We Have Lost The Pelicans

We Have Lost #2

by Paul Mathews

London, 2044. The St James’ Park pelicans have gone missing – the day before the British President unveils the country’s new pelican flag. At the same time, British intelligence uncovers coded messages about possible anti-Government activity. Who are the bird-nappers? What do they want with London’s prized pelicans? And who is behind those secret messages? Britain’s hungriest secret agent, Howie Pond – licence to lunch – reluctantly agrees to try and find out.

Howie’s newshound fiancée, Britt, has a secret mission of her own – to identify the mysterious owner of Windsor Castle. That means calling on the help of her alter ego, Miss Pellie Cann, and her American charms. And to add to the chaos, Howie and Britt are supposed to be getting married tomorrow...

'We Have Lost The Pelicans' is the second comedy-thriller novel in the We Have Lost series and carries on from where 'We Have Lost The President' left off. It's packed with the same great humour and exciting action, and a double mystery that will keep you guessing. Meet some old friends and a host of new characters when you take another trip to London, 2044.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Contemporary

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 26, 2016

About the author

Paul Mathews is a quite funny British guy whose sharp, satirical - often surreal - sense of humour has been honed during half a century of not taking life too seriously. He gains inspiration from his love of good food, tea, four-legged animals & the quirks and quibbles of British life. Visit his website at www.quitefunnyguy.com. Or not. Whatever.

Reviews

[Jan Di Gann · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the same spirit as Monty Python and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, this is an over-the-top rant of absurdity, that finally, against all odds, pulls together it's disparate bits of nonsense into a final denouement that actually makes a crazy kind of sense. A must read for those who walk a cooked path.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first introduction to British political satire and I rather enjoyed it. The fact that it’s set in the near future makes the story all the more priceless. It’s the future, so you expect that things will be better, or at least radically different. Turns out that incompetent bureaucratic boobs are forever, and so is the fallout they create around them with their bumbling, self-serving antics. So the future is very much the same as today, only worse. The internet doesn’t work, and one shouldn’t be surprised; the future as is the government is being run by people you wouldn’t put in charge of fixing your toilet for you, so, of course, nothing works.

The fact that the pelicans have gone missing from the park and this is tantamount to a national crisis speaks to proper portion in all things, not because anyone in office gives a damn about pelicans, but because it all appears to be tied to a political speech that could make or break a career of a high official, which, of course, means, it could make or break the career of everyone working for him, which apparently is 99% of the free world. When this many heads stand to roll, you can appreciate why missing pelicans would be a national crisis.

And so it goes in this priceless sendup to the self-destructive human psychosis that forces each of us to keep electing the same goobers to office year in and year out.

There are a number of delicious mysteries that also power this story along and that dovetail into one another, adding no small amount of suspense and laughs along the way. Much of the humor is situational as opposed to wisecracking, snarky dialogue. The fact that these characters don’t see themselves as funny or appreciate the humor in their antics makes them all the more hilarious.

I’m new to this author, but based on this read, I will definitely swing around to check out the first book in the series, which, no surprise, is doing quite well in the rankings, I see.

(note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review)

[Adam Lasnik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping for something Douglas Adams'y -- admittedly unfair to author -- and was, unsurprisingly, rather disappointed.

Characters were rather one-dimensional, humor fell kinda flat for me, and the plot kinda painfully straddled wacky and straight.

A few positive notes:
- Some nice turns of phrases
- Character and scene descriptions mostly well-crafted and appropriately lengthed
- Everything was wrapped up nicely in the end

[Mardra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and fun read. A perfect book for a long plane ride. It transported me out the the present in a needed and delightful way.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you like Political Satire and a bit of a look into the future with a few laughs along the way, then this book is for you.

“We Have Lost The Pelicans” was rather different to what i had expected. I laughed but wasn’t sure if i was laughing in the correct places. It had a little bit of mystery and suspense in there too but again I was kind of confused in parts.

I must add that I’m not really a Political Satire kind of girl but i think for those who are, this book will be a real treat.
Thank you to TBC for an advanced copy

[hollace turnage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

I couldn't put this book down even to eat lunch. Good insights into the human psyche and very funny. Can't wait to start The next book .

[Mary M. Parke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good and amusing read

Highly entertaining and fast paced read for futuristic mystery lovers. Set in Britain, is charged with a ribald dry sense of humor. Can't wait for the next installment in this series.

[April Dangerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lighthearted Comedy

Both my husband and I enjoyed the 2 books, We Have Lost the President and We Have Lost the Pelicans. Great stories , well-written and enjoyable. It is wonderful to read something that is fun,

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept waiting for the funny bits, but they never showed up. It was a slog. I abandoned it about 1/3 of the way through, without even feeling a need to skip to the back and see how things end up. I just don't care.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

This is a fun read. Not great literature...just entertainment. Near future with cute plot line and relatable characters. Read 'We Have Lost the President' first for the full story.

