Fiction

Meantime

Meantime

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-08-10 16:16:45
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Frankie Boyle
  • ISBN：1399801155
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Summary

Glasgow， 2015。 When Valium addict Felix McAveety's best friend Marina is found murdered in the local park， he goes looking for answers to questions that he quickly forgets。 In a haze of uppers， hallucinogens， and diazepam， Felix enlists the help of a brilliant but mercurial GP; a bright young trade unionist; a failing screenwriter; semi-celebrity crime novelist Jane Pickford; and his crisis fuelled downstairs neighbour Donnie。

Their investigation sends them on a bewildering expedition that takes in Scottish radical politics， Artificial Intelligence， cults， secret agents， smugglers and vegan record shops。

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Reviews

Leona ，

I tried to get into this book but just couldn’t！ I listened to not on Audible and struggled to follow all the characters and how it jumped about。 It felt like it was trying to be several things at once and not quite achieving any！

Scott ，

I'm a fan of Frankie Boyle's comedy， I like his social justice radar。 Not all are fans of his， his comedy is often extreme。 I listen to audiobooks while I'm painting so they work their way into my on a semi conscious level， I usually listen to the book twice， especially for long books。 It's not always the best way but for me it works and worked well for this book。 I'm a fan of Frankie Boyle's comedy， I like his social justice radar。 Not all are fans of his， his comedy is often extreme。 I listen to audiobooks while I'm painting so they work their way into my on a semi conscious level， I usually listen to the book twice， especially for long books。 It's not always the best way but for me it works and worked well for this book。 。。。more

Dave Pattinson ，

A very decent debut。 Boyle has a way with brutalist prose that is almost poetic。 I found it a little meandering but on the whole enjoyed it and would recommend。

Richard Sanders ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I really enjoyed this。 Frankie's voice was very strong in the dialogue and I recognised some of the authors stand-up work directly surfacing throughout the story。 The plot is convoluted and surreal at times but somehow I felt carried along with the grander themes。 There is a achingly beautiful subtext that caught me completely unprepared in the last third of the book， but to me that was Boyle at his best。I doubt this will be to everyone's taste but for me it was a winner I really enjoyed this。 Frankie's voice was very strong in the dialogue and I recognised some of the authors stand-up work directly surfacing throughout the story。 The plot is convoluted and surreal at times but somehow I felt carried along with the grander themes。 There is a achingly beautiful subtext that caught me completely unprepared in the last third of the book， but to me that was Boyle at his best。I doubt this will be to everyone's taste but for me it was a winner 。。。more

thewoollygeek （tea， cake， crochet & books） ，

I loved this Frankies style and sense of humour defiant comes through， I’m really impressed with this as a debut novel ， it’s really good， keeps you on the edge of your seat and I loved the ending， didn’t see it coming at all， so lovely， this is hilarious， full of great characters and emotional， if you like Frankie you will love this book。 ， I know I didThanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest opinion

Amy Bryce ，

An enjoyably unreliable narrative sprinkled with some inspired descriptions and vividly grotesque observation。 A twisty-turny trip of a book that often leaves the reader as baffled as its main character but also manages to sneak in moments of painful poignancy。

Fergus B ，

I like Frankie Boyle， but this book feels like reading a Frankie Boyle column intertwined with Trainspotting fan fiction， strung out over 350 pages。 Can get quite jarring if read in large doses

Adrian Dooley ，

Oh man I just loved this one and had so much fun reading it。 I’m a Frankie Boyle fan（his comedy， this is his first novel）。 His humour oozes out of the pages。 I read the entire book in his voice in my head。 Do we describe this as a thriller？ A murder mystery？ A black comedy？ I dunno。 On the face of it it’s a murder mystery。 Set in Scotland in 2015， Felix is a drug addict and when a friend of his Marina is murdered in a local park， not trusting the police to do their job， Felix decides in his drug Oh man I just loved this one and had so much fun reading it。 I’m a Frankie Boyle fan（his comedy， this is his first novel）。 His humour oozes out of the pages。 I read the entire book in his voice in my head。 Do we describe this as a thriller？ A murder mystery？ A black comedy？ I dunno。 On the face of it it’s a murder mystery。 Set in Scotland in 2015， Felix is a drug addict and when a friend of his Marina is murdered in a local park， not trusting the police to do their job， Felix decides in his drugged fuelled haze to try to find out what happened。 This is unlike any thriller you will ever read。 The world that Boyle puts us in is both beautifully observed and at the same time exaggerated and otherworldly， bonkers is the right word。 Populated with the weirdest and funniest characters you are ever likely to read。 If someone decided to remake Trainspotting crossed with Columbo and it was co directed by the Coen Brothers and David Lynch then this is most likely what they would come up with。 I can’t remember the last book I read where I laughed out loud so much， was fascinated by the odd and endearing characters and didn’t really mind what the plot was。 Throw in a very poignant and touching ending and you will have a read like no other that will bring out all the emotions in you。 Highly recommend。 5 stars。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley。 。。。more

