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A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil
 
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A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil (Paperback)

by Christopher Brookmyre (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Abacus; New edition edition (5 April 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0349118809
  • ISBN-13: 978-0349118802
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.6 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 7,420 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #5 in  Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Authors, A-Z > B > Brookmyre, Christopher
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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Of all writers practising what might loosely be called crime fiction today, Christopher Brookmyre is the one who lends himself least easily to categorisation. There are those eccentric titles, for a start: such as the latest one: A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil. This unwieldy title (as often before) gives an indication of the sardonic quality of his writing, and in that, Brookmyre is reminiscent of his great American colleague, Carl Hiaasen. Like Hiaasen, too, Brookmyre favours eccentric and outrageous plots, but there is always a strong grounding in reality, which gives the humour a decidedly bitter edge.

Internet contact between ex-school friends these days leads to some disturbing encounters, and Brookmyre's version of the scenario is typically murderous. Brookmyre is interested in whether or not the index to future of violent behaviour might be discerned in the school playground. DS Karen Gillespie is bemused by a cack-handed attempt at burning a pair of bodies; this takes place outside Glasgow (in fact, in the area in which she grew up). And in a nearby lodge, strange attempts have been made to clean up what appears to be the same crime, but (as a pathologist points out), everything here is handled as maladroitly as the murder. Two suspects appear, but when Karen discovers that they were at primary school together (along with one of the murder victims), things begin to look like a grisly version of Friends Reunited.

Brookmyre readers will know exactly what to expect from this scenario, and they won't be disappointed. If the level of invention is not as delirious as in previous books, Karen Gillespie is as quirkily characterised as ever.

--Barry Forshaw --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.



Review

*'Moments of exquisite Brookmyre inspiration' Guardian *'This is the book I would want if I were marooned on a desert island or lost in space' Independent *'Definitely in a league of his own.' Mirror *A sharp, memorable and occasionally surprisingly
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Customer Reviews

39 Reviews
5 star:
 (20)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (6)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (39 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Kick Up The Eighties, 16 Mar 2006
By Keris Nine - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil (Hardcover)
“Are they deid? Jesus Johnnybags, are they both deid? F-‘s sake, man, answer us. F-‘s sake.”

Right from the opening line there’s no mistaking the author’s voice. A dozen or so f-words and derivations and a couple of c-words down the page from another couple of typical incompetent “bampot” killers attempting to dispose of two dead bodies with the assistance of substances purchased from the local B&Q’s chemical cleaner department confirm the impression - we are most definitely in a new Christopher Brookmyre novel.

Yet, despite the familiarity of the opening dialogue and the situation, Brookmyre manages to find a new spin on his hilariously profane crime novels. Reminiscent of the memories fired-up in the old school-reunion situation of ‘One Fine Day in The Middle of the Night’, Brookmyre goes back even further this time and reminisces on the bonds formed between a group of children who all start school together at St. Elizabeth’s Primary in Braeside – all depicted in detail, year by year from primary one through to sixth form - with the author’s typical wit and keenness of observation. It adds considerable charm to the backgrounds of the characters who we later find mixed up in a multiple homicide many years later, as well as giving us the joy of seeing Brookmyre stretch his writing skills.

This time around, the ultra-violence is relegated to a welcome second place in favour of a spot-on account of growing up during the 70s up to the mid-80s. There are more schoolyard punch-ups than terrorist attacks in his new novel, but Brookmyre has a whole childhood of classroom incidents, slaggings and humiliations to draw on here and the writing is just as witty, inventive and foul-mouthed as ever, as Martin – now a bigshot lawyer, well-known to celebrity magazines – returns home to help out an old friend from school who has gotten mixed up in a particularly gruesome situation, that can only be explained by other ex-school friends knowledge of their time growing up together. The usual pyrotechnics aren’t there in the crime plot and it feels like just an excuse of the author to indulge in a hilariously funny and nostalgic account of growing up, but its perceptive writing with characters and situations will be recognisable by anyone. This is quite brilliant and easily one of Brookmyre’s best.

