A Snowball in Hell (2008)

by Christopher Brookmyre

Series: Angelique de Xavia (3)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
353	13	73,401	(3.76)	23
If society has the B-list celebrities it deserves, it now has a killer to match. Except that Simon Darcourt is a great deal more successful in his career choice than the average talent show contestant. He's also got the media taped - by the simple expedient of by-passing them completely and posting real-time coverage of his killings on the internet. He's got viewing figures to make the world's TV executives gasp in envy, and he's pulling the voyeuristic strings of every viewer by getting them to 'vote' to keep his captives alive. Angelique De Xavier, his previous nemesis, is drafted onto the police team trying to bring this one-man celebrity hate-fest to an end. But she can't do it alone, she needs the magical skills of her lover, only she doesn't know where Zal is and meanwhile a whole load of celebs are, literally, dying to be famous. An intelligent satire, a thriller with exhilarating pace - Christopher Brookmyre at his best.… (more)

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postsign | Dec 28, 2023 |

Highly enjoyable as the other two in the sequel. (

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MissYowlYY | Jun 12, 2020 |

Brilliant plotting. I'm beginning to like the Ms de Xavier books more than the Jack Parlabane if that's possible! (

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Superenigmatix | Jan 16, 2016 |

If Carl Hiaasen was Scottish and wrote about social problems rather than environmental ones, then he would have written this book. Or maybe if Brookmyre was from Florida and wrote with an environmental twist, he'd be Hiaasen. They seem to be cut from a similar cloth.

Really funny and outrageous. A terrorist turned serial killer and a bank robber turned magician are embroiled with a police-office responsible for arresting and then losing both of them. The serial killer begins taking an interest in members of the reality-tv media and other "celebrities" and must be brought to some form of justice. I laughed out loud and enjoyed every page - much the same as the first 5 or so Hiaasen books I read.

I guess the best indication of whether or not I enjoyed it or recommend it is that as soon as I finished it, I bought another of his books. I guess that is the true measure.
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stuart10er | Nov 5, 2013 |

Ripsnorting stuff, highly satirical, witty, ingenious.

sagitprop | Dec 11, 2011 |

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Angelique de Xavia (3)

▾Awards and Honors

Awards

Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction (Shortlist – 2009)

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Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

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For Marisa

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Ladies and gentlemen, roll up!

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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

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▾Book descriptions

If society has the B-list celebrities it deserves, it now has a killer to match. Except that Simon Darcourt is a great deal more successful in his career choice than the average talent show contestant. He's also got the media taped - by the simple expedient of by-passing them completely and posting real-time coverage of his killings on the internet. He's got viewing figures to make the world's TV executives gasp in envy, and he's pulling the voyeuristic strings of every viewer by getting them to 'vote' to keep his captives alive. Angelique De Xavier, his previous nemesis, is drafted onto the police team trying to bring this one-man celebrity hate-fest to an end. But she can't do it alone, she needs the magical skills of her lover, only she doesn't know where Zal is and meanwhile a whole load of celebs are, literally, dying to be famous. An intelligent satire, a thriller with exhilarating pace - Christopher Brookmyre at his best.

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If society has the B-list celebrities it deserves, it now has a killer to match. Except that Simon Darcourt is a great deal more successful in his career choice than the average talent show contestant. He's also got the media taped--by the simple expedient of by-passing them completely and posting real-time coverage of his killings on the internet. He's got viewing figures to make the world's TV executives gasp in envy, and he's pulling the voyeuristic strings of every viewer by getting them to 'vote' to keep his captives alive. Angelique De Xavier, his previous nemesis, is drafted onto the police team trying to bring this one-man celebrity hate-fest to an end. But she can't do it alone, she needs the magical skills of her lover, only she doesn't know where Zal is and meanwhile a whole load of celebs are, literally, dying to be famous.

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