Boiling a Frog (Jack Parlabane, #3) by Christopher Brookmyre

Boiling a Frog (Jack Parlabane, #3) Reviews

• 
  Algernon (Darth Anyan)

  Today I Learned:
  Amphibians are poikilothermic - their body temperatures adapt automatically to changes in their environment, without their noticing. Theoretically, this means that if you were to put a frog in a pan of cold water, then turn up the heat gradually enough, you could cook the poor creature to death before it realised it was in danger.
  
  Given the well documented Parlabane / Brookmyre fetish for conspiracy theories I have the feeling this proverbial frog is me, the reader, being slowly cooked in the fire tended by spin doctors and smooth operators who demonstrate daily that War is Peace, the earth is not warming up, evolution is a myth and politicians are honest, dedicated servants of the public good.
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• 
  Karl

  Sex, Perversion, Murder, Floor Polishing.
• 
  Rachel

  Hmm. This was the third book in the Jack Parlabane series, and just didn't live up to the first two. This was a period when Brookmyre really needed an editor, and it shows. The first half (half!) of the book is a series of rants about sexual infidelity. While I thought some of the musing was interesting, it didn't really belong in a novel -- it would have made a reasonable essay, if phrased differently. The book did get exciting toward the second half, but it didn't quite make up for the first half. I still liked it, and it was fun to read, but he really needs an editor willing to tell him to cut it out.
  
  The storyline follows Jack, now in prison after having been caught breaking into a church, mostly musing over issues of fidelity and avoiding trouble in jail, while exciting things are happening in politics on the outside. Unfortunately for him, it turns out he was peripherally involved in the exciting events, causing an escalating series of attempts to kill him, and resulting in his eventually being pulled into the scandal and finding a uniquely Parlabane way out. Fun to read, but only if you've enjoyed the other ones and need more Parlabane.
• 
  ReadsSometimes

  Very entertaining 👏
• 
  Karen

  The 3rd in the Jack Parlabane series, the audio of this book kept mildly freaking me out. Originally published in 2000, the political satire, the social commentary, and the sheer breathtaking bloody awfulness of the "powers that be" could be right now. So right now, that it was freaky, distracting, unbelievably disappointing, hilariously funny, scarily on topic, and scathing in it's portrayal of the Catholic Church in all it's pestilence, politician's in all their connivance, and political minders in all their brutality of purpose (and the utter lack of ethics, morals, decency and I don't know... everything else about the lot of them).
  
  This audio journey through a favourite series is going incredibly well - in a sweary, pissed off, crazy, manic, bloody good fun kind of way. The narrators thus far have been David Tennant and Angus King - both have been a pleasure to listen to.
  
  
• 
  Jamie Collins

  Distressed by a marital crisis, Scottish journalist Jack Parlabane reverts to his old habit of breaking & entering, but he's off his game - as the novel opens he's beginning a six month jail sentence. Meanwhile we're introduced to a shrewd politician who becomes entangled in the devious scheming of a bitter public relations guy with a penchant for blackmail.
  
  This third Parlabane novel is my favorite so far. All of the scenes of Parlabane in jail are hilarious. I was worried at first that the Scottish political stuff was going to drag, but the story picked up quickly. Perhaps the endings of these books are a bit too neat, but there is something viscerally satisfying in watching the bad guys get caught red-handed, just in time.
  
• 
  Gregory Frost

  Another viciously funny Brookmyre novel with Jack Parlabane, the scourge of government corruption and coverup. This time Parlabane's in jail, trapped by his own bad instincts, and sharing a cell with "Fooaltiye" and on the receiving end of an assault by a fictional Rupert Murdoch. If anything, Brookmyre shows himself to be alarmingly prescient in his portrayal of vengeful rightwing media. A gem.
• 
  Jen

  My least favourite of the genrally entertaing and riviting work of good old chris. I just never felt "on the boat" with this one. Maybe the disticnt yet over lapping story lines where a bit jarring . But Chris didn't let down in his brillaince and encapturing glaswegain banter. still laughed and loud and got weird looks on the tube when I was reading this.
  
  Its just that he has done better.
• 
  Pat

  The title of this book is very apt. I have to say I was not impressed with the start of the book, there was a lot of background on Scottish politics which was quite tedious to wade through. But it was necessary for the rest of the story which soon got really good. The Jack Parlabane books are always funny but this one had moments which really cracked me up - particularly the one about the vibrator getting stuck... well you have to read it.
  
