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Chaos Is Come Again
"Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul
But I do love thee! And when I love thee not
Chaos is come again."
Sean hears voices in his head.
Travis snorts cocaine.
Teagan thinks she’s the next Lady Gaga.
Avery has the boss from Hell and a mother with dementia.
And Goose thinks he can catch a serial killer.
‘Chaos is Come Again’ is a psychological suspense, a mystery, and a love story – loaded with irreverent humour, and viewed through the lens of obsession.
WARNING: This book contains references to Judas Iscariot, a dwarf and a performing monkey.
But I do love thee! And when I love thee not
Chaos is come again."
Sean hears voices in his head.
Travis snorts cocaine.
Teagan thinks she’s the next Lady Gaga.
Avery has the boss from Hell and a mother with dementia.
And Goose thinks he can catch a serial killer.
‘Chaos is Come Again’ is a psychological suspense, a mystery, and a love story – loaded with irreverent humour, and viewed through the lens of obsession.
WARNING: This book contains references to Judas Iscariot, a dwarf and a performing monkey.
325 pages, Paperback
First published October 21, 2014
4 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
John Dolan
18 books259 followers"Makes a living by travelling, talking a lot and sometimes writing stuff down. Galericulate author, polymath and occasional smarty-pants."
John Dolan hails from a small town in the North-East of England. Before turning to writing, his career encompassed law and finance. He has run businesses in Europe, South and Central America, Africa and Asia. He and his wife Fiona currently divide their time between Thailand and the UK.
John is the author of the Time, Blood and Karma; Children of Karma; and Crimes of Inhumanity series, as well as several standalone novels.
John Dolan hails from a small town in the North-East of England. Before turning to writing, his career encompassed law and finance. He has run businesses in Europe, South and Central America, Africa and Asia. He and his wife Fiona currently divide their time between Thailand and the UK.
John is the author of the Time, Blood and Karma; Children of Karma; and Crimes of Inhumanity series, as well as several standalone novels.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 9, 2014
“Chaos is Come Again” by John Dolan and Fiona Quinn was one of the most enjoyable reading experiences for me this year. Full of great humour it throws us readers into the world of publishing where Avery gets landed with the ‘client from hell’ , Travis, a difficult and also blasphemous author whom she is supposed to woo.
Her home life is nothing short of chaotic, too, with an increasingly demented mother to look after and other family commitments that take their toll.
On twitter she connects with Sean, unhappy with his kinky and fame hungry girlfriend. And the Angel serial murderer is on the loose.
Written with a great blend of understated humour and great storylines the book was impossible to put down for me. I loved the way each character was portrayed with empathy and depth while providing light-hearted and un-pc jokes. I enjoyed the twitter conversations between Avery and Sean in particular, but the interactions and dialogues between all the ‘players’ in this book were incredibly well done.
The writing was at times off the wall like a Tom Sharpe novel, at others more thoughtful and primarily character driven. The murder plot seemed almost secondary, even though the suspense provided yet another excellent interest and source of power to push the events along.
I already was a fan of John Dolan for his amazing “Time, Blood and Karma Series” and he has proven with this masterpiece that he is not a one-trick-pony, but has a lot more up his sleeve.
An enthusiastic 5 stars.
Her home life is nothing short of chaotic, too, with an increasingly demented mother to look after and other family commitments that take their toll.
On twitter she connects with Sean, unhappy with his kinky and fame hungry girlfriend. And the Angel serial murderer is on the loose.
Written with a great blend of understated humour and great storylines the book was impossible to put down for me. I loved the way each character was portrayed with empathy and depth while providing light-hearted and un-pc jokes. I enjoyed the twitter conversations between Avery and Sean in particular, but the interactions and dialogues between all the ‘players’ in this book were incredibly well done.
The writing was at times off the wall like a Tom Sharpe novel, at others more thoughtful and primarily character driven. The murder plot seemed almost secondary, even though the suspense provided yet another excellent interest and source of power to push the events along.
I already was a fan of John Dolan for his amazing “Time, Blood and Karma Series” and he has proven with this masterpiece that he is not a one-trick-pony, but has a lot more up his sleeve.
An enthusiastic 5 stars.