Scarlett Brunstrom ，

Quite a hard one to rate because I found myself a bit uninterested in the actual storyline for a lot of it， but the writing itself was so good。

Sarah Waldron ，

Thank you to @johnmurrays and @frankie_boyle for this copy of Meantime in return for an honest review。Description 🔖When Felix’s good friend Marina is murdered in the local park， he takes it upon himself to investigate and try and find out who committed this terrible crime。 There’s one small problem。 Felix has a raging Valium addiction， isn’t shy to try other drugs and therefore， doesn’t have the greatest attention span， memory or level headedness。Not to worry though， he ropes in help from a very Thank you to @johnmurrays and @frankie_boyle for this copy of Meantime in return for an honest review。Description 🔖When Felix’s good friend Marina is murdered in the local park， he takes it upon himself to investigate and try and find out who committed this terrible crime。 There’s one small problem。 Felix has a raging Valium addiction， isn’t shy to try other drugs and therefore， doesn’t have the greatest attention span， memory or level headedness。Not to worry though， he ropes in help from a very broad range of different people， including a successful crime novelist， a GP and his fellow drug addict neighbour。 Felix and his investigation team find themselves involved in Scottish radical politics， cults， secret agents and more; all on the hunt for the truth。General Thoughts 🤔Reading the blurb for this book （on multiple occasions） I could not get my head around what it was going to be like。 There is a lot going on in the blurb and it was a perfect indicator because there was a lot going on in the book; in a good way。 The craziness and unpredictability was definitely enough to keep me engaged and reading。 Every chapter was like a new mini adventure that all pieced together to form the story。This was definitely not your bog standard crime thriller。 It’s certainly different， but I think it was different in a good way。 I do however think that the mystery thriller aspect of the book was kind of secondary to all of the other stuff。 Though it was well put together， I thought that it was more of a vehicle for us to follow Felix。Characters 👫👭👬Felix was the main character and narrator of this book。 In the beginning， I found him a little bit irritating and a bit of a waste of space。 I quite quickly started to turn and I liked him。 He most definitely wasn’t stupid， but he did seem to be numbed by all of the drugs he was taking which I think held him back in his investigation。 By the end of the book， I threw away everything I felt about Felix and I had so much love for him。I really liked Jane in the book （the crime novelist）。 She seemed like a very genuine， straight to the point woman and I always had the feeling that if I was to meet her in person， I’d feel the need to show her respect。 I can’t pinpoint why she gave me that feeling， she just gave off an air of authority I think。Writing Style ✍️It was Frankie Boyle’s writing style that first hooked me into this book。 This may be where people become divided。 I know that Frankie Boyle is a bit of a Marmite comedian， so if you do love him， I’m sure you’ll love this book。 I didn’t find it possible to read this and not hear Frankie Boyle’s voice in my head。 It was full of witty one liners and dark humour and so it was very much the same tone as his comedy。However there came a point in the book where it seemed to take a bit of a sudden turn。 It took me a bit by surprise to be honest and made me sit a little straighter and concentrate a little more。 It got very tender and raw and brought a tear to my eye。 I really enjoyed the juxtaposition to all that had come before this part of the book。Conclusion & Scoring 🎖This book was a touch wild， very funny， and at points quite emotional。 It was definitely not a run of the mill crime thriller， but I don’t think that it claimed to be。 As long as you pick up Meantime with an open mind and you’re not opposed to dark humour and a lot of swearing， I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did。 。。。more

