margate reference is interesting because in recent times the seaside town has been somewhat rehabilitated thanks to the patronage of Tracey Emin, but at the time when the book is set, it was certainly a very seedy place. Along with other decaying resorts like Deal, this part of the Kent coast was prominently featured in David Seabrook’s All The Devils Are Here.
When Brian and Angus find the photographer – Ben Bartlett – involved in blackmailing the vicar, dead in his studio, things taken a macabre turn. This thread runs parallel to events that have a distinctly Evelyn Waugh flavour. The two ad-men are speculating about just how dire some of the industry’s efforts are, and Angus takes just four and a half minutes to dash off a spoof commercial for a chocolate bar campaign they know the agency has been booked to handle. Angus makes it as dreadful as he can. The pair go out for a drink, leaving the parody on the desk, forgetting they were due to meet one of the firm’s top men to talk about the real campaign. Annoyed to find them absent, the manager finds the sheet of A4, thinks it wonderful, and promptly takes it to the Cadbury top brass, who share his enthusiasm.
Alex Pearl isn’t a reluctant name-dropper, and walk on parts for Julian Clary and Kenneth Clarke (in Ronnie Scott’s, naturally) set the period tone nicely. 1984 was certainly a memorable year. I remember driving the through the August night to be at my dying dad’s bedside, and hearing on the radio that Richard Burton had died. Just a few weeks earlier we had been blown away by Farrokh Bulsara at Wembley, while Clive Lloyd and his men were doing something rather similar to the English cricket team.
Back to One Man Down. All’s well that ends well, and we have another murder, but one that saves the career and reputation of the blackmailed vicar. This is not a long book – just 183 pages – but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a sucker for anything that mentions cricket, and here the story more or less begins and ends on the cricket pitch. The solution to the murder(s) is elegant and subtle. The book is published by Roundfire Books and is available now.
For starters, this has to be tagged as historical crime fiction, as it is set in a 1984 London, in the strange (to me) world of advertising copywriters and their attempts to secure contracts to sell various products. It may only be forty years ago, but we are in the world of Filofaxes, Psion personal organisers and IBM golfball typewriters. The main thread of the plot involves two lads who are connoisseurs of the catch phrase and sorcerers of the strap-line. Brian and Angus become involved in a complex affair which includes a depressive photographer who is arrested for exposing himself to an elderly former GP on the seafront at Margate, and the attempt to blackmail a gay vicar. Incidentally, the Margate reference is interesting because in recent times the seaside town has been somewhat rehabilitated thanks to the patronage of Tracey Emin, but at the time when the book is set, it was certainly a very seedy place. Along with other decaying resorts like Deal, this part of the Kent coast was prominently featured in David Seabrook’s All The Devils Are Here.
When Brian and Angus find the photographer – Ben Bartlett – involved in blackmailing the vicar, dead in his studio, things taken a macabre turn. This thread runs parallel to events that have a distinctly Evelyn Waugh flavour. The two ad-men are speculating about just how dire some of the industry’s efforts are, and Angus takes just four and a half minutes to dash off a spoof commercial for a chocolate bar campaign they know the agency has been booked to handle. Angus makes it as dreadful as he can. The pair go out for a drink, leaving the parody on the desk, forgetting they were due to meet one of the firm’s top men to talk about the real campaign. Annoyed to find them absent, the manager finds the sheet of A4, thinks it wonderful, and promptly takes it to the Cadbury top brass, who share his enthusiasm.
Alex Pearl isn’t a reluctant name-dropper, and walk on parts for Julian Clary and Kenneth Clarke (in Ronnie Scott’s, naturally) set the period tone nicely. 1984 was certainly a memorable year. I remember driving the through the August night to be at my dying dad’s bedside, and hearing on the radio that Richard Burton had died. Just a few weeks earlier we had been blown away by Farrokh Bulsara at Wembley, while Clive Lloyd and his men were doing something rather similar to the English cricket team.
Back to One Man Down. All’s well that ends well, and we have another murder, but one that saves the career and reputation of the blackmailed vicar. This is not a long book – just 183 pages – but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a sucker for anything that mentions cricket, and here the story more or less begins and ends on the cricket pitch. The solution to the murder(s) is elegant and subtle. The book is published by Roundfire Books and is available now.
November 21, 2025
A Razor-Sharp Nostalgic Romp Through '80s London...