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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Another result from a consistently good writer, 31 May 2006
This review is from: A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil (Hardcover)
No explosions in this one, but all the other Brookmyre hallmarks are there - an intricate plot, complex and believable characters and a hefty dose of dry humour. It's easy to make comparisons with his earlier school-reunion book One Fine Day In The Middle Of The Night, but if anything this is slightly grimmer and more adult. This is probably due to the aforementioned lack of explosions, but also because he takes the brave step of killing off a character that you've come to care about (not a spoiler, don't worry; the body is discovered in the very first sentence).
The book opens with short scenes alternating between two panicked guys trying to hide some bodies, and the police discovering the remains shortly afterwards. An unfortunately-placed page break had me briefly confused, as it made it look like the police were doing the inept body-disposal themselves, but that was just bad layout - one thing you can be sure of with Brookmyre is that his characters are never going to act in inappropriate ways for the sake of a plot device. The first two criminals - old classmates of both the detective and the victim - are quickly apprehended, but of course it's not as simple as that (or it'd be a very short book). The subsequent police-procedural murder investigation then takes something of a back seat, as we go back to follow the characters' journey through the horrors of primary school, to see what clues can be found there.
This is a welcome return to classic, old-style murder mystery, where villains can be tracked down by unravelling the background and the motives - Patricia Cornwell and her forensic-detecting ilk are all very well, but as bad guys go, motiveless psychopaths are a bit of a cop-out. Here, Brookmyre is in his element, building a convincing past for all the main players, interspersed with the ongoing investigation and how they all interact as adults; as ever, his characters are made of real blood and bone, and you end up sympathising with even the worst of them.
I won't be giving anything away by saying the ending is unexpected - it is a mystery, after all. However, there's no gimmicky twist or Agatha Christie triteness, just an ending that ties it all up and seems entirely natural. Overall, a very satisfying read.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Playground as a Wildlife Documentary, 8 Sep 2007
By Sunnie Gill "Sunniefromoz" (Tasmania, Australia) - See all my reviews
What are your memories of your school days like? Are they happy ones of children playing in the school yard with life-long friendships formed and enlightened teachers who gave you a love of learning? Or were you a loner? Not really part of any group, perhaps bullied?

Christopher Brookmyre's A TALE ETCHED IN BLOOD AND HARD BLACK PENCIL is like a wildlife documentary. The playground is a hunting ground for the predatory looking for any weakness to exploit. Wear the wrong clothes and you're a target. Fall behind in the latest slang words and you're a figure of fun. The teachers offer no refuge. Most of them are psycho, and those who aren't don't listen to you. They make snap judgements and deliver summary justice without listening to your side of the story.

Chrisopher Brookmyre is mad, bad, tacky, tasteless, politically incorrect and laugh-out -loud funny. If you like your humour on the slightly sick puppy side then you'll love A TALE ETCHED IN BLOOD AND HARD BLACK PENCIL.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars A tale etched in blood and hard black pencil, Christopher Brookmyre - Two books in one, only one of them any good
In modern day Braeside there are a couple of Brookmyre's hallmark grisly murders. The roots of which are buried deep in the past, when all the protagonists were at school. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Victor Tugelbend

5.0 out of 5 stars The kids of Braemar are alive and kicking
I finished this book with a big smile on my face. Not only is Brookmyre a very funny writer, he has an unerring ear for the way people talk - especially kids from a housing... Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. Shaw

2.0 out of 5 stars Am I also starting to lose the plot?(Samtyler Review 2006)
This is my first read of this author. I, too, found the book a little confusing and agree with Sam's comments, so won't repeat them. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Ann Wright

4.0 out of 5 stars Another fantastic read from Christopher Brookmyre
Another fantastic read from Christopher Brookmyre. Ostensibly a murder-mystery Brookmyre uses the crime as an excuse to take as back to the horrors and joys of school in the 70s... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Oldevers

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Quite frankly one of the funniest books i've ever read.

As usual with Brookmyre there is killing and some gore running through the story but i found it hard to put... Read more
Published 12 months ago by D. Brodie

4.0 out of 5 stars A return to form
Just finished this, really enjoyed it. I'd kind of given up on this author, started well, got better (Country of the Blind still his best), carried on for a bit then became very... Read more
Published 18 months ago by PJ Sturdee

5.0 out of 5 stars We've all been there
This is a book that can very easily divide opinions, perhaps because our own school-days are such an emotive subject. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Michael Bolan

5.0 out of 5 stars takes me back
Reading Brookmyres description of the Scottish school system of the late seventies and eighties, I found myself transported back in time. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Greg Allison

5.0 out of 5 stars Happiest days of your life.......
This is my fourth Brookmyre and definitely my favourite so far. The last one I read was 'The Sacred Art of Stealing' and although I enjoyed it I found I was wilfully having to... Read more
Published on 8 Oct 2007 by Tealady2000

4.0 out of 5 stars A Big Boy Did It And Ran Away
The 10th Christopher Brookmyre book written and the 10th I have read. I loved the concept by painting the stories of all the victims and suspects of a brutal double murder as... Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2007 by Ian Paterson

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