Meantime: The gripping debut crime novel from Frankie Boyle

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I found this an entertaining eclectic romp, although the crime story is just the a vague excuse for an outline. The political points are brilliant, the quality of observations and resultant humour is constant throughout and particularly if you hail from the west of Scotland you will get a lot out of this. Notice to Internet Explorer users Server security: Please note Internet Explorer users with versions 9 and 10 now need to enable TLS 1.

Their quest takes them into the dark heart of Scottish politics, the orbit of drug dealers, and the matrix of AI, encountering Independence activists, the intelligence services, and stalkers, as they seek justice for Marina.

When drug addict Felix McAveety’s best friend Marina’s body is discovered in a park, Felix sets off on his own to uncover the culprit given the police force’s lack of leads. It did not disappoint by any means, it's a surreal drug-fuelled crime novel reminiscent of Withnail and I and Trainspotting, but was also so. It's dazzingly funny, grappling with big ideas, and is heartbreakingly tinged with personal and political loss. In a haze of tranquilisers, hallucinogenics, and Valium, Felix McAveety decides to solve the murder of Marina, his best friend. When I heard that he was writing a crime fiction novel, I knew I had to get my hands on it – even if that meant importing it from the UK.

I thoroughly enjoyed this slightly surreal and complicated thriller, where everything is viewed through the prism of which ever drugs our protagonist Felix happens to have ingested at any particular time. Beware if you are offended by drug taking and gratuitous and appalling swear words, but that's Glasgow for you! Imagine Withnail and I stumbling into a Bond movie co-written by William McIlvanney and Mick Herron, and that gives only a vague idea of the mashup that follows.With rare exceptions such as bank holidays, the book group meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7. I’m very happy that my wife is also a fan of Boyle’s because I certainly said “Hey, can I read you this one part? An overweight middle-aged guy who is struggling with his divorce but who also appears to have no internal filter – “We were the two people least suited to investigating anything, but with the right drug combinations we could be whoever we had to be. Though he had written non-fiction before, Meantime was Boyle's first novel; he wrote parts of the novel in hotels after stand-up performances and while wandering his hometown Glasgow. It makes you wonder what Boyle is capable of beyond the gags and the student union political rhetoric - which is, admittedly, often very funny.

The details - and sometimes lack thereof - give a lot to this story and turn the reader into a detective alongside Felix. I'd say I enjoyed slightly over two thirds but the other third appeared to simply be a manual on what drugs to take and when and what they did to our protagonist. His conversations with celebrity author Jane Pickford contained some of the most naturally flowing dialogue I’ve read in a while and his balls-to-the-wall interaction with his hyperactive downstairs neighbor Donnie had me in tears from laughing. The story follows drug addict Felix McAveety's unfocused investigation into his friend Marina's death.It was laugh out funny at times but he is trying to squeeze in way too many themes and personal rants. Read, through the prism of what you know about the author, makes you believe that you are getting insights behind the curtain. Taking readers from the world of drugs, to artificial intelligence, to conspiracy theory through to politics (Like AI without the I part . Tanya Sweeney of the Irish Independent recommended the book as a "very charming, enjoyable read" that incorporates Boyle's "playful, shocking, smart" comedic style.