Yachties (both real and aspirational) will thrill to this funny, sunny oceanic ramble.
Book One of a drawling, picaresque, scatology-inflected tale in which eccentric twins search for the perfect yacht and a leisurely Mediterranean cruise–but instead find international terrorism, outré sexual hijinks and a gaggle of bumbling bureaucrats hot on their trail.
Firewater opens with a note from Farrell, claiming that his book is based on notes given him by the now-institutionalized main character, Ned Kelly, recounting the Kelly boys’ big adventure. The Kellys, fraternal twins from Canada, were “far from identical in appearance or temperament. Liam was a good twenty pounds heavier than Ned, several inches taller, and something of a phenomenon in the snoring department.” The book’s improbable, entertaining plot begins with Ned’s search for the perfect boat in various foreign ports. Then it’s all mayhem. Charismatic IRA heavy, “The Wee Lad”–aka Sean McManus, whose “funny little tattoo” is the source of his nickname–is the prime mover of the baddies. Evocatively named plods PC Scrapper, Ramsbottom of the Yard and the corrupt DS Buttsnyffe (“pronounced Bet-sneeve…derived from an ancient Jutish dialect, meaning ‘sharp blade’ ”) come and go, while Rosicrucians and other fringe weirdies confuse things. The book is chock-full of playful acronyms such as MERDE (or Maritime Eclectic Research and Development Enterprises) and silly half-puns. Digressions abound, including the disturbing shaggy-dog story of the high old times at Chateau Insouciance, where very naughty goings-on include date-rape drugs and advanced S&M techniques. For readers eager to learn the ins and outs of international sanitation, the novel includes several extremely detailed descriptions of the toilets, pissoirs and other “conveniences” encountered by the narrator while on his rambling voyage of discovery. It’s all too much, really. But that’s Firewater’s bizarre charm. Readers will be eager for Part Two, which promises even more intricate crossings and double-crossings for the blundering Kellys and their bizarre, partisan supporting crew.
Yachties (both real and aspirational) will thrill to this funny, sunny oceanic ramble.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-4251-8523-7
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 20, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Heartfelt, yes, but pretty routine.
Life lessons.
Angie Malone, the youngest of a big, warm Italian-American family, returns to her Pacific Northwest hometown to wrestle with various midlife disappointments: her divorce, Papa’s death, a downturn in business at the family restaurant, and, above all, her childlessness. After several miscarriages, she, a successful ad exec, and husband Conlan, a reporter, befriended a pregnant young girl and planned to adopt her baby—and then the birth mother changed her mind. Angie and Conlan drifted apart and soon found they just didn’t love each other anymore. Metaphorically speaking, “her need for a child had been a high tide, an overwhelming force that drowned them. A year ago, she could have kicked to the surface but not now.” Sadder but wiser, Angie goes to work in the struggling family restaurant, bickering with Mama over updating the menu and replacing the ancient waitress. Soon, Angie befriends another young girl, Lauren Ribido, who’s eager to learn and desperately needs a job. Lauren’s family lives on the wrong side of the tracks, and her mother is a promiscuous alcoholic, but Angie knows nothing of this sad story and welcomes Lauren into the DeSaria family circle. The girl listens in, wide-eyed, as the sisters argue and make wisecracks and—gee-whiz—are actually nice to each other. Nothing at all like her relationship with her sluttish mother, who throws Lauren out when boyfriend David, en route to Stanford, gets her pregnant. Will Lauren, who’s just been accepted to USC, let Angie adopt her baby? Well, a bit of a twist at the end keeps things from becoming too predictable.
Heartfelt, yes, but pretty routine.Pub Date: July 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-345-46750-7
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2004
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.
Sisters work together to solve a child-abandonment case.
Ellie and Julia Cates have never been close. Julia is shy and brainy; Ellie gets by on charm and looks. Their differences must be tossed aside when a traumatized young girl wanders in from the forest into their hometown in Washington. The sisters’ professional skills are put to the test. Julia is a world-renowned child psychologist who has lost her edge. She is reeling from a case that went publicly sour. Though she was cleared of all wrongdoing, Julia’s name was tarnished, forcing her to shutter her Beverly Hills practice. Ellie Barton is the local police chief in Rain Valley, who’s never faced a tougher case. This is her chance to prove she is more than just a fading homecoming queen, but a scarcity of clues and a reluctant victim make locating the girl’s parents nearly impossible. Ellie places an SOS call to her sister; she needs an expert to rehabilitate this wild-child who has been living outside of civilization for years. Confronted with her professional demons, Julia once again has the opportunity to display her talents and salvage her reputation. Hannah (The Things We Do for Love, 2004, etc.) is at her best when writing from the girl’s perspective. The feral wolf-child keeps the reader interested long after the other, transparent characters have grown tiresome. Hannah’s torturously over-written romance passages are stale, but there are surprises in store as the sisters set about unearthing Alice’s past and creating a home for her.
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-345-46752-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2005
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