Yvonne （The Coycaterpillar Reads） ，

Meantime is beautiful in its harsh and brutal narrative。 The writing is crystal clear， each word soaks into your skin like the bleak Scottish rain。 No happy endings but it is intricate， it settled under my skin and had me craving more。 Every mistake carves a deep and unsettling wound。 If one sentence could sum it up it would be that。Meantime captures the banal and lively existence of being Glaswegian like a seesaw that drops you into oblivion。 There are many downs， but it’s occasionally peppered Meantime is beautiful in its harsh and brutal narrative。 The writing is crystal clear， each word soaks into your skin like the bleak Scottish rain。 No happy endings but it is intricate， it settled under my skin and had me craving more。 Every mistake carves a deep and unsettling wound。 If one sentence could sum it up it would be that。Meantime captures the banal and lively existence of being Glaswegian like a seesaw that drops you into oblivion。 There are many downs， but it’s occasionally peppered with some good。 It holds a different kind of magic， one where the disappointment from the referendum eats at the shoes of people walking to work， hailing taxis， and people on serious comedowns in dingy wee flats that contain all the hope of a mouldy pizza sitting on the countertop。 Felix McAveety’s life has always been the sad rendition of unrealised potential。 The death of his friend， Marina， is the fuse to allow himself to care about something again。 Felix is stuck in a rut。 He’s willing to have a “pop” at any mind-altering pharmaceutical。 Alcohol， Diazepam， Cannabis， if it gets him buzzing then he’s in。 Valium being his ruination of choice。 An ex-employee of BBC Scotland he became disenfranchised with… everything really。 He’s a non-football supporter and in Glasgow that is close to committing a murder yourself。 His life has been hard but ultimately， he is a good guy， and one thing that Frankie Boyle has in common with George R。R。 Martin’s “A Game of Thrones” is that likable characters rarely have a happy ending。 Meantime is heavily embellished with Boyle’s sense of humour。 Those that get him get him fully and those that don’t， well don’t。 There are pages upon pages of one-liners that had me cackling。 Some that particularly floated my boat were – “A body like a dropped Lasagne。” “She was dripping talking about him like a knackered fridge。” Boyle is well known for his controversial brand of comedy and Meantime is no exception。 He’s an equal opportunity comedian – he can take a pop at anyone。Felix’s friend， Marina， an American in Scotland is found dead in a Glasgow Park。 He finds out this devastating news when the police wake him out of his drug-fuelled slumber。 He’s taken to the station where he later finds out that sperm was found on her scarf。 He is later released and with the help of his Watson， Donnie， his downstairs neighbour undertake an investigation of their own。 Donnie who is also partial to mind-numbing substances provides some light-hearted relief。 An overweight middle-aged guy who is struggling with his divorce but who also appears to have no internal filter – “We were the two people least suited to investigating anything， but with the right drug combinations we could be whoever we had to be。” 。。。more

Louis Le Roux ，

The first I had read from him， and I hope he writes many more。 It was trippy， clever， funny and disconcertingly devastating at times。

Guy A ，

Very Frankie Boyle - have heard some of the jokes in the book in his standup routine。 Decent plot， some of the AI-related stuff falls a bit flat for me。

Sean Robinson ，

It was a challenging read。 But in an excellent way！ I wanted to gulp the book down in great draughts but had to force myself to breathe and savour every moment， fearful I'd miss one of the gems of insight， wisdom or humour that glitter on every page。  A true delight to read。 As a recovering addict myself， the drug scenes， though comical， shine a light on how harrowing and chaotic dependence can be。 Frankie deals with addiction with great humour and a deft， knowing touch while leaving us in no do It was a challenging read。 But in an excellent way！ I wanted to gulp the book down in great draughts but had to force myself to breathe and savour every moment， fearful I'd miss one of the gems of insight， wisdom or humour that glitter on every page。  A true delight to read。 As a recovering addict myself， the drug scenes， though comical， shine a light on how harrowing and chaotic dependence can be。 Frankie deals with addiction with great humour and a deft， knowing touch while leaving us in no doubt of the torment it leaves in its wake - or， indeed， the torment that informs the addiction in the first place。 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。 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）。 Genius work。 Clever， funny， compassionate and satisfying。 I hope he writes another。 。。。more

