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Angelique De Xavier #3
A Snowball in Hell
Each society gets the serial killers it deserves...
How sick are you of our vapid celebrity culture, reality TV shows and tawdry talent contests? Not as sick as Simon Darcourt—but let’s face it, nobody is as sick as Simon Darcourt. A deranged but inventive killer with a genuinely wicked sense of humour, he is busy creating his own celebrity talent show, one that is generating more publicity than its contestants have ever had in their lives. The catch is that those lives won’t be very long.
With the police losing the ratings war, they turn to Angelique de Xavia, a cop who has crossed this psycho’s path before. Having given the best years of her life to a thankless career, concluding unfinished business may be the only motivation keeping her in the job. However, the police are not the only people who want Darcourt, and ruthless measures are engaged against Angelique as leverage in determining his final destination. Now she’s faced not only with tracking down her quarry and spiriting him from under the noses of her fellow cops, but the even more daunting task of ensuring she doesn’t end up dead once she’s served her purpose.
Scared and alone, Angelique knows she’s got a snowball’s chance of pulling this off, which is why she’s going to need a little magic...
A viciously dark satire, a breathlessly exhilarating thriller and a most unlikely romantic comedy: this is Christopher Brookmyre at the very top of his game.
How sick are you of our vapid celebrity culture, reality TV shows and tawdry talent contests? Not as sick as Simon Darcourt—but let’s face it, nobody is as sick as Simon Darcourt. A deranged but inventive killer with a genuinely wicked sense of humour, he is busy creating his own celebrity talent show, one that is generating more publicity than its contestants have ever had in their lives. The catch is that those lives won’t be very long.
With the police losing the ratings war, they turn to Angelique de Xavia, a cop who has crossed this psycho’s path before. Having given the best years of her life to a thankless career, concluding unfinished business may be the only motivation keeping her in the job. However, the police are not the only people who want Darcourt, and ruthless measures are engaged against Angelique as leverage in determining his final destination. Now she’s faced not only with tracking down her quarry and spiriting him from under the noses of her fellow cops, but the even more daunting task of ensuring she doesn’t end up dead once she’s served her purpose.
Scared and alone, Angelique knows she’s got a snowball’s chance of pulling this off, which is why she’s going to need a little magic...
A viciously dark satire, a breathlessly exhilarating thriller and a most unlikely romantic comedy: this is Christopher Brookmyre at the very top of his game.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
33 people are currently reading
1315 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Brookmyre
40 books1,541 followersChristopher Brookmyre is a Scottish novelist whose novels mix politics, social comment and action with a strong narrative. He has been referred to as a Tartan Noir author. His debut novel was Quite Ugly One Morning, and subsequent works have included One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night, which he said "was just the sort of book he needed to write before he turned 30", and All Fun and Games until Somebody Loses an Eye (2005). Brookmyre also writes historical fiction with Marisa Haetzman, under the pseudonym "Ambrose Parry."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
July 6, 2009
There is part of me that would like to savour a Brookmyre novel. You know, spend some time reading it and take in all of the clever bits of writing and just enjoy the twists and turns. The problem is the breathing thing – after about the fifth page I realise I haven’t been quite doing enough of that breathing thing that humans tend to need to do rather frequently. That means I end up needing to read his novels (at least with the very best of them – of which this is one) fast. I need to read them as if before having boiled the kettle, jingled the tea-bag, gotten myself comfortable to turn the first page I’ve snorted a nose full of coke.
Not that I’ve actually ever used cocaine, but if what they tell me is true, I guess Brookmyre has much the same effect.
NO SPOILERS
That’s the key to this review. If you want to find out about this book I suggest you read all three of the books that this one is the last bit of – the Angelique de Xavia trilogy (at least, so far). The other two being in order: A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away and The Sacred Art of Stealing. Part of me wishes I’d re-read the pair of them before starting this one – as there were references throughout that only just ever so dimly registered – but it was not totally necessary. Anyway, I’ve already told you about my Brookmyre problem, so delaying the pleasure of reading this one by re-reading the two previous books was never going to be an option.
I love Angelique de Xavia. She appeals to the outcast in me. I think I like her more than Jack Parlabane and at least as much as that woman from All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye who must be due another book soon. And my favourite thing about her is reprised here – that she is a black Catholic Glasgow girl who is a Rangers supporter. (The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as they say)
When I was in high school, I must have been about twelve, I had to write a book review on a book of my choice. My chosen book was Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Niggers, which is now called And Then There Were None and in the film the poem that is central to the story became Ten Little Indians – racism against Native Americans somehow seeming less obnoxious than racism against Black Americans.
I wrote in my essay that the problem I had with Mystery Stories was that the author always keeps something back, the vital piece of information, and that is the bit of information that matters the most. My English teacher – smug bitch that she was – wrote something dismissive beside this comment, something to the effect that this, after all, is the point of a mystery story. Yes, yes, touché. But I intended something much more than my fumbling pen at the time achieved. That story was, if I can remember at all correctly (and I haven’t read it since I was twelve), written in omniscient narration. You know what I mean? The word ‘omniscient’ means ‘Knows everything’. Well, if the narrator knows everything, where is there room for any mystery? It is hard not to feel cheated by the little facts conveniently left unsaid.
We read this novel from behind the eyes of about three of the characters in turn. The fact we don’t know what is going to happen next is either because the characters themselves don’t know or because they aren’t prepared to tell us, and they are more than happy to let us know that it is none of our business when they decide not to tell us.
Best of all is that Brookmyre sets up a series of things that we know have to happen in this book. You know the sorts of things – boy must get girl, those needing to be rescued need to be rescued, good needs to prevail; all that sort of thing. But given we know all of these things must happen in no way makes the impossibility of any of them seeming to be able to happen ever at all less likely during the book. This guy knows how to plot a story. This guy grabs you by the sleeve and drags you to the end of the book and doesn’t care how many door-frames and interior walls you bounce off as he quickens his pace. It is a matter of keeping up or getting hurt – so you’d better keep up. Fortunately, he is always in control.
