Kill 'Em All

by John Niven

The long-awaited sequel to KILL YOUR FRIENDS

It is 2017 – the time of Trump, Brexit and fake news. And time for the return of Steven Stelfox, exactly twenty years on from his Britpop heyday.

Now forty-seven and rich beyond the dreams of avarice, Stelfox works only occasionally as a music industry ‘consultant’. A fixer. A problem solver. He’s had a call from his old friend James Trellick, now president of Unigram, one of the largest record companies in America. Trellick has a huge headache on his hands in the shape of...

Lucius Du Pre. The biggest pop star on earth. Well, once the biggest pop star on earth. Now he’s a helpless junkie and a prolific, unrepentant sexual predator. Through a programme of debt restructuring so complex even Trellick can barely understand it, Du Pre is massively in hock to the record company. The only way he can possibly pay it off is to embark on a worldwide comeback tour he’s in no shape to do. The picture is further complicated when the parents of one of Du Pre’s ‘special friends’ begin blackmailing him. If their video gets out, Du Pre’s brand will be utterly toxic and will take Unigram down with it.

Enter Stelfox stage right. Only he has the lack of morality to spin this one. With stealth and cunning he begins to chart a road out of the nightmare and to make a killing in the process. For this age of ‘American carnage’ – of populism, of the lowest common denominator, of the Big Lie – is truly Stelfox’s time to shine. But in this time of uncertainty, nothing is a given.
_____________________

‘A banging action satirical thriller. But it’s also a proper novel about the Trumpian era, of the reality TV era, the fake news era. It’s managed to say a lot of things in a way that very few other novels are doing and in a very comedic way’ IRVINE WELSH

'A bruising triumph; Amis' MONEY for the Trump generation. What a monster he's created' IAN RANKIN

‘John Niven understands our era better than almost anyone’ DOUGLAS COUPLAND

‘A scabrously entertaining satire of what it is like to be rich and white in the land of the free if you are utterly depraved, “where money doesn’t just talk, or swear, it nukes”. … There is a twisted poetry in Niven’s mastery of invective’ THE TIMES

‘Savagely, viciously witty, this frantic hymn to greed is filthy, frenetic and totally fabulous’ SUNDAY MIRROR

‘A full-throttle send up of toxic masculinity … Niven at full tilt is always something to behold.’ METRO

Genres: Fiction, Music, Audiobook, Humor, Thriller, Contemporary, Roman

352 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2018

About the author

Born in Irvine, Ayrshire, Niven read English Literature at Glasgow University, graduating in 1991 with First Class honours. For the next ten years, he worked for a variety of record companies, including London Records and Independiente. He left the music industry to write full time in 2002 and published his debut novella Music from Big Pink in 2005 (Continuum Press). The novella was optioned for the screen by CC Films with a script has been written by English playwright Jez Butterworth. Niven's breakthrough novel Kill Your Friends is a satire of the music business, based on his brief career in A&R, during which he passed up the chance to sign Coldplay and Muse. The novel was published by William Heinemann in 2008 and achieved much acclaim, with Word magazine describing it as "possibly the best British Novel since Trainspotting". It has been translated into seven languages and was a bestseller in Britain and Germany. Niven has since published The Amateurs (2009), The Second Coming (2011), Cold Hands (2012) and Straight White Male (2013).

He also writes original screenplays with writing partner Nick Ball, the younger brother of British TV presenter Zoë Ball. His journalistic contributions to newspapers and magazines include a monthly column for Q magazine, entitled "London Kills Me". In 2009 Niven wrote a controversial article for The Independent newspaper where he attacked the media's largely complacent coverage of Michael Jackson's death.

Niven lives in Buckinghamshire with his fiancee and infant daughter. He has a teenage son from a previous marriage.

Reviews

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘‘The music industry. What do you think happened to it?''

Dude I have questionable taste... I went into this without knowing shit about it and I was surprised. I think that if you love Kill Your Friends or enjoyed it, you will like this. I also think that it can stand as a standalone novel. I don’t really have much to say *shocking I know*, experience it if you don’t mind some questionable stuff.

‘’HOUSE OF CARDS WILL RESUME PRODUCTION WITHOUT SPACEY.’’
Yes Spacey is gross, yes Netflix did the right thing when they fired him but Kevin is the fucking show. Don’t get me wrong I love Claire but a whole fucking season of just her? No thanks. Shit should have been cancelled. I still haven’t watched Season 6 and I don’t think I ever will. People said it’s shit *not shocking at all*.

''And it wasn't racism - Lucius loved all god's children.''