December 2, 2015
Fabulous Writing Duo
By Billy Ray Chitwood "Billy Ray Chitwood"on November 1, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
The duet novel put together by the extraordinarily talented John Dolan and Fiona Quinn is called "Chaos is Come Again" - Shakespeare devotees will recognize the title from Othello. Even the most lofty of the elite Shakespeare 'club members' should regale this offering from Dolan and Quinn as one of the best fictional novels of the year. In my humble opinion, here is what makes it so...
Dolan and Quinn give us characters that live with us long after we turn the last page... Avery, a literary agent who spends much of her time as many of us do - working, worrying, finding warm spots of happiness and love... Jerry, a boss we all love to hate... Travis, a truly tortured artist... Sean, who finds it difficult to expel from his life the naughty Teagen... Teagen, a woman we virulent males all wish to meet, well, at least once in our lives... Other great characters are here, some loony, some adorably crass and lovely, and there is some ugly business to sort out. But the truly amazing gift of this book is the writing itself, the purity of the words and phrases that pull the reader easily into the story, the literary wit that amuses us, the wonderful author craft that is constantly on display. It is an absorbing page-turner book no reader will want to put down.
Congratulations to John Dolan and Fiona Quinn, a fabulous writing duo... Were I allowed more stars, they would be given.
My review cannot end without this lovely nugget from "Chaos is Come Again:"
There are hours
There are nights
There are days
That cover us in shadow
There are times
In our lives
We feel lost
And alone and afraid
When the mantel clock
Ticks flat and slow
And branches scratch
At the window panes
When the dark things come
But not all is lost
For this is but
A transient dream. .
By Billy Ray Chitwood "Billy Ray Chitwood"on November 1, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
The duet novel put together by the extraordinarily talented John Dolan and Fiona Quinn is called "Chaos is Come Again" - Shakespeare devotees will recognize the title from Othello. Even the most lofty of the elite Shakespeare 'club members' should regale this offering from Dolan and Quinn as one of the best fictional novels of the year. In my humble opinion, here is what makes it so...
Dolan and Quinn give us characters that live with us long after we turn the last page... Avery, a literary agent who spends much of her time as many of us do - working, worrying, finding warm spots of happiness and love... Jerry, a boss we all love to hate... Travis, a truly tortured artist... Sean, who finds it difficult to expel from his life the naughty Teagen... Teagen, a woman we virulent males all wish to meet, well, at least once in our lives... Other great characters are here, some loony, some adorably crass and lovely, and there is some ugly business to sort out. But the truly amazing gift of this book is the writing itself, the purity of the words and phrases that pull the reader easily into the story, the literary wit that amuses us, the wonderful author craft that is constantly on display. It is an absorbing page-turner book no reader will want to put down.
Congratulations to John Dolan and Fiona Quinn, a fabulous writing duo... Were I allowed more stars, they would be given.
My review cannot end without this lovely nugget from "Chaos is Come Again:"
There are hours
There are nights
There are days
That cover us in shadow
There are times
In our lives
We feel lost
And alone and afraid
When the mantel clock
Ticks flat and slow
And branches scratch
At the window panes
When the dark things come
But not all is lost
For this is but
A transient dream. .
October 8, 2015
"Bleak is the new black."
Chaos Is Come Again by John Dolan and Fiona Quinn is whimsical, offbeat, quirky and certainly entertaining thriller/mystery. This readable story is both dark and at times humorous. One might not go with the other but in this case it works really well. Unusual, I got caught up in the turns that kept me guessing. Clueless as to where I was being led. Smart, clever and witty are good adjectives to describe this wild ride of a story.
The two writers work seamlessly together as I had a hard time trying to figure out who wrote what, though I did try. It was a real challenge even though I have read from John Dolan's Time, Blood and Karma series. If there were songs tittle's mentioned I would have to guess it was Dolan. That's my best guess. The writing is sharp, razor sharp. The story is clear and oh so clever.
Chaos Is Come Again by John Dolan and Fiona Quinn is whimsical, offbeat, quirky and certainly entertaining thriller/mystery. This readable story is both dark and at times humorous. One might not go with the other but in this case it works really well. Unusual, I got caught up in the turns that kept me guessing. Clueless as to where I was being led. Smart, clever and witty are good adjectives to describe this wild ride of a story.