If you ever want to write a book like this here are a few pointers I’ve picked up mostly from Mr Brookmyre. First, don’t build to a climax – splash in boots and all. You should have your audience by the throat from as early as you can, page one if you can manage it. If, in this book, you can stop reading after page 15 (I’m serious, I’ve just checked) then this book won’t appeal to you at all and you might as well stop reading. Follow the first climax with another, involving someone completely different. Make incredibly nasty things happen to your nicest characters. Give them gaols and hopes and desires and then piss all over them. Make every single character count. Every thread needs to weave into the tapestry. If you create a question in the book, make sure of two things, the question is answered in a way that your reader would not be able to guess beforehand – the answer is better than the reader would have guessed before hand. Only take your foot off the accelerator pedal to shift into a gear that allows you to add more speed.
The thing is that I knew he was going to have me twisting and turning throughout this book, I even knew where this all had to end up – but even knowing both of these things I was still guessing the whole way through and never once did I feel cheated and never once did I know where he was going to twist me.
This book is about punishing people that I normally would rejoice in seeing brought low, humiliated, and shown to be hypocrites. But Brookmyre even turns this into an interesting mirror. And not one I particularly enjoyed seeing myself looking into. Okay, okay, perhaps the slow and painful death of everyone in the Big Brother House isn’t quite the unequivocal good I had thought it might have been – and I must say that I’m more than a little annoyed at being disabused of that particular fantasy, Mr Brookmyre.
These three novels would make brilliant films – particularly my favourite, The Sacred Art of Stealing - and I’ve no idea why so little of his stuff has appeared in film. The Brits did do a TV version of Quite Ugly One Morning and did so in a way that meant they couldn’t do any of the follow up books in the series, not least by getting Parlabane into a relationship with the lesbian policewoman, rather than the heterosexual nurse in that series of books, but hey, I'm not bitter.
What can I say? I lived through it – which is more than can be said for many of the characters. This is not for the faint-hearted, nor for anyone offended by strong language or rather strong sexual content and violence. Normally, the sex and violence would be enough to put me off – but he handles this stuff so well and his plotting is so good (Hitchcock in North By North-West good) that I can forgive him anything and everything. Magic, or rather: alakazammy, stairheid rammy.
Not that I’ve actually ever used cocaine, but if what they tell me is true, I guess Brookmyre has much the same effect.
NO SPOILERS
That’s the key to this review. If you want to find out about this book I suggest you read all three of the books that this one is the last bit of – the Angelique de Xavia trilogy (at least, so far). The other two being in order: A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away and The Sacred Art of Stealing. Part of me wishes I’d re-read the pair of them before starting this one – as there were references throughout that only just ever so dimly registered – but it was not totally necessary. Anyway, I’ve already told you about my Brookmyre problem, so delaying the pleasure of reading this one by re-reading the two previous books was never going to be an option.
I love Angelique de Xavia. She appeals to the outcast in me. I think I like her more than Jack Parlabane and at least as much as that woman from All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye who must be due another book soon. And my favourite thing about her is reprised here – that she is a black Catholic Glasgow girl who is a Rangers supporter. (The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as they say)
When I was in high school, I must have been about twelve, I had to write a book review on a book of my choice. My chosen book was Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Niggers, which is now called And Then There Were None and in the film the poem that is central to the story became Ten Little Indians – racism against Native Americans somehow seeming less obnoxious than racism against Black Americans.
I wrote in my essay that the problem I had with Mystery Stories was that the author always keeps something back, the vital piece of information, and that is the bit of information that matters the most. My English teacher – smug bitch that she was – wrote something dismissive beside this comment, something to the effect that this, after all, is the point of a mystery story. Yes, yes, touché. But I intended something much more than my fumbling pen at the time achieved. That story was, if I can remember at all correctly (and I haven’t read it since I was twelve), written in omniscient narration. You know what I mean? The word ‘omniscient’ means ‘Knows everything’. Well, if the narrator knows everything, where is there room for any mystery? It is hard not to feel cheated by the little facts conveniently left unsaid.
We read this novel from behind the eyes of about three of the characters in turn. The fact we don’t know what is going to happen next is either because the characters themselves don’t know or because they aren’t prepared to tell us, and they are more than happy to let us know that it is none of our business when they decide not to tell us.
Best of all is that Brookmyre sets up a series of things that we know have to happen in this book. You know the sorts of things – boy must get girl, those needing to be rescued need to be rescued, good needs to prevail; all that sort of thing. But given we know all of these things must happen in no way makes the impossibility of any of them seeming to be able to happen ever at all less likely during the book. This guy knows how to plot a story. This guy grabs you by the sleeve and drags you to the end of the book and doesn’t care how many door-frames and interior walls you bounce off as he quickens his pace. It is a matter of keeping up or getting hurt – so you’d better keep up. Fortunately, he is always in control.
If you ever want to write a book like this here are a few pointers I’ve picked up mostly from Mr Brookmyre. First, don’t build to a climax – splash in boots and all. You should have your audience by the throat from as early as you can, page one if you can manage it. If, in this book, you can stop reading after page 15 (I’m serious, I’ve just checked) then this book won’t appeal to you at all and you might as well stop reading. Follow the first climax with another, involving someone completely different. Make incredibly nasty things happen to your nicest characters. Give them gaols and hopes and desires and then piss all over them. Make every single character count. Every thread needs to weave into the tapestry. If you create a question in the book, make sure of two things, the question is answered in a way that your reader would not be able to guess beforehand – the answer is better than the reader would have guessed before hand. Only take your foot off the accelerator pedal to shift into a gear that allows you to add more speed.
The thing is that I knew he was going to have me twisting and turning throughout this book, I even knew where this all had to end up – but even knowing both of these things I was still guessing the whole way through and never once did I feel cheated and never once did I know where he was going to twist me.
This book is about punishing people that I normally would rejoice in seeing brought low, humiliated, and shown to be hypocrites. But Brookmyre even turns this into an interesting mirror. And not one I particularly enjoyed seeing myself looking into. Okay, okay, perhaps the slow and painful death of everyone in the Big Brother House isn’t quite the unequivocal good I had thought it might have been – and I must say that I’m more than a little annoyed at being disabused of that particular fantasy, Mr Brookmyre.
