Don’t Worry, Everything is Going to be Amazing by Billy Moran @SauceMaterials

Synopsis:

Chris Pringle: simpleton, casualty or local hero?

Propped up by biscuits, benefits and a baffling faith in his plan, he lives in a world where every day is obsessively the same: wedged in his recliner, watching murder mysteries, taking notes. Until the day a serious and peculiar crime stumps the local police – and Chris announces he can solve it.

Accompanied by a loyal crew of chancers, committed to making amends, and pursued by a depressed Detective Inspector, trying to join the dots, Chris heads back to the raves of his past, where a heartbreaking personal tragedy lies abandoned. But what exactly is Chris Pringle looking for? Has he really worked out the way to find it? And what will happen if he does?

A quirky, nostalgic, heart-warming mystery for fans of Gail Honeyman, Agatha Christie, Jennifer Egan, Ian Rankin, Matt Haig, Irvine Welsh, Ben Aaronovitch, Dave Eggers, Jon Niven, John Kennedy Toole, Belinda Bauer and Harland Miller.

‘Edgy, buzzing and pulsing with life – if this doesn’t take you back, nothing will.’ PIERS TORDAY (AUTHOR, THE LAST WILD)

‘Fills in, most entertainingly, the missing link between Poirot’s little grey cells and the battered brain chemistry of an ex-raver.’ LUDOVIC HUNTER TILNEY (PRESS CLUB ARTS REVIEWER OF THE YEAR)

‘An absolute blast – a riveting mystery that will satisfy any crime buff.’ JAMES NALLY (AUTHOR, THE PC DONAL LYNCH THRILLERS)

My Review

Every now again a book comes along that makes me want to step out of my comfort zone of fantasy. This is one such book. Everything is going to be amazing sounded like a lot of fun and I am a sucker for books set in the 90’s, which is when I was coming into my teenage years.

The Characters

We are following three main characters through the story; Chris, his friend Runcie and DI Kaye. Runcie and Chris have grown up together and navigated their way through the 90’s rave scene. Chris is obsessed with TV police detectives; his whole life has been taken over by the rules he has devised. When the police are struggling to solve a murder, Chris decides it’s time to step in and help.

During the story we are going from the present to the 90’s. Is what happened then linked to what is going on now? And can Chris actually help the police to solve the mystery.

The Writing

I must admit I found it really difficult at first to settle into the writing. It’s quite frenetic in places and hard to follow. It is also written in local slang, which meant I spent the first few chapters wondering what was going on. As you would expect, given my mention of the 90’s rave scene, there is a lot of drug talk and misuse. Hence why the writing was a little strange in places, they were tripping.

However, once I got my head around it, I settled into the story and began to really enjoy it. I did appreciate that events that take place in the book are based on fact. For example, the Castlemorton common rave. The rave that changed the law. I actually live very close to that area and could easily imagine 1000’s of people gathering.

Final Thoughts

I was actually surprised by how much I got into the story, once DI Kaye is introduced things really start to get going and I was trying to piece it altogether along side him. The latter half of the book I really flew through and struggled to put it down.

This is a book I would say stick with. It’s quirky and unusual, who doesn’t love a bit of the odd? And so worth your time. Once you get going, you’ll have so many questions about what is going on, you won’t put it down until you get the answers. I’s not a stand alone either, so bring on the odd I’m looking forward to more of Chris and Runcie.

My thanks to Sauce Materials for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Author Bio

Billy Moran is an award-winning television writer for shows including Horrible Histories. He grew up in the West Country, where his teenage years were rudely interrupted by the Second Summer of Love.

Since then he has been embracing mysteries, craving solutions and writing lots of lists. He lives in London and has two children, two cats, one football team and several favourite detectives. Don’t Worry, Everything Is Going To Be Amazing is his debut novel.