If you've ever fantasized about 1980s London advertising—those three-martini Soho lunches, briefs scrawled on cocktail napkins, pitches that could launch or sink entire careers—Alex Pearl's One Man Down will take you there. Pearl lived it, and he's turned that chaos into something sharp and alive: part Mad Men, part British murder mystery, with enough cricket-pitch weirdness to keep you grinning. I started it laughing over coffee and ended up reading past midnight, caught between the jokes and the genuine suspense.
The story follows a band of misfit copywriters navigating cutthroat client pitches, office backstabbing, and the clatter of typewriters in that last gasp before everything went digital. When a hotshot executive takes a fatal fall, things spiral—blackmail, corporate schemes, red herrings everywhere. Our heroes, two quick-witted copywriters with questionable ethics, stumble into solving it not as detectives but as confused bystanders, connecting dots between boozy brainstorms and celebrity cameos. Pearl skewers the era's excess—the decadent nights, the ego worship, work bleeding into play—but he never loses his affection for the madness.
What makes this book sing is Pearl's voice: vivid, unpretentious, loaded with puns that hit like great ad copy. "The bland leading the bland," Shakespearean writers "getting bard-ons"—I actually laughed out loud, which doesn't happen often. But underneath the humor sits real insight into human absurdity: ambition's cost, the rush of deception, those moments when you recognize someone from your own life. The pacing moves, the twists surprise (one midway reveal genuinely floored me), and the '80s details feel lived-in—ice clinking in glasses, smoke hanging in boardrooms, that electric sense of being on the edge of something new.
It's not perfect. The sprawling cast might trip up readers who like their mysteries tidy, and the cricket stuff, while smart, can slow things down if you're not into the sport. But these are small complaints for a book this full of life. Pearl doesn't just entertain—he conjures a lost world so vividly you can almost feel the shoulder pads.
In a crowd of forgettable thrillers, One Man Down is the real thing: funny, quick, sharply observed. If you want a page-turner that's also a love letter to London's wild side, this is it. Absolutely worth your time, and I'll be waiting for whatever Pearl writes next. Perfect for anyone who's chased a deadline, dodged disaster, or just needed a damn good laugh. Highly recommended.
If you've ever fantasized about 1980s London advertising—those three-martini Soho lunches, briefs scrawled on cocktail napkins, pitches that could launch or sink entire careers—Alex Pearl's One Man Down will take you there. Pearl lived it, and he's turned that chaos into something sharp and alive: part Mad Men, part British murder mystery, with enough cricket-pitch weirdness to keep you grinning. I started it laughing over coffee and ended up reading past midnight, caught between the jokes and the genuine suspense.
The story follows a band of misfit copywriters navigating cutthroat client pitches, office backstabbing, and the clatter of typewriters in that last gasp before everything went digital. When a hotshot executive takes a fatal fall, things spiral—blackmail, corporate schemes, red herrings everywhere. Our heroes, two quick-witted copywriters with questionable ethics, stumble into solving it not as detectives but as confused bystanders, connecting dots between boozy brainstorms and celebrity cameos. Pearl skewers the era's excess—the decadent nights, the ego worship, work bleeding into play—but he never loses his affection for the madness.
What makes this book sing is Pearl's voice: vivid, unpretentious, loaded with puns that hit like great ad copy. "The bland leading the bland," Shakespearean writers "getting bard-ons"—I actually laughed out loud, which doesn't happen often. But underneath the humor sits real insight into human absurdity: ambition's cost, the rush of deception, those moments when you recognize someone from your own life. The pacing moves, the twists surprise (one midway reveal genuinely floored me), and the '80s details feel lived-in—ice clinking in glasses, smoke hanging in boardrooms, that electric sense of being on the edge of something new.
It's not perfect. The sprawling cast might trip up readers who like their mysteries tidy, and the cricket stuff, while smart, can slow things down if you're not into the sport. But these are small complaints for a book this full of life. Pearl doesn't just entertain—he conjures a lost world so vividly you can almost feel the shoulder pads.
In a crowd of forgettable thrillers, One Man Down is the real thing: funny, quick, sharply observed. If you want a page-turner that's also a love letter to London's wild side, this is it. Absolutely worth your time, and I'll be waiting for whatever Pearl writes next. Perfect for anyone who's chased a deadline, dodged disaster, or just needed a damn good laugh. Highly recommended.
March 17, 2025
Recently I finished reading , Alex Pearl’s One Man Down which proved to be a delectable blend of humor, mystery, and nostalgia, transporting readers to the exuberant world of 1980s London.
