When is a crime novel more than a crime novel? For me it is when you read one of Ruth Dudley Edwards’ excellent books in the Jack Troutbeck and Robert Amiss series. Carnage on the Committee is the tenth in this most anticipated series. This time with pinpoint accuracy her pot shots are well and truly aimed at the literati and their pretentious behaviour towards not only genre fiction but also literary prizes, how they are chosen and what is considered to be literature. With Carnage on the Committee she is saying what a lot of people have been complaining about for ages and more to the point she highlights the cronyism that takes place within the literary establishment much to the exasperation of several really good genre authors and books that are widely available.
When the Chair of the prestigious Knapper-Warbuton Literary Prize is murdered, Amiss (who is also a member of the Committee) is persuaded to find a replacement. His choice of course is Baroness “Jack” Troutbeck. The fact that a number of the other judges are also being done away with does not faze Jack in the least. She is more horrified by the fact that she is going to have to read what she considers to be pretentious and unreadable crap.
Carnage on the Committee is satire at its best. For some it may be in
terrible taste, but for me it is not. It only confirms what long time fans have
already known - that the author is one that takes no prisoners, writes brilliantly
and is at the top of her game. Witty, irrelevant, and down right funny. This
is one of the best and totally unpolitically correct novels that I have read
in a long time. What a treasure. With her robust language, on the spot assessment
of the current situation, this is one of the funniest books that I have read
in a long time. Once begun, hard to put down. I was sorry to see it end. I can
only hope that the next one in the series will be around before too long. I
can’t wait to see whom she is going to pounce on next!
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Ayo Onatade
Other books are Corridors of Death, The Saint Valentine Day Murders, English School of Murder, Clubbed to Death, Matricide at St. Martha's, 10 Lords a Leaping, Murder in a Cathedral, Publish & Be Murdered, The Anglo-Irish Murders.