These three novels would make brilliant films – particularly my favourite, The Sacred Art of Stealing - and I’ve no idea why so little of his stuff has appeared in film. The Brits did do a TV version of Quite Ugly One Morning and did so in a way that meant they couldn’t do any of the follow up books in the series, not least by getting Parlabane into a relationship with the lesbian policewoman, rather than the heterosexual nurse in that series of books, but hey, I'm not bitter.
What can I say? I lived through it – which is more than can be said for many of the characters. This is not for the faint-hearted, nor for anyone offended by strong language or rather strong sexual content and violence. Normally, the sex and violence would be enough to put me off – but he handles this stuff so well and his plotting is so good (Hitchcock in North By North-West good) that I can forgive him anything and everything. Magic, or rather: alakazammy, stairheid rammy.
November 30, 2017
Crime novels hailing from the Northern Tier seem to take on the stereotypical national qualities of their places of origin. The Scandinoir (a term I'm desperately trying to push into the mainstream) I've read tends to feature grimly dysfunctional protagonists, tons of self-generated angst and lots of windswept gray seas -- just what you'd expect from the lands that brought us Strindberg and Ibsen. Tartan Noir, on the other hand, seems to revel in its own bad behavior; protagonists and antagonists alike have rougher edges, dirtier mouths, bigger chips on their shoulders, and more developed senses of humor (though it's usually pretty dark), as befits a nation that's spent most of the past two millennia fighting against (and usually losing to) its southern neighbor.
Take A Snow Ball in Hell, for instance.
Simon Darcourt -- a high-functioning psychopath recently made redundant from his job as freelance terrorist by the influx of so many other psychopaths willing to work for free -- has decided to better the state of British civilization by killing B-list "celebrities" in wholesale lots. He stages made-for-reality-snuff-TV extravaganzas around his exploits and dares the British public to look away, which, of course, it doesn't. The confounded police bring in mixed-race, terrorist-hunting Glasgow cop Angelique de Xavia to try to track down Darcourt again. Yes, again; she's done it before in an operation that ended in Darcourt's supposed death. As it turns out, she's not the only one hunting Darcourt, nor is he the only one she's hunting, and the hunters are hunting the other hunters as much as they're trying to flush out Darcourt. Hilarity and lots of corpses ensue.
Brookmyre, a Scot, gives the stage in turn to each of his principal characters and even a couple bit players, but his main mouthpieces are de Xavia, a bank robber/magician named Zal Innes, and of course Darcourt. As he did in Where the Bodies Are Buried , the author's able to present a credible and affecting inner life for his main female character, a "wee dark lassie" who's turned into a crack undercover investigator at the cost of her soul. Zal's a charismatic baddish boy who fell hard for Angelique during their last run-in (and she for him) and is tortured by his simultaneous needs to be with her and to stay away from her; he's a gifted magician who monetized his skills through performance-art robberies of large banks that were more crooked than the people robbing them. But the author's affection is clearly for Darcourt, whose first-person rants are so insane they make perfect sense, and whose outrage at the squalid tabloid-fueled manufacturing of disposable celebrity is so heartfelt you'll find yourself wondering why he doesn't exist in the real world. His first-chapter self-introduction is a tour de force of attitude, characterization and bravado.
The plot looks like a ball of yarn after a pack of kittens has had its way with it, which is part of the fun. You know the author's taking you somewhere, though God knows where; the tangles and switchbacks and triple-crosses are entertaining as you run across them, even though you'll lose track of who's doing what to whom a few pages later. Darcourt's plots and setups are so elaborate -- scams covering up other scams, backup plans multiple layers deep -- they remind me more of Mission: Impossible than anything that would happen in the real world, and he's not the only one. Everybody's playing three-dimensional chess in this one. This over-cleverness, paired with the over-tidiness of its ending, is one of the reasons I knocked off the better part of a star from my rating. The roller coaster's fun, but some way through I stopped believing any of it was real and just went along for the ride.
As mentioned, Brookmyre is Scottish and so are his characters, and they speak that way. You won't need subtitles, though an occasional Google lookup might be in order. A more important cultural issue (one that helped knock off that fifth star): how up-to-speed are you with 2008 British junk-celebrity lore? Characters name-drop relentlessly, assuming you know what they're talking about. I imagine that Darcourt's victims are tweaked versions of real D-listers that I'd totally recognize had only I been following the Daily Mail for the past decade. You say you open the Sun only for the Page 3 girl? Oh, dear; I'm afraid the jokes will fly right over your wee haid.
This is book three of a trilogy, a fact the book doesn't trumpet. I just thought the characters had unusually detailed (see: convoluted) backstories. You've been warned.
A Snow Ball in Hell is a fun, twisty, profane, hyper-attitudinal story that will keep you well-entertained while not hiding the fact that the author's messing with you throughout. If you've ever thrown things at your TV during X Factor, you'll love the premise. Just put your disbelief in a locked closet while you're reading and revel in the knowledge that this novel could never be set in Oslo.
Take A Snow Ball in Hell, for instance.
Simon Darcourt -- a high-functioning psychopath recently made redundant from his job as freelance terrorist by the influx of so many other psychopaths willing to work for free -- has decided to better the state of British civilization by killing B-list "celebrities" in wholesale lots. He stages made-for-reality-snuff-TV extravaganzas around his exploits and dares the British public to look away, which, of course, it doesn't. The confounded police bring in mixed-race, terrorist-hunting Glasgow cop Angelique de Xavia to try to track down Darcourt again. Yes, again; she's done it before in an operation that ended in Darcourt's supposed death. As it turns out, she's not the only one hunting Darcourt, nor is he the only one she's hunting, and the hunters are hunting the other hunters as much as they're trying to flush out Darcourt. Hilarity and lots of corpses ensue.