With a sharp wit and an eye for detail, Pearl paints a vivid picture of the chaotic yet charming world of advertising, cricket, and an unintended dive into crime. It is an entertaining read for sure!
The story revolves around two advertising executives, Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle, who, after a disastrous pitch for a diarrhoea tablet campaign, find themselves unexpectedly tangled in a web of blackmail, fraud, and murder. Their misadventure begins on the cricket field, where they step in for a missing player, only to get embroiled in a series of twists that lead to a body count and a case of mistaken identities.
I found the writing to be is breezy, laced with irreverent humor, and delightfully satirical and those witty dialogues keep the narrative lively. The tongue-in-cheek commentary on the excesses of the 1980s , celebrity endorsements, and the rise of commercial advertising adds a nostalgic charm, if you are somewhat or enough acquainted with 80s London.
The setting is rich with cultural references, from Princess Diana’s second childbirth to Julian Clary’s name-drop appearances, making it a treat for readers familiar with the era.
Beyond its humor, One Man Down delivers a gripping mystery with well-paced suspense. The short, snappy chapters and unexpected plot twists make it an unputdownable read. With a seamless blend of comedy and crime, Pearl crafts a novel that feels like a classic whodunnit with a modern, lighthearted twist.
By the way, Alex Pearl is a retired advertising copywriter turned author. He has written four novels, compiled a collection of 100 author interviews, and contributed a short story to an anthology. Residing in London, he masterfully blends his advertising experience with humor and mystery in his writing.
This novel has been spoken of highly by reputable UK authors and journalists such as Ian Critchley and Jonathan Margolis.
For those who love witty banter, vintage London, and an unconventional crime story, One Man Down is a must-read. It’s a delightful romp through a time when advertising was at its peak and political correctness was yet to stifle the fun. Highly recommended!
With a sharp wit and an eye for detail, Pearl paints a vivid picture of the chaotic yet charming world of advertising, cricket, and an unintended dive into crime. It is an entertaining read for sure!
The story revolves around two advertising executives, Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle, who, after a disastrous pitch for a diarrhoea tablet campaign, find themselves unexpectedly tangled in a web of blackmail, fraud, and murder. Their misadventure begins on the cricket field, where they step in for a missing player, only to get embroiled in a series of twists that lead to a body count and a case of mistaken identities.
I found the writing to be is breezy, laced with irreverent humor, and delightfully satirical and those witty dialogues keep the narrative lively. The tongue-in-cheek commentary on the excesses of the 1980s , celebrity endorsements, and the rise of commercial advertising adds a nostalgic charm, if you are somewhat or enough acquainted with 80s London.
The setting is rich with cultural references, from Princess Diana’s second childbirth to Julian Clary’s name-drop appearances, making it a treat for readers familiar with the era.
Beyond its humor, One Man Down delivers a gripping mystery with well-paced suspense. The short, snappy chapters and unexpected plot twists make it an unputdownable read. With a seamless blend of comedy and crime, Pearl crafts a novel that feels like a classic whodunnit with a modern, lighthearted twist.
By the way, Alex Pearl is a retired advertising copywriter turned author. He has written four novels, compiled a collection of 100 author interviews, and contributed a short story to an anthology. Residing in London, he masterfully blends his advertising experience with humor and mystery in his writing.
This novel has been spoken of highly by reputable UK authors and journalists such as Ian Critchley and Jonathan Margolis.
For those who love witty banter, vintage London, and an unconventional crime story, One Man Down is a must-read. It’s a delightful romp through a time when advertising was at its peak and political correctness was yet to stifle the fun. Highly recommended!
June 9, 2025
In One Man Down, Alex Pearl returns with his trademark cocktail of adland absurdity, nostalgic charm, and a whiff of corpse. This is the fourth outing for Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle—two creative types with a knack for marketing brilliance and stumbling over dead bodies. One suspects they have yet to discover a campaign pitch that doesn’t end in police tape.
Set in a gloriously unreliable version of 1980s Soho, where long lunches bled into longer evenings and Filofaxes ruled with elasticated authority, Pearl recreates the louche, ludicrous world of vintage advertising with a forensic eye and the knowing chuckle of someone who’s been there, done that, and billed the client. There are cameos from all the great adland archetypes: the P/A who keeps the agency from collapsing, the smirking account man who’s never where he says he is, and the client whose creative vision extends no further than bowel relief.