[Ernst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarkasmus pur, unsympathisch, teilweise comicartig überzeichnet.
Erzählt wird die Geschichte aus der Perspektive von S.Stelfox, ehemaliger Musikmanager und jetzt „Consultant“ für besondere Aufgaben, seines Zeichens raffgieriger Misanthrop, eingefleischter Single und Macho, der schon in anderen Niven-Büchern aufgetreten ist.
Sein Auftraggeber ist ein alter Kumpel, mittlerweile Boss einer Plattenfirma, die den größten Superstar aller Zeiten unter Vertrag hat (es stellt sich schnell raus, dass Michael Jackson als Vorbild für die fiktive Figur Lucius Du Pre dient). Der wird mit einem heimlich aufgezeichneten Video erpresst, wo er beim Analverkehr mit einem 13jährigen Jungen zu sehen sein soll. Stelfox soll das regeln.

Die Story hat viel Tempo, ist ziemlich spannend und streckenweise humorvoll, oft etwas zu gewollt witzig, aber vor allem die tabulosen Tiraden von Stelfox sorgen schon für ein paar Lacher. Der Humor geht natürlich weit über alle Grenzen guten Geschmacks hinaus, es werden so ziemlich alle Register an „politischer Unkorrektheit“ gezogen und es gibt kaum eine gesellschaftliche Gruppe die nicht ihr Fett abbekommt. Die Geschichte findet in den Jahren 2016/17 statt, Trumps erste Amtszeit beginnt.

Insgesamt 100% sinnentleert, aber dennoch unterhaltsam. Ich bin so ca. bei 3 bis 3,5🌟.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steven Stelfox (NB: definitely not Simon Cowell) is a successful manager in the music industry. He is cynical and has no scruples. Music and musicians are products, there to benefit Stelfox. He is very, very rich, but has billionaire envy syndrome.

Stelfox is engaged by an old friend to help sort out Lucius Du Pre (NB: definitely not Michael Jackson) - a fading pop star with very expensive tastes and a penchant for pre-teen boys.

Lucius has several problems. He is insolvent, artistically broken and is being blackmailed by the trailer park trash parents of his latest sleepover victim.

Steven needs to find a way through, and as ever he does, in a way that makes him even richer. It involves deceit, death and lots of gore.

I enjoyed reading this, but in places it was a bit excessive.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny, delightful satire of our days. The anti hero of the book comes to the aid of an former friend, a music star that likes children too much and gets blackmailed.
The world as described here is crazy,superficial, deprived of any morality...
Sadly, while the novel was a joy to read, it was a bitter thought that it is a mirror for our society.

[Matteo Fumagalli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Videorecensione: https://youtu.be/VvpOIldDOL4

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kill 'Em All , the second book in the Steven Stelfox series, follows the our antihero Steven, as he sets his mind on making more money. Sure he's worth millions and millions of dollars after managing a string of successful acts and a highly successful talent TV show, but he could be worth a hell of a lot more.

When his old friend Trellick, president of record label Unigram, rings with a problem, Steven jumps at the chance to help out and find a way to help himself, of course. Unfortunately that problems turns out to be Lucius Du Pre, a man who was once one of the biggest stars on the planet and is now a washed-up junkie and sexual predator. Du Pre is in the midst of organising a massive comeback tour, when a blackmail plot emerges. You see, he's not just a sexual predator, he's also a paedophile. The parents of one of his victims decide to get video evidence of his behaviour and blackmail his manager into giving them 50 million dollars (they seem like nice people). Unigram is left in a tricky situation: pay the untrustworthy parents and loss 50 million dollars, or risk the video being leaked to the press.

Steven comes up with a way to solve everyone's problems, but let's just say things don't always go to plan..

I enjoyed the first book a few years ago, to my surprise, so jumped at the chance to read the sequel, set 20 years after the first one. Steven is still as ruthless as ever and unfortunately, this book is very current and believable. Due to the political climate we live, the reader has no problems with believing people like this exist because we see them everyday in the news. There was several moments I was like 'you can't say that, you can't do that, that's going a bit far', but I couldn't put the book down. To say this book is not for the faint-hearted is an understatement. It's satrical, it's funny and it's outrageous. And to my surprise, I loved it.

Overall, great satire and would love another book with Steven Stelfox in it.