Brookmyre, a Scot, gives the stage in turn to each of his principal characters and even a couple bit players, but his main mouthpieces are de Xavia, a bank robber/magician named Zal Innes, and of course Darcourt. As he did in Where the Bodies Are Buried , the author's able to present a credible and affecting inner life for his main female character, a "wee dark lassie" who's turned into a crack undercover investigator at the cost of her soul. Zal's a charismatic baddish boy who fell hard for Angelique during their last run-in (and she for him) and is tortured by his simultaneous needs to be with her and to stay away from her; he's a gifted magician who monetized his skills through performance-art robberies of large banks that were more crooked than the people robbing them. But the author's affection is clearly for Darcourt, whose first-person rants are so insane they make perfect sense, and whose outrage at the squalid tabloid-fueled manufacturing of disposable celebrity is so heartfelt you'll find yourself wondering why he doesn't exist in the real world. His first-chapter self-introduction is a tour de force of attitude, characterization and bravado.
The plot looks like a ball of yarn after a pack of kittens has had its way with it, which is part of the fun. You know the author's taking you somewhere, though God knows where; the tangles and switchbacks and triple-crosses are entertaining as you run across them, even though you'll lose track of who's doing what to whom a few pages later. Darcourt's plots and setups are so elaborate -- scams covering up other scams, backup plans multiple layers deep -- they remind me more of Mission: Impossible than anything that would happen in the real world, and he's not the only one. Everybody's playing three-dimensional chess in this one. This over-cleverness, paired with the over-tidiness of its ending, is one of the reasons I knocked off the better part of a star from my rating. The roller coaster's fun, but some way through I stopped believing any of it was real and just went along for the ride.
As mentioned, Brookmyre is Scottish and so are his characters, and they speak that way. You won't need subtitles, though an occasional Google lookup might be in order. A more important cultural issue (one that helped knock off that fifth star): how up-to-speed are you with 2008 British junk-celebrity lore? Characters name-drop relentlessly, assuming you know what they're talking about. I imagine that Darcourt's victims are tweaked versions of real D-listers that I'd totally recognize had only I been following the Daily Mail for the past decade. You say you open the Sun only for the Page 3 girl? Oh, dear; I'm afraid the jokes will fly right over your wee haid.
This is book three of a trilogy, a fact the book doesn't trumpet. I just thought the characters had unusually detailed (see: convoluted) backstories. You've been warned.
A Snow Ball in Hell is a fun, twisty, profane, hyper-attitudinal story that will keep you well-entertained while not hiding the fact that the author's messing with you throughout. If you've ever thrown things at your TV during X Factor, you'll love the premise. Just put your disbelief in a locked closet while you're reading and revel in the knowledge that this novel could never be set in Oslo.
June 22, 2013
Finally someone who understands how I feel about Big Brother, Pop idols, The X Factor and Britain has no talent. Several times I've told work colleagues I would only watch Big Brother if there was a tank of pirahnas/sharks or a serial killer involved.
Fast paced, sarcastic wit and a great heroine, a few twists and turns and the return of Zal. Took my time reading it because I didn't want to devour it in one go and then sit starring at the bookcase.
Fast paced, sarcastic wit and a great heroine, a few twists and turns and the return of Zal. Took my time reading it because I didn't want to devour it in one go and then sit starring at the bookcase.
April 17, 2009
Wow. Um, wow. That was awesome. I recommend reading the other two in the series first (A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away, and The Sacred Art of Stealing), just so you know the characters and situation. And because they're great. So here's the disclaimer -- they all contain disturbing images and some extreme violence, so not for the faint of heart (or stomach). But they're all amazingly funny and sharp, and this one was really, um, wow. :) I think I'll go read it again now. Except that it's like a magician's trick -- once you know how it's done, you can't look at the trick the same way again.
Plot? Oh, um, Simon Darcourt comes back from the "dead", crazier than ever, Angelique is tapped to stop him, and she gets in such an awful situation that she decides to track down Zal, who has demonstrated yet again the Sacred Art of Leaving, to help her find her way out. Did I say wow? I'll never look at pop celebrities the same way again.
Plot? Oh, um, Simon Darcourt comes back from the "dead", crazier than ever, Angelique is tapped to stop him, and she gets in such an awful situation that she decides to track down Zal, who has demonstrated yet again the Sacred Art of Leaving, to help her find her way out. Did I say wow? I'll never look at pop celebrities the same way again.
May 25, 2017
This is a different kind of book in every which way- right from the language to the plot to the way of setting things up- which will slowly grow on you as the story progresses. I could not relate to it in the beginning and even thought if it was a wrong pick but all doubts disappeared after initial 50 odd pages!
The Scottish author is brilliant. You can't help but be struck by how intelligent his arguments, and compelling his justifications are as you get immersed in the story. Amazingly he is able to use this highly amoral character to brilliantly satirize our obsession with celebrity and fame which is the basic premise of the story.
This author needs to be read and talked for sure!
The Scottish author is brilliant. You can't help but be struck by how intelligent his arguments, and compelling his justifications are as you get immersed in the story. Amazingly he is able to use this highly amoral character to brilliantly satirize our obsession with celebrity and fame which is the basic premise of the story.
This author needs to be read and talked for sure!
September 5, 2014
A Snowball in Hell = (Simon Darcourt + celebrities) x (Angel X + Zal Innez) ^ Twists
It was great to see Zal back, i hadn't like the way things were left between him and Angelique. Though, to be honest, i didn't like the way things were left between them in this one, either.
Simon, Simon, Simon. I simply loathed him in 'A Big Boy...', but the things he did [read: the people he murdered] in this one made me love him.
I equal parts love and hate the way Brookmyre paces his books. It's a slow build up, with the characters and their plots not coming together until well into the book. And then once he's turned the tension up as much as it can go, all the major action spills out in the last 100 pages, relentless, non-stop. And in some ways, it feels so uneven. All that time and effort to blow his load so rapidly. But it works.
There were twists upon twists in this book, too. I loved that. I thought i'd figured something out and it gets revealed, but then another twist makes it all moot. Never a dull moment.
It was great to see Zal back, i hadn't like the way things were left between him and Angelique. Though, to be honest, i didn't like the way things were left between them in this one, either.
Simon, Simon, Simon. I simply loathed him in 'A Big Boy...', but the things he did [read: the people he murdered] in this one made me love him.