Pearl's writing is deft and droll, with enough nods to the surreal to keep Waugh fans smiling and Mad Men obsessives comfortably at home. His cricket match at the Hurlingham Club is a delicious send-up of British sporting pomp, as gripping as Bond’s face-off with Goldfinger but with better jokes—and fewer Nazis. That this scene shares real estate with a pair of murders and a diarrhea brief tells you everything you need to know about the book’s glorious genre-bending chaos.
New arrivals to the cast include a slippery barrister nicknamed "Shaggers" (you’ll have to ask his prep school), a femme fatale with killer charm, and a client who’s as toxic as the product he’s peddling. Familiar faces reappear too, like the ever-unflappable Bernard and the unshockable Magnus, who continues to prove that creative directors are at their best when doling out wisdom and wine in equal measure.
Pearl manages the rare feat of satirising the industry while clearly still being in love with its madness. Anyone who’s ever worked in media, advertising, or simply been to Soho on a Friday will feel the pang of fond recognition. One Man Down is a louche, literate romp—and it confirms what some of us already suspected: the line between a pitch meeting and a murder mystery is often just one bottle of red.
Highly recommended for readers who like their whodunnits with a side of Gitanes and goat’s cheese.
Set in a gloriously unreliable version of 1980s Soho, where long lunches bled into longer evenings and Filofaxes ruled with elasticated authority, Pearl recreates the louche, ludicrous world of vintage advertising with a forensic eye and the knowing chuckle of someone who’s been there, done that, and billed the client. There are cameos from all the great adland archetypes: the P/A who keeps the agency from collapsing, the smirking account man who’s never where he says he is, and the client whose creative vision extends no further than bowel relief.
Pearl's writing is deft and droll, with enough nods to the surreal to keep Waugh fans smiling and Mad Men obsessives comfortably at home. His cricket match at the Hurlingham Club is a delicious send-up of British sporting pomp, as gripping as Bond’s face-off with Goldfinger but with better jokes—and fewer Nazis. That this scene shares real estate with a pair of murders and a diarrhea brief tells you everything you need to know about the book’s glorious genre-bending chaos.
New arrivals to the cast include a slippery barrister nicknamed "Shaggers" (you’ll have to ask his prep school), a femme fatale with killer charm, and a client who’s as toxic as the product he’s peddling. Familiar faces reappear too, like the ever-unflappable Bernard and the unshockable Magnus, who continues to prove that creative directors are at their best when doling out wisdom and wine in equal measure.
Pearl manages the rare feat of satirising the industry while clearly still being in love with its madness. Anyone who’s ever worked in media, advertising, or simply been to Soho on a Friday will feel the pang of fond recognition. One Man Down is a louche, literate romp—and it confirms what some of us already suspected: the line between a pitch meeting and a murder mystery is often just one bottle of red.
Highly recommended for readers who like their whodunnits with a side of Gitanes and goat’s cheese.
August 26, 2025
I wouldn't say that I'm the target audience for this novel, and I'll stick my neck out and say that it will probably appeal more to male readers than female. Am I allowed to say that? Well, the book is set in the non-politically correct 1980s, in the world of advertising, so even if my comment is not allowed, it really fits in with the novel!
It's a short book at less than two hundred pages and I read this in just a couple of sittings. It is one of those books that is filled with character so finely created, who get themselves into predicaments that you really need to know about with fabulous touches of humour and a sense of familiarity for those of us of a certain age.
Whilst I did not work in advertising, I spent my fair share of time in offices in the 1980s and Alex Pearl transported me back there wonderfully! Before the internet, before mobile phones, when we used filofaxes and strange sounding telex machines .... it's really well done.
Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle work for the Gordon Deedes Rutter advertising agency. The hilarious opening of the story tells of their disastrous presentation to Gary Dixon, the manufacturer of diarrhoea tablets! To try to forget all about it, they decide to get involved in a cricket match arranged by an old school friend. This is where all the fun begins ..... blackmail, fraud and murder are all involved.
I really enjoyed my outing with Angus and Brian. The 1980s cultural references were great and for someone who lived through those times, it adds such authenticity to the story. There are themes of friendship and finding yourself running throughout which adds depth but doesn't take away from the excellent plotting and superb characters.
I would certainly read more from Alex Pear. Recommended
It's a short book at less than two hundred pages and I read this in just a couple of sittings. It is one of those books that is filled with character so finely created, who get themselves into predicaments that you really need to know about with fabulous touches of humour and a sense of familiarity for those of us of a certain age.