[Armin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ganz netter Spaß mit der Fiktion Michael Jackson* wäre nicht am Medikamentenmissbrauch zugrunde gegangen, sondern beim rummachen mit kleinen Jungs gefilmt und erpresst worden. Das zieht verzweifelten ReAktionen von Entourage und Industrie nach sich mit dem mörderischen Steven Stellfox als Macher. Natürlich endet das Unterfangen in einem Massaker. Die Gangster und Plattenbosse sind so blöd wie bei Elroy Leonard, das ganze spielt vor dem Hintergrund der Amtsübernahme durch Donald Trump, die ideale Plattform für den Autor mit der Weltfremdheit der Liberalen und dem neuen Zynismus von The Donald ins Gericht zu gehen.

*Auch wenn er nicht so heißt

[Marcel Haußmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steven Stelfox ist zurück und das noch skrupelloser und intriganter als im Vorgängerroman Kill your Friends.
20 Jahre sind vergangen seit Steven die Musikindustrie richtig aufgemischt hat. Nachdem er eine der größten Musik Casting Show auf die Beine gestellt hat verabschiedet sich Stelfox in den Ruhestand.
Hier beginnt die Geschichte von Kill em all. Steven wird langweilig und es reicht ihm nicht nur mit seiner Luxusyacht durch die Welt zu segeln. Er braucht mehr einen neuen Kick und vor allem mehr Geld. Deshalb kann er auch kaum Nein sagen als sein alter Freund James Trellick ihn bittet ihm bei seinem Klienten Lucius Du Pre zu helfen. Du Pre ist einer der bekanntesten Popstars der Welt, der gerne schwarz wäre und einen Hang zu kleinen Kindern hat und auf seiner Ranch Narnia lebt. Und damit beginnt der nächste abgefahrene Trip auf dem wir Steven begleiten bestehend aus Erpessung, Entführung, Manipulation und vor allem, wie könnte es bei Stelfox anders sein, ganz viel Gewalt und Blut.

Als ich gelesen hab das es eine Fortsetzung zu Kill your Friends geben wird war ich total aus dem Häuschen. Meine Lieblingsekel bekommt, nach einem kurzem Auftritt in Nivens "Gott bewahre" eine zweites Buch gewidmet. Und wie auch in Nivens anderen Büchern trieft es wieder nur so vor schwarzem Humor, Zynismus und Anspielungen auf die aktuelle politische Lage. Ob es nun der Brexit ist Fake News oder #metoo nichts bleibt verschont. Damit kommt nicht jeder Leser klar ich fand es wieder großartig. Und wenn ich ehrlich bin hat mich die Michael Jackson Parodie von Lucius Du Pre am meisten begeistern können. Die Geschichte ist so grandios konstruiert, sie wendet und dreht sich und am Ende wenn man denkt man hat alles durch kommt nochmal der große Knall. John Niven hat in diesem Buch mit Überraschungen nicht gespart. Die Figuren sind alle so messerscharf gezeichne tdas man gar nicht genug von ihnen bekommen kann. Im Prinzip ist jeder ein Arschloch aber man mag sie trotzdem irgendwie allen voran Steven Stelfox. Aber auch wenn in dem Buch vieles überspitzt dargestellt wird darf man nicht vergessen das vieles so schon in unserrer Welt existiert und John Nivens hier direkt mit dem Finger draufzeigt.
Nivens Schreibstil konnte mich auch bei diesem Buch wieder an die Seiten fesseln. Er zieht einen in die Geschichte und am liebsten würde man erst am Ende wieder auftauchen.
Für mich zählt Kill em all schon jetzt zu meinen Jahres Highlights und damit ist John Niven endgültig in die Riege meiner Lieblingsautoren aufgestiegen.

[Nigeyb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kill ’Em All (2018) by John Niven is the follow up to the hilarious Kill Your Friends (2008).

It's every bit as scurrilous and outrageous as the first book with Steven Stelfox as depraved and loathsome as he was during his Britpop heyday. If Kill Your Friends was a satire on New Labour opportunism thne Kill ’Em All revels in the world of fake news and the Trump presidency.

Sadly, whilst the outrage is ramped up to 11, the plot quickly sprawls out of control, and is just plain silly, with the denouement obvious from early on. John Niven worked in the music industry as an A&R man in the 1990s, giving Kill Your Friends the ring of authenticity, however his understanding of how the modern music industry works is seriously skewed. None of this content bares bears close scrutiny and, after a promising start, I was quite glad to finish this book.

2/5

[Stephen Sims · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really well written and quite funny in parts and I really wanted to like it a whole lot more but quite frankly 2 stars is the best I could manage.

Why? The whole thing just left me feeling very icky! A main protagonist completely devoid of any ounce of morals.. who looks positively heroic compared to most of the sub cast. Anyone with any scruples whatsoever gets cast aside and taken advantage of...Sadly good chunks of it are based on real people...left me feeling depressed and empty.