I equal parts love and hate the way Brookmyre paces his books. It's a slow build up, with the characters and their plots not coming together until well into the book. And then once he's turned the tension up as much as it can go, all the major action spills out in the last 100 pages, relentless, non-stop. And in some ways, it feels so uneven. All that time and effort to blow his load so rapidly. But it works.
There were twists upon twists in this book, too. I loved that. I thought i'd figured something out and it gets revealed, but then another twist makes it all moot. Never a dull moment.
July 21, 2014
Funny, as per usual.
It's a brilliant book when you don't know what's going to happen. Probably won't include it in my next Brookmyre re-reading spree though, because with the deception gone and plot twist anticipated (as I was reading it second time) I found myself little tired of the ever-present ranting tone and seriously wished that someone shut Simon the hell up earlier (I probably wished the same last time, just with the mystery awaiting I'd made through his chapters faster or so it'd seemed). Still had fun, though, Angelique is an awesome character for one thing, and I enjoyed her perspective immensely. It was great to see Zal again, too, and their storyline was nicely played. Also, it was quite enjoyable to all those moments when you could get cheated and to know how they'd play out.
It's a brilliant book when you don't know what's going to happen. Probably won't include it in my next Brookmyre re-reading spree though, because with the deception gone and plot twist anticipated (as I was reading it second time) I found myself little tired of the ever-present ranting tone and seriously wished that someone shut Simon the hell up earlier (I probably wished the same last time, just with the mystery awaiting I'd made through his chapters faster or so it'd seemed). Still had fun, though, Angelique is an awesome character for one thing, and I enjoyed her perspective immensely. It was great to see Zal again, too, and their storyline was nicely played. Also, it was quite enjoyable to all those moments when you could get cheated and to know how they'd play out.
June 6, 2020
It's taken me 18 months to read this, the third and final installment in the Angelique De Xavier series.
It follows A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away and The Sacred Art of Stealing.
A Snowball in Hell is every bit as good as the first two, and makes for a satisfying end to the series. It's typically profane, exciting, outrageous, amusing and compelling.
In short, it's another winner from Christopher Brookmyre. I look forward to reading more of his work.
4/5
It follows A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away and The Sacred Art of Stealing.
A Snowball in Hell is every bit as good as the first two, and makes for a satisfying end to the series. It's typically profane, exciting, outrageous, amusing and compelling.
In short, it's another winner from Christopher Brookmyre. I look forward to reading more of his work.
4/5
November 7, 2008
First line: Ladies and gentlemen, roll up! Roll on up! Step inside!
Are you sick of reality tv? Tired of the endless parade of vapid ‘celebrities’ it creates? Simon Darcourt is, and his response to it is certainly turning (and in some cases, removing) heads. Darcourt, aka the Black Spirit, is a hired assassin who has been keeping a low profile ever since the spectacular failure of his last job. But now he's decided to come out of retirement, and with the help of the Internet, is creating quite a stir with his very own reality show, one that his celebrity contestants are literally dying to be part of.
With the body count rising, the police call in Detective Angelique de Xavia, formerly a Glasgow police officer who is now working with an anti-terrorism task force based in Paris. Angelique has crossed paths with Darcourt before and knows how dangerous he is. She also knows that if she is going to stop him, she is going to need help – the special kind of help only her old lover Zal Innez, bank robber and magician, can provide. But first she has to find him, and then keep him from being arrested.
A SNOWBALL IN HELL brings together characters from two of Brookmyre’s previous books, A BIG BOY DID IT AND RAN AWAY and THE SACRED ART OF STEALING in a story that is a witty, sharp and sarcastic poke at the cult of celebrity. Nothing is as it seems in this book, and just when you think you’ve finally figured out what’s really going on, Brookmyre pulls off another twist. Although it takes a while to set up all the characters and bring them together, the complex and pacy plot makes this darkly comic book a real page turner.
This is Brookmyre in full rant mode and his amusing diatribes on celebrity and media struck a chord with me. He seems to be one of those authors you either ‘get’ or you don’t, and if, like me, you are in the first category, then you’ll love this book. While reading this, I did start to wonder what sort of person Brookmyre had turned me into, as I at times found myself rather guiltily cheering on Darcourt and laughing at some very gruesome, albeit imaginative, murders!
Are you sick of reality tv? Tired of the endless parade of vapid ‘celebrities’ it creates? Simon Darcourt is, and his response to it is certainly turning (and in some cases, removing) heads. Darcourt, aka the Black Spirit, is a hired assassin who has been keeping a low profile ever since the spectacular failure of his last job. But now he's decided to come out of retirement, and with the help of the Internet, is creating quite a stir with his very own reality show, one that his celebrity contestants are literally dying to be part of.
With the body count rising, the police call in Detective Angelique de Xavia, formerly a Glasgow police officer who is now working with an anti-terrorism task force based in Paris. Angelique has crossed paths with Darcourt before and knows how dangerous he is. She also knows that if she is going to stop him, she is going to need help – the special kind of help only her old lover Zal Innez, bank robber and magician, can provide. But first she has to find him, and then keep him from being arrested.
A SNOWBALL IN HELL brings together characters from two of Brookmyre’s previous books, A BIG BOY DID IT AND RAN AWAY and THE SACRED ART OF STEALING in a story that is a witty, sharp and sarcastic poke at the cult of celebrity. Nothing is as it seems in this book, and just when you think you’ve finally figured out what’s really going on, Brookmyre pulls off another twist. Although it takes a while to set up all the characters and bring them together, the complex and pacy plot makes this darkly comic book a real page turner.
This is Brookmyre in full rant mode and his amusing diatribes on celebrity and media struck a chord with me. He seems to be one of those authors you either ‘get’ or you don’t, and if, like me, you are in the first category, then you’ll love this book. While reading this, I did start to wonder what sort of person Brookmyre had turned me into, as I at times found myself rather guiltily cheering on Darcourt and laughing at some very gruesome, albeit imaginative, murders!
November 10, 2014
Not one of my favorite Brookmyre novels. It’s well written, and I was glad to see the recurring characters, but it’s disturbingly cynical, and takes such sneering pleasure in its cynicism. Granted, it’s a villain who does all the bad things, and the book is meant to be a dark comedy, so perhaps I’m overly sensitive.
