Really enjoyed it. It true Ben Elton style it was very well written. Good plot which you never saw coming.

4.5*
Loved this, and kinda not so secretly loved the idea of bullies getting payback. The overly graphic sex scene was unnecessary so that’s why it lost half a star for me. Maybe I’m a prude, but I just didn’t think it added anything new to the story, we already knew she was batsh!t crazy...

My hospital read! I spent a day and night in hospital for tonsillitis, and managed to read through this book (though there's not a whole lot to do in hospital!).

Originally this book was destined for a 3 star, but the last 5th of the book started to really pull the story together and made for quite a fun and gripping ending.

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I selected this book to read because it was Ben Elton, and I'd read a few of his books before and was expecting satirical, witty and possibly funny. I did not expect this book! The characters are certainly witty, but there's no comedy to be found. This is a dark detective story.

The story did feel a little crowded for the first half, it follows the protagonist Edward Newson, a detective inspector and a good one to boot. Newson is extremely well centred with respect to his work, and it makes him a good detective.

In his personal life, he's off centre, but as the reader, I found his judgement quite questionable - and I'm not 100% sure if his character arc leaves him any better at the end.

At the surface of the story, we have a murder mystery. A pretty graphically gruesome murder. Then there's some very strong elements of sex - and very graphic hardcore sex (which, I didn't really realise I was signing up to). Then there's a heavy bullying theme: how if affects an individual decades on, how the bullies continue to live, if they can move past it, whether it's rooted to their soul or not. Then there's unrequited love. Then there's nostalgia and reaching into the past and trying to rekindle feelings of hope and love and happiness.

So…yeah, it felt a little crowded.

Thankfully the last quarter somehow manages to pull a lot of the themes together (and drops a few on the way).

In the end, I enjoyed the story and enjoyed the gripping ending. It did all tie up a little too nicely, but then it's a story, so why shouldn't it?! :)

I'm very impressed with Ben Elton's 9th novel. Even though I read him before and now well know that he does other stuff than comedy (and does other stuff than comedy really well), I'm still expecting a comic twist from his narrative. Even after learning of the (very) gruesome murders that are the work of a serial killer (according to Det. Edward Newsome's theory) I still kind of do. Some way into the novel, however, I realized this is serious stuff.

Without trying to reveal too much, the murders are related/connected to bullying and this theme makes for a number of tough situations and self analysis by the characters. Elton does not shy away from the dark stuff though - quite the contrary. Any illusion of comedy is soon buried.

"Did you recognize that guy when he appeared, Ed? When you met him for the first time? That was you. He's inside you, as much part of you as your preferred version of yourself."

I'm not at all sure, but I think that it just may be the tone of Elton's narrative that makes the bleak and miserable parts bearable and made me still like the story very much and want to keep reading. You don't totally despair, even for the character you feel the most agony over, but that's certainly not because of some feeling that "all's probably going to be OK in the end". Oh, no, it's not that easy. After a Hollywood suspense moment near the end, which I totally forgive because of the rest being so darned good, he actually manages a good finish too!

There you have it - new favorite Ben Elton.

This book, based on bullying was a fast paced story. I had three people identified as the murderer and was wrong three times. This topic holds a special place in my heart as I worked at a school as an encore career and saw some of this behavior. ( This novel did get a bit gritty with some strong sexual situations**** so be forewarned.) I was unaware of Elton's novels but had watched some of his BBC television episodes which include the Blackadder and The Thin Blue Line . LOVE LOVE LOVE I'm off to find more of his novels as I enjoyed this one very much.

"Past Mortem" is Ben Elton's ninth novel which was first published back in 2004. Described on the sleeve as a "heart-stopping thriller and a killer comic romance", having been written by the comedian Ben Elton, you were sure to have a fair amount of comedy within the book.

The novel reads like a black comedy version of a Shaun Hutson thriller novel, being very easy to read, delivering short fast paced chapters that end on miniature cliff hangers throughout the book. The novel follows the life of detective Edward Newson as he tries to capture a serial killer who is murdering bullies in inventive and disturbing ways. The storyline is somewhat similar to David Fincher's film Seven, yet at the same time so very far removed.

The likeable character of Newson, who was obviously based on Elton himself, keeps the novel alive with his comical view on the world, even in the face of such difficult circumstances. The running subplot of Newson's secret crush on one of his fellow colleagues and his resulting non-existent love life, makes the character so much more loveable.

The novel is slightly let down by the obvious and predictable outcome of who the killer is, which becomes apparent from quite early on. This obviously was not Elton's intention, which ruins the `twist-ending' as you will see it coming from a mile away. Still, the book is a thoroughly enjoyable read due to the well written nature of the book, and for a bit of light hearted reading, you can't go wrong with it.

Nice, easy-to-read, funny thriller by one of my favourite authors. It's fairly easy to find out who is committing the murders and the main characters seem a bit stupid because of that, but there's still enough fun and excitement left in the book.

A very enjoyable light read on an important topic. First Ben elton book , I really like his style.
Characters - Funny , self depreciating and full of annoying tiny flaws. I kept thinking of Ed Sheeran when I read of Ed newson. The villain was hardly developed. Found some characters too drenched in stereotype.

Way of killing - Interesting , gross and relevant to the case.

Motives - Underlying theme of bullying and high school throughout the book. I felt that more dialogue on why killing your high school bully is wrong was necessary. He almost glorified the killer. Helen Smart was an important character in this aspect who was written very well.

Whodunnit - Terribly easy to find.

And really didn't buy the police romance. Since all we got was a lonely despo's version of it. Female perspective was needed again.

But a very enjoyable book , easy to read and nice social message with a slightly lenient view towards violence. Ed Sheeran convinced me to give it a 5 and not a 4 , despite all the tiny flaws mentioned above :P

I gave it 80 pages as I'd read his books years ago and enjoyed them.
But this is just adolescent rubbish - unnecessarily, but apparently hilariously, gorey, with characters straight out of a 1970s sitcom. Life is too short for such puerile drivel.

A novel about the very important topic of bullying, in particular bullying between teenagers (although abusive behaviour by a partner is also a side-theme). Some eccentric murder cases are presented here, and after the third or so the pattern is made clear to Det. Edward Newson. Each one of the murdered ppl has been a bully in his youth (and some have never grown out of it) and died the same way he/she once tormented a classmate.
Although the topic is taken just as serious as it is, at the same time the book is quite funny and entertaining to read, although not laughing out loud funny but it does have a very dry humour.

I'm a fan of Ben Elton and have read + enjoyed some of his other books and can highly recommend this one as well!

Ben Elton expertly combines the dread and thrill of a psychologically motivated murder spree with genuinely rib-tickling situations the protagonist regularly experiences. A riveting read.

A bit of a different tale from what we have come to know from Ben Elton but another cracking good read. Who decides in war time what is murder?