The two writers work seamlessly together as I had a hard time trying to figure out who wrote what, though I did try. It was a real challenge even though I have read from John Dolan's Time, Blood and Karma series. If there were songs tittle's mentioned I would have to guess it was Dolan. That's my best guess. The writing is sharp, razor sharp. The story is clear and oh so clever.
November 18, 2014
‘Chaos is Come Again’, the new thriller from John Dolan and Fiona Quinn, is a superb character-driven novel. And what characters! On one side of the Atlantic we have Avery, a literary agent tasked with coaxing polemic author Travis Bishop into completing his sequel novel. In turn, and thanks to the electronic magic of social media, she is connected to Sean in London. He’s a guy trying to reorder his life working in a coffee shop and managing his Dad’s apartment block. Then there are the tenants, especially Teagan, a dysfunctional young lady with her own, very clear agenda and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve her personal goals, aided unwillingly by her brother Clive. Then we have Goose, one of Sean’s work companions, who’s an obsessive conspiracy nut, hell-bent on discovering the identity of the Angel, a serial killer stalking a specific area on the UK’s capital city, and he gets closer than he wants. Although these are the prime movers and shakers of the Dolan/Quinn universe, they are not the only splendidly crafted characters to grace the pages of this intriguing novel. There are some oddball secondary characters helping move the tale along too, creating an ensemble with overtones of Richard Hooker’s ‘MASH’ at times in the way each creation was a gem in its own right.
But great characters alone don’t make for a great novel. The multiple story lines reflect a modern love story, a bloody crime thriller, and quite a bit of sideswiping at social-media and the publishing industry. Each would make an exemplary novel on its own, but here Dolan/Quinn have woven their multiple characters and divergent story lines into a heady mix that will keep the reader guessing the outcome from the start. Even then there are surprises in store. The subtle ending will have you stopping to think. Yes, you won’t just close the book with a sigh as you say goodbye to this collection of memorable personas; you’ll be rerunning what you learn at the end through your mind and smiling at the adept way the authors have crafted this story.
An excellent read for lovers of so many genres. John Dolan and Fiona Quinn take you on a journey of mystery and intrigue that will entertain and amuse, thrill and challenge the reader to solve the mystery. It’s one of THOSE books you wish would keep going…
Highly recommended!
But great characters alone don’t make for a great novel. The multiple story lines reflect a modern love story, a bloody crime thriller, and quite a bit of sideswiping at social-media and the publishing industry. Each would make an exemplary novel on its own, but here Dolan/Quinn have woven their multiple characters and divergent story lines into a heady mix that will keep the reader guessing the outcome from the start. Even then there are surprises in store. The subtle ending will have you stopping to think. Yes, you won’t just close the book with a sigh as you say goodbye to this collection of memorable personas; you’ll be rerunning what you learn at the end through your mind and smiling at the adept way the authors have crafted this story.
An excellent read for lovers of so many genres. John Dolan and Fiona Quinn take you on a journey of mystery and intrigue that will entertain and amuse, thrill and challenge the reader to solve the mystery. It’s one of THOSE books you wish would keep going…
Highly recommended!
November 3, 2014
...a tantalising weave of intrigue, sex, murder and romance...
...peeling away the layers of a story through the prism of characters as diverse as those in Chaos Is Come Again, is a reading delight... more so intriguing is the manner in which every player has his or her unique idiosyncrasies and internal battles impacting the narrative flow... Avery Goodyear, a literary agent in America, struggling to juggle a mother whose dementia is a constant stress and her boss whose selfish interests over ride any iota of decency... and based in London, Travis Bishop, a gifted writer, whose books generate extreme views with his sometime sacrilegious content... Sean Kenny, a man with a troubled schizophrenic history, trying to do the right thing toward his tenants in a building owned by his ailing father.... Teagan, his sex-hungered neighbour, with delusions of becoming a huge success through hitching up with Sean... there are also excellent secondary supporting casts... Fiona Quinn and John Dolan are excellent writers each in their own right, but this foray into a joint novel is a resounding success... throw in local murders in London, and an idiot numeric genius with a mania for number correlation , and the mix is gripping... an enjoyable read...