  I think this is the book in which Jack finally grows up. He is married to anaesthetist Sarah and she has laid down the law that he needs to stop taking risks and doing his cat burglar stuff. But a fateful indiscretion sees him don the burglar tools one last time and he got caught. It starts off with him going to jail for six months. What - you say? Yes, its true, and its quite a scary time for him as he is targeted by miscreants within the system. But then you get the backstory of why he went to jail. Then he gets out of jail. Then the trouble really starts and poor Jack is in fear for his life again. So please, have patience at the start. It ended up being an excellent story and I'm keen to see who's next for out intrepid reporter.
• 
  Colin

  Very funny as usual. Not all the jokes land but enough do, and that's OK. The Scotland its set in is very realistic and tracks political developments of that day. In that respect, it's like Ian Rankin if Rebus was less of an old misery. In this episode, Parlabane is in prison which makes it even more complicated than usual to suss out the conspiracy theory and solve the crime.
• 
  Christine

  This took a while to get going, but turned out to be an exciting page-turner with touches of humour
• 
  Alice

  A really great book with a thought provoking plot.
  
  Enough to give anyone in public life the creeps 😁
• 
  William

  I can't think of another writer like Christopher Brookmyre. He is sort of a combination of Carl Hiassen and Ian Rankin, which is odd, indeed. He can really do almost anything with a story. Here we have the usual madcap capers (several), blood and gore, many laugh out loud funny bits, a very sexual theme, an acute ability to describe ordinary people (especially the types he does not like), and the dry pedanticism of a social studies teacher.
  
  The number of goodreads reviews and ratings surprises me. I am wondering if most of those writing and rating are in the UK. His books are painfully hard to find in the US. (I live in Maine and my local library took about a month to get it from Iowa).
  
  Anyway, for the most part this was great fun. You have an evil guy it is fun to hate, what feels like a cross-section of the Scottish population, and a memorable plot. Three characters from #2 in the series make cameo appearances, which makes a dedicated Brookmyre fan feel appreciated.
  
  The downside is Brookmyre's tendency to go a little preachy, even though I think I share his values.
  This Yank has gotten pretty used to the Scottish dialect, and understood most of it aside from the slang. (I look things up on line as I read him). There are also myriad political allusions to Scotland and the UK in the late 1990's, when the book was written, and I have to admit most of them whipped right by me. I expect if you recognize them, the book is even more fun. And boy is this an intricate plot. maybe a little too much so.
  
  And as with my comments on the previous book in the series, the parallels between the political and media worlds in the UK twenty years ago to what is happening in the US these days is downright eerie.
  
  This is not a book for the squeamish or for prudes, I suspect. Brookmyre has a "take no prisoners" sense of humor. For my part, the black humor is a blessing, and all that blood somehow has the impact of the violence in a Roadrunner cartoon, so I could handle it.
  
  I think this series is terrific, and recommend it heartily.
• 
  Nick Davies

  I remember buying this from a bargain bucket in my local Spar convenience store back in the early 2000s, and I must've read (and probably enjoyed) reading it back then, but I wanted to re-read it having become more familiar with, and more of a fan of, Chris Brookmyre's work.
  
  This was excellent. Set in the early years of the Scottish Parliament, this blends several strands of politics, religion, journalism, crime, and relationships all together in Brookmyre's witty and humourous style. Investigative reporter Jack Parlabane is in prison having been caught breaking into the Catholic Offices, and while he is interred a number of complicated plots involving blackmail, political wrangling, murder, and morality unravel. It's a satirical novel (much more so than the book I read immediately previous to this, which stated 'deeply satirical' on the cover quotes!) yet with plenty of observational humour and funny moments amongst the hard hitting violence and words. Some may struggle with the Scots dialect and/or miss aspects of the cultural, but I found it a satisfying and amusing read.
• 
  Wendle

  Boiling a Frog = Parlabane + (((Politics + Catholicism) x the media) ^ scandal)
  
  More Parlabane! Yay!
  
  This book… This book. There is a lot going on in this book. Parlabane's in trouble, Parlabane's in trouble and Parlabane's in trouble. Basically.
  
  Most of the book feels like a lot is going on, without anything yet really happening. Most of the book feels like a set up before something happens. And it doesn't really work out like that. I read it with a constant feeling of 'what next?' and 'where does this lead?' and although other Brookmyre books have had a huge payout at the end of those kinds of build ups, this one didn't seem to have that as such. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I rather loved the constant tension, the constant gradual progression of the plot.
  