I dislike inflammatory political commentators, reality television and celebrity culture as much as the next person, and the elaborately vengeful scenarios depicted in the book might have been darkly funny if they weren’t so extremely violent. The fantasy goes too far for me to enjoy it.
To counterbalance the nasty elements of the book, the author revives the love story between Angelique de Xavia and Zal Innez. Zal’s trickery is a lot of fun, and it’s a great relief that he carries out his schemes without killing anybody. Brookmyre can do heartwarming pretty well, too.
The action of the grand finale is twisty and exciting, as usual.
I dislike inflammatory political commentators, reality television and celebrity culture as much as the next person, and the elaborately vengeful scenarios depicted in the book might have been darkly funny if they weren’t so extremely violent. The fantasy goes too far for me to enjoy it.
To counterbalance the nasty elements of the book, the author revives the love story between Angelique de Xavia and Zal Innez. Zal’s trickery is a lot of fun, and it’s a great relief that he carries out his schemes without killing anybody. Brookmyre can do heartwarming pretty well, too.
The action of the grand finale is twisty and exciting, as usual.
October 5, 2014
Almost 10 years ago, a random jaunt through a bookstore allowed me to discover The Sacred Art of Stealing, a book I took great pleasure in, and allowed me to meet Zal Innez and Angelique de Xavia. I promptly fell in love with Christopher Brookmyre's fiction and writing (which, if you have read any of my reviews of his books, you already know). So it is such a wonderful pleasure to revisit their world, find two of fiction's most likeable characters still adrift as they were at the beginning and end of Sacred Art of Stealing, and follow their tremulous journey through yet another wild ride.
Really makes me wish I had my copy of Sacred Art of Stealing with me, so I could reread that wonderful treasure while I savor the glow from this one.
Really makes me wish I had my copy of Sacred Art of Stealing with me, so I could reread that wonderful treasure while I savor the glow from this one.
January 7, 2016
A hugely thrilling climax to an epic trilogy.
This book brings back all of the characters from the previous two books in one incredible climax. Simon Darcourt is back with a vengeance and his schemes are even more twisted and elaborate than ever before. There were times where I had no idea how Brookmyre had even begun to imagine them.
Angelique is brought in to stop Darcourt and she is as brilliant as ever. Smart, witty and ballsy, she is a really fascinating character, particularly once the wonderful (and my favourite character) Zal is brought back in.
Brookmyre takes you on a huge ride with barely any time to catch your breath, and weaves the plot wonderfully between the main characters. There are twists along that way that I did not see coming.
A really brilliant ending.
This book brings back all of the characters from the previous two books in one incredible climax. Simon Darcourt is back with a vengeance and his schemes are even more twisted and elaborate than ever before. There were times where I had no idea how Brookmyre had even begun to imagine them.
Angelique is brought in to stop Darcourt and she is as brilliant as ever. Smart, witty and ballsy, she is a really fascinating character, particularly once the wonderful (and my favourite character) Zal is brought back in.
Brookmyre takes you on a huge ride with barely any time to catch your breath, and weaves the plot wonderfully between the main characters. There are twists along that way that I did not see coming.
A really brilliant ending.
May 28, 2018
Not quite as packed with action as "A Big Boy Did It" or quite as clever as "The Sacred Art of Stealing", this is a fitting final book to the series, with a bit of suspense, a bit of fun and a bit of romance. The ending was very neat - perhaps a bit too tidy. A fitting end to a fun series.
October 7, 2016
Started off really, really strong but by page 120 I lost interest. Maybe I'll go back to it at a later date.
July 28, 2024
This book is a sequel to two different books: it follows A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away, which sets up super-villain Simon Darcourt and police inspector Angelique de Xavia, who (with delightful amateur help) foils Darcourt's plot to sabotage a Scottish power plant. It also follows The Sacred Art of Stealing, in which Darcourt is completely off-stage, and de Xavia develops an unlikely and star-crossed relationship with magician and bank robber Zal Innez.
In this book, Darcourt plans--and carries out--an exceptionally nasty, extremely public exhibition of cruelty and manipulation. De Xavia and the police are thwarted at many turns by Darcourt's ingenuity. Zal, meanwhile, is in hiding from investigators hired by the bank he robbed in the previous book. He and Angelique have reluctantly more or less given up on each other. As Darcourt's scheme gets more vicious and more public, Angelique realizes that nothing but Zal's expertise with misdirection will help, and she sets out to find him.
While Angelique and Zal (and a horde of policemen) are trying to stop Darcourt, they are also both trying to protect each other from romantic pain. Darcourt, meanwhile, is trying to both get away with boatloads of money, protect himself from an implacable enemy much more dangerous than the police, and preserve his image for future generations. The plot gets more and more twisted, as the stakes get higher.
The book is more or less perfectly paced, deeply suspenseful, and often surprising. Even when I thought I saw how a twist would work, Brookmyre put in one more twist and brought me up short again. A truly riveting thriller.
In this book, Darcourt plans--and carries out--an exceptionally nasty, extremely public exhibition of cruelty and manipulation. De Xavia and the police are thwarted at many turns by Darcourt's ingenuity. Zal, meanwhile, is in hiding from investigators hired by the bank he robbed in the previous book. He and Angelique have reluctantly more or less given up on each other. As Darcourt's scheme gets more vicious and more public, Angelique realizes that nothing but Zal's expertise with misdirection will help, and she sets out to find him.
While Angelique and Zal (and a horde of policemen) are trying to stop Darcourt, they are also both trying to protect each other from romantic pain. Darcourt, meanwhile, is trying to both get away with boatloads of money, protect himself from an implacable enemy much more dangerous than the police, and preserve his image for future generations. The plot gets more and more twisted, as the stakes get higher.
The book is more or less perfectly paced, deeply suspenseful, and often surprising. Even when I thought I saw how a twist would work, Brookmyre put in one more twist and brought me up short again. A truly riveting thriller.
