Not The End Of The World
(Christopher Brookmyre)
Not the End of the World, published in1998, is Christopher Brookmyre?s third novel. For those, unfamiliar with the work of this author, Brookmyre is the UK?s top thriller writer, specialising in black-comedy style, violent thrillers, set in Scotland and featuring the investigative journalist, Jack Parlabane.
Not the End of the World differs from the norm in two main ways. Here, the hero of the novel is a freelance photographer, Steff Kennedy and the story, itself, is set in Los Angeles. These differences aside, those familiar with this author?s work will recognise this as a Brookmyre novel as the bodies pile up in this gripping, fast-moving and very funny novel.
Brookmyre?s novels are often set amidst a world of corruption and sleaze. This time the target is religion; specifically the religion of American evangelicals. The idea that it is the role of evangelicals to bring America back to God is taken to its extreme as a famous television evangelist prophecies a tidal wave which will destroy Los Angeles, and then takes steps to ensure that his prophecy comes true.
The story unfolds whilst a Christian rally and a film festival take place side by side. The author brings these two worlds into collision in the most macabre manner imaginable and it is to the great credit of Brookmyre?s biting satire and perception that a porn star can be portrayed as a heroine and the committed Christians as the villains.
This novel is superb. Brookmyre is a writer who, whilst writing straightforward and very violent thrillers on the one hand also has a great deal to say about the nature of contemporary society; be it politics, business, or, in this case, religion.
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