  And really, regardless of everything else in the book, you should read it just for that one chapter. That one, gloriously hilarious chapter, that I refuse to spoil for anyone, even if they want to be spoiled.
• 
  Carla

  Boiling A Frog is political conspiracy thriller that Jack Parlabane, a reporter, finds himself caught up in. I loved the writing style and the sense of humour. The characters and the dialogue were well written and the storyline kept me turning the pages. It would have helped if I had read some of the preceding Jack Parlabane books in the series. I also found myself wishing I knew a bit more about UK politics.
  
  The only criticism having read this book and
  Pandaemonium is that Brookmyre occasionally goes on rants about subjects like the Catholic Church. While I agree with him on the points he's making,and its good to write about issues one feels strongly about, it feels like these rants were more fun to write than they are to read.
• 
  Eric

  This adventure in Brookmyre's Jack Parlabane series can be a little hard to follow at times because the plot involves the intricate machinations of Scottish politics. He points out early on that, because a frog's metabolism constantly adjusts to its environment, if you put one in a pot of cold water, then put the pot on the stove, the frog won't realize it's in any danger until it's too late. He uses that as a metaphor for the way this plot unfolds. The villain does show some brutality as things start to unravel, but for the most part this book is about his cruel, self-serving manipulation of people. Of course, you still get all the humor and inventive twists that you expect in a Brookmyre novel. All in all, plan to spend long periods riveted to that comfortable reading chair and immersing yourself in a great story.
• 
  Raymond Walker

  I loved this. Despite being Scots myself I came late to the world of Christopher Brookmyre but i intend to catch up. Especially if this is anything to go by. I found the opening scene hilarious and he had me hooked by chapter two. The book was devoured in a few days despite the fact that it becomes ever more serious as it goes on. Do not let that worry you it just means you become more hooked with the actual crime story which again is well told and enjoyable as well as credible. You wont believe that this is possible after the first scene but Mr Brookmyre makes it work and work well. An entertaining read that will make you laugh and better still It turns into a first rate crime thriller. I would recommend this book highly even on the initial couple of chapters; I have not laughed so much in ages, but as i say it gets better and better. Highly recommended
• 
  Sandra

  Probably four and a half rather than five, except for the amount of pleasure this gave me, and recognition of the four-dimensional dove-tailing of the plot. And such dialogue and laugh out loud humour too.
  
  I've not read the preceding two; note, and disagree with comments below about intrusiveness of so-called 'rants' but certainly enjoyed this a good deal more than 'One fine day in the middle of the night.' Perhap I just needed to get tuned in.
• 
  Lindsay Erwin

  Borrowed this from a library and glad I didn't buy it. I usually like Chris Brookmyre's books but this felt slow and very dated - it was a 2000 publication. It deals with the new Scottish Parliament, politics spin doctors / ex journalists and the Catholic Church but it's a very slow read an I didn't feel engaged by any of the characters - perhaps it's just dated now at 19 years post publication - we've moved on to worse things....
• 
  Pippa

  3.75/5
  
  'This none-of-our-business, each-to-his-own attitude prevalent at the moment is provin’ to be a right pain in the arse, frankly.'
  
  I've figured out the magic of the Jack Parlabane series. It is Black Mirror. Black Mirror in book form, a decade earlier, with a sharp edge of Scottish black humour. The vibe specifically reminds me of the ones less social media and technology focussed: The Waldo Moment, White Bear, Shut Up and Dance, and The National Anthem (y’know, the one with the Prime Minister and the pig).
  
  ‘He’s missing an E.’
  ‘Well, what d’you expect in this place. Full of fucking thieves. You leave Es lying around the place, someone’s bound to help themselves. The only wonder is they didn’t take the other two.’
  ‘Bastards took the apostrophe as well.’
  ‘Yeah, well, you see, they can sharpen the apostrophes an’ use them as shivs. They’re not very effective, though.’
  ‘Why not?’
  ‘Well, how many fuckers in here do you think know how to use an apostrophe?’
  
  This is another horrifyingly just-beyond-reality thriller - this time with a little bit less of the mystery element. That probably makes this one slightly lesser to the book before it: there's less to keep you pulled in when you have the answers to all the questions except "how's Jack going to get out of it?!".
  
  Christopher Brookmyre's pacing problem also rears its head a little bit more in this book. If the previous book
  Country Of The Blind didn't really get going until a third of the way through, this one doesn't really grab you until halfway. That requires a lot of faith in Brookmyre. He's earned that from me, but he would do well not to abuse it much more.
  
  All that said, this book overall is gripping with a meticulous plot and characters for whom you just want to root, despite their flaws. It's packed with scenes that are so visceral that you just have to keep reading even when you desperately want to look away.
  