Whilst I did not work in advertising, I spent my fair share of time in offices in the 1980s and Alex Pearl transported me back there wonderfully! Before the internet, before mobile phones, when we used filofaxes and strange sounding telex machines .... it's really well done.
Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle work for the Gordon Deedes Rutter advertising agency. The hilarious opening of the story tells of their disastrous presentation to Gary Dixon, the manufacturer of diarrhoea tablets! To try to forget all about it, they decide to get involved in a cricket match arranged by an old school friend. This is where all the fun begins ..... blackmail, fraud and murder are all involved.
I really enjoyed my outing with Angus and Brian. The 1980s cultural references were great and for someone who lived through those times, it adds such authenticity to the story. There are themes of friendship and finding yourself running throughout which adds depth but doesn't take away from the excellent plotting and superb characters.
I would certainly read more from Alex Pear. Recommended
April 18, 2025
🅱🅾🅾🅺 🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆
𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒏 𝑫𝒐𝒘𝒏: 𝑨 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍
🆀🅾🆃🅳#: What are you reading currently ?
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ: Alex Pearl
ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ: Paperback / Kindle
ᴘᴀɢᴇꜱ/ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀꜱ: 216 pages
ᴘᴜʙʟɪꜱʜᴇʀ: John Hunt Publishing
ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: Transformation
'One Man Down' is a captivating story that intertwines a murder mystery with a generous dose of history and humor. Set in the 1980s, at a time when Princess Diana is about to give birth to Prince Harry, the plot follows Angus and Brian, who have just faced humiliation at the hands of a pompous client.
The duo works at an advertising firm called Gordon Deeds Rutter. They have failed miserably to pitch a travel and tourism-based advertising campaign to a client who requires a serious campaign for diarrhea pills. This opening prologue is one of the most hilariously written pieces I have ever encountered. To blow off some steam, they decide to attend an old friend's cricket match, and it is at this event that chaos ensues.
Pearl skillfully blends various emotions in her writing: humor with drama, humor with thrill, and even humor with deeper emotions. It’s a remarkable talent to inject humor into almost any situation while maintaining the thrill of the story.
Many stories revolve around themes of friendship and self-discovery, exploring how our friends and their support help us find our place in the world. The storytelling is engaging, and the writing style is polished. The characters feel real and well-developed, avoiding the pitfalls of being lifeless or one-dimensional. The reader is drawn in, feeling an urgent need to finish the book, as everything else can wait.
- #readwithbindu
- #reviewwithbindu
#bookwormbindu
𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒏 𝑫𝒐𝒘𝒏: 𝑨 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍
🆀🅾🆃🅳#: What are you reading currently ?
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ: Alex Pearl
ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ: Paperback / Kindle
ᴘᴀɢᴇꜱ/ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀꜱ: 216 pages
ᴘᴜʙʟɪꜱʜᴇʀ: John Hunt Publishing
ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: Transformation
'One Man Down' is a captivating story that intertwines a murder mystery with a generous dose of history and humor. Set in the 1980s, at a time when Princess Diana is about to give birth to Prince Harry, the plot follows Angus and Brian, who have just faced humiliation at the hands of a pompous client.
The duo works at an advertising firm called Gordon Deeds Rutter. They have failed miserably to pitch a travel and tourism-based advertising campaign to a client who requires a serious campaign for diarrhea pills. This opening prologue is one of the most hilariously written pieces I have ever encountered. To blow off some steam, they decide to attend an old friend's cricket match, and it is at this event that chaos ensues.
Pearl skillfully blends various emotions in her writing: humor with drama, humor with thrill, and even humor with deeper emotions. It’s a remarkable talent to inject humor into almost any situation while maintaining the thrill of the story.
Many stories revolve around themes of friendship and self-discovery, exploring how our friends and their support help us find our place in the world. The storytelling is engaging, and the writing style is polished. The characters feel real and well-developed, avoiding the pitfalls of being lifeless or one-dimensional. The reader is drawn in, feeling an urgent need to finish the book, as everything else can wait.
- #readwithbindu
- #reviewwithbindu
#bookwormbindu
April 18, 2025
“They may have been very different in so many ways, but when it came to work, they were perfectly in tune with each other and on the same wavelength.”