Kath ，

I think there's a crime story in this book - ok so there definitely is， but it's not really all that front and centre， there's so much more going on around and about it that it does， on occasion， get lost in the noise。 So， if you are looking to read this as a pure crime book， you might be disappointed。It's another of those books that I would also pop into one of my favourite genres - that being bonkers。 It is， and then some。 Characters who are completely larger than life， lots of weird and wonde I think there's a crime story in this book - ok so there definitely is， but it's not really all that front and centre， there's so much more going on around and about it that it does， on occasion， get lost in the noise。 So， if you are looking to read this as a pure crime book， you might be disappointed。It's another of those books that I would also pop into one of my favourite genres - that being bonkers。 It is， and then some。 Characters who are completely larger than life， lots of weird and wonderful shenanigans。 And more drugs than the whole Trainspotting series - and that's just chapter one - no not really， but almost！ And that is the ONLY comparison to make with Welsh's series。 Anything else is an insult to both。。。Marina is dead， Felix is a suspect。 But he also an addict - big time - and spends the majority of his life out of his head。 So he could have done it， but he suspects not， he sort of has an alibi。 He is our narrator and， as you can expect from a man of his "highs" the story is somewhat confusing in places。 He also enlists several of his friends and associates to assist him in his endeavours to discover the real murderer as he believes that the Police don't really care。 And so begins a bonkers romp， drug fuelled and， on occasion very very funny。 Which takes our MC pretty much everywhere someone like me wouldn't dare go。 Culminating in an ending that defied everything that came before。 Brilliant！Oh and remember who the author is before you make comment about the language。 Informed choice and all that jazz。。。 That said， it was all in context。And my final comment which I think is quite key to the whole thing。 It's a bit tongue in cheek and doesn't take itself that seriously - which， for me， made it all the more enjoyable and easy to read。 I wonder if he has another book in the pipeline。 I'd definitely be up for more of the same。。。My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book。 。。。more

The Cookster ，

Rating: 3。0/5I can be a bit wary of reading novels by celebrities who have made their name doing something else。 Occasionally they succeed in translating their skills into the new medium， but far too often I find myself disappointed and wishing they had stuck to their day job。 Thankfully， although not an unbridled success， Frankie Boyle has made a better stab at it than many。When his friend， Marina， is found murdered in a local park， drug addict Felix McAveety finds himself becoming an amateur p Rating: 3。0/5I can be a bit wary of reading novels by celebrities who have made their name doing something else。 Occasionally they succeed in translating their skills into the new medium， but far too often I find myself disappointed and wishing they had stuck to their day job。 Thankfully， although not an unbridled success， Frankie Boyle has made a better stab at it than many。When his friend， Marina， is found murdered in a local park， drug addict Felix McAveety finds himself becoming an amateur private detective as he seeks not only to clear himself of suspicion， but also to track down who was really responsible。Although the central character of Felix acts as the narrator it is nigh on impossible to read his stream of consciousness and interior monologue without hearing the voice of Frankie Boyle in your head。 There are quite frequent examples of industrial language， so if you find the use of profanities in your reading matter off-putting， then this is probably not the book for you。 Against that there are some moments that are - perhaps somewhat surprisingly - quite poignant and there are also a number of sections that not only made me smile， but actually caused me to laugh audibly。The mystery that underpins this crime novel is solid enough， but I can't help thinking that its role is secondary and it is essentially only a vehicle for the author to air his thoughts - both comedic and socio-political。 In many respects "Meantime" does come across as one long Frankie Boyle stand-up routine。 For that reason， I found that I had to break this down into digestible portions 。。。 Listening to Frankie Boyle for an hour or so is fine， but a stand-up routine of six hours or more is probably a bit more than I could cope with in one hit。I have a suspicion that there will be a strong correlation between people's attitude towards Frankie Boyle in general and their opinion of this book。 The author can be something of a Marmite character and I suspect readers may react in a similar way to this novel。Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Jen ，

