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BooksHorror

Spanky by Christopher Fowler (ebook review)

Direct from the pen of the supremely excellent Christopher Fowler, who writes the wonderful ‘Bryant And May’ adventures, ‘Spanky’ is a little different. Directly addressing the supernatural, Spanky is one of the devils in human form who offer the temptation to make your life oh so much better.

Spanky

Martyn Ross is a loser in every sense. No girl and no decent job. He hates his life so much, he barely takes part in it. He hates his loser flatmate, too, but not enough to get another one.

Spanky who is ultra-real and super sophisticated and can change it all and doesn’t even want his soul. It’s a story we have all heard before, almost the classic Faust who sold his soul for riches and women. There is a brilliant twist here that makes eternal damnation look like a soft option.

It doesn’t take long for Martyn to take the bait. He thinks it’s a win-win situation but, of course, it’s lose-lose. Improving his life is actually quite easy but it does involve ruining a few other peoples on the way to Martyn’s rich new existence. He even finds love but that, too, has the shine taken away. It’s not looking good and then it gets worse.

Fowler is a practised storyteller and he keeps things moving at a fair old pace. The story is told with flair and, although we initially might recoil from the sleazy Martin, we do, of course, feel a little sympathy with his trials. The temptation to take the easy route to success is something we can all relate to and this story illuminates just why it might be better to take the hard road rather than the easy one.

Above all, it is funny and shares the charm of the ‘Bryant And May’ stories. I can find nothing wrong with this and luckily there are plenty of opportunities to read more Fowler novels. Just send me a crate full. Don’t include the demon, though.

Sue Davies

July 2016

(pub: Transworld Digital, 2016. 352 page kindle ebook. File Size: 3649kb. Price: £ 2.99 (UK). ASIN: B01C524SU8)

check out website: www.penguin.co.uk/

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