“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

Monday, July 14, 2008

The Best Things In Life Are Free … Books

You know the score, folks. They give us free copies, you make with the funnies, three people get a free book – but everyone’s a winner. This week it’s the turn of Brett Battles, whose THE DECEIVED is currently parachuting onto a shelf near you, with the blurb elves wittering thusly:
As a professional ‘cleaner’, Jonathan Quinn disposes of bodies and ties up loose ends. Doesn’t get his hands dirty, no wet work. But when he discovers he’s been hired to vanish all traces of Steven Markoff, one of his best friends who just happened to work for the CIA, his job suddenly hits too close to home. This time, it’s personal. Quinn is determined to get justice for Markoff. Plus, now, Markoff’s girlfriend Jenny, who had been an assistant to an ambitious Congressman, has also disappeared. Racing from the corridors of power in Washington to the bustling streets of Singapore - along with his smart, eager apprentice Nate and brilliant, beautiful Orlando, his closest friend who’s saved his life more than once - events quickly spiral dangerously out of control. With an addictive momentum and fascinating characters, THE DECEIVED takes us on a thrilling, nerve-wracking journey.
Lovely. To be in with a chance of winning a copy of THE DECEIVED, just answer the following question. Was Brett Battles’ debut novel called:
(a) THE CLEANER;
(b) THE CHARWOMAN;
(c) THE FILIPINO WHO COMES TWICE A WEEK;
(d) ACTUALLY, MY HUSBAND DOESN’T EVEN NOTICE DIRT SO I DON’T BOTHER THAT MUCH, REALLY.
Answers in the comment box please, with an email contact address (using (at) rather than @ to confuse the spam munchkins) before noon on Wednesday, July 16. Et bon chance, mes amis

13 comments:

Kerrie said...

My copy arrived today Declan. But I haven't read the first! They seem to have the same main character - are they a series? Should I read them in order?

Anonymous said...

Hi Dec

The answer I will go with is a) The Cleaner.

Thanks
Fiona

fiona.mccartney(at)oceanfree.net

Mack said...

Oooo, I get to be first.

a. The Cleaner

malundy(at)gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Re: THE DECEIVED

The answer is A. No way on earth could it ever be D.

Unknown said...

the answer is: C) The filipino who comes twice a week

rawsonkeith at g mail dot com

Anonymous said...

The Cleaner

pguzzo(at)completegeneral.com

Anonymous said...

The answer would be a) The Cleaner

norby (at) yahoo.com

Mack said...

Kerrie,

I don't know how much back-story Battles gets into in The Deceived but I'm obsessive about reading books in order so I'd recommend reading The Cleaner first. You get a good look at the kind of life he leads, the work he does, his capabilities, etc. The Cleaner is an excellent read.

Anonymous said...

the correct answer is A

Kerrie said...

I was afraid someone was going to say that Mack. I'm high on the anality stakes too :-)

colman said...

(E) the knob polisher, I think but I might be wrong
colman.keane (at) itabuk.com

Lauren said...

The answer is The Cleaner. Thanks for the chance to win!

sorgaards (at) gmail.com

Josh Schrank said...

I'm going to have to say the answer is "The Cleaner." However, in academic circles, we simply call him "The Provost." Of course at a Marianist univeristy the provost usually makes more messes than he cleans up as he's trying to clean up the last mess up... which was him trying to clean up the mess up before.., but that is a whole other story. Besides, I think I lost myself somewhere in one of those clean ups.

How's the vacation going?

Joshschrank (at) gmail dot com