[Dave Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun and funny book with a plot line that kept me pretty intrigued from beginning to end. The characters are well developed and there is a genuine mystery involved. This is a really good book with a good sense of British humor. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Jose Bonangelino · Rating 4 out of 5]

We lost the pelican

Amusing and the action keeps moving. It's a fun read. Makes you smile on several occasions. Looking forward to the others in the series.

[BeverlyNespal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am continuing to read the series. This book was funny in the way I'd expect British humor. I always love the fact that they tie the story line to a "What would James Bond do?" to Howie Bond. There are always twists and turns and that keeps in reading.

[June Barnard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay, but I struggled to finish it. His first in the series We have lost the President was much better.

[Teresa Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a fun book to read

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

ODD ODD ODD

Kinda odd, not the funniest thing I ever read, but entertaining. Light reading, perfect for an afternoon and evening read.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madcap sprint through future England

Very entertaining read about a couple bumbling their way towards their wedding saving Pelicans and England at the same time.

[Thelizyouknow · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Welcome to London, 2044. The land that flavour forgot."

Humor, however, hasn't forgotten anything in this riotous second book in Paul Matthews series. Howie is about to marry Britt, but both their careers are interfering, and the pelicans of St. James's Park have disappeared, putting a kink in Howie's plans for the announcement of the new British flag, which will feature a pelican.

Many of the old characters are back, and are as clueless as ever. The new ones aren't any brighter, and the plot spins itself into a glorious muddle.

This book is one that can be recommended without reservation, except that management accepts no responsibility for readers doing themselves an injury due to excessive bouts of laughter. Go read it. You really will enjoy it that much.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, this book and its predecessor, We Have Lost the President, were long on my list of "to be read," before I finally carved out time to read them. Our favorite heroes, Britt & Howie are back - both with last minute assignments to complete before their wedding ceremony the next day. The amount of trouble they each individually and separately get themselves into in a short 48-hour period is what fuels the book's humor. Will they make it through their respective troubling circumstances in time to get hitched? And how will they solve the mysteries of the missing pelicans and the weird goings-on at Windsor Castle? This is a light and fun read. So enjoy!

[Melanie Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like this book. The story was quite engaging, the concept was OK, but it wasn't quite funny or engaging enough. I found myself feeling like I HAD to keep reading, rather than wanting to keep reading. I haven't read the first book, maybe that would have helped. It was fairly entertaining but it's not going to be one that I recommend. Still, I always think that I don't have the brains or the bottle to write a book, so simply for that reason, it's worth a look and the author deserves commending.

[Peggi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a palate-cleanser.......after being serious and adulting for far too long, I needed this. I can see it as a delightful movie, a weekend diversion. Don't spoil it by trying to be sensible, just go along for the ride.

[Frances J Lee-Dahm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Howie

Anyone who enjoys a nice feel good book will love We Have Lost The Pelicans. It's funny and quirky. I love the characters but especially Howie. I read the first book in the series and can't wait to read the next Howie adventure.

[Anne Gatchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun vacation read! I couldn't put it down. Loved the humor and the plot!

[Anam Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this book simply because it had pelicans in the title and I love pelicans. Not a good reason to choose a book.

The story is set in England in the future. The monarchy has been overthrown and there is now a republic. The new flag will have on it a pelican and there are pelicans in St. James Park. The idea is that the pelicans will be on display when the new flag is unveiled. The problem is that the pelicans are gone. From that simple premise the entire story flows.

It was mildly amusing, but not the funny I had expected from reviews. I found the whole thing to be a bit absurd, which can produce giggles, but not out and out laughter.

The ending was a bit convoluted also in my opinion.

It is, finally, a book to read when you are totally out of other things to do/read. Fine, but with so many other choices in life, why pick this?

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 2nd book in the “We Have Lost ...” series and I liked it just as well as, if not better than, the first book. Howie is important in the government, yet comical. His fiancée Britt, is a stellar journalist who manages to get herself involved in some interesting scenarios. It’s a “thriller” without being too heavy.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not my cup of tea. Maybe I would have liked it more if I were a Brit. Or knew more about English history. I'm just not a big fan on satire, so I don't know why this was even on my Kindle, but I thought I would give it a shot. I won't be reading any more in the series, thought there are many other readers who seemed to really enjoy it.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the second installment of we have lost....lost a bit of the comedy compared to the first one. It was still an entertaining read. A bit more adventurous/ detective than the first one, had a few suspenseful moments. All in all an entertaining read, helps pass the time when you want a small break from serious and or heavy stories. A good in-between read for sure. Will surely read the 3rd book

[Sheila Williams Haettich · Rating 3 out of 5]

A delightful piece of fluff that was a welcome relief after struggling through 600+ pages from an author I used to like a lot. Rather one dimensional but typical British satire. Over all, a fun read.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun story. Great timing. I laughed out loud a few times. Zane is a wonderful boob. The various plot lines all come together in the end. Howie seems to get things right in the end with the help of Martha.

[Sheila Alexander · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lowest rating I have ever given a book. I am so glad that I just borrowed it. Silly story that made no sense!