I'm not going to lie。 I've been putting off writing this review。 Not for any bad reason， I'm just not sure I know where to begin。 This is perhaps the most unconventional crime thriller （？） I've read in quite some time。 And that turns out to be a good thing。 Kind of bonkers， often funny， sometimes expectedly poignant， this is a murder mystery investigation the like of which I have definitely not read before。 When your lead character， and part time suspect， is a self confessed stoner， and the very I'm not going to lie。 I've been putting off writing this review。 Not for any bad reason， I'm just not sure I know where to begin。 This is perhaps the most unconventional crime thriller （？） I've read in quite some time。 And that turns out to be a good thing。 Kind of bonkers， often funny， sometimes expectedly poignant， this is a murder mystery investigation the like of which I have definitely not read before。 When your lead character， and part time suspect， is a self confessed stoner， and the very varied group of friends who help him really aren't much better， you kind of get a hint of where this book is likely to lead。 Or so you'd think。 This is a Frankie Boyle novel。 I guess conventional and expected are really the last things I should be looking for， right？The story revolves around Felix McAveety， a man who is potentially prime suspect in the murder of his good friend Marina。 But Felix has an alibi， of sorts， and as much as the police might like to pin him down for the murder， or potentially any misdemeanour to be fair， it is clear to them， and us as readers， that Felix is as innocent as the day is long。 Which is perhaps a bad metaphor for this book seeing as many of Felix's days are lost in a drug fuelled haze。 Told in first person， this is a story which is as confusing as it is entertaining and which is packed with humour。 Many Frankie Boyle-esque moments of social commentary， both barbed and not， litter the text， and whilst Felix may seem to be a complete waster， someone who would rather avoid life by sinking a few （dozen） valium， there is an astute mind there。 Well hidden， but it is there。 Enlisting the help of a retired Detective turned crime- novelist， Felix is determined to solve the mystery of Marina's murder， not trusting the police to get it right。 He may have a point， given what I read。Now if you've ever seen a Frankie Boyle routine or really listened to his very unique and colourful way of describing all manner of things， then you can probably already guess how the storytelling in this book is likely to go。 It is probably filled with some of the most colourful and unique descriptions of people and places that I have ever read - a kind of acid trip playing out on the page - and yet it's surprisingly effective。 Sometimes if made me smile， other descriptions resulting in an audible chuckle。 A few grimaces too， but then we're dealing with a lot of addicts here。 Not quite on a level of Trainspotting bad， but certainly not the behaviour or decorum you usually expect in crime fiction。Taking readers from the world of drugs， to artificial intelligence， to conspiracy theory through to politics （Like AI without the I part 。。。）， the story is set in the period immediately post independence vote。 A lot of political commentary surrounding that， both for and against， but it definitely made for an interesting backdrop given all we now know was to follow。 Even being just eight years ago， it gives the book a feeling of nostalgia， almost borderline historical fiction， but it was the perfect backdrop for this particular investigation。 Frankie Boyle did a brilliant job of making it feel relevant and of its time， whilst still tapping into many of the arguments that still prevail。 And as for the AI angle 。。。 well that was beyond a mind trip， the 'philosophical discussions' and tangents that the characters go off on often making me wonder if I hadn't actually consumed a few hallucinogens too。I think this is a book that will divide critics。 If you enjoyed Trainspotting for the madness that it was， and appreciate the intelligence that sits behind some of Frankie Boyle's more controversial moments， then I think you'll enjoy it。 This is by no means controversial， lets get that clear， but it is quirky。 If you're looking for your everyday amateur detective， you won't find them in Felix。 If you like a character who has the capacity to surprise and whose laid back exterior actually hides a very deep emotional core， then I think you may well bond with him。 I couldn't help but like Felix。 He made me smile， sometimes laugh。 And yet with a slight twist of perspective， Frankie boyle managed to infuse into the story moments of poignancy that was so unexpected their impact was more keenly felt and the story all the better for it。 I'm intrigued to see where Mr Boyle may lead us next time。 。。。more

Justin Sarginson ，

I'll make two things clear now。1。 I am a massive fan of Frankie Boyle。2。 Comparisons of this book to Trainspotting is lazy and disingenuous and disregard all reviews and opinions who make this lazy comparison。 With that out of the way， I will begin。 Yes， I also had no idea how Frankie Boyle would approach writing， but I'm just pleased he did。 This is fun to read and the plot does engage with you from the get go， but as you expect the characters just jump out from the pages。 Everyone will have th I'll make two things clear now。1。 I am a massive fan of Frankie Boyle。2。 Comparisons of this book to Trainspotting is lazy and disingenuous and disregard all reviews and opinions who make this lazy comparison。 With that out of the way， I will begin。 Yes， I also had no idea how Frankie Boyle would approach writing， but I'm just pleased he did。 This is fun to read and the plot does engage with you from the get go， but as you expect the characters just jump out from the pages。 Everyone will have their favourite character， I certainly do， but I won't list them out as I don't want to spoil the discoveries for anyone， but they are all in their own way simply superb。 For me， the central character seemed to be very much Frankie Boyle himself， he certainly used his jokes。All said， a very strong debut novel which is eminently readable and enjoyable， packed full of every human emotion there is。 Writing this sentence reminded me of two really sad sections， which illustrates just how well this author can write。 。。。more

