All the People, All the Time

by Declan Lynch

Set in present day Dublin and rural Ireland, this is the story of Victor, an ageing showband manager of the 60s and 70s when showband music played in ballrooms throughout Ireland.Victor, once famous and wealthy, is now long past the end of his career. No longer rich and famous he is a desperate man. Rejected by his peers, he rents a room in Dublin and spends most of his time watching TV.His only son presents an ailing TV quiz show, which comes under a lot of heavy criticism from the press...it only adds further to Victor's despair. When his son's body is found washed up on the shore near the hugely protected home of young, wealthy and successful rock star, Richie Johns, suicide is presumed. Victor has other ideas; he discovers a video showing Richie Johns' guard dogs chasing his son into the sea.Victor, desperate to avenge his son's death and for revenge against Richie Johns - the rock star who stands for everything that has contributed to his downfall - deliberately sets up a trap into which Richie falls thus allowing Victor the sweet smell of power and fortune once again...for now.

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Daniel Garwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the People all the Time is an excellent dark satire, created by an accomplished writer. In a world where drugs, suicide, manslaughter and even murder shock nobody, a handful of vibrant personalities from the repugnant music industry in contemporary Ireland gather for this fast-paced adventure. Declan Lynch has the ability to edit out the boring passages to keep the reader focussed on the plot and the fascinating complexities of his characters who were all disagreeable for divergent reasons. For me, there were some very funny moments. I will make time to read something else from his body of work.

[U. Cronin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As to be expected from Declan Lynch a wry, sideways glance at the world of rock 'n' roll in Ireland. Of all the D. Lynch books I've read, this has been my favourite. The funniest, most solid. Kept me guessing right til the end. A couple of nice twists. And hilarious. Had me laughing out loud in the doctor's surgery. Major themes: the drink, music, middle-aged man in crisis. Fantastic lines, great social commentary. Recommend it to anyone.