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hellomandamay's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
shaileshnandwana's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Great book! A very good combination of humor and crime thriller. Things I loved about the book:
- Paul's character: I absolutely love the humor of this character, the description of things he gets into is really funny.
- Interaction between Paul's and Brigit character. Very funny, loved the banter between them.
- Loved the fact that majority of the protagonists of the book had their funny moments in the book.
Things which were not so good:
- Wished Bunny Mcgarry's character was fleshed out a little more.
- The back story of Paul and Bunny was not so clear. Why did they fall out with each other? Was not very clear.
trilby001's review against another edition
5.0
A fun read, a refreshing change from detective stories that are all noir. Colorful characters, crazy chases, many pages of comedic thrills. And it's a well-plotted mystery as well.
dreaj's review against another edition
4.0
Read for 52 Book Club Challenge 2023 #47 Set in the city of Dublin.
I was struggling to find a book set in Dublin that I hadn't read already and was recommended this. Having just waded through a grim dystopian future (The Power) it was a relief to find something both gripping and very funny - I read it in two sittings!! Comparisons with Douglas Adams (Dirk Gently), Terry Pratchett, Christopher Brookmyre, Jodi Taylor, Roddy Doyle are warranted!!
There were some great one-liners:
"In the meantime, he was dotting the ‘I’s and crossing the ‘T’s, waiting for the S and the H to show up." was one of my favourites.
I also enjoyed the characters from hard-boiled detective Bunny McGarry, feisty nurse Brigit to hapless Paul, whose life is summed up as "a staring match with a dead woman and he was unwilling to blink first". There are also great side-characters, such as Dorothy, the board-game playing older lady with a penchant for guns, Bentley's and growing old disgracefully.
An unusual starting premise has Paul visiting hospital patients who think he is a relative because "he has one of those faces". This inevitably leads to mistaken identity and before long he and Brigit are on the run from murderous gangsters and corrupt police (Garda). It's a lot of fun - I think I will be dipping into this series whenever I feel like cheering up!!
I was struggling to find a book set in Dublin that I hadn't read already and was recommended this. Having just waded through a grim dystopian future (The Power) it was a relief to find something both gripping and very funny - I read it in two sittings!! Comparisons with Douglas Adams (Dirk Gently), Terry Pratchett, Christopher Brookmyre, Jodi Taylor, Roddy Doyle are warranted!!
There were some great one-liners:
"In the meantime, he was dotting the ‘I’s and crossing the ‘T’s, waiting for the S and the H to show up." was one of my favourites.
I also enjoyed the characters from hard-boiled detective Bunny McGarry, feisty nurse Brigit to hapless Paul, whose life is summed up as "a staring match with a dead woman and he was unwilling to blink first". There are also great side-characters, such as Dorothy, the board-game playing older lady with a penchant for guns, Bentley's and growing old disgracefully.
An unusual starting premise has Paul visiting hospital patients who think he is a relative because "he has one of those faces". This inevitably leads to mistaken identity and before long he and Brigit are on the run from murderous gangsters and corrupt police (Garda). It's a lot of fun - I think I will be dipping into this series whenever I feel like cheering up!!
choosehappy's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love The Stranger Times series by the same author, but didn’t like this book as much. Without that expectation I might have given this 5 stars
Content Warnings
Minor: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
scully362's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kahn_johnson's review against another edition
5.0
As anyone who has even attempted it will tell you, writing a book is a real skill. Granted that may sound like stating the obvious, but as someone who has still not managed to get past stitching together 1,000 words on anything I can really appreciate what it takes to put together enough sentences to make an entire novel.
Now imagine effectively trying to write two books - only not in words, but in tone, in style, in genre.
This is the trick Caimh McDonnell has pulled off with more aplomb than a man has a right to when producing his debut work.
A stand-up by trade, Caimh (it's pronounced exactly as it sounds) has created something of a health and safety risk as A Man With One Of Those Faces will have you on the edge of your seat until you fall off it laughing.
The story is a simple one.
Paul spends his time helping other people by pretending to be someone he's not, only for him to be mistaken for someone he didn't even know he was being.
This leads to a police investigation, being hunted by people who thinks he knows stuff that he doesn't, going on the run with a nurse he barely knows and trying to solve the whole mystery before he's killed for being someone he wasn't and knowing things he didn't know before he started having to find out.
Got that?
Good.
In turn hilarious and gripping, Caimh takes you on a rollercoaster ride that is pure entertainment.
I laughed out loud as much as I ever have at peak-time Pratchett - to the point I was banned from reading in bed after my girlfriend had fallen asleep as I kept waking her up - and I was gripped as I've been by any Jack Reacher outing.
We're talking late for things/resenting interruptions levels of being grabbed.
Did I mention it's the talented bastard's debut novel?
It is said everyone has a book inside them. Caimh, I suspect, has several and I can't wait to find out what happens next.
Now imagine effectively trying to write two books - only not in words, but in tone, in style, in genre.
This is the trick Caimh McDonnell has pulled off with more aplomb than a man has a right to when producing his debut work.
A stand-up by trade, Caimh (it's pronounced exactly as it sounds) has created something of a health and safety risk as A Man With One Of Those Faces will have you on the edge of your seat until you fall off it laughing.
The story is a simple one.
Paul spends his time helping other people by pretending to be someone he's not, only for him to be mistaken for someone he didn't even know he was being.
This leads to a police investigation, being hunted by people who thinks he knows stuff that he doesn't, going on the run with a nurse he barely knows and trying to solve the whole mystery before he's killed for being someone he wasn't and knowing things he didn't know before he started having to find out.
Got that?
Good.
In turn hilarious and gripping, Caimh takes you on a rollercoaster ride that is pure entertainment.
I laughed out loud as much as I ever have at peak-time Pratchett - to the point I was banned from reading in bed after my girlfriend had fallen asleep as I kept waking her up - and I was gripped as I've been by any Jack Reacher outing.
We're talking late for things/resenting interruptions levels of being grabbed.
Did I mention it's the talented bastard's debut novel?
It is said everyone has a book inside them. Caimh, I suspect, has several and I can't wait to find out what happens next.