Jack Parlabane is living in a flat after returning from the states; locks himself out one night and ventures into one of the apartments downstairs to come across the body of someone who's been rather gruesomely murdered. His reporter's instincts kicking in, he teams up with the ex-wife of the victim, who's come round to fetch some of her personal stuff, to find out what happened.

This I think is the first Parlabane book, although allusions are made to previous adventures, and it's quite a good one. In fact, I think it might be Brookmyre's first book. It is a fairly linear story, and mainly reminded me of What A Carve Up!: the plot focuses on a hospital administrator who's using the Thatcher reforms to make money for himself by closing wards and bumping off patients. As in the Coe book, Brookmyre leaves you in no doubt about where his sympathies lie, and how thoroughly venal and cynical he thinks the whole Tory establishment is.

I enjoyed this one, and it's prompted me to re-read What A Carve Up! again.

Completed : 09-Dec-2011 (audiobook)