The Life of Riley and His Troubles (ePub)

Scotland's Highland & Island Arts undertook a critique of this book. Beneath are some of their conclusions:The novel is well-written, accomplished, publishable and comic. At its best, it will remind the reader of J.P. Donleavy or Flann O'Brien. The author, who may well have a track record of publication and perhaps a background in stand-up comedy—-no pun intended — has a sure hand on the tiller here. Just as a song begins with a certain key, which then dominates the tune, the reader may have thought this novel would be more about the accidental murderer Mickey O'Rourke and his flight from Republican "heavies" who want revenge for the murder of their Commander Martin Muldoony. However, the story then shifts to the shenanigans of the unfaithful Doctor Riley Dernehen and the attempts by his wife Dotty to catch him in the act. This is skilfully done and a reader should readily accept that the first action of the novel will re-surface later. Any town named Ballyboil must be ready for some fun. So it proves. This novel is a comic tour de force. The author said, "It should appeal to readers of light-hearted material." At its best, it will remind the reader of J.P.Donleavy, Behan or Flann O'Brien. The dialogue is brilliantly funny and would be priceless read aloud. Perhaps the writer had some experience of writing comedy or comic dialogue?. The author succeeds here. The book will make most readers laugh, for sure. The writer has a big job to do here. A cast of thousands: Priests, IRA hit men, RUC, Irish biker gangs—-all classes and backgrounds. The dialogue throughout is a joy to read. Witty, sounds genuine. Lots of punning and humour.