Fantastic book, the first Ben Elton novel i've read and i'd definitely plan to read more.

This review has a "it's not you, it's me" vibe. The writing was good and the storyline interesting. I liked the modern (early 2000's) detective story and the social media spin makes a refreshing change. It does make you think about social media and about the bullies at school and where you sat with regards to these kids. The story is about someone who is killing bullies, a bit like Dexter but cheesier. However I can only give a rating of two stars because it was too predictable. I knew who the killer was and how they would catch them before I got half way through this book, which stopped me from wanting to pick it up.

I am reviewing the comedy thriller novel Past Mortem by Ben Elton which is a very good book which I bought from a car boot sale. Apparently Ben won the Golden Dagger Award for Popcorn which was a previous comic thriller also by him. People who are squeamish might fight this book a bit off putting although it's well written. The plot is a police inspector is investigating a series of brutal murders where the victims always seem to be unpopular and bullies. At the same time he is have to contend with his up and coming class reunion and he meets an old friend called Christine whom he develops feelings for but then she is murdered too. The trail leads to Friends Reunited which was a popular social media site when this book came out. It appears certain people are writing about unpleasant experiences at the hands of others and the killer is reading them and taking revenge. The trail also leads to a children's bullying helpline where the same thing is happening as well. There is a fair few red herrings but there is a happy conclusion. Ben reached prominence in Britain with Saturday Night Live and went onto script Black Adder & The Young Ones. He is primarily a stand up comedian by trade but has even turned film director and made Maybe Baby. I think this book is one of his better books and he is a fantastic author. When High Society was published one critic said Ben Elton The Author Is Even Funnier than Ben Elton the stand up comedian. I did quite enjoy this book.

just too nasty and too neat it pulls you out of the story frequently with it's overt violence and ridiculous plot

I generally like Ben Elton books and this was no different. Murders. We follow the DI and his second in command. He has a crush on her, she is in an abusive relationship. They investigate murders, all of which have music playing whilst they occur. Music from a specific genre. Then Ed (DI) who is short and ginger (it's relevant kind of) joins Friends Reunited and is reunited with his school mates. Never a good idea. He meets one who works for an anti bullying charity and it all goes from there. I loved the first half of the book. I'm never good at guessing who's guilty in these 'who done it' type books and usually get there just as the book is about to tell us. This one - I got there far too early. Maybe that was the idea of the book? The first half was fab. The second half I didn't need to race through because I felt I knew where it was going. I think that might be my new discovery/realisation between a good book and a great book. In a good book every character is there for a purpose, they are pivotal to the story and will be an integral part to the plot. In a great book there are multiple characters with multiple identities and flaws; they're all part of the book and make the book what it is but are not, as individuals, pivotal to the plot of if you see what I mean? With Ben Elton if a person is mentioned then they'll be up to something!

Anyone who enjoyed the Brit-coms "Blackadder" and "Thin Blue Line" on PBS in past years is familiar with Ben Elton's brand of humor. He is one of the few writers who can make me laugh out loud, and he did that several times in this murder mystery, based on school bullying and how it affects peoples' later lives. A serial killer is on the loose, torturing his victims for hours in horrible and bizarre ways before he finally kills them. If you hate detailed descriptions of this sort of thing, you should avoid this book. There was also an extended and vivid scene of extremely rough sex that was 'way, 'way outside my comfort zone. But the mystery is compelling (I thought the solution was more obvious than it turned out to be) and the characters are interesting enough that you are really concerned about their welfare. Not quite as much of a tour de force as his "Dead Famous," which was a brilliant and up-to-date take on the impossible locked-room murder.

I'd forgotten how much I like Ben Elton. I liked his stand-up comedy and I've enjoyed his books thus far. This has been loitering on my bookshelves for years, and I'm rather glad that I inadvertently preserved reading it for the first time!

I've never had the slightest urge to join Friends Reunited. My school days were not the happiest of my life by any stretch of anyone's imagination and I've no overwhelming urge to revisit those with whom I shared them. The subjects of this novel, regardless of their experiences it seems, decided to take a trip down memory lane. They didn't all survive. I found myself snatching a few minutes at any opportunity to get to the "whodunnit". I wasn't disappointed.

Bullying people seems the norm for showing power!
It happens in various forms and at various stages of our life. All want revenge and sustain a life long ill feeling for the bully! But can anybody Bully the Bully?! which means he is wanting more power than the bully!
A vicious cycle set in motion by the numerous bullies, comes back to haunt them in the same way, years later - be it 20 or 40!

He seems to be able to sum the social truth behind trends in contemporary life. Although, I don't rate it much as a 'whodunnit'. I knew who the killer was half way through.

The sex scenes were quite unecessary, Mr Elton. Fisting? Really?

I found this a mildly engaging book. The plot ticked along in a way that held my interest and the twist at the end while mildly surprising was ludicrous. I thought that the relationships between the various characters oscillated from ridiculous to preposterous. The lovelorn inspector obsessed by his colleague but who beds past classmates involved with the case is not plausible and the rough sex scene is depraved and disgusting.
The plot does move at a pace and the style is racy and this ensured I finished the book. I can’t say I really enjoyed it.

Gory but fascinating.