Alex Jones ，

3/5 Ok/GoodI don’t really know what to make of this debut from Frankie Boyle。It’s not really the crime fiction I thought it was。 It’s really quite surreal to be honest as it follows the main character in Felix as he investigate ps the death of a friend。With constant references to drug taking， literally every page someone is popping a pill of some sort， lots of foul language and many one liners it’s kind of entertaining and did keep me reading and engaged…But it’s just weird， and trying to be a b 3/5 Ok/GoodI don’t really know what to make of this debut from Frankie Boyle。It’s not really the crime fiction I thought it was。 It’s really quite surreal to be honest as it follows the main character in Felix as he investigate ps the death of a friend。With constant references to drug taking， literally every page someone is popping a pill of some sort， lots of foul language and many one liners it’s kind of entertaining and did keep me reading and engaged…But it’s just weird， and trying to be a bit to cool？ It’s VERY political， extremely satirical and I’m not sure if it’s all just Frankie Boyle writing a massive Parody of life today。Strange， but it’s ok and I think some will love it and others maybe not so much。 。。。more

Helen Latto ，

I really enjoyed Frankie Boyles first fictional novel。 It was a wild ride of a story about a guy investigating his friends murder。 It was like Irvine Welsh meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with a lot of witty one liners and banter along the way。Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。

Kat ，

I was over the moon to receive the ARC of Meantime I had heard a lot about it and was looking forward to reading it but I was a tad disappointed that I felt I couldn’t always connect with the story。 Frankie Boyle has always been a big favourite of mine with his acerbic wit and forthright manner he has made me laugh a lot and I think that is what actually made this book as although as I said I didn’t always connect with the story the humour in the book was brilliant and some of the one liners had I was over the moon to receive the ARC of Meantime I had heard a lot about it and was looking forward to reading it but I was a tad disappointed that I felt I couldn’t always connect with the story。 Frankie Boyle has always been a big favourite of mine with his acerbic wit and forthright manner he has made me laugh a lot and I think that is what actually made this book as although as I said I didn’t always connect with the story the humour in the book was brilliant and some of the one liners had me laughing out loud。 The book is billed as a crime thriller but I feel it’s a whole lot more than that it’s more a reflection on life in parts and that came over well。 The characters were a real mixed bunch Felix was my favourite but Donny the neighbour came a close second and again had me laughing a lot。So overall I enjoyed the book it was different from what I was expecting but actually that’s probably not surprising given the author is someone who is never predictable and for me it was a 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4。 My thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press， Baskerville for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more

Pam Wright Alfie Blue Puss In Books ，

Thanks for the advanced copy I was really looking forward to reading this as I am a big Frankie Boyle fan。 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。 After a few chapters I found this really was not the case it was funny but there was something I couldn’t put my finger that made the story feel flat。 I don’t know if it was that I expecting too much but this book wasn’t for me。 I Thanks for the advanced copy I was really looking forward to reading this as I am a big Frankie Boyle fan。 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。 After a few chapters I found this really was not the case it was funny but there was something I couldn’t put my finger that made the story feel flat。 I don’t know if it was that I expecting too much but this book wasn’t for me。 I am sure it will be a hit not only because of the fan base behind Boyle but because it will be lots of peoples cup of tea just not mine。 。。。more

Simon Bewick ，

'Meantime'， Frankie Boyle's crime novel has had positive early praise from some big names in the crime fiction world who have used phrases like 'darkest noir'， 'unputdownable' and 'scalpel-sharp'Putting aside the 'celebrity' aspect （and with it the question as to whether it would have been published if it wasn't written by a well known figure） does it work as a novel - and more specifically， as a crime novel？ I'd say the crime elements are present but not the main feature （which feels more to be 'Meantime'， Frankie Boyle's crime novel has had positive early praise from some big names in the crime fiction world who have used phrases like 'darkest noir'， 'unputdownable' and 'scalpel-sharp'Putting aside the 'celebrity' aspect （and with it the question as to whether it would have been published if it wasn't written by a well known figure） does it work as a novel - and more specifically， as a crime novel？ I'd say the crime elements are present but not the main feature （which feels more to be a trainspotting style character study with kernels of stand up routines in their drugged up life observations。。。"I've often thought that。。。 ' or 'I'd once。。。' mini anecdotes）。 The tone of the novel takes a dramatic turn at the end which could be considered a 'twist' or a tonal leap， depending on your view。 As a crime novel I would say it lacks any traditional mechanics of plot or character journeys。 （The characters are generally of a more cartoonish nature， which works for the comedic effect in places， but is more problematic as a crime fiction）。 Parts of it reminded me of an attempt to write in the comedy/ crime style of Colin Bateman or early Chris Brookmyre （with a lot more uses of a certain C word。。。） - neither of whom are easy shoes to fill。 There were a few elements I am guessing will be edited out ahead of final publication （spelling/ grammar errors， repeated words etc）， and a strange choice to give two characters the same name （one as a forename one as a surname）， which I didn't quite get - but neither appear again in the novel。 It's a quick and easy read。 I'm sure fans of the author in his 'day job' will appreciate some of the observations and comedic elements = for me personally， it didn't gel as a full on crime novel， but I'm sure it will prove to be popular。 Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy for an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more