November 23, 2024
Simon Darcourt ist ein Killer mit einem ganz besonderen Humor. Zur Zeit hat er sich auf Menschen spezialisiert die für 15 Minuten Ruhm sterben würden- nicht ahnend dass Simon diesen Wunsch Wirklichkeit werden lässt. Angelique de Xavia war das Aushängeschild der Polizei von Glosgow bevor sie in eine internationale Spezialeinheit zur Bekämpfung von Terrorismus berufen wurde. Sie schaffte es vor Jahren schon einmal Darcourt das Handwerk zu legen und soll auch jetzt seiner verrückten Serie ein Ende machen. Doch dieses Mal sind Simon und Angelique nicht die Einzigen, die bei diesem Spiel teilnehmen und für alle steht mehr auf dem Spiel als sie ahnen.
Man könnte fast sagen dass Simon Darcourt auf eine perverse Art und Weise sein Gewissen wieder gefunden hat. Seine Opfer sind alle auf ihre Art Verbrecher: sie begehen Verbrechen am guten Geschmack. Aber die Art, wie er sie bestraft kann natürlich nicht angehen und so heftet sich Angelique gemeinsam mit ihrem Team auf seine Fersen. Wer sie kennt weiß auch dass sie Erfolg haben wird, die Frage ist nur wie sie es schaffen wird Darcourt zur Strecke zu bringen.
So gerne Christopher Brookmyre seine Leser auch verwirrt: dieses Mal ist von Anfang an klar wie alles zusammen gehört. Täter sucht Opfer, Täter "bestraft" Opfer, Polizei macht sich auf die Jagd nach dem Täter. Das klingt nach einem ganz normalen Krimi. Doch wer Brookmyre kennt weiß, dass das nicht alles ist. Die Art, wie alles abläuft macht den Reiz dieses Buchs aus denn nichts ist wirklich vorhersehbar, auch wenn ich das manchmal dachte. Vielleicht bin ich ein bisschen voreingenommen was den Autor betrifft, aber ich vergebe -komplett von dem Buch überzeugt-
Man könnte fast sagen dass Simon Darcourt auf eine perverse Art und Weise sein Gewissen wieder gefunden hat. Seine Opfer sind alle auf ihre Art Verbrecher: sie begehen Verbrechen am guten Geschmack. Aber die Art, wie er sie bestraft kann natürlich nicht angehen und so heftet sich Angelique gemeinsam mit ihrem Team auf seine Fersen. Wer sie kennt weiß auch dass sie Erfolg haben wird, die Frage ist nur wie sie es schaffen wird Darcourt zur Strecke zu bringen.
So gerne Christopher Brookmyre seine Leser auch verwirrt: dieses Mal ist von Anfang an klar wie alles zusammen gehört. Täter sucht Opfer, Täter "bestraft" Opfer, Polizei macht sich auf die Jagd nach dem Täter. Das klingt nach einem ganz normalen Krimi. Doch wer Brookmyre kennt weiß, dass das nicht alles ist. Die Art, wie alles abläuft macht den Reiz dieses Buchs aus denn nichts ist wirklich vorhersehbar, auch wenn ich das manchmal dachte. Vielleicht bin ich ein bisschen voreingenommen was den Autor betrifft, aber ich vergebe -komplett von dem Buch überzeugt-
June 16, 2023
Oh Angelique!
Book 3 of the Angelique De Xavia series... The cool thirty-something Scottish police detective turned agent, now working in counter terrorism. Her career is going great shakes... Her personal life perhaps less so. Having missed a liaison with her bank robber amour, Zal Ines, that whole relationship is now a big old 'what if?' in the past. Perhaps for the best, hey?
But the past doesn't always stay buried. An old enemy resurfaces, out for revenge - against the fame that evaded him, the public that scorned him in favour of celebrity nonsense, any wannabe, the sensationalist media, performative outrage... In short any of the new role models in a dumbed down culture. And he's going to take out his vengeance in as sadistic and public a way as he can. And he wants Angelique, who foiled him the last to suffer too.
Angelique will need a few tricks up her sleeve to win, and the best card she can play is Zal. One small problem... She doesn't know where he is.
I love this book and I love these characters. Dripping with satire, extremely funny, quarter of a star off for ripping into Echo and the Bunnymen. Only joking!
Chris, it's never too late. Bring Angelique back! Please!
Book 3 of the Angelique De Xavia series... The cool thirty-something Scottish police detective turned agent, now working in counter terrorism. Her career is going great shakes... Her personal life perhaps less so. Having missed a liaison with her bank robber amour, Zal Ines, that whole relationship is now a big old 'what if?' in the past. Perhaps for the best, hey?
But the past doesn't always stay buried. An old enemy resurfaces, out for revenge - against the fame that evaded him, the public that scorned him in favour of celebrity nonsense, any wannabe, the sensationalist media, performative outrage... In short any of the new role models in a dumbed down culture. And he's going to take out his vengeance in as sadistic and public a way as he can. And he wants Angelique, who foiled him the last to suffer too.
Angelique will need a few tricks up her sleeve to win, and the best card she can play is Zal. One small problem... She doesn't know where he is.
I love this book and I love these characters. Dripping with satire, extremely funny, quarter of a star off for ripping into Echo and the Bunnymen. Only joking!
Chris, it's never too late. Bring Angelique back! Please!
April 24, 2025
Angel X is back from a hostage situation and is suffering from PTSD and wants to resign, But she is assigned one more task of capturing her nemisis from the 1st book (Big boy did it….) Simon Darcorte is back and is on a rampage kidnapping, torturing and killing celebrities and garnering maximum viewership.
When the situation gets personal, Angel X tracks Zal to nab Simon. There are multiple tracks in the book and from different POVs. Darcorte's perspective and his dark and insane thoughts are in the first person, which made it more effective. I liked Zal's track as the illusionist and his various misdirections.
There is plenty of action and twists to keep you at the edge of your seat. And a lot of violence, blood and gore.
In his other books, I felt there were too much of unwanted information, but in this one all the details were necessary.
I enjoyed this from start to end. Never mind some implausible plot elements - like the villain being able to pull off an elaborate scheme all alone.
Kenneth Blythe's audio narration was just perfect.
When the situation gets personal, Angel X tracks Zal to nab Simon. There are multiple tracks in the book and from different POVs. Darcorte's perspective and his dark and insane thoughts are in the first person, which made it more effective. I liked Zal's track as the illusionist and his various misdirections.