...peeling away the layers of a story through the prism of characters as diverse as those in Chaos Is Come Again, is a reading delight... more so intriguing is the manner in which every player has his or her unique idiosyncrasies and internal battles impacting the narrative flow... Avery Goodyear, a literary agent in America, struggling to juggle a mother whose dementia is a constant stress and her boss whose selfish interests over ride any iota of decency... and based in London, Travis Bishop, a gifted writer, whose books generate extreme views with his sometime sacrilegious content... Sean Kenny, a man with a troubled schizophrenic history, trying to do the right thing toward his tenants in a building owned by his ailing father.... Teagan, his sex-hungered neighbour, with delusions of becoming a huge success through hitching up with Sean... there are also excellent secondary supporting casts... Fiona Quinn and John Dolan are excellent writers each in their own right, but this foray into a joint novel is a resounding success... throw in local murders in London, and an idiot numeric genius with a mania for number correlation , and the mix is gripping... an enjoyable read...
November 7, 2014
Chaos is good title for this book because it doesn't play by the rules you expect in most novels. First it's genre bending because it's a romance that's wrapped in a psychological thriller. And second it moves against your assumptions about what is going to happen. And those are good things. As a reader to often I pick up a book and after the first chapter I have an idea of what's going to happen, but this book kept me guessing throughout, and I enjoyed that. Another thing that I enjoyed in this book was that it had a character that was truly terrifying. True horror is the recognition of your own surrounding reality in the actions of a despicable character. One of the characters in here was my own personal nightmare and it was written so close to reality that it was just plain disturbing. There were a lot of things in this book that made me smile and I would happily recommend it to anyone that's looking for something that's little different and somewhat unexpected.
November 10, 2014
John Dolan and Fiona Quinn have a winner on their hands. The partnership for the most part flows easily and what they have created is a romance, a whodunit and a slasher story - not so easy to do! The characters are extremely well written and you end up caring about all of them no matter how likeable or unlikeable they behave in the novel. Although the ending may be just a tad too predictable there are spots in the story that create genuine and distressing suspense that make you have to keep on page turning - actually that desire is installed pretty much from the first page because the characterizations demand it (the writing is just that good), you just gotta know what happens to these people, how and why.
All in all, a very satisfying read that y'all need to pick up and dive right in to - you will not regret it.
All in all, a very satisfying read that y'all need to pick up and dive right in to - you will not regret it.
November 9, 2014
I feel a bit bad about breaking the streak of fives, because I did really like this book. There was one real thing that didn't work for me, but it's quite excellent.
So, the good stuff--the writing is tight, it's really funny, and the characters are mostly charming but realistic. It's very witty and astute, and it's a delicious ride through the publishing industry. A book this weird shouldn't work, but this one does, magnificently.
The things I didn't like are the ending--which I can't talk about for fear of spoiling--and the character Teagan. She was just a bit too evil. I've met women like her, and they tend to have...well...redeeming charm, at least. I just couldn't groove on her.
The rest is great, and I definitely think this one's worth a read. I might check out Fiona Quinn's other works, and I already know Dolan is excellent.
So, the good stuff--the writing is tight, it's really funny, and the characters are mostly charming but realistic. It's very witty and astute, and it's a delicious ride through the publishing industry. A book this weird shouldn't work, but this one does, magnificently.
The things I didn't like are the ending--which I can't talk about for fear of spoiling--and the character Teagan. She was just a bit too evil. I've met women like her, and they tend to have...well...redeeming charm, at least. I just couldn't groove on her.
The rest is great, and I definitely think this one's worth a read. I might check out Fiona Quinn's other works, and I already know Dolan is excellent.
November 9, 2014
I'm quite familiar with the work of John Dolan(love it) and so I was pleased to get a copy of this. Chaos Is Come Again is a superbly crafted thriller which blends in some age-old aspects(a serial killer loose in London) with modern ones(a Twitter romance). This writing duo managed to keep me guessing as to the outcome right to the very end, and I could not set it down as the plot was tied together. It's difficult to expound without spoilers, so I won't.