- Alex Pearl, One Man Down
Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle are two advertising professionals at Gordon Deedees Rutter who had scored big in real fires campaign. But, when it came to pitching their idea to a certain Gary Dixon (Diocalm) for Diarrhoea pills, they had failed. The situation further became awkward when they bumped into him at Hurlingham Club for a friendly match. Somewhere else Reverend Dr. Simon Granger is being blackmailed and extorted money for his homosexuality.
The compelling story arc features the British Ad world of the 80s along with some historic events. Amidst the cigar smoke and a pint of beer, there were a lot of things cooking behind the scenes. Alex manages to link all the events in a coherent fashion that leaves no loopholes. The British humor induced in the plot lands perfectly. The main suspense is neatly wrapped among a mele of colourful characters guarding secrets of their own.
“Making funny commercials was a peculiar business. Sometimes you could write something on paper that you thought was funny and then when it was filmed it would leave you cold.”
’One Man Down’ is a grand celebration of glorious years of advertising told through the witty, heartfelt, and often outrageous stories. The read is unputdownable for its unconventional laughs and shocking secrets tumbling down for the audience to deduce and dissect.
- Alex Pearl, One Man Down
Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle are two advertising professionals at Gordon Deedees Rutter who had scored big in real fires campaign. But, when it came to pitching their idea to a certain Gary Dixon (Diocalm) for Diarrhoea pills, they had failed. The situation further became awkward when they bumped into him at Hurlingham Club for a friendly match. Somewhere else Reverend Dr. Simon Granger is being blackmailed and extorted money for his homosexuality.
The compelling story arc features the British Ad world of the 80s along with some historic events. Amidst the cigar smoke and a pint of beer, there were a lot of things cooking behind the scenes. Alex manages to link all the events in a coherent fashion that leaves no loopholes. The British humor induced in the plot lands perfectly. The main suspense is neatly wrapped among a mele of colourful characters guarding secrets of their own.
“Making funny commercials was a peculiar business. Sometimes you could write something on paper that you thought was funny and then when it was filmed it would leave you cold.”
’One Man Down’ is a grand celebration of glorious years of advertising told through the witty, heartfelt, and often outrageous stories. The read is unputdownable for its unconventional laughs and shocking secrets tumbling down for the audience to deduce and dissect.
June 11, 2025
A friend recommended “One Man Down” by Alex Pearl, and I downloaded a copy. The novel is a witty, sharply written mystery set in 80s London advertising. The story follows creative duo Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle as they juggle eccentric clients, high-stakes campaigns, and an unexpected murder mystery. With vivid dialogue, richly drawn characters, and an authentic portrayal of the era, the book seamlessly blends satire and suspense. Fans of Nick Hornby, Richard Curtis, and classic British comedy will feel right at home in this vibrant, nostalgic world.
The novel shines in its balance of humor, nostalgia, and narrative tension. From lunches in Soho to unpredictable cricket matches at the Hurlingham Club, Alex Pearl brings a bygone creative scene to life while keeping readers engaged with clever twists and memorable personalities. New characters, such as Roy Pickering and villainous client Gary Dixon, fit seamlessly into the ensemble while returning favorites add continuity and warmth. The subplot of amateur sleuthing, paired with advertising antics, keeps the pace brisk.
One Man Down is a rare blend of charm, cleverness, and character-driven comedy. Whether you are in it for the insider view of vintage advertising culture, the smartly crafted plot, or the laughs, this book delivers. It is part Ealing comedy, part classic whodunit, and wholly entertaining. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys intelligent humor, creative nostalgia, and a great cast of oddball characters.
The novel shines in its balance of humor, nostalgia, and narrative tension. From lunches in Soho to unpredictable cricket matches at the Hurlingham Club, Alex Pearl brings a bygone creative scene to life while keeping readers engaged with clever twists and memorable personalities. New characters, such as Roy Pickering and villainous client Gary Dixon, fit seamlessly into the ensemble while returning favorites add continuity and warmth. The subplot of amateur sleuthing, paired with advertising antics, keeps the pace brisk.
One Man Down is a rare blend of charm, cleverness, and character-driven comedy. Whether you are in it for the insider view of vintage advertising culture, the smartly crafted plot, or the laughs, this book delivers. It is part Ealing comedy, part classic whodunit, and wholly entertaining. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys intelligent humor, creative nostalgia, and a great cast of oddball characters.
March 9, 2025
One Man Down is a very tongue in cheek, 1980’s romp, man style, through the world of Advertising, cricket and almost by default, murder, from Alex Pearl, a man who knows plenty about Advertising and very little about murder.
