Amazon.com
My review -
Frank
Miller is a private investigator and hero of a successful series of crime
novels set in the small town of Chapeltown. He's currently looking into the
death of a girl working for Chapeltown Angels, apparently a group of carers. The Angels are not what they
seem, and the mayor of Chapeltown is up to his fat neck in monkey business.
Part way through this successful series, Frank becomes aware that he and his
whole world are the product of the imagination of The Man Upstairs, the author
of the books. He realises that his creator is sick - and this could result in
Frank's death.
This
is a really unusual premise for a novel. The style is reminiscent of the
wise-cracking detective of American literature of the last century. It's a
spoof and it's fun but if you let yourself be drawn into the story you share
with Frank the worry, at times panic, that the series may suddenly end with his
death. He needs to persuade his author that he can change, that the stories
aren't stale. To do that, he comes up against the thug of a mayor. This story
really makes you think about the meaning of existence, personality, character
development and what it means to create. Don’t let that make it sound very
serious, though. It’s great fun and a hugely refreshing change from what you
might call the standard detective story. I really enjoyed it.
