Kind of bonkers, often funny, sometimes expectedly poignant, this is a murder mystery investigation the like of which I have definitely not read before. Reading the press reviews I got the impression the book would have a early Chris Brookmyre and Colin Bateman feel to it but even funnier as it was Boyle writings. 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.

The novel is set in the aftermath of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and also explores Scotland's role in colonialism.

Docherty – an activist who Felix remembers from his bizarre scripts that he pitched to BBC Scotland.

Critics largely praised Boyle's comedic dialogue, his descriptions of Glasgow and its inhabitants, and the revelations of what led to Felix's drug dependence. It's set in Glasgow just after the Scottish Independence referendum of 2014 and our protagonist Felix McAveety is unemployed, previously having worked at BBC Scotland and pretty much spends his time taking drugs, both the illegal and the prescription variety and washing them down with liberal doses of alcohol. If you know the city, especially the west end, you will recognise the settings for much of the action. Meantime captures the banal and lively existence of being Glaswegian like a seesaw that drops you into oblivion. It's as rambly as a story about a drug-addicted guy out of his mind trying to solve the murder of his friend as you expect it to be, but I was never bored.Ultimately though, the book lives and dies on the strength of the comedy, which is very good indeed, I had moments where I struggled to continue, but by the end, in service to the weird plot, the comic side of it is somewhat suppressed and it ends up slightly on the unsatisfying side, there's not enough else to it to make it a thoroughly satisfying book despite it being a very good book. He has topped the podcast charts with the first three volumes of his eight volume Promethiad sequence. I’m very happy that my wife is also a fan of Boyle’s because I certainly said “Hey, can I read you this one part?

He joked that he was "very keen on not going mad during a lockdown, and writing the book really helped with that"; Laura Wilson of The Guardian noted a proliferation of crime fiction by male celebrities written during COVID-19 lockdowns. His life has been hard but ultimately, he is a good guy, and one thing that Frankie Boyle has in common with George R. If like me, you can find humor in even the most desperate of situations, then this one will fit well within your wheelhouse.

Frankie Boyle’s first work of fiction is an enjoyably dark and entertaining tranche of Glasgow noir. The investigation stumbles along at times and doesn't seem to gain much traction and Boyle also takes time out describing Felix's state of mind, as he ponders the meaning of his and our existence on the planet. His reasons for doing so are not initially apparent but are explained in a couple of harrowing chapters near the climax of the novel.