For those old enough to remember the halcyon days of the 1980’s when almost anything went in the world of Commerce, long, liquid lunches were the order of the day and the rise of the Advertising Agencies was meteoric, will absolutely enjoy this totally irreverent, witty walk down memory lane.
Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle are Advertising Agency executives tasked with coming up with a new campaign for a client whose main source of income is diarrhoea tablets.
Their somewhat abstract, but funny, pitch failed dismally to impress and so they took themselves of to play cricket at the invite of a friend who needed a quick substitute for a weekend Club match.
From this point onwards, somehow they manage to get themselves involved in local politics, a scam, a blackmailing attempt, what appears to be murder, but then does not, but maybe really is and emerge almost unscathed, but then again, maybe not.
One Man Down is definitely a book for boys, the grown up kind, who love the Pub culture of days gone by, the somewhat astonishingly, fascinating and obsessive world of cricket, a good laugh and perhaps a slight mystery to solve over a pint at the Pub after a good day’s cricket.
reviewed by Ian Banks for Bluewolf Reviews
For those old enough to remember the halcyon days of the 1980’s when almost anything went in the world of Commerce, long, liquid lunches were the order of the day and the rise of the Advertising Agencies was meteoric, will absolutely enjoy this totally irreverent, witty walk down memory lane.
Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle are Advertising Agency executives tasked with coming up with a new campaign for a client whose main source of income is diarrhoea tablets.
Their somewhat abstract, but funny, pitch failed dismally to impress and so they took themselves of to play cricket at the invite of a friend who needed a quick substitute for a weekend Club match.
From this point onwards, somehow they manage to get themselves involved in local politics, a scam, a blackmailing attempt, what appears to be murder, but then does not, but maybe really is and emerge almost unscathed, but then again, maybe not.
One Man Down is definitely a book for boys, the grown up kind, who love the Pub culture of days gone by, the somewhat astonishingly, fascinating and obsessive world of cricket, a good laugh and perhaps a slight mystery to solve over a pint at the Pub after a good day’s cricket.
reviewed by Ian Banks for Bluewolf Reviews
April 21, 2025
ONE MAN DOWN - ALEX PEARL
I love humour in books esp the subtle tongue in cheek witty reports and One Man Down delivers just that. Right from the prologue to the last chapter there is humour and at places satire wonderfully blended in the story.
The story primarily focuses on two young advertising executives Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle who after a disastrous presentation go to play cricket for an old school friend but in doing so stumble upon a host of unusual people and get involved in a murder drama.
The humour in the story esp the short punchlines and brief these two lead characters write for the various ad was really funny and entertaining keeping me hooked and parallelly we see the mystery around murder revealed slowly. For me apart from the mystery the workings of an ad agency how they pitch ideas and execute it in the 80s was a highlight to read and I must say the author for a splendid job of it.
I love humour in books esp the subtle tongue in cheek witty reports and One Man Down delivers just that. Right from the prologue to the last chapter there is humour and at places satire wonderfully blended in the story.
The story primarily focuses on two young advertising executives Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle who after a disastrous presentation go to play cricket for an old school friend but in doing so stumble upon a host of unusual people and get involved in a murder drama.
The humour in the story esp the short punchlines and brief these two lead characters write for the various ad was really funny and entertaining keeping me hooked and parallelly we see the mystery around murder revealed slowly. For me apart from the mystery the workings of an ad agency how they pitch ideas and execute it in the 80s was a highlight to read and I must say the author for a splendid job of it.
March 22, 2025
There aren't many crime stories like this one; and the reviews are accurate. First of all, it's very funny. Great one-liners, jokes and word play. And if you have the slightest interest either in advertising, or the 1980s, or both, it's a great evocation of that time and place. It's well plotted, has a number of dead ends and our two heroes bumble through events, doing their best to work out what's going on. In the process, you'll be amused and delighted to follow their adventures and will become acquainted not only with some of the real-life characters of that time, but the products we bought as well. This novel deserves a follow up or ten. And if any producers out there want a new tv series, look no further.
March 12, 2025
A crime novel that does not follow the usual police procedurals I'm used to and it's full of boy's humour. Set in the 1980s, we are in the world of advertising and I am of an age to remember the ad campaigns that are referenced. Angus Lovejoy and Brain Finkle are the 2 stars of the GDR Advertising Agency. A chance meeting with an old friend after a disastrous presentation leads them to the cricket pitch where the team is one man down. What follows is a tale that encompasses blackmail, a missing person and murder. And everything is done with the laddish wit of Angus and Brian whose banter is very funny - all humour that was pre political correctness when jokes could be made. An amusing read with twisting crimes that lead to one man down.
