The Killing Joke

The Killing Joke

by Anthony Horowitz (Author)

Synopsis

When Guy Fletcher protests at a feeble joke he overhears in his grotty local pub, he finds himself headbutted and struck by an idea in quick succession. Is it possible to trace a joke all the way back to its original source? So begins his quest: to follow this sorry joke back to its creator. It's a meandering trail across the UK that takes him from a humourless Hungarian dentist in Muswell Hill to a hyperactive troupe of Boy Scouts in St Albans, from a group of giggling grave-diggers in Saffron Walden to a pickpocket in Stoke-on-Trent. (Just how does he get Guy's watch?) And there are some pretty odd things happening along the way. Guy is sure he's being followed by a sinister Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman. He has an unfortunate accident on a banana skin. There's a fly in his soup. An army of nuns swamp his train. And then there's the exploding house in Cambridge. Just as Guy thinks he's getting close to uncovering the original source of the joke, the trail stops cold. Or rather, the last link in the chain is crushed by a falling grandfather clock. Guy is on the verge of discovering something very unpleasant. Making jokes is no laughing matter...

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 272
Edition: First Edition
Publisher: Orion
Published: 12 Aug 2004

ISBN 10: 075285724X
ISBN 13: 9780752857244
Book Overview: Horowitz has a humorous voice reminiscent of Roald Dahl, appealing to adults and children alike. THE KILLING JOKE is a brilliantly clever comedy thriller that ranks alongside DEAD FAMOUS and POPCORN. Anthony Horowitz wrote the BAFTA-winning TV detective series, FOYLE'S WAR, which aired in autumn 2002. A second series aired in autumn 2003. Anthony Horowitz is also a bestselling children's author and creator of the Alex Rider series. A whole legion of Horowitz fans has grown up since his first books were published and will now be eager to read his first novel for adults.

Media Reviews
'An entertaining read, cleverly plotted and joke-filled' -- Ben Silverstone JEWISH TELEGRAPH 'The best (of comic writing out this summer) is The Killing Joke...Great fun' -- Peter Gutteridge THE OBSERVER 'Horowitz's novel takes a simple 'what if' and allows the answer to unfold more or less logicaly, gathering laughs as it speeds away from reality' SUNDAY TIMES 'With touches of the absurd, the downright sinister and comic genius, this book is full of twists and suprises' IRISH NEWS BELFAST 'But for a hilarious fairground hall-of-mirrors sex scene and a paedophilia joke, this is a book my nine-year-old son could have enjoyed, the kind of sheer enjoyment adult readers seek, as increasingly, they turn to children's fiction' DAILY MAIL 'A scorchingly funny black comedy thriller' -- Barry Forshaw DAILY EXPRESS 'Not only the funniest book I have read this year, it's also the most original' -- Mark Campbell CRIME TIME 'Extraordinarily witty...laugh-out-loud funny...Horowitz's novel is really a gem. All joking aside' IRISH EXAMINER
Author Bio
Anthony Horowitz is the author of twenty bestselling children's books, including the Alex Rider series. He is also a TV screenwriter, with credits including the BAFTA-winning Foyles War, Midsomer Murders, Murder in Mind, Murder Most Horrid and Poirot. He lives in North London.