  This time taking aim at fury against political correctness in the media and in the church, this is deeply upsetting satire delivered with a wry grin, and a worthy addition to a truly unique crime-thriller series.
  
  There was no mistaking it, the buzz was back: the possibility that trusted faces were masks, respected edifices were but façades, and behind all of it, someone was being a very naughty little boy.
• 
  Unwisely

  After a run of books too painful to finish (which I didn't log, since I have this fantasy on some of them that I'll be in a mental space where I can read a dystopia again someday), I decided to trawl my history to find series I liked that had more books. You would think the Evil Corporate Overlords who are monetizing this content would do this for their users, but why would they use the information in their system when they could tell me that some author that wrote a book I hated 10 years ago has a new book out?
  
  Anyway. This is one of the Jack Parlabane's that isn't available as an e-book in the US for some reason. However I found it for sale online (at a store that I could've almost walked to, except it was closed for the pandemic so I paid a stupid amount in shipping instead) and bought it.
  
  While I remembered far more details of Jack than I expected, I spent a lot of the book looking up Scottish political figures from the 90s.
  
  That said sexism, power structures, and a lot of it did not feel nearly as dated as it should. On balance I enjoyed it (even when it got kooky, which it did!).
• 
  Andrew

  I recall reading this , third in the series , a long time ago but had not read any of the others son as I am now working my way through the books from the start I came back to this and luckily couldn't remember much of the plot. However it was another enjoyable read which really got going about halfway through and once he was on a roll I was totally hooked as jack Parlabane again crosses swords with political manipulators . The plot here centres on the new Scottish parliament, and how a nefarious political PR spin doctor combines with the Catholic church to undermine certain political liberal attitudes whilst Jack is court in the middle of a storm completely unaware. I particularly liked Jack's misfortunes in prison as his past deeds come back to haunt him with comic effect , and the writing as with previous books is laced with dark comedy and irreverence . The author is definitely becoming a firm favourite so on to book 4 asap.
• 
  Henry Fosdike

  A book of two halves with the good bits coming in the first quarter and the last. Boiling a Frog sees Parlabane in jail and for some unknown reason we have to endure a non-linear structure to find out why; it doesn’t really add anything to the book and only serves to be a hindrance to what would otherwise be a fairly straightforward plot. Even so, it has its moments and once the book really kicks in we are treated to some excellent scenes, especially towards the end. It’s just a shame that in order to get there we have to work our way through a lot of ranting about Scottish politics and scenes that serve no relevance to the overarching plot. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a good book but it isn’t up there with many of other Brookmyre’s works that I’ve had the pleasure to read. Still ahead of a lot of other books too, mind.
• 
  Rumfuddle

  Well at least the Tories are out of power now so the author must make do with only being able to whine on about Blair's New Labour, Scottish Labour and the SNP. Thankfully years of reading Ian Rankin have both educated me in the basics of Scottish politics and inured me against their endless ability to drone on about it
  
  Add in a number of long diatribes about sexual morales, the catholic church and this was a bit of a grind. The fact that our erstwhile "hero" has been cuckolded, imprisoned and must go cap in hand to his adulteress wife and her (oft mentioned) "better hung lover" for help also made this a difficult listen.
  
  I will continue with book four as there was (between the crap) enjoyable moments and hopefully in the next book Parlabane will be investigating the slow, painful and gruesome murder of his ex-wife.
• 
  Ricky McAllister

  My first Brookmyre...and thoroughly enjoyable it was. It the world of crime fiction, Brookmyre offers something a little different. His story here is over the top, profane, mercilessly satirical and at times edge of your seat gripping. The satire is prominent and very little escapes his rage. Shots are fired at parliamentarians, the church, spin doctors, sectarianism among others and he holds the lot of them with real contempt. While the first half of the novel rambles at times, in becomes clear in the second half why he sets the events in context. By the time we enter the final third, he takes off like a juggernaut.
  
  Brookmyre is a skilful writer, although the linguistic dexterity he commands is masked by the highly comedic elements of the story, the crimes enveloped by the satire. He is acerbic, wickedly funny yet he writes with intelligence and passion.
• 
  Karen Mardahl

  Keep the title of the book in mind while reading this. It took a while for the tension to build up, but that was the model of the story and was the only way this would work. I was impatient and ready to give this 3 stars at first. I like Brookmyre's writing and kept on with the story, while thinking this wasn't the best I had read from him. (For the record, it didn't take me 13 days to read this. I started the book while on vacation and ended up picking up and finishing another book before really digging into this book. That was most likely due to my impatience.) When I picked up the book again, it didn't take long for me to be hooked.