If you've read Dolan before and enjoyed it, give this a go. If you've read his work and hated it, give this a go because Fiona Quinn must be a saint for collaborating with him.
If you've read Dolan before and enjoyed it, give this a go. If you've read his work and hated it, give this a go because Fiona Quinn must be a saint for collaborating with him.
November 9, 2014
When Avery in the US, and Sean in the UK, become friends over twitter, a fast paced roller coaster ride begins. The characters in this book are diverse, complicated and fascinating. What with Goose trying to solve murders with mathematical explanations, and Teagan's mischievous activities, there's never a dull moment in this read. I found myself enthusiastically 'turning the pages' and wanting to know more... If you're looking for a book with suspense, mystery, romance, as well as something that will bring a smile to your face, plus much more, then this one comes as a highly recommended read!
November 11, 2014
One of those fun novels that pulled me in from the start with a colorful cast and web of creative plot lines that never lagged. Loved it!
November 11, 2014
*** CHAOS IS COME AGAIN is off-the-wall addictive! ***
In Chaos is Come Again, an oddball mix of characters converge in a tale replete with human foibles, a serial killer, and a fantastical love story. While merging the outlandish with the sacred and the absurd with the believable, it unapologetically tramples political correctness to a pulp.
There are so many unique hooks to pull you in.
Sensationalist author, Travis Bishop, is hiding in London after fleeing death threats from his home country. Some of his fellow Americans are not taking kindly to his blasphemous re-invention of Judas as a saint and Jesus as a vampire. Of course, his publisher demands an immediate sequel to his masterpiece.
Then there's Teagan. Not since Stephen King's, Annie Wilkes, have I met such an unforgettable villainess. She is no masterpiece, but she is certainly a piece of work.
And how about a modern-day romance spawned on Twitter? Two people bantering from opposite sides of the world with only 140 characters—flirtatious and fun, but can it lead to love? In reading their conversations, one might think it bizarrely possible.
And there's more, much more ...
Despite the intricate dance of deception and obsession throughout multiple story threads, the mood of the book is defiantly upbeat. This can only be attributed to the propulsive storytelling of its authors. Much in the style of Tom Robbins, the pairing of John Dolan and Fiona Quinn has created a novel that defies genre and easy summation. You must read the book to experience its indescribable chaos, so do yourself a favour and grab a copy!
PS. Just when you thought 42 was the answer to everything, you'll discover 23 is actually the ultimate meaning of life.
In Chaos is Come Again, an oddball mix of characters converge in a tale replete with human foibles, a serial killer, and a fantastical love story. While merging the outlandish with the sacred and the absurd with the believable, it unapologetically tramples political correctness to a pulp.
There are so many unique hooks to pull you in.
Sensationalist author, Travis Bishop, is hiding in London after fleeing death threats from his home country. Some of his fellow Americans are not taking kindly to his blasphemous re-invention of Judas as a saint and Jesus as a vampire. Of course, his publisher demands an immediate sequel to his masterpiece.
Then there's Teagan. Not since Stephen King's, Annie Wilkes, have I met such an unforgettable villainess. She is no masterpiece, but she is certainly a piece of work.
And how about a modern-day romance spawned on Twitter? Two people bantering from opposite sides of the world with only 140 characters—flirtatious and fun, but can it lead to love? In reading their conversations, one might think it bizarrely possible.
And there's more, much more ...
Despite the intricate dance of deception and obsession throughout multiple story threads, the mood of the book is defiantly upbeat. This can only be attributed to the propulsive storytelling of its authors. Much in the style of Tom Robbins, the pairing of John Dolan and Fiona Quinn has created a novel that defies genre and easy summation. You must read the book to experience its indescribable chaos, so do yourself a favour and grab a copy!
PS. Just when you thought 42 was the answer to everything, you'll discover 23 is actually the ultimate meaning of life.
November 24, 2014
Chaos Is Come Again by John Dolan & Fiona Quinn is like no other book I have read. They say two minds are better than one and this book goes way beyond that. Both authors are superb and have combined to create this masterpiece of adult romance/drama with lashings of humour and murder mystery.
