Bubok

Assessment.

Synopsis:

Bad One is a policeman belonging to New Scotland Yard who faces a double murder case: two people were found in the Thames . They were tied up together and their lips were sewed. The evidence points to a crime of passion, and Bad accompanied by Cocowa (his assistant) repeatedly avoided being killed by an Islamist who was quite short in stature. He will finally solve the case.

Structure:

The novel consists of eleven chapters with similar extension that promotes a well-organized reading guideline. There are some temporary jumps and some parts where the author even combines dialogues that take place at two different moments, but it is very easy to distinguish and this will result in an efficient and original option for this kind of work. Therefore, here is a very fine segmentation of the work. Besides, because of its subject matter (suspense, mystery) the author has chosen the right details and moments to describe more deeply, favoring the work's own pace giving to the reader the opportunity to take part in the story, surprising the audience each time they should be surprised. The novelist resorts to specific cinematographic situations or elements of the genre we are dealing with (like the flashbacks above mentioned, or the police reports inserted in the middle of the recounting, or the press clippings that enriches the novel's story line). Everything favors the perfect atmosphere to read this novel and the reader recognizes perfectly the style of the genre in question. Along this structure we find a single narrator, who knows everything there is to know. In fact, the author uses explaining notes placed at the bottom of the page (footnotes) and so he dialogues with the reader in his funny way, what helps the audience to follow the story. (Actually sometimes the narrator congratulates the reader for following the thread so well). The context is excellent for it has been perfectly recreated the typical environments of an investigation in London , as it seems a city the author knows quite well. But for sure what have captivated us the most are the characters. Starting with the main character Bad One, his assistant Cocowa, his adviser Agatha, by way of the Chinese of the odd facility, to the circus’ employees (Klirkicuplin, Rose, Désmond Phelps), and even Chief Livingstone, the Brazilian colleague Maria Aparecida Barbosa, or the terrorist Ali al Bhajka… all of them have their moment of glory in the story, they make us laugh and they are very well described. We believe them all, with their virtues and defects. In general terms it could be said all the characters have exaggerated features to the point of making them special, funny, strange and as it may seem very real. The author knows to create characters and gives them life. In fact, the main character, Bad, seems to gather within himself all these eccentric personalities, and every now and then goes unnoticed amid such originality. But it is thanks to him that we get to know the others. The plot is very well developed. We will like to add one last thing about the characters: their names. They are conscientiously chosen and they are great. They give us a lot of information about the characters’ personality. The title (“Bad One and the case of the double murder in the Thames )”is accurate, and it fits perfectly with the work’s genre.

Style:

The author gives us a detective story tactfully written, well stringed together, and full of sense of humor. It is worth highlighting the English ironic sense of humor used to create the atmosphere of the novel. In fact it reminds us of Tom Sharpe and writers similar in style to him. The author himself refers to this sense of humor, and for example he writes things like “he did not believe in UFOs and aliens existence. He was convinced that there is no intelligent life out there, and neither it is beyond the British Isles ”. Sometimes he uses humor of the absurd that makes the audience burst out laughing.

The tone of the novel is perfect, the narrator constantly leads us. He provides all the information we need according to structures and forms suitable for the investigation. Using natural dialogues he pays careful attention to them and shows a variety of characters (both because the varied lexicon and the peculiarity of each character).

The author plays with the reader when on certain occasions he repeats some phrases that sound familiar and makes us smile. The ending fulfills the expectations. The case is solved and Bad manages to recover from his situation.

Final assessment:

It is a very entertaining surprising work, we have sincerely enjoyed very much. It is not easy to amuse the audience, and he shows his great capacity to string together a story to keep the reader in suspense and tension.

AM Publishing house.