Shooting Sean

Dan Starkey #4

by Colin Bateman

The inimitable hero Dan Starkey gets caught up in the world of writing (he can handle that) terrorists (he's been there before) and movie hype (more frightening than anything yet encountered) in a cracking adventure that takes him from Dublin to the Cannes Film Festival. And it's not just bullets that Dan is dodging, when a smouldering romance threatens the frequently-rocky balance of his marriage to Patricia.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Humor, Comedy, Irish Literature

245 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Colin Bateman was a journalist in Northern Ireland before becoming a full-time writer. His first novel, Divorcing Jack, won the Betty Trask Prize, and all his novels have been critically acclaimed. He wrote the screenplays for the feature films of Divorcing Jack, Crossmaheart and Wild About Harry. He lives in Northern Ireland with his family.

Reviews

[Henry Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about a bloke writing a book about another bloke making a film. His straightforward undertaking is complicated by poor marital relations, money problems, a psycho gangster, a drug-using movie star, his horny wife, some scary bouncers, kidnapping, attempted murder, actual murder, drug smuggling, an orgy, half a kilo of heroin, several guns (some empty, some loaded), and the shooting of the eponymous Sean at the Cannes film festival. I liked the book. I liked it so much that it kept me from a job moving a couple of ton of soil, by wheelbarrow, from the backyard to the front. This is a book that tops all the usual attractions of manual labor. I recommend it.

[Dan Johnson]

I enjoyed this but the ending was a bit of a dissapointment and felt a little rushed

[Jiří Pavlovský · Rating 3 out of 5]

Touhle knihou kdysi skončila éra Colina Batemana u nás. Zřejmě si někdo v Mladé Frontě konečně spočítal náklady a výnosy… nebo jim přišlo, že po tomhle díle už to nemá, co se týče sadistických útoků na čtenáře, kam dál gradovat.

Už jsem zmiňoval, že Batemanův styl stojí na kombinaci komediálních situací s nelítostnými kopanci do emocionálních koulí. Právě tenhle mix zábavnosti a bolesti přitahuje k sérii většinu literárních masochistů. A tady je to opravdu čutanec s pořádným rozběhem.
Hrdina, arogantní a většinou opilý novinář Dan Starkey, je najatý, aby napsal knihu o slavném herci. Bohužel ten herec se zrovna pokouší o svou režisérskou kariéru… a co hůř, plánuje natočit snímek o irském zločinci a teroristovi. Čili – národním hrdinovi. Jenže nemá to být tak úplně oslavný film a to se spoustě lidem nelíbí. Hlavně tedy tomu zločinci a teroristovi. A hodlá s tím něco udělat. Ideálně za využití Starkeyho.

Přiznám se, že nemám moc rád postavy s neschopnými hrdiny. Takovými, kdy cítíte, jak se autor nadře, aby se hrdina někam pohnul, a aby neumřel na celkový kolaps organismu během první kapitoly, při chůzi na záchod. A Colin Bateman si na takovéhle postavy vážně potrpí. Tady je hrdina nejen dost nepříjemný slaboch, který zatím v každém románu zahnul své manželce, ale tady už je jde hrdinova nemohoucnost tak daleko, že příběh překonává prvního Indiana Jonese: kdyby tady nebyl hlavní hrdina, tak by děj nedopadl úplně stejně – dopadl by líp. Ještě v jedničce a dvojce měl Starkey nějakou roli, tady už jen popojíždí světem při hledání ztraceného herce, dostává se do problémů a je z nich ustavičně zachraňován. Celý okolní svět už slouží jen k tomu, aby ho tahal z bryndy.

Ale tohle není ani tak problém autora jako spíš celého ostrovního komediálního stylu, který si moc nepotrpí na sympatické a schopné hrdiny a na promakaný příběhy s epickým finále, natož na happy end. Irčané k tomu ještě dodávají humor černý tak, že na čtení jejich knih potřebujete UV světlo (tenhle vtip jsem šlohl z jiné recenze) a dost malou úctu k lidskému životu. (Pokud by vás zajímalo, proč to tak je, tak si někdy pusťte další Rudou žeň, kde se tomuhle tématu bude věnovat Luděk Staněk.)

Sean na mušce má tady vážně dost jednoduchý příběh, který volně slalomuje od jedné bizarní situace k druhé… a v podstatě význam a váhu knize dává až ten zmíněný kopanec do citlivých míst. Není to autor, kterého bych vyhledával v angličtině, ale kdyby vyšel česky nějaký další díl, asi bych po něm sáhnul. Už jen proto, abych, podobně jako u Kena Bruena, fascinovaně sledoval, co všechno ještě hrdina zvládne vydržet, než se rozhodne pověsit

[Jeff Hare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dan Starkey is in need of funds with a wife and a child who isnt his to pay for so when he gets the offer to do a chronicle of an big name actor who is tackling a hot potato topic in his latest biopic "The Brigadier" he jumps at the chance. What follows includes an attempt on his life, a threat to his marriage and then theres the small matter of the deaths to deal with...

