I came across this book while looking at the website of the rather wonderful bookshop Much Ado Books in Alfriston. Their recommendation of Gabriel's Angel [£7.99; Bluemoose] was good enough to give it a try and I am thrilled that I did. It is a singularly appropriate recommendation from a shop named after one of the Bards darkest and bawdiest romps, but it offers even more than that, it has a rare tenderness that sits so well alongside the humour. Finding out that that the author is a psychiatric nurse is not a surprise, that this is his first novel is a shock.
What is your idea of hell? A therapy group? In the afterlife? With the person who ran you over you? And a serial assassin and his lastest victim? Gabriel is in just this position, a jaded journalist who has just lost his, not very good, job; and who is going through IVF treatment with his girlfriend Ellie. Not only is he run over, but he awakes only to find himself in a therapy group with two angels, Christopher and Clemitius overseen by Peter. Their job is to encourage the members of the group to do well enough to pass into heaven, maybe return to earth, or hell, or worse - more therapy.
Gabriel is also joined in this group by Julie, the woman who ran him over and subsequently hit a lampost, distracted by just having left her faded-rockstar-and-waster boyfriend, James. Also joining them are Kevin, a low rent assassin and his latest victim Yvonne, an alcoholic business woman. Kevin's fate is a wonderful fall from disgrace, sheer joy. The problem is - are they in heaven or hell? Is everything what it seems? Is everyone playing by the rules?
The stirring of all these ingredients and their backstories is deftly done, the set piece black comedy of Kevin's death, the attempt to continue IVF with the comatose Gabriel and the final gathering of James's rock group are worthy of Tom Sharpe at his best.
The tenderness of dealing with those left behind, new loves, old friendships, grief and frustration is a revelation. The dialogue is the work of an experienced hand, not a first time writer.
One of the better known lines from Much Ado About Nothing is "..it is much better to cry at rejoicing, than to rejoice at crying.". It would be quite possible to cry and rejoice in the sadness and comedy of this wonderful book.
It is a sheer joy. Absolutely marvellous!
P.S. - The author is appearing at a talk for Much Ado books, on 30th March. To find out more click here.
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