The Last Fish Supper

Douglas Lindsay

Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)

Barney Thomson is a restless soul in search of a quiet town in which to settle. He thinks he might just have found it in Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae and life can at last bring him some peace. Or, at least, it might have done, but for the dead body at the bottom of the stairs, the ghost tormented for all time to go to the bathroom, the evil Chinese businessman, the disturbing package in the freezer, the mysterious cathedral, Barney's deaf, mute, hunchbacked assistant, the ancient society protecting a 2,000 year-old secret, the Vatican spies, the intended murder, the curious collective of ninety year-old men looking for Robbie Williams' haircuts, the promiscuous vicar named Judas, the rookie exorcist, the volatile cheese sandwich, and the very outside possibility of Armageddon. And, at the end it all, twelve men will meet around a table and the very future of humanity will be decided. Either that, or they will go home for a cup of tea and a plate of chips.

Review by Nigel (141007) Rating (8/10)

Review by Nigel
Rating 8/10
Barney is looking for a quiet life in a quiet town, running, if he has any say in the matter, a quiet Barber Shop. To this end he arrives in Millport, on the Isle of Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde; about as far away as you can get from anything you might call mildly stimulating.

Unfortunately for Barney nothing is ever simple. Below the tranquil surface lies a town with a great secret that has been kept through the years by The Society of the Prieure de Millport... along with a number of frozen body parts. All is coming to a climatic conclusion, one that Barney is going to play a large part in, like it or not.

As I have said before, Barney is becoming much savvier in the ways of men, as you would expect from someone who has seen and done what he has; this is again reflected in Barney's development as a character. Completely gone is the naïve barber, replaced by a world weary cynic who has seen it all before and really can't believe his luck that it is all happening again.

As always Douglas Lindsay is on fine form. The dark humour is ever present as Barney learns the truth of The Society of the Prieure de Millport and their intentions, as well as the villagers who are now his neighbours. Watch out for the ghost of Jonah, who died really, really needing to go to the toilet which he now haunts, as well as Barney's barbering assistant, Igor, who has a certain way with the ladies and not forgetting to mention the two Italian heavies, Tony and Luigi, who have been sent by the Catholic Church to prevent their way of life coming to an abrupt end.

The Last Fish Supper is a real treat for the Barney Fan. It is also a fairly robust stand alone story that wouldn't need the reader to have read any of the previous Barney novels. If you like your humour black you won't go far wrong with this latest Barney instalment, be you new to the series or an old fan. Excellent stuff.
Nigel (14th October 2007)