There is plenty of action and twists to keep you at the edge of your seat. And a lot of violence, blood and gore.
In his other books, I felt there were too much of unwanted information, but in this one all the details were necessary.
I enjoyed this from start to end. Never mind some implausible plot elements - like the villain being able to pull off an elaborate scheme all alone.
Kenneth Blythe's audio narration was just perfect.
February 20, 2020
If you've read one Brookmyre, you've read 'em all. A cartoonish villain who gets screwed over by his own hubris? Check. A convoluted, multi-million dollar heist? Check. Lengthy rants about social issues—in this case, Islamic extremism and the shallowness of media and celebrity worship? Check. Black humour? Check.
I didn't like A Snowball in Hell as much as some of the other Brookmyre novels. The plot is all over the place, with a ton of focus re-introducing Detective Investigator Angelique de Xavia in the middle of an Islamic terror plot in Paris, which doesn't do much for the story except give the author a soapbox to bitch about religion. The main plot is a man who kidnaps C-list "celebrities," holds them hostage, murders them...and streams the whole thing, because people who care about reality TV love twisted shit! Either the villain is a goddamn genius, or the technology and timing involved in this elaborate plot are too far-fetched even for a Brookmyre novel. This novel also focuses on the forbidden romance between Angelique and infamous bankrobber/magician Zal. I have to admit that the "happily ever after" ending is cute, but at the same time it bothers me how the badass heroine conforms to the boring marriage-and-a-baby trope.
As usual, the shift in perspective between characters keeps the reader guessing. The dramatic irony is brilliant. At times Brookmyre gives us exactly what we expect, while at others he turns the plot in an unexpected direction. And, as usual, everything is wrapped up in a nice little package, with each character getting exactly the fate that he or she deserves. I'm starting to get the feeling that this guy is a long-winded one-trick pony. Sure, his trick is a good one, but I'm losing my appetite for it.
I didn't like A Snowball in Hell as much as some of the other Brookmyre novels. The plot is all over the place, with a ton of focus re-introducing Detective Investigator Angelique de Xavia in the middle of an Islamic terror plot in Paris, which doesn't do much for the story except give the author a soapbox to bitch about religion. The main plot is a man who kidnaps C-list "celebrities," holds them hostage, murders them...and streams the whole thing, because people who care about reality TV love twisted shit! Either the villain is a goddamn genius, or the technology and timing involved in this elaborate plot are too far-fetched even for a Brookmyre novel. This novel also focuses on the forbidden romance between Angelique and infamous bankrobber/magician Zal. I have to admit that the "happily ever after" ending is cute, but at the same time it bothers me how the badass heroine conforms to the boring marriage-and-a-baby trope.
As usual, the shift in perspective between characters keeps the reader guessing. The dramatic irony is brilliant. At times Brookmyre gives us exactly what we expect, while at others he turns the plot in an unexpected direction. And, as usual, everything is wrapped up in a nice little package, with each character getting exactly the fate that he or she deserves. I'm starting to get the feeling that this guy is a long-winded one-trick pony. Sure, his trick is a good one, but I'm losing my appetite for it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2020
So much fun. Simon Darcourt is a wonderful villain with his rants on anything and everything from B-list celebrities to landfill pop. The way the novel comes together is great too and it's nice to see all of the characters, from previous books in the series, return. The murderous intentions, the various flashbacks including a darkly amusing disposal of arms dealers, and the profanity for which Brookmyre is so admired are all present and the result is a book that doesn't care what you think - it just goes for it and succeeds in its intentions.
March 31, 2024
chris brookmyre showed how easy it was for him to be an evil shitposter in a big boy did it and ran away, but his second bite at the apple is tempered by the extreme humanity and empathy on display in other parts of the book. it winds up twisting itself into a bottomless meditation on art and the ways people do it and the importance of intention and love in its practice. picking a favorite brookmyre is tough, but this one is probably on the highest stair.
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July 15, 2024Manipulations and misdirection are the name of the game, but who knew that more than one person was playing? Better keep your wits about you to follow the twists and turns of this meticulously plotted thriller. If you like your humour dark, Christopher Brookmyre delivers, as well as thought provoking reflections on our obsession with celebrity culture and who qualifies as a “Celebrity.” The mirror he holds up to our society isn’t an edifying one.
May 30, 2017
Loved it loved it loved it. Sharp and harsh and screamingly funny and horrendously violent, absolutely one of my favourites. I don't even like violent books! Brookmyre books are the exception. The good ship Black & Decker, OMG - no, shutting up. No spoilers. Loved it.
A read date? I've read it about 3 times, the last time about 6 months ago. I'll go for that one.
A read date? I've read it about 3 times, the last time about 6 months ago. I'll go for that one.
May 9, 2018
Take a touch of celebrity tv , magic , a pinch of violence and a mix of sadism blended with a drizzle of police officers and you have this read. I enjoy Christopher Brookmyre novels - they are funny , rude and different - and I miss a high percentage of the jokes , the twists and the messages that his work contains.
January 29, 2020
A techie fantasy, a morality tale and a love story
Structurally chaotic and more than occasionally improbable but the pure vitality and originality of the characters make for a highly enjoyable read..CB continues to please!
Structurally chaotic and more than occasionally improbable but the pure vitality and originality of the characters make for a highly enjoyable read..CB continues to please!
November 28, 2024
Good but with some faults
Prose is amazing but the ''asides '', which break up the main story line, are too often and too long.
Story line is pretty implausible.
Also , I'm not sure that a non Scot would be at home with the Scottish vernacular.
Prose is amazing but the ''asides '', which break up the main story line, are too often and too long.
Story line is pretty implausible.
Also , I'm not sure that a non Scot would be at home with the Scottish vernacular.
January 7, 2018
Highly enjoyable as the other two in the sequel.
June 18, 2018
This book is excellente and love this book.
August 28, 2018
Most enjoyable murder/mystery/satire. Brookmyre rips into the cult of celebrity whilst dragging us screaming down a corkscrew switchback ride of a plot.
March 12, 2019
Great
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