The characters are suitably quirky with more problems than Kafka and Dostoyevsky combined. Each character is so richly interwoven into the insane plot that this reader could not wait to get back to them when another character took over.
We have Sean who hears voices in his head, telling him to do all sorts of weird stuff.
Travis is a coke addicted author with a hate-mail list longer than the Eiffel Tower.
His agent is the downtrodden Avery with a sick mother and is having an addictive echat with Sean.
Teagan is so delightfully deranged in her sexual pursuit of Sean who wants none of it, so say the voices in his head.
And then we have Goose, Sean's co-worker at a coffee shop who reckons he can catch a serial killer named Angel.
Stir the pot slowly then bring to the boil and watch the mayhem and mirth froth over the rim and scald your privates.
FIVE STARS for this adult drama like no other and destined to become a bestseller worldwide - oh so highly recommended.
The characters are suitably quirky with more problems than Kafka and Dostoyevsky combined. Each character is so richly interwoven into the insane plot that this reader could not wait to get back to them when another character took over.
We have Sean who hears voices in his head, telling him to do all sorts of weird stuff.
Travis is a coke addicted author with a hate-mail list longer than the Eiffel Tower.
His agent is the downtrodden Avery with a sick mother and is having an addictive echat with Sean.
Teagan is so delightfully deranged in her sexual pursuit of Sean who wants none of it, so say the voices in his head.
And then we have Goose, Sean's co-worker at a coffee shop who reckons he can catch a serial killer named Angel.
Stir the pot slowly then bring to the boil and watch the mayhem and mirth froth over the rim and scald your privates.
FIVE STARS for this adult drama like no other and destined to become a bestseller worldwide - oh so highly recommended.
February 12, 2015
Every time I pick up a John Dolan book I know I'm in for a wild ride. This time he teamed up with another author, Fiona Quinn, and I wasn't sure what to expect... What I got was a deliciously crazy story with intertwining plots, romance, murder, drama and humor. The story had me invested, intrigued and guessing to the last page.
If you're looking for a thriller, romance, all around fantastic book- pick this one up. It takes crazy to a new level.
If you're looking for a thriller, romance, all around fantastic book- pick this one up. It takes crazy to a new level.
January 13, 2015
I’ve been a big fan of John Dolan’s Time, Blood, and Karma series, which so far has 3 novels of a projected 7 novel mystery suspense behemoth. I was anxiously awaiting installment 4 when what should appear but a co-authored novel with Fiona Quinn. I know little about Fiona except that she is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. As far as I can tell, she has published short stories of her own. No novels as yet.
I don’t really understand how 2 people can write one novel together. Mr. Dolan’s previous novels were dark, gritty, and eerily suspenseful. Chaos is Come Again couldn’t be more different (except the title is clearly his). The story is sometimes charming and funny, sometimes just colorless. The plot is a mixture of irreverence (sensitive souls take warning), humor, and romance (except for Teagan, whose plot trajectory is so weird as to be utterly implausible). The extreme irreverence suffers from hyperbole, so much so that it’s obvious the authors are playing with the reader, and should not be held accountable for blasphemy, as Travis is held accountable in the story. The excerpts from Travis’ novel within a novel are at best shocking, and at worst superfluous. I’m not sure if the authors meant to be shocking in order to attract or to repel readers (personally, I cannot be shocked by anything. I’m just speaking as an outside observer). That being said, the authors are going to take some heat from distressed readers. They need to be prepared.
There is too little depth of character, which is quite the opposite of what I expect from Mr. Dolan. The main characters are somewhat eccentric and loveable, although a bit shallow. In short, they are interesting, which is to say that I am damning them with faint praise. And some of the peripheral characters add nothing to the novel: Mrs. Patel, Jerry, Ginny, Clive, Fanny, and Leslie should have been left out of the story, or else better developed. Either way would have been an improvement. Lola, Father Pat, and Goose are delightful distractions that add much needed humor to the otherwise prosaic proceedings.
Funniest line in the book: Sauvage, a neighbor of Clive and Teagan, is pegged as follows: ‘ “He must spend a bloody fortune on prostitutes,” Clive grunted as Teagan appeared. “I don’t know why he doesn’t use a jar of chopped liver.” “He’s French,” she replied, as if that explained everything.’ I was reminded of the Coneheads of Saturday Night Live fame.