What hope is left for humanity? Not sure if that was the point from David Niven... left me wondering about the author himself... what is he actually like? To dream up this plot is he optimistic hoping for a better future or is he just like one of the Machiavellian characters in his book?

[Agnese · Rating 4 out of 5]

...or The Art of the Deal by Stephen Stelfox.

Kill 'Em All will appeal to fans of novels such as High Fidelity by Nick Hornby, the Vernon Subutex series by Virginie Despentes, and the film 24-Hour Party People (2002), directed by Michael Winterbottom.

Kill 'Em All is the sequel to John Niven's most well-known 2008 novel Kill Your Friends, that was adapted into the 2015 film of the same name, directed by Owen Harris, and starring Nicholas Hoult in the role of the main character Stephen Stelfox, a filthy rich, cynical, and cunning A&R rep. Whereas Kill Your Friends was set in the music industry at the height of the Britpop craze in the 90s, this book is set in 2017 and feels very of the moment since the events unfold on the backdrop of Brexit and the Trump era, and Stephen Stelfox feels like the poster boy of late-stage capitalism - an immoral playboy that uses any opportunity and measure to accumulate more personal wealth, and is aware of the inequalities that exist in society, but doesn't really care about the struggles of the poor. At the same time, the  author manages to make the cynical inner monologues of a professional troll darkly comedic and fun to read, like, for example, this passage when Stephen is at the airport, preparing to board a private jet:

I send a couple of pro-Trump tweets from my troll accounts ('#godonald! #MAGA #inauguration') to take my mind off my pre-flight anxiety while Grahame deals with luggage and the whole check-in palaver, out there in the chill January dawn. Passport and security take all of two minutes. ('Hi, Sir! Nice to see you again.') When I do this, I spare a thought for you out there - the dear, the gentle - taking your belt and shoes off, furiously scrabbling through your bag for that laptop or iPad, wearily walking back through the scanner, then extending your arms skywards as the guy with the wand does his stuff, the whole thing taking an eternity because, in the queue ahead of you, there are people, who, today, in 2017, seemingly haven't been on a plane since Mohamed Atta and his lads did their thing back in 2001. Who don't understand about the whole laptop, belt and shoes deal. Who are utterly astonished when they are asked to take these things off/put them in a tray/ whatever. By the time you stumble out of security two hours later you're needing that pint of Tits in the Dog and Lettuce. You're suicidal and you haven't even left the fucking airport yet.

After making a ton of money from an American Idol-type reality show, Stephen Stelfox is semi-retired at the age of 42 and is living the high life of the ridiculously rich, while also spending some time doing consulting work in order to avoid thinking about the fact that his life is essentially empty. One day, Stephen gets a call from his old friend James Trellick, president of a big US record label Unigram, asking him for help in dealing with a potentially huge blackmail scandal that is about come to light involving the ageing pop-star Lucius Du Pre. Stephen agrees to help and comes up with an elaborate and outrageous plan to "fix" the situation, but when it becomes clear that things will not go according to his plan, Stephen is forced to improvise...

Behind the fast-paced, over the top plot, somewhat stereotypical characters, and very dark humour, the book offers a scathing critique of the misogyny, racism, populism, greed, and abuse of power that seems to be thriving in modern-day society. It's also a very compelling satire of the modern music industry and celebrity culture, but definitely not a book for readers, who are easily offended.

Although this is a sequel to Kill Your Friends, the novel stands on its own, and I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I haven't read the previous book, and I will definitely need to pick that one up at some point in the future.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steven Stelfox is a truly unpleasant individual. He is a demigod of death. He is also a crazy genius and a teller of truth even if we don't want to hear it. Kill ‘em all is both a satire of Trump's United States and a celebration of it. For those people who are willing to plumb any depths to get what they want, Trumpland is the place to do it. Stelfox makes a staggering success of his terrible life. The worse he behaves, the better it gets.
Stelfox, in this reality the creator of American Idol in all but name, is drafted in to provide crisis management. A globally successful pop star has been filmed doing something truly awful. Our anti-hero doesn't judge, but instead uses it to leverage himself into a different level of riches. The pop star is a thinly veiled version of someone no longer alive to be parodied. Kill ‘em all is not for the faint-hearted but for anyone who enjoys black-hearted satire, this is the novel for you.

[Ciaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some things never change. Or rather "some evil, morally bankrupt bastards never stop scheming".

Like the first installment of the "Stelfox Saga", Kill Em All was a delightfully wholesome deep dive into the depraved underside of the lives of the rich and famous.

