See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

23 used & new from £0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Butcher's Ball
 
See larger image
 

The Butcher's Ball (Paperback)

by Mark B. Cohen (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


2 new from £0.01 21 used from £0.01
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (First Edition) 8 used & new from £0.01

Product details

  • Paperback: 375 pages
  • Publisher: Coronet Books; New edition edition (4 Nov 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0340712996
  • ISBN-13: 978-0340712993
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,422,982 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
"On the table by the door, you'll find the hood and the earplugs. Once you're completely naked, you put in the earplugs and put on the hood. Make sure you can't see or hear a thing. Don't even think about cheating, because I'll know. If you cheat, you're out. If you leave any clothes on, you're out. If you do anything wrong, you're out. Understood?"

"Yes," he said weakly. "But what ... what then?"

There came the throaty laugh again. "Then, you leave it all to me," she said. "And we have ourselves some fun."

Mark B Cohen's outrageous, audacious first offering, Brass Monkeys, ripped into the world of Whitehall with the kind of rampaging irreverence most of us wish we had the guts and the imagination to carry off. Here, in The Butchers' Ball, Cohen is off again, this time turning his attention to the City and the people who inhabit the hallowed halls of the high-rolling banking fraternity, knocking them for six and never once letting the frantic pace of his wickedly brazen second novel slip into the slow lane.

It all kicks off with a bizarre string of S & M style suicides at Butchers, a top notch bank and fodder-filled dream for tabloid hacks. As the City boys roll up their sleeves to track down the rogue trader they believe has brought the bank to its proverbial knees and police investigations into all the dodgy dealings draw a blank, old boy Toby Slaker--a man whose own dull little neck is soon to be firmly on the line--decides to liven up his life a little with a series of blind (literally!) dates with the Minx, internet lover extraordinaire.

But as the truth of the whole sordid affair gradually begins to dawn and Slaker, with the help of a seemingly deeply dippy, dope-smoking private detective, discovers that his own saucy sexual shenanigans may have something to do with the plot to raze Butchers to the ground, all hell breaks loose and the truth begins to out.

The Butchers Ball is an exhilarating, sleazy and downright rude novel which proffers a merciless take on an age old institution by pitting the modern day fetishes of money, sex and take- over bids against the backdrop of a revered and crumbling establishment.

If you are of a nervous disposition and like your sex and scandal a little more sanitised, then leave this on the shelf. But if you are a sucker for the barefaced, the brassy and the Tom Sharpe-esque then Cohen's latest is a must-have. --Susan Harrison

Product Description
Will Cloud, the laid-back Irish detective of "Brass Monkeys", throws himself into another mystery while unwittingly wreaking havoc on world financial markets. The dead man is Roy Palloni, the ambitious deputy manager of one of Britain's most prestigious merchant banks.

See all Product Description


Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
3.0 out of 5 stars Romping in the City., 29 Sep 2000
By brian.bollen@virgin.net (Milton Keynes, Bucks, England) - See all my reviews
I don't normally review fiction but will always consider making an exception where the action or the author is connected to the financial world. Both are in this case, the author being one of the many Marks who while away the working day at Baring Asset Management in Bishopsgate, the main action taking place in an organisation which sounds very familiar.

Readers of his previous novel, Brass Monkeys, will recognise the style and welcome the return of characters such as Will Cloud, the pot-smoking Irish detective, and populist television presenter Candida Blitz. Workmates are no doubt having great fun working out who's based on whom. New readers will enjoy The Butchers' Ball on its own merits, and for its fond evocations of City life, past and present.

Mark B Cohen is the latest in a growing line of City of London-based financial careerists to produce a work of fiction that probably pales by comparison with reality. Certain passages capture perfectly the nostalgia that some of us still feel for the good old days in the City.

Cohen compares and contrasts the old ways and the new ways, highlighting deftly the attractions and drawbacks of each. Some of the similes are a touch laboured for my personal liking, but the writer does produce a number of phrases and metaphors to be proud of. "When I arrived, that department wasn't even washing its face. Now it's cleaning its ... teeth and tucking itself up in bed for the night," for example, from Butchers Bank's hard-assed managing director Greg Kurdell. The passages relating to the Hoodwink Encounters website are especially enjoyable, and show the writer has done his research thoroughly.

The Butchers' Ball will help assuage the pain of commuting, or go some way to getting the reader through an interminable meeting or two. An interesting and often enjoyable romp. Brian Bollen.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4.0 out of 5 stars Relentless comedy whodunnit, 20 Dec 1999
By A Customer
This book starts with a punch and never lets up. It has wit, sharp satire and constant action, and it is hard to put the book down. The chapters tend to focus on an individual character, and then at the end weaves them all together very cleverly. There are a couple of holes in the plot that I didn't quite follow, but overall this book is a tight, funny and attention-grabbing portrait of the life in the 'City'. Highly recommended.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!!, 10 Nov 1999
By A Customer
I really enjoyed Cohen's first book, Brass Monkeys, but The Butchers' Ball topped it. Hilarious send-ups of everything you care to imagine, and then some! Lots of kinky sex, but all in tongue in cheek. And a great mystery story with a most satisfying suprise ending. Whole thing's a kind of mixture of Tom Sharpe and Agatha Christie - great escapist fun and not to be missed.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An outragously funny romp thru' the darker side of the City
This is one funny book!!! I thoroughly enjoyed every page of Mark Cohen's second novel: The Butcher's Ball. Read more
Published on 28 Oct 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!!
I really enjoyed Cohen's first book, Brass Monkeys, but The Butchers' Ball topped it. Hilarious send-ups of everything you care to imagine, and then some! Read more
Published on 27 Sep 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars Too Near the Truth ?
I was reading this on a crowded, hot shuddering tube train, whilst the adjacent passenger was talking about TV quiz shows to his children on a mobile phone ! Read more
Published on 7 Sep 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars An outragously funny romp thru' the darker side of the City
This is one funny book!!! I thoroughly enjoyed every page of Mark Cohen's second novel: The Butcher's Ball. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 1999

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


The Body Shop

The Body Shop - Vitamin C Skin Boost
Protect and boost your glow with The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.

Shop The Body Shop

 

Up to 75% off Shoes

Shoe Clearance - 75% off Shoes
Save up to 75% on shoes for the whole family.

Shop clearance shoes

 

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

Shop now

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates