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Book Reviews Title Something
For The Weekend Fiction-Net
Rating Buy It
From Amazon.co.uk - BUY
NOW! Cover
Story Leo Street is fed
up. It's her thirtieth birthday and it's raining
again. Her home town of Dublin is no 'New
Barcelona'; her job as a private investigator
brings nothing but heartache and unpaid bills; and
Barry, her permanently resting actor boyfriend,
treats her house like a free hotel - without giving
her the benefits of room service. So she's rather
relieved when a loathsome client sends her away to
County Kildare to spy on his supposedly cheating
wife. The one catch is she has to masquerade as a
member of a cookery course and the only piece of
culinary equipment Leo can handle is a tin opener -
Weekend Entertaining Part One is daunting to say
the least. As she strips
away layers of marital infidelity - not to mention
several other scandalous secrets - Leo battles with
bread-making and brulee. But where will it all end
- in triumph or tragedy? Sharper than an
ironic aioli, Pauline McLynn's infectious humour
sparkles throughout this hilarious novel.
"Something for the Weekend" introduces us to an
irresistible heroine and marks the debut of a
wonderfully talented comic writer. We
Say Such is my
fondness for Pauline McLynn's off-the-wall, warty
portrayal of Mrs Doyle in the brilliant T.V comedy
"Father Ted" that I just knew that this would be
the funniest book I had read in ages, and indeed,
funny it was. Unfortunately that's all it was.
Although McLynn has a talent for writing characters
that make you laugh, the plot for this book reads
like a predictable old school mystery after one too
many pints of the black stuff. Leo Street, our
female detective heroine, bumbles around the
traditional setting of the old manor house making
discoveries about people that many readers will
spot a mile off. I defy anyone to be truly shocked
by anything that happens. However, I can almost
forgive this because the main character is so
likeable, and yes, once again, funny. Overall,
characterisation is the main strength of this book.
The scenes with Leo's overbearing family are a
scream and McLynn creates a fondness for the
genuine cooking students on the course, with their
different backgrounds and problems that they are
trying to escape. The only weak link is Leo's
useless boyfriend, Barry. The appeal of these
hopeless but irresistible men, that some women just
can't help putting up with escapes me, but then
maybe it's meant to. According to the
book jacket, McLynn is writing her second novel,
also about Leo Street. I only hope that she finds a
more original plot and setting in which to place
this lively character. Review by: Rachel
Taylor |
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