We are left hanging at the end of the novel as to the identity of the one truly evil character in the story. This may portend a sequel, but the whole premise is supported by quicksand, and would best not be repeated.
I don’t really understand how 2 people can write one novel together. Mr. Dolan’s previous novels were dark, gritty, and eerily suspenseful. Chaos is Come Again couldn’t be more different (except the title is clearly his). The story is sometimes charming and funny, sometimes just colorless. The plot is a mixture of irreverence (sensitive souls take warning), humor, and romance (except for Teagan, whose plot trajectory is so weird as to be utterly implausible). The extreme irreverence suffers from hyperbole, so much so that it’s obvious the authors are playing with the reader, and should not be held accountable for blasphemy, as Travis is held accountable in the story. The excerpts from Travis’ novel within a novel are at best shocking, and at worst superfluous. I’m not sure if the authors meant to be shocking in order to attract or to repel readers (personally, I cannot be shocked by anything. I’m just speaking as an outside observer). That being said, the authors are going to take some heat from distressed readers. They need to be prepared.
There is too little depth of character, which is quite the opposite of what I expect from Mr. Dolan. The main characters are somewhat eccentric and loveable, although a bit shallow. In short, they are interesting, which is to say that I am damning them with faint praise. And some of the peripheral characters add nothing to the novel: Mrs. Patel, Jerry, Ginny, Clive, Fanny, and Leslie should have been left out of the story, or else better developed. Either way would have been an improvement. Lola, Father Pat, and Goose are delightful distractions that add much needed humor to the otherwise prosaic proceedings.
Funniest line in the book: Sauvage, a neighbor of Clive and Teagan, is pegged as follows: ‘ “He must spend a bloody fortune on prostitutes,” Clive grunted as Teagan appeared. “I don’t know why he doesn’t use a jar of chopped liver.” “He’s French,” she replied, as if that explained everything.’ I was reminded of the Coneheads of Saturday Night Live fame.
We are left hanging at the end of the novel as to the identity of the one truly evil character in the story. This may portend a sequel, but the whole premise is supported by quicksand, and would best not be repeated.
April 4, 2015
The publishing business, murders and madness I have read and love the three books (so far) in the series Time, Blood and Karma by John Dolan. I know Fiona Quinn from her fantastic blog (I recommend it to anybody interested in writing thrillers. I had the pleasure of being one of her guests). And I was very intrigued by their collaboration. If any more encouragement were needed, the reviews were great too.
I had read interviews about the process involved in writing the novel and I wondered how it would have worked in reality, as it sounded fairly complicated.
Given all that I had been looking forward with trepidation to reading the novel and it did not disappoint.
The novel is seamless. I could not pick up parts that I fell were more likely to have been written by either author (I might have my theories, but nothing stood out), and once I got into the story that was no longer important.
The novel has two main protagonists: Sean, a young Englishman, a barista diagnosed with schizophrenia and with a violent incident in his past that weights heavy in his mind (although we’re never given any details), and Avery, an American woman, a literary agent burdened with a mother suffering from dementia, and whose difficulties provide at times light entertainment and at others add poignancy to the proceedings.
The two storylines: life in the literary world, a woman’s point of view, friends and chocolate cakes; and London’s gritty life, anxiety and self-doubt, together with a writer with a penchant for scandal (some would say blasphemous), an aspiring poet/singer and girlfriend with no evident redeeming qualities, and a mysterious serial killer, create as many plot threads as any eager reader would wish for (possibly even more).
Social media (Twitter in particular) helps bring them together and reels us into a thriller/romance, with a disquietingly open ending.
It’s dynamic, flows well although the rhythm varies according to whose point of view we’re seeing the story from, and with its mixture of characters and likable central duo it’s difficult not to find somebody to root for.
This is a book for readers who like to explore outside established genres and don’t mind open endings. I’m not sure die-hard thriller fans would approve but writers will have a chuckle. I did.
I had read interviews about the process involved in writing the novel and I wondered how it would have worked in reality, as it sounded fairly complicated.
Given all that I had been looking forward with trepidation to reading the novel and it did not disappoint.