Niven cranked up the disgustometer with the making of the character Lucius Du Pre, a pastice on what Michael Jackson could've been (and was). I'll be honest this isnt for the faint of heart as Niven knows how to write about the grim shit, so consider yourself warned.

It was delightful to see the devil incarnate Steven Stelfox back on his bullshit, this time with greater stakes, greater sociopathy and greater budget in his pocket. The time jump between Kill Your Friends and Kill Em All was perfect in showing how Steve has only gotten worse with age, I was not surprised to see him saluting Trump and bashing the poor.

Ruthless and cruel as ever, Stelfox is a totally believable character given the situation today, I'm not sure if this makes the book more delicious to read, or horrifying to think about but swings and roundabouts.

Lastly, Niven does not know the meaning of "you can't say/do/think that", and that my dear friends is what makes this book so bloody refreshing. Yes, I may be an awful sod for savouring every second of Stelfox' sociopathy, but that's my problem to work out with a therapist years from now. Like that's gonna happen.

Overall this was a brilliant sequel to an already brilliant book, lines were crossed, lines were snorted and everyone had an awful day. Well, except Stelfox.

4.5/5, would Kill Em All again

[Fiona · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like John Niven and was excited to find out there is a second part to "Kill your friends", but this one actually got a bit over the top for me. First of all, I'm not really keen to read about pedophilia and in my impression it was more about shocking and going over the top and during that the author lost focus on what's funny and entertaining. I did expect more dark humor and less "Hollywood Action Movie"-Character.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Workable Narrative

I'm not sure how to think about this book the pacing is somewhat unbalanced, flitting from high tempo to toxic reflection in the torrid mind of Stelfox. It
didn't feel as fresh and raw as the first book although in fairness its definitely worth a read. The story is familiar is all I will say, kind of bad taste, something about cattle going to market.

[Marlon Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, was an outrageous book.

[Rob Bick · Rating 5 out of 5]

😂😳😳😂

[Ludovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utter filth but quite funny

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heads up, Stephen Stelfox is back and he really doesn't seemed to have mellowed in his old age. Dividing his time between consultancy work, living the high life and anonymously winding people up on twitter, Stelfox gets a call from an old record industry friend who desperately needs his help with his star asset, international singing megastar, Lucius Du Pre. Du Pre is caught up in a potential child abuse scandal and is being blackmailed for a huge amount of money which he doesn't even have. Enter Steven Stelfox who cooks up an audacious plan to not only make the blackmailers go away but also to revive the flagging fortunes of record company Unigram.

This is a rip roaring read which zips along at quite a pace. John Niven has a real talent for taking the most outrageous elements of the music industry and then turning them up a notch further. Just when you think he's taken the premise to the furthest limits, he switches it round and surprises you again. My best advice would be to buckle up and enjoy the ride as this is who John Niven is as a writer.It's an outrageous book which had me laughing out loud at several points. It doesn't take a genius to work out who Du Pre is based on which makes me wonder just how awful the figures at the top of the music industry really are. There's a little nagging tug of conscience that Stelfox experiences for the first time when he starts a serious relationship but then he'll do something so terrible that you think he'll never really change. He's a really fun character to read and I imagine he must be just as much fun to write. I loved Kill Your Friends and I would love to read another Stelfox book, though maybe I'm just being greedy! Fantastic book from a consistently brilliant writer.

I received a ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kill 'Em All is the modern day follow up to the dark Kill Your Friends, a tale of the cutthroat music industry in the 90s. It is now 2017 and Steven Stelfox is older, richer, and about to take on a fake news challenge of his own. Aiming to go from mega rich to billionaire, Stelfox agrees to take on a consultancy job for his old friend James Trellick, president of record company Unigram. They have an issue with a pop star on the brink of being exposed as a sexual predator and paedophile. The horrifically devious Stelfox must find a way to spin this and make money, but things get more complicated and it becomes clear that he must manipulate various elements of modern American media culture to stay afloat.

Make no mistake, this a very dark, satirical novel that takes Kill Your Friends (published in 2008 and set in 1997) and gives it an immediate relevance that makes it even more monstrous. Some elements go even beyond satire (Stelfox gets to shake hands with Trump at one point) and others may be hard for even fans of Niven's other books and authors like Bret Easton Ellis to face due to their modern day relevance (Easton Ellis gets a shout out in the book itself). At times too excessive, it is regardless more successful than Kill Your Friends in its satire, and feels cleverer and less derivative (I wasn't a fan of Kill Your Friends, but have liked other of Niven's books).

