Barney Thomson and the Face of Death

Douglas Lindsay

Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)

Barney Thomson is back, in an* hilarious new novella set in the Highlands of Scotland (sic).

Four American students are found in the woods above Strathpeffer. Their throats have been slit, a bizarre death masque has been painted on a nearby standing stone and, most horrific of all, they have each been given the type of chilling haircut that threatens the very fabric of society.

It is not long before the FBI arrive to aid local law enforcement, but they are too late to prevent another terrible murder. And into the midst of it all, in the type of coincidence that used only to plague Miss Marple, walks Barney Thomson, looking for a short back and sides and a new hair colour...

Praise for The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson, The Cutting Edge of Barney Thomson, and A Prayer For Barney Thomson:

'This chilling black comedy unfolds at dizzying speed'

Sunday Mirror

'Sure-fire top-ten material'

The Face

'Gleefully macabre, hugely enjoyable black burlesque'

The Scotsman

'Comedy so dark it needs a candle to find its navel'

What's On

'Very bloody, and very very funny'

The Daily Telegraph

* Before we are inundated with e-mails (unlikely. Ed.) we would like to comment on the an before hilarious as this is correct. Very formal or old fashioned speakers use the an form with some words beginning with an h- that is not silent, especially historical and hotel… so there.

Review by Nigel (010602) Rating (8/10)

Review by Nigel
Rating 8/10
I've become a bit of a fan of Barney Thomson after reading Douglas Lindsay's first three books, so I was very happy to hear of the publication of a fourth story, all be it a novelette. Barney Thomson and the Face of Death takes place between the events told in The Cutting Edge of Barney Thomson and A Prayer for Barney Thomson, which answers my question posed at the end of the last books review… how does Barney continue? From his birth to his death basically and bugger the chronology of release :)

Barney has just left the monastery where a lot of monks have been killed and has decided a clean bed and a cold beer are in order. He books himself into the Highland Inn and orders a lager… and from then on people start to die, as they have a habit of doing around Barney. Why are people in this quiet village being murdered? Barney is not the only one asking this question as unwanted police attention abounds just when he wanted a rest. So ensues a murder mystery type story which leaves the identity and reasons for it all until the end… an as usual they are a little surreal… the things people do!

A very good short story and one highly recommended for getting you hooked on Barney Thomson. Even though it is out of sequence the story itself doesn't rely heavily on past developments and is a good place to start your Barney Chronicles.

I presume the penultimate paragraph in the epilogue is meant to intrigue as this is certainly what it does, having not much bearing on anything… what is the bit of paper about?
Nigel (1st June 2002)