I really enjoy the Dan Starkey novels. The one liners, withering put downs and jokes always land despite some occasional leaps in logic with the plotting. With this one, whilst the trademark humour was there, some of the leaps were a bit beyond the pale.

The final segment of the book (the Cannes segment) is frankly ludicrous. To go into detail as to why would be in spoiler territory, but after spending 80% of the novel suspending my disbelief accordingly and thoroughly enjoying it, the plot takes a random turn and my disblief was not only suspended, but cryogenically so such was the subject matter I was reading.

I am still a fan of the series and the author, but the ending to this one has me taking points of my rating sadly. The author has taken us on the ludicrous before (see Turbulent Priests) but this one was a little OTT. That said, the ending was actually a shock...almost as much as the hero's continued love for Harp lager. The horror...THE HORROR...

[Chew Meister · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read!

I read this book in two afternoons. I was hooked immediately. I love the dry, british humour that is sprinkled in the book. I believe that Colin Bateman has a unique flavor to his novels and I cant wait to read more of them. I'm definitely going to become a huge fan of his after this.

[Alex Breck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and on point as always.
Bateman's mastery with words makes it look so easy and his comic timing and sense of irony is second only perhaps to Chris Brookmyre although it's often too close to call.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the best Bateman I have read to date, the guy just gets better...

[Martin Willoughby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, but not for people who are offended by swear words.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite funny at times; but also a bit dark.

[Veronika Sebechlebská · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milá krimi oddychovka, štvrtá hviezda za britský humor s írskym prízvukom

[Kellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would of given this a 4 star rating(don't think any of them will be topping divorcing Jack, this is the reason 5 stars isn't considered) as I am absolutely in love with Dan Starkey and his constant misadventures, BUT... for Bateman to kill off little Stevie, I was not impressed.

I'd gathered from reading the first three books in the series that a main character in the book would die by the end, so I had tried to prepare myself for this happening. As the story started coming to the last few pages and we were told that Alice would not make it through the night I completley relaxed, knowing in my mind that 'Trish & Little Stevie would be found safe and sound. What I should of taken into consideration at this point was that Alice was still technically alive. So, moving on to Mouse and the cops running to the rescue of the kidnapped two, I was already trying to guess the sarcastic comments that would get Dan into trouble with 'Trish just in time for the final page when the bombshell hit. Gobsmacked.

I know everything in Starkey world is made to go wrong, I know that little Stevie was not his real son, but he loved him unconditionally & was the only real good thing in his life and I really think it was unfair for him to of been the one to go. Rant over!

[Nick Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hell of a lot of fun - this was Bateman at his silliest and most playful, a twisty tale of journalist Dan Starkey getting involved in a whole truck-load of capers when asked to write the biography of a film star. Lots of well-written and likeable characters, a very high gag count with often several jokes (some hit, some miss) per page, a quick pace, and several moments of unexpectedly clever and intelligent (and sad) plotting too. It's not very literary, and it's pretty blokey, but admirers of Chris Brookmyre and similar authors would perchance enjoy this author too.

[Farzana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced, racy and Irish! What more could you want fom a thriller?! I was up all night reading this.

I did find there was an awful lot of swearing from the protagonist, but apparently it's part of Belfast culture, so he shall be excused. Yes, it wasn't a fecking literary masterpiece, but it wasn't a crock o'shite either. See how I've adpoted the Northern Irish twang; I'll be a Protestant Irish Gangster next...

[Scotchneat · Rating 3 out of 5]

An "older" one by Bateman. Part of the Dan Starkey series. Basically, Dan gets caught up in some screenwriting shenanigans that leads him to Cannes and he almost loses Patricia... again.

Contains some trademark physical comedy and Irish wit. If you like Bateman and the Starkey series, then you'll be reading it.

[Derek Simon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bateman seems to think he has the dark humour of Irvine Welsh and the wit of Oscar Wilde. Unfortunately, he has neither. The jokes are as flat as teh plot is nonsensical. Good think it was a quick read.

[Mike Worth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have read most of his books and can't remember all exactly - just that I have never been let down and have enjoyed Mr Bateman's writing immensely

[Simon Parsons]

Really enjoyed it, funny, exciting and a little dark. If you like Brookmyre I would certainly give this a read

[Lipsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a LOL. I did many LOLs. Throw in some gasps and a 'no facking way' and it's pretty much Colin Bateman on top form. I want another Mystery Man book right now!

[Julia Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Divorcing Jack Formula, lol moments though!

[Shaz Mansoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a quick read for me, the story kept me engaged and was thrilling in quite a few parts(especially towards the end)
Rating around 3.5-4

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

more 3.5 than 3, hate this star system.