Kill 'Em All is a book about fake news, about the media in modern America, and about how the monsters of 90s novels would revel in this world. You don't need to have read Kill Your Friends to enjoy it, but you do need to be prepared to have a monstrous main character with awful views utilise horrors of modern America for his own gain.

[Justin Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steven Stelfox returns in the new John Niven novel, Kill ‘Em All. It’s been twenty years since the rampage that takes place in the pages of Kill Your Friends, and if anything Stelfox is all the more sordid and bloodthirsty. Monetary success has driven him beyond excess, and to new lows at every pass. He muses that the world is, “A place where ambition still outstrips talent… Where the kind and weak are ripped apart like loaves of bread” (327). He admits early on that regardless of what’s to come he will not grow from the experience. His heart isn’t in the right place, if there’s a heart at all.
The year is 2017. Trump is taking office in the opening pages while Stelfox is presented with a job opportunity. He has settled into the luxuries of light retirement, with the occasional gig as a consultant for music industry big wigs. On this occasion a pop star is being blackmailed for his activities as a sexual predator who preys on children. With the dawning of the era of ‘fake news’ Stelfox takes control of the situation, spins it into something much darker, before he burns everything to the ground… all while making himself a profit.
I don’t want to give much away, so I won’t. Kill ‘Em All is the most wretched fun I’ve had in a long time. Niven never disappoints, and Stelfox is his most satirical creation. It is blatantly offensive. I can’t recommend this book to everyone. It’s not for everyone. But if you’re looking for something ugly I’d start with Kill Your Friends, then move on to Kill ‘Em All.

[PinkAnemone · Rating 5 out of 5]

2017 – die Ära von Trump, Brexit und Fake-News. Zwanzig Jahre sind seit Steven Stelfoxs mörderischem Rundumschlag in Kill Your Friends vergangen. In Gott bewahre trat er noch einmal als unerbittlicher Juror der größten amerikanischen Casting-Show in Erscheinung.
Nun, mit siebenundvierzig Jahren genießt er ein geruhsames Jetset-Leben. Wenn er Langeweile hat, verdingt er sich als Berater in der Musikindustrie. Und löst Probleme.
Und sein alter Freund James Trellick, mittlerweile CEO der größten amerikanischen Plattenfirma, hat ein massives Problem: Sein Künstler Lucius Du Pre ist der erfolgreichste Popstar auf Erden. Nun ja, er war der erfolgreichste Popstar auf Erden. Inzwischen ist er ein hoffnungsloser Junkie und unberechenbares Sexmonster. Um die irrsinnigen Vorschüsse wieder einzuspielen, ist eine weltweite Comeback-Tour geplant. Doch dafür müsste er erst wieder in Form kommen. Und es gilt einen Erpressungsversuch abzuwenden - ein Video mit kompromittierenden Szenen, das nie an die Öffentlichkeit gelangen darf....(Klappentext)

♫♫♫♫♫

"Falls ihr euch in den letzten fünfzehn Jahren den Taliban angeschlossen, in einer Höhle gehaust, Nagelbomben gebaut und Bergziegen penetriert haben solltet, stelle ich mich gerne noch mal kurz vor...."
(S. 10)

Trigger: Sexismus, Rassismus, Pädophilie, Drogen- und Alkoholmissbrauch

Der Oberarsch ist wieder da! Noch geld- und machtgeiler, mit einer Arroganz, die einem regelrecht entgegen springt, mit einem ausgeprägten sexistischem Arschlochgehabe und narzisstischer als Trump. Die Rede ist von Steven Stelfox.
In den 90ern Musik-Manager der über Leichen ging ("Kill your Friends"), 2003 wollte er bei einer Castingshow Jesus persönlich übern Tisch ziehen ("Gott bewahre") und nun, mit 47, genießt er sein Leben mit seinen, mehr oder weniger, hart erarbeiteten Millionen. Doch Geld kann man ja bekanntlich nie genug haben und daher verdient er sich hin und wieder ein kleines Taschengeld hinzu (unter einem sechsstelligen Betrag läuft da natürlich gar nichts). Als Problemlöser, besser gesagt als "Consultant", wenn Deals an Land gezogen werden müssen oder jemand im Showbiz abgesägt werden soll, dann ruft man Stelfox an.

Wo Stelfox ist, ist James Trellick nicht weit - Rechtsverdreher und Geschäftsführer eines Musiklabels und dieser benötigt nun genau solche Art von Hilfe.
Sein Star ist der erfolgreichste Popstar ever, quasi "The Emperor of Pop". Dieser hat ein massives Drogenproblem, hat abstoßende sexuelle Vorlieben und wird nun erpresst. Das alles gerade kurz vor seiner Comeback-Tour und völlig pleite ist der auch noch. Keine Frage, hier muss einer her der keine Moral kennt und keine Skrupel hat - einer wie Stelfox und dieser hat eine ganz eigene Art mit Problemen dieses Kalibers umzugehen und diese auch zu beseitigen.

