Meantime: The gripping debut crime novel from Frankie Boyle

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The threshold for fame in Scotland is quite low, so she could have been anything from an MSP to someone who’d streaked at a football match. The characterisation is so real, that’s where the laughs came from for me is when he’s describing the people around him with this horrid honesty. Even the bit-part characters have immediate impact and Greg, in particular, made me laugh out loud more than most (and laughing out loud at a book is rare experience for me).

A debut novel that makes me absolutely INSIST there is more to come ― Marina Hyde --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. There’s plenty of laughs, emotional depth and a tear jerking section that backs right in to life affirming. When Felix investigated Marina's murder, they planned for him to overdose on Donnie's drugs or be framed for intent to supply, then for him to be killed by Matt and Mary – who were given drugs and told someone was trying to kill them.

The evolution of the characters works wonderfully, especially Felix: piecing together his personal story is on a par with trying to solve the crime he's investigating. Beware if you are offended by drug taking and gratuitous and appalling swear words, but that's Glasgow for you! Although the author is a famous comedian, this is their debut, and I feel it will divide the room between those who like the book and those who found it “out there.

Boyle said on Twitter in September 2022 that he planned to begin writing a second novel over Christmas.He was a permanent panellist on Mock the Week for seven series and has made guest appearances on several popular panel shows including Have I Got News for You, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Would I Lie to You? It contains all the deft wordplay you’d expect and a few well-aimed, drive-by satirical shots at political targets along the way. John Dugdale of The Times compared Meantime to the book Inherent Vice (2009) by Thomas Pynchon, which features a cannabis-consuming detective and mixes crime fiction with political satire. Their quest takes them into the dark heart of Scottish politics, the orbit of drug dealers, and the matrix of AI, encountering Independence activists, the intelligence services, and stalkers, as they seek justice for Marina.