Schmidt Happens

Ross O'Carroll-Kelly #19

by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly

'One of the funniest writers in the land ... Schmidt Happens will be lapped up by fans' Irish Independent

I've had some pretty bad New Year's Eves in my life. But this one was officially... The! Worst! Ever!

My wife had just given birth to a baby that wasn't mine. My son had just walked out on his bride-to-be on the eve of their wedding. And my old dear was making threats of revenge against me for allowing her to choke on the olive from her breakfast Martini.

Throw into the mix three infant sons who were banned from every public park and children's play centre in the city; a father who was working with dodgy Russian business interests to put himself in the Taoiseach's office; and a daughter who was about to do something truly shocking - even by her standards.

But then, one day, totally out of the blue, I received a very unexpected phone call...

And let's just say that Schmidt got real.

'Hilarious' Woman's Way

'Ross is a national institution, and his adventures continue to chart the foibles and fortunes of modern-day Dublin with wicked humour and sharp observation' Irish Times

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Book Club, Comedy

384 pages, Paperback

Published May 21, 2020

About the author

Pseudonym for journalist Paul Howard.

Reviews

[Phil Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the Rossmeister, what do you need to know?

As with every book in the series, there's some laugh out loud segments, some supreme satire of the current socio-political climate, and some scenes that hit you right in the feels.

I look forward to the new book every Autumn and 20 years in you still Can't Knock the Rock!

[Gearóid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very funny!

[Pól · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a joy to catch up on the adventures of Rosser and the Heinomite crew.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not enough Honor. But those pocket-dial phone conversations are amazing.

[Sandra Donegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The usual level of hilarity and calamity in the work of R’OCK! I had been a little concerned that Ross was maturing, but thankfully my fears are unfounded.
Paul Howard is a genius, so many laugh out loud moments. I will admit to having had to voice certain parts in my head, making it even funnier. You never quite know what’s going to happen when Ross is around, looking forward to the next adventure.

[David Cleary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. The amount of times i was on thevtrain laughing my head.
I love the father daughter relationship. It kind of reminds me of mine.
The writting is a joy to read. Loads of great humour and loads of current things happening in the world.

[David Carton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honor is definitely the star of this one. It is so funny, that I kept getting asked every couple of minutes why I was laughing out loud whilst reading it.

Paul Howard's descriptions of people are positively Wodehousian.

[Wes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series, and this is one of my favourites from it. As the series matures so it seems does Ross. The usual cast leave a trail of destruction through Dublin and Ross begins to realise just how important family is.

[Kelli Barczynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant as usual! Some very nice moments in the book. Ross does have a heart which can be seen a few times in the book. Honor is Honor which does make me laugh! One of my favourites so far, though I do say that every time.

[David Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual plenty of laugh out loud moments. Recommended.

[Conor Tannam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and hard to put down! Ross is charming and horrendous in equal measure.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable. The cover and the title don't make sense until nearly the end of the book though, which is a bit annoying. Usually they're more fun.

[Nicola Bardon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favourite Rosser book so far- it seems he actually has a conscience in it and we get to see him tackle fatherhood better.
Loved it!

[Patricia Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual there are no words, the best one in a while. Very funny

[Éilis Treacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It never disappoints. So many laugh out loud moments and a great take on the current political situation.

[Michelle Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the inclusion of the Facebook/Google rivalry. Hil-air!

[Stephen Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not exactly the high brow books you normally see get five stars on here, but no book is every guaranteed to make me laugh like Ross. This one was a return to the best of them.

[Eimear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious

[Mrs V OCONNOR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious! Absolutely brilliant read.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as ever. Always a joy to read each book in the series. Never get old.

[Aaron Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

slightly more developed characters than I expected and some laughs

[Matthew Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and humorous, this new instalment parodying the US political movement, among many other things, is an enjoyable read.

[MR PADRAIG MAC DONNCHADHA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book straight after Dancing with the Tsars, which felt right as this books picks up exactly where the last one finished.
I really felt for Ross in this book. He hasn’t done anything wrong, unusual for him, but he finds himself on the receiving end of the slings and arrows of misfortune. She ha definitely lets herself down in this one. For all his faults you have to admire Ross focus on being the best parent he can be to all his kids. I admire how he manages his relationship with his daughter Honor, who by her own admission, is not the easiest person to love.
Like in the previous book, politics features strongly. Beneath the humour there are some serious points about how democracy could just as easily be abused by foreign money as has happen in other countries in recent years.
I laughed the most at the sections dealing with Facebook, particularly their rivalries with the other tech companies.