Wir lesen hier aus mehreren Perspektiven. Allen voran natürlich aus Stevens Sicht, weiters aus die des problem- und medikamenten-durchgebeutelten Popstar, der Erpresser und aus der Sicht des Anwalts der Erpresser. Man ist also immer auf dem Laufenden. Beim Popstar wird schnell klar auf wen sich Niven hier eingeschossen hat. Auch wenn klar ist, dass es sich hier nicht um Michael Jackson handelt, so entdeckt man doch sehr viele Parallelen, auch wenn diese völlig gegenteilig sind.

"Lucius hatte - das bekam er schon seit Kindheitstagen zu hören - den Gang eines Schwarzen. Er tanzte wie ein Schwarzer. Er sang wie ein Schwarzer. Unglücklicherweise und zu seiner unendlichen Frustration war er von Geburt an weiß.
In den letzten zwanzig Jahren hatte er eine Reihe kostspieliger, gewagter und - in einigen Fällen - überaus unbedachte Operationen über sich ergehen lassen, um diesen Zustand zu korrigieren."
(S. 32)

Das Lucius Du Pre, der besagte Popstar, völlig im Eckt steht, wird ebenso schnell klar. Zu Mißbrauch von verschreibungspflichtigen Medikamenten und minderjährigen Jungen, kommt noch ein völlig verkorkstes und vor allem pathologisches Selbstbild hinzu.

Stelfox ist das alles egal. Ihm geht es nur darum, das Problem in den Griff zu bekommen, eine Lösung zu finden und daraus natürlich auch ordentlich Kapital zu schlagen. Doch alles läuft aus dem Ruder und die einzige Frage die er sich dann stellt ist: "Über wieviel Leichen muss ich diesmal gehen?"

"...Ich meine aber auch, dass diese Idioten genau das sind, worauf die Millionen von hirnverbrannten, inzüchtigen, hinterwäldlerischen, arschgesichtigen Yankee-Raver stehen, die Woche für Woche die Clubs von Las Vegas bevölkern, um bei den Sets von Dj Rektalkrebs und MC Kacke-ich-hab-mich-eingeschissen den Verstand zu verlieren."
(S. 48)

Steven ist noch immer der gleiche Arsch so wie wir ihn aus "Kill your friends" und "Gott bewahre" kennen - ein Unsympathler und geldgeiler Wichser ohne Gewissen. Political Correctness - Fehlanzeige und aufgrund der oben genannten Triggerwarnung sind manche Szenen wirklich harter Stoff.
Zwischen mir und diesem Protagonisten besteht so etwas wie eine Hass-Liebe. Ich hasse ihn als Mensch, aber liebe ihn als Protagonisten. Vor allem liebe ich jedoch die populistische Art des Autors uns den Kapitalismus, nicht nur in der Musikindustrie, vor Augen zu halten und das auf seine unvergleichliche Art und Weise - direkt, derb, schockierend, aber auch mit verdammt viel schwarzen Humor und Sarkasmus.

"Lucius Du Pre ist pleite. Aber nicht so pleite, wie ihr das kennt.
Ihr Idioten, die ihr nichts besseres zu tun habt, als auf eurem dämlichen Arsch zu sitzen und ein beschissenes Buch zu lesen."
(S. 53)

Beim Lesen wechseln sich Abscheu und Entsetzen mit Lachen und Spannung mit einem unglaublichen Tempo ab. Unzählige Wendungen halten einem auf Trab, während einem die heutige Gesellschaft und deren Sucht nach Fame und Geld vor die Nase geknallt wird. Das Ende ist absolut abgefahren, lässt einem böse grinsen und gleichzeitig auf eine Fortsetzung hoffen.

Dies ist übrigens der 3. Teil der Stelfox-Reihe, wenn man so will. Jeder Band kann aber durchaus eigenständig gelesen werden. Ich empfehle jedoch zumindest "Kill your Friends" vor dem vorliegenden Buch zu lesen, um in die Stelfox-Welt einzutauchen.

Fazit:
Und wieder lässt mich ein Niven begeistert zurück und wieder kann ich mich nur wiederholen, indem ich sage, dass dieser Autor es einfach drauf hat die Leser zu schockieren, zum Lachen zu bringen und gleichzeitig über unsere kapitalistische Gesellschaft nachzudenken.

