2 out of 4 stars
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Badgers & Jam by Nicci Rae is a comedic, light, fast-paced book that begins with the death of the main character, British comedian Marty Rockman, as he collapses while performing on the stage of a nightclub. He quickly finds himself in some sort of after-life way station where he learns he was murdered and will be granted twenty-four hours to find his killer before moving on to “the next level.” He is allowed to choose an Earthly guide to conduct the hunt with whom he can communicate and watch from a celestial portal. Marty chooses his twelve-year old son Dom, who happens to have Down’s syndrome. It proves to be a fine choice.
What ensues is a search for Marty’s murderer as we are systematically introduced to a cast of characters to whom he is “related” (his invisible celestial guide, manager, current girlfriend, ex-wife, comedic rival, club owner, octogenarian medium), and get tugged along more than one plot twist.
While it is meant to be comedic, it never goes far enough below the surface for me, always skimming along the top. Even when we are afforded brief glimpses into Marty’s life via chapters that begin with humorous anecdotes which lend some insight into his past, or when we get to hear a few chapters narrated using the voice of several of the main characters, they fail to take us any deeper. I assume they are meant to build character, both his and his companions’, but they somehow miss the mark. And I imagine the fact that Marty’s son has Down’s syndrome is intended to be of great significance but, again, I didn’t get a strong enough sense of his character and what it is like to live with this disability.
Additionally, the book is littered with puns (many parenthetical) that are quite dry and have the potential to irritate certain readers. A few examples are: “…old habits die hard and so do I…”; “She may be wearing killer heels, but I suspect that’s the only sinister thing about her.”; “…which ticked him off the list and slightly ticked me off in the process.” So, you get the idea. This is the general style of writing; you can decide if it is to your liking.
Finally, in order to enjoy this book you have to be accepting of the far-fetched and implausible, and just go along for the ride…
I rate Badgers & Jam 2 out of 4 stars, although I wish I could give it a 2.5. While I have lodged some criticisms regarding its lack of depth, overabundance of dry puns, and fantastical nature, I still wanted to keep reading it. Its suspense tactics were quite successful; each chapter ending with a mini-cliff-hanger, which made me want to press on. And it does finish with a brief, somewhat thoughtful commentary on how precious time is. Still, I do not think this is one I would put on my “books to recommend” list.
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Badgers & Jam
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