Kevin ，

I wasn't quite sure about this requesting this book。 On the one hand I love books set in or around Glasgow （as someone who works， and previously lived， in the city） however I find Frankie Boyle a bit over the top in terms of his comedy。I guess what I could say about this book is that if you read it without knowing who wrote it， you would quickly guess it someone like Frankie。 If you're a fan of his comedy you will like this book， if you're not a fan I wouldn't imagine this will resonate with you I wasn't quite sure about this requesting this book。 On the one hand I love books set in or around Glasgow （as someone who works， and previously lived， in the city） however I find Frankie Boyle a bit over the top in terms of his comedy。I guess what I could say about this book is that if you read it without knowing who wrote it， you would quickly guess it someone like Frankie。 If you're a fan of his comedy you will like this book， if you're not a fan I wouldn't imagine this will resonate with you。Whilst it did have some great one liners， the constant reference to drugs， being stoned or drunk became quite tiresome after a few pages。 Thanks to Netgalley and John Murray Press， Baskerville， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more

Kenna ，

Felix’s friend Marina is murdered in Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow and he wants the murderer to be brought to justice。 Felix doesn’t have any confidence in the Scottish Police force and decides to investigate with the help of his downstairs neighbour Donnie。 Felix and Donnie are heavily dependent on drugs which obviously hampers their investigation and provides some hilarious moments。 Their investigation takes them into the bowels of the Scottish underworld and post-Referendum Scottish politics。 B Felix’s friend Marina is murdered in Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow and he wants the murderer to be brought to justice。 Felix doesn’t have any confidence in the Scottish Police force and decides to investigate with the help of his downstairs neighbour Donnie。 Felix and Donnie are heavily dependent on drugs which obviously hampers their investigation and provides some hilarious moments。 Their investigation takes them into the bowels of the Scottish underworld and post-Referendum Scottish politics。 By chance， Felix also enlists the help from a very sympathetic crime novelist who gives them a fighting chance of investigating Maria’s murder successfully。 Meantime is Frankie Boyle’s debut novel and I could definitely hear his voice and observations in Felix’s。 I’m a fan of Frankie Boyle and found these very amusing。 Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers， John Murray Press， for this ARC of Meantime for a fair and honest review。 。。。more

McBreakneck ，

I was curious to read this， ahead of the perennial debate on whether celebrities should write novels。 I like Frankie Boyle， the comedian and believed in the idea that could come up with a really interesting crime novel。Felix becomes an accidental investigator following the murder of his good friend Marina。 Felix takes a lot of drugs， as does his neighbour Donnie， together they stumble around trying the piece together the evidence to identify the killer。I liked Felix's stream of consciousness ram I was curious to read this， ahead of the perennial debate on whether celebrities should write novels。 I like Frankie Boyle， the comedian and believed in the idea that could come up with a really interesting crime novel。Felix becomes an accidental investigator following the murder of his good friend Marina。 Felix takes a lot of drugs， as does his neighbour Donnie， together they stumble around trying the piece together the evidence to identify the killer。I liked Felix's stream of consciousness ramblings and introspection， often very funny， often shrewd and insightful behind his face masked by various drugs。 There's quite a lot about artificial intelligence and Scottish Independence。The crime investigation was almost incidental and for me much less entertaining and didn't really build momentum。I think I would have preferred more Felix and less attempt at a narrative novel。In conclusion， some very funny moments， great one liners and some personal wisdom wrapped up with lots of drugs in a fairly mild murder plot。Thanks to Netgalley and John Murray Press 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Meantime

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Meantime&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Meantime&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0