DON'T WORRY, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE AMAZING...
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.
I'm delighted to be sharing my review of Don't Worry, Everything Is Going To Be Amazing today. Many thanks to Billy Moran for inviting me and for sending me digital copy of the novel.
Don't Worry, Everything Is Going To Be Amazing is a mystery but it's unlike any mystery I've ever read before. Perhaps the foremost reason for this is because Chris Pringle isn't like any other detective I've come across before.
Chris knows all about detectives; he's studied the best - from Columbo to Poirot, Frost to er...Rosemary and Thyme. His video collection is extensive and with his Interview Room (formerly his lounge) and caravan-turned-Incident-Room, he is ready to lend his knowledge to the police and solve a gruesome murder. His offer isn't received enthusiastically by the jaded DI Kaye but a new community liaison and transparency drive, C.L.E.A.R means he is now expected to listen - and perhaps worse, full amnesty will be offered for minor unconnected issues...
Chris Pringle isn't a criminal but his best friend, Stephen 'Runcie' Runce is a little bit dodgy. Nothing too serious, he just wants an easy life now and only sells dope to a few regular customers but back in the early 90s he was the self-styled Robin Hood of Rave, supplying pills to punters. The book switches between past and present - or as Runcie explains in the prologue, 'It's a journey mind, so clunk click: there's a bit of now, a bit of then, now-then, now-then - but yer'd like that, right?' The loved-up, drugged-up chaotic hedonism of the rave scene is brilliantly brought to life, chiefly through the enthusiastic, if somewhat disordered eyes of Runcie but also occasionally from Chris' even more muddled viewpoint.
Chris' unique approach to life means people aren't sure what to make of him; he is frequently dismissed as being just a bit simple and often leaves those he deals with completely lost. Meanwhile, Runcie's wandering, slang-filled narrative isn't that much easier to follow but gradually all the many loose ends in this very cleverly structured novel are drawn together and this odd but hugely likeable pair absolutely won my heart. They are assisted by their long-time friends Julie Duke and Student and though each are outsiders to varying degrees, their quirks and their steadfast, unquestioning support for one another means they are even able to teach the local police a lesson and - just maybe Chris Pringle is capable of much more than anybody would give him credit for.
I loved Don't Worry, Everything Is Going To Be Amazing; it's a warm-hearted, funny, bittersweet novel of love and loss, memories and secrets, tea and biscuits. The meandering, colloquial dialogue means it's a book that requires the reader to allow themselves to be pulled in by the unique narrative style but it's well worth the trip. I was delighted to discover at the end of the book that there's more to come from this lovable bunch of misfits - and that they'll be joined by Disco Sean and Tasty! I can't wait!
Don't Worry, Everything Is Going To Be Amazing is published by Sauce Materials, purchasing links can be found
here.
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About the Author
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.
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