British readers of a certain age will know Charlie Higson as one of the comedians behind 90s sketch series The Fast Show, and as a novelist he serves up an over-the-top, raucous satire which delivers huge quantities of fun. Everything but the kitchen sink is thrown into Whatever Gets You Through The Night, set in Corfu where magnificent views and eccentric locals merely mask corruption and crime saturating the island.
Corfu is home to the compound of one Julian Hepworth where – to the outside world – he is training a team of future tennis stars and, in reality, building a drugs empire and running an abusive cult where the girls live in fear of punishment. Then there’s McIntyre, tasked with rescuing 15-year-old Lauren Human – she isn’t waiting around to be rescued, having plans of her own.
On the page, Hepworth is a wonderfully appalling villain. He’s a narcissist and sociopath, manipulative and handsome, but a complete drama. While the rest of the world suspects Hepworth is a paedophile, he blithely defends Prince Andrew. Higson pokes fun at society throughout the novel, yet the construction of vivid, often funny scenes is his strength. Look out for a ridiculous argument (at a critical point) over the definition of a jetski, as well as a high-speed boat chase with the Mission: Impossible theme as its soundtrack.
Multiple threads and a mammoth cast of characters come together in a grand finale at an extravagant party at Hepworth’s villa, as he tries to impress his celebrity friends and attract investment in his new media venture. A film will soon follow, I imagine.
Whatever Gets You Through The Night, Charlie Higson (Little, Brown)
Price: £14.99. Info: here
words BILLIE INGRAM SOFOKLEOUS
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