“Declan Burke is his own genre. The Lammisters dazzles, beguiles and transcends. Virtuoso from start to finish.” – Eoin McNamee “This bourbon-smooth riot of jazz-age excess, high satire and Wodehouse flamboyance is a pitch-perfect bullseye of comic brilliance.” – Irish Independent Books of the Year 2019 “This rapid-fire novel deserves a place on any bookshelf that grants asylum to PG Wodehouse, Flann O’Brien or Kyril Bonfiglioli.” – Eoin Colfer, Guardian Best Books of the Year 2019 “The funniest book of the year.” – Sunday Independent “Declan Burke is one funny bastard. The Lammisters ... conducts a forensic analysis on the anatomy of a story.” – Liz Nugent “Burke’s exuberant prose takes centre stage … He plays with language like a jazz soloist stretching the boundaries of musical theory.” – Totally Dublin “A mega-meta smorgasbord of inventive language ... linguistic verve not just on every page but every line.Irish Times “Above all, The Lammisters gives the impression of a writer enjoying himself. And so, dear reader, should you.” – Sunday Times “A triumph of absurdity, which burlesques the literary canon from Shakespeare, Pope and Austen to Flann O’Brien … The Lammisters is very clever indeed.” – The Guardian

Saturday, May 24, 2008

The Best Things In Life Are Free … Books

EWS...BREAKING NEWS...BREAKING NEWS...BREAKING NEWS...BREAKING NEWS...

A Minister for Propaganda Elf writes: “Being something of a moron, and deaf in one ear, the Grand Vizier didn't realise that the copies of WHAT BURNS WITHIN offered below are SIGNED COPIES (woo-hoo!). We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Peace, out.”

The good folk at Dorchester Publishing have been kind enough to offer us three copies of Sandra Ruttan’s latest novel, WHAT BURNS WITHIN, to give away, so the least we can do is consult Mr & Mrs Publishers Weekly as to the quality therein, to wit:
Three Vancouver constables—son-of-a-sergeant Craig Nolan, bombshell in the boys’ club Ashlyn Hart, and stolidly antisocial cop Tain—are drawn together as the rapes, arsons and child abductions they’re working on respectively converge. The three, who have a beef over a prior case gone bad, must get over their personal differences and chase scant leads before another raped woman, burned building or missing girl turns up. Ruttan manages to keep the multiple leads and seconds on the same page admirably: she doesn’t drop too many clues in their laps or allow the tension to flag. The child abduction and sex crime aspects of the story are handled without exploitation or kid gloves; the straight proceduralism from Ruttan (SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES) serves the story well through the rewarding climax. - Publishers Weekly
Hmmmm, nice. To be in with a chance of winning a free copy, just answer the following question:
Is what burns within WHAT BURNS WITHIN:
(a) deserted warehouses;
(b) a bonfire of the sanities;
(c) Sandra Ruttan’s searing desire to brand the white-hot truth onto every page?
Answers via the comment box please, leaving an email contact address (using (at) rather than @) by noon on Wednesday 28. Et bon chance, mes amis

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Dec,

I think I will go with: (c) Sandra Ruttan’s searing desire to brand the white-hot truth onto every page.

Never read this author before, seems like a good book.

Thanks,
Fiona

fiona.mccartney(at)oceanfree.net

Unknown said...

Is what burns within:

I'm going to go along with fiona on this one:

the answer is:
(c) Sandra Ruttan’s searing desire to brand the white-hot truth onto every page?

Josh Schrank said...

Personally (as opposed to impersonal I suppose), I'm going to have to go with "A, desserted warehouses." Seriously, I mean who wouldn't want to have a warehouse for an after meal snack?? Besides, it's the only logical answer by the process of elimination. Truth, for the most part, never really gets above tepid, let alone white hot. That's usually reserved for lies and passion. And sanity? One doesn't burn sanity on a bonfire.. The usual method is to pick up a few bottles of some cheap California merlot and guzzle away. No.. the only logical answer is a nice chocolate warehouse that was left in the oven too long.

Daniel Hatadi said...

a) seems like the most logical answer and c) is a good bit of vaudevillian blurb. I'm going to have to buck the trends and go for answer b) because writing a novel is enough to drive anyone insane.

daniel at danielhatadi.com

DC said...

I will go with the answer (C). I am an avid fan of Ruttan's blog and have been dying to read her book. Sadly I am a lowly university student who needs all the free books I can get :D

Declan Burke said...

Cheers, folks. I see we've abandoned ye olde bribe scheme again ... ah well, t'was good while it lasted. Anyway, it's not always the case that I've read the competition giveaway book, but I've read this one, and I heartily recommend it. Cheers, Dec

Josh Schrank said...

Dec

I would love to bribe you except some renegade rumor elves told us that your drink of choice is.... Chardonnay. You know we all love you, but I just cannot purchase another man a bottle of Chardonnay in good conscience. Now, if we could win you over to the dark side and you'd take a bottle of Black Bush, dude... I'd hand deliver it.

Unknown said...

Just noticed I didn't leave the e-mail address:

rawsonkeith (at) gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Well, if bribery doesn't work what chance do we have????

I'll go for c, but am mindful that it could be a or b too!!

bob dot burke (at) elivefree dot net

Josh Schrank said...

pssst... GV, the wee one in my photo is the alleged stateside beau of one Lilyput Viser. Now how can you turn down someone named Hunter William, eh?

Declan Burke said...

Josh - That's a very cute kid you got there, sir ... takes after his mom, I take it? Cheers, Dec

Josh Schrank said...

Just saw this comment. Of course he takes after his mom, who takes after her dad... moi. Seriously, you think someone with that much grey in their beard would have a youngin that isn't college age yet?? There's a reason the hair falls out and goes grey... you'll discover it soon enough.