© Pink Anemone (

[Amy MC · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed ‘Kill Your Friends’, the prequel to this. It was funny, well written and felt completely original. More than just the graphic sex and drugs references, it was the absolute bastardness of Steven Stelfox and his contrivances to get to the top of the A&R game that were gripping.

Well, ‘Kill ‘em All’ completely missed the originality memo. The profanity and sexual/racial slurs were all there, but they felt tired and recycled, sprinkled around for shock value. The stuff with Trump and Stelfox’s admiration for - and musings about - also felt just plonked down, obvious and boring.

The murders in this book were all committed by a handy-dandy mercenary on payroll, which felt entirely too convenient and lead to an entirely logical outcome. There were about fiftyish pages of things going wrong for Stelfox, but the rest of the book might as well have been titled ‘I’m Rich Haha’, because the plot is that now Steven is rich, he can murder anyone and set up any kind of hilariously illogical cover story and it’s fine. The bit where it’s implied Stelfox has fewer morals than an ex-SAS contract killer made me laugh out loud. Ooooh hard man!

The descriptions of obscene wealth interspersed with chapters detailing the paedophilic exploitation of underage children just didn’t constitute a plot sadly. And as usual, no repercussions for any of the sad, thinly plotted crimes committed. Yawn.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. *

Steven Stelfox is a music industry mogul who has made a fortune producing pop talent shows and girl bands. He is now properly rich, or at least he thinks he is until David Geffen's yacht pulls in next to his. Stelfox realises that he is still really only small change and not a real player, so he becomes determined to make that happen.

His opportunity arises when his old mate James summons him to help with a crisis. James runs a record label whose star signing is Lucius du Pre, a childlike superstar who lives in a secluded ranch called Narnia surrounded by animals and hosting parties for little boys. One of those little boys has some compromising footage, and hence the crisis. Stelfox pulls no punches and brings all his resources to bear to both resolve the crisis and ensure that he enriches himself further in the process.

This novel is just a romp, but a hugely enjoyable one. Stelfox is a splendidly contemptuous and sardonic narrator; his continual put-downs of people less fortunate than himself and his idolisation of Donald Trump make him an appealing anti-hero for our times. The book is populated with a myriad of grotesque and exaggerated supporting characters, much in the style of Tom Sharpe. I would say that anybody who likes Sharpe would enjoy this.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘Savagely, viciously witty, this frantic hymn to greed is filthy, frenetic and totally fabulous’ says the SUNDAY MIRROR blurb following the same lines as other red top reviews.

I agree in part. Savage, yes. Viciously witty - no. More like vicious. Disappointingly low on laughs maybe because the energy was in the crudeness (and believe me I am no prude!).

Not nearly as funny as Kill Your Friends" but perhaps on the same level of unfunniness as "The Sunshine Cruise Company"

Why did Niven chose to write such toxic masculine crudeness? So crass, it would immediately alienate readers who were hoping for a hip, amusing and enjoyable romp with larger than life characters in the rich and greedy cutthroat world of the music business.

I get Niven's intention, but it feels as though he's trying too hard. There was some amusement in the Michael Jack..... sorry - the Lucius du Pre character and the explosive ending was great, also revealing that Stelfox has a heart, albeit a lukewarm one. Overall, I had hoped for better. It wasn't much fun and I finished the book with a sense of relief.

[Clive · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit shocking

T’m surprised he was allowed to publish this.I’m not sure if he agrees with all misogyny and gay baiting in it but I’m surprised the lawyers let it go. A good story spoiled by a lot of personal rants. The first book was a stinker so this was a vast improvement- but i suppose the authors joke was that this person was so awfull that god will punish him, but he does not.In fact he gets away everything.

[David Peat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone’s favourite c**t

He’s back and worse than ever: richer, more powerful and with better connections. Hilarious and incredibly dark, mixing the real world (very near the bone), the author creates a scenario that is cringeworthy, shocking but ultimately incredibly funny. Holding up one of those distorted mirrors on reality. Fantastic!

[Minde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can it be? That this is even better than Kill your friends?
What a story! Loved, loved, loved! I’m so in need of more Steven Stelfox!! John Niven, if you see this: please right some more incredible stories of this crazy lunatic! PLEASE!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The soulless antithesis of 2018 ‘snowflake’ culture is back and he’s not taking prisoners. So many ‘can he actually say that?’ Moments with the darkest of black humour. A bloody triumph.

[Paul Ready · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a huge fan of Michael Jackson, you probably want to avoid this