May 15, 2025
This book wasn't too bad. I didn't dislike it but it also didn't wow me. I found it a little clunky with the chapter and scene transitions. one minute your here the next you were over there and it did make it hard for me to follow at times. However, I did love the humour throughout and how it didn't follow the typical road you would expect from a crime book. Would like to give some of Alex's other books a go.
March 7, 2025
ONE MAN DOWN REVIEW
This is the sort of book you instinctively know you’re going to enjoy from the confident writing and amusing start.
One Man Down is the second book in the Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle series, about a couple of advertising copy writers in the 1980s.
The story opens with a cricket match, where the opening batsman is missing. The plot concludes similarly with a cricket game, a missing batsman and an emotional charge, thereby adding a most gratifying narrative symmetry to the whole.
What follows involves blackmail, a missing person, murder, intrigue, and great insight into the (sometimes laugh-out-loud funny) shenanigans of the world of advertising.
The prologue sets up the comedic tone of the novel, while there is an epilogue of sorts in the form of a happy ending.
The characters are totally engaging and convincing, some drawn from real life. The protagonists are sympathetic, and the supporting cast all entertaining and interesting. Arseholes get their well-deserved comeuppance, as does the Baddie.
1980s London is brought vividly to life: Joanna Lumley does an ad voiceover, as does Roy Plomley, while Julian Clary gets to appear in a scene! Places such as King’s Road, the Hurlingham Club, Bunjies, Frith Street and Ronnie Scott’s all get a mention. And the backdrop of the Miners’ Strike, Band Aid, Simple Soap and Princess Di giving birth complete the setting. Alex Pearl, a former advertising copy writer himself, certainly knows his stuff!
The book has great pace and structure — short chapters, cliffhanger endings, easy-to-read and succinct prose and a light humorous style. I read this unputdownable novel in one sitting. Alex Pearl has a great ear for witty dialogue and there are lots of jokes and droll one-liners throughout.
One Man Down is a great whodunnit, with the suspense set up from the start. It’s very visual and would make a lovely feel-good TV drama or a comic film. The next book in this series is eagerly awaited. More please! Highly recommended.
This is the sort of book you instinctively know you’re going to enjoy from the confident writing and amusing start.
One Man Down is the second book in the Angus Lovejoy and Brian Finkle series, about a couple of advertising copy writers in the 1980s.
The story opens with a cricket match, where the opening batsman is missing. The plot concludes similarly with a cricket game, a missing batsman and an emotional charge, thereby adding a most gratifying narrative symmetry to the whole.
What follows involves blackmail, a missing person, murder, intrigue, and great insight into the (sometimes laugh-out-loud funny) shenanigans of the world of advertising.
The prologue sets up the comedic tone of the novel, while there is an epilogue of sorts in the form of a happy ending.
The characters are totally engaging and convincing, some drawn from real life. The protagonists are sympathetic, and the supporting cast all entertaining and interesting. Arseholes get their well-deserved comeuppance, as does the Baddie.
1980s London is brought vividly to life: Joanna Lumley does an ad voiceover, as does Roy Plomley, while Julian Clary gets to appear in a scene! Places such as King’s Road, the Hurlingham Club, Bunjies, Frith Street and Ronnie Scott’s all get a mention. And the backdrop of the Miners’ Strike, Band Aid, Simple Soap and Princess Di giving birth complete the setting. Alex Pearl, a former advertising copy writer himself, certainly knows his stuff!
The book has great pace and structure — short chapters, cliffhanger endings, easy-to-read and succinct prose and a light humorous style. I read this unputdownable novel in one sitting. Alex Pearl has a great ear for witty dialogue and there are lots of jokes and droll one-liners throughout.
One Man Down is a great whodunnit, with the suspense set up from the start. It’s very visual and would make a lovely feel-good TV drama or a comic film. The next book in this series is eagerly awaited. More please! Highly recommended.
December 31, 2024
A 1980s gem sizzling with witty dialogue and the mysterious murders of an advertising executive and a fraudster to boot. Alex Pearl writes from his personal experience of having worked in 'the glory days of British advertising.' Its tongue-in-cheek anecdotes and unashamed name-dropping of celebs like Julian Clary, had me laughing out loud. This is well written, entertaining, and different from the usual murder mystery."
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