The novel is seamless. I could not pick up parts that I fell were more likely to have been written by either author (I might have my theories, but nothing stood out), and once I got into the story that was no longer important.
The novel has two main protagonists: Sean, a young Englishman, a barista diagnosed with schizophrenia and with a violent incident in his past that weights heavy in his mind (although we’re never given any details), and Avery, an American woman, a literary agent burdened with a mother suffering from dementia, and whose difficulties provide at times light entertainment and at others add poignancy to the proceedings.
The two storylines: life in the literary world, a woman’s point of view, friends and chocolate cakes; and London’s gritty life, anxiety and self-doubt, together with a writer with a penchant for scandal (some would say blasphemous), an aspiring poet/singer and girlfriend with no evident redeeming qualities, and a mysterious serial killer, create as many plot threads as any eager reader would wish for (possibly even more).
Social media (Twitter in particular) helps bring them together and reels us into a thriller/romance, with a disquietingly open ending.
It’s dynamic, flows well although the rhythm varies according to whose point of view we’re seeing the story from, and with its mixture of characters and likable central duo it’s difficult not to find somebody to root for.
This is a book for readers who like to explore outside established genres and don’t mind open endings. I’m not sure die-hard thriller fans would approve but writers will have a chuckle. I did.
January 9, 2015
There’s a wonderful children’s book called “If You Give a Pig a Pancake,” and it goes something like this…If you give a pig a pancake, she’ll want syrup to go with it. You'll give her some of your favorite maple syrup, and she'll probably get all sticky, so she'll want to take a bath. She'll ask you for some bubbles. When you give her the bubbles...Well, I think you get the picture. To quote the 1980s band The Fixx, “One thing leads to another.” And so it goes in Chaos Is Come Again, a wonderfully ambitious dual authored thriller that actually lives up to its concept.
Highlights and Lowlifes – oops, I mean lowlights:
Author Travis Bishop is like Salmon Rushdie, if Rushdie was a coke-snorting author of “Christian” vampire shenanigans entitled (no joke and I love this) “Nosferatu, the Lost Gospel.” He has to flee from America to London in order to avoid an onslaught of death threats after his runaway bestseller makes folks in certain religious groups pretty upset.
A sweet Twitter romance unravels between Sean in the UK and Avery in the US. One is damaged by his interior life, the other by her exterior circumstances. Their banter (in less than 140 characters) lights up the page.
A crazy, kinky, psycho-stalker “girlfriend,” who I wanted to set on fire from her first line – “Mmm. You look all yummy and sweaty.” With her, it’s all downhill from there.
The voices in Sean’s head.
A gruesome serial killer nicknamed “Angel” by the media.
A romp through the publishing industry shark tank.
All of these things converge in London with the tenor of wild, progressive dinner party. In the end – and this is not a spoiler unless you read way too much into children’s books – the pig gets the pancake and then some.
December 22, 2014
Dolan and Quinn have collaborated and created an extraordinary character-driven novel like no other! This fast-paced thriller, romance, and psychothriller touches multiple genres and has its share of believable, quirky characters that encourages the reader to stay up late into the night. Avery is a saintly literary agent working caring for her demented mother and working with an impossible letch while Sean is constantly assessing and reassessing his own mental stability. Sean's "sort-of" girlfriend, Teagan is nothing short of a diabolical sociopath. Mathematical-wizard and serial-killer-chaser Goose adds to the mix as does Teagen's brother, the paralyzed, wheel-chair bound computer-geek Clive. The twitter romance between Sean and Avery, the work of the controversial author Travis, and the London setting within the context of the serial killer Angel, as well as the vivid writing add to this exceptional book. A five star Read!
October 30, 2016
Let me first start by saying I am a huge fan of Dolan. His Time, Blood and Karma series has phenomenal, thought provoking, poetic writing. This book was not like the TBK series. The story is good with the potential to be great but the writing, while good, was missing something. For me there was too much fluff and not enough subsistence. There was not enough in depth character development. Maybe this is the result of coauthoring.
All that being said I am still a fan and patiently await a new book, hopefully authored solo.
All that being said I am still a fan and patiently await a new book, hopefully authored solo.
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