Bored, that's what I felt reading this book. It's very short, only about 150 pages, and still, it was too long for the story that was being told.

 

I just couldn't care for the story. I'm not planning on reading more books by this author, and wouldn't recommend them.

 

Something I do think is interesting  - although it doesn't really has to do with this particular book -  is why Irish authors apparently all choose a pseudonym ".... Black". Fascinating...

 

Note: I read a Dutch translation of this book

Bradley's Characters are enjoyable people. Spencer the would be serial killer, just does not have the guts to spill some. Reads all about his idols; Ted Bundy, Son of Sam, etc. He works in a dinner as a bus boy.
Overall I like the authors character development, but the plot was missing something or maybe it needed more. I have to point out that the cover artwork is great will look awesome on my book shelves.

Lemuel's Family Restaurant's loser bus boy Spencer Sproul longs to be a serial killer like his heroes but just doesn't have the aptitude for it, until he determines that he can use the restaurant itself to torture his victims...

When I saw the demented drawing of Lemmy the Lemur on the cover, I knew I had to read this book. Not only did Tom Bradley make me care about a loser sociopath like Spencer Sproul, he gave me a few laughs along the way.

The main attractions of this story to me were the setting and the characters. Spencer's job as a bus boy made me reflect fondly on my day as a dishwasher... when I quit after one shift! Spencer's lack of skill at serial killing was hilarious. Having a hooker come over and not clubbing her with a potato masher as she looks at your favorite serial killer book? Breaking into a house with murder on your mind and getting distracted by the book about serial killers your victim fell asleep reading? Priceless! Spencer being completely inept at chit-chat really made the story for me.

The supporting cast was good as well; Spencer's would-be apprentice Spud, Raleigh Standish, Detective Furtwangler, Spencer's co-workers, they were all pretty well done. I even like the lady cop, the fat cop, and the reading cop as a team. The hellish restaurant setting, and even Spencer, to an extent, reminded me of James Steele's Felix and the Sacred Thor quite a bit.

Any gripes? It was way too short. It's 118 pages and the type was pretty big. Other than that, it was a very enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half.

Fairly good writing but totally lame mystery. One of the thinnest plots I've ever encountered. I thought the physical description of "The Lemur" made him sound more like a marmoset, but I won't belabor mammalian classification. One good line I got from this book: "The internet is not the world, my dear." Amen, brother!