Recently, I've discovered new crime fiction by Simon Farrant that shouldn't be missed. Thats right, he is an upcoming author you should be watching for if bizarre stories of serial killers is your thing. Some of his more recent work, Famously Ordinary and Death Dolls, as a special treat to read. They were stories told in a non-traditional way, which made them exciting and fresh. Check these books out when you get a chance. They are quick reads and get right to the point. They are sure to entertain. One of the best surprisingly aspects to these tales is that they seem to be somewhat related to each other, which I found to be much more enjoyable. Below are some reviews I wrote about his works.
His work can be found here: http://www.farrantfiction.com
Famously Ordinary:
A startling insight to the mind of a serial killer, the unexplainable kind, where the
neuron synapses snap and the thirst to see blood trumps all. A definite romp of senseless acts in violence and modern day Jekyl and Hyde. Like the rated R version of Rebel without a Cause. By far the accident death scene was one of my favorite parts of the book, with its memorable descriptions of detailed colors and sounds. The sights. The sounds. I think the imagery will stick with me in the years to come.
But from a more critique stand, I did have a somewhat difficult time distinguishing who was narrating at various parts of the story. Name confusion was definitely among some of the more disorientating portions of the book, with James Dean’s father name being simply “Dean Dean” so as you can see when the narrator was speaking, even though they were referring to characters by first name, it was still convoluting who was speaking or being referred to. Meaning, every time Dean was mentioned, I thought it was James, so I found myself rewinding numerous times.
This story also reminded me of Hater by David Moody. The unexplainable need to kill someone for no apparent reason. I know this was a short, so an explanation wasn’t necessary, but I didn’t really catch that he was schizophrenic until the very end, which was indeed abrupt, but left a good feeling nonetheless. Lots of high energy in this story and at times I felt like yelling at certain characters who seemed to be oblivious to certain situations. I guess thats normal when you go on living day to day thinking everything and everyone around you is normal to a certain degree. That is not the case in Simon Farrant’s Famously Ordinary. Four stars for me.
Death Dolls:
Humorously grotesque! A romp into a realm of taboo unlike anything you’ve read before. Surprisingly fresh and current. Simon Farrants ability to mix comedy with bloody horror is an absolute treat to read. Having read his previous work, Famously Ordinary, Death Dolls brings his lighting fast-paced story telling back to the forefront of must read novellas. Following the strange life of Benjamin McGuiness, the tattoo artist, his ability in entrepreneurship is trumped by his inexhaustible need to do more and better. His one stop shop, Dr. Tattoo, quickly grows into something dark and sinister while still maintaining a false sense of civility. Hiring a band of talented, yet crooked individuals to help him with his ventures, his life of fortune quickly turns crime, and the local enforcement is onto him.
Death Dolls is truly a unique story all into its own, set within the fictional town of Newdon. Some of my favorite characters to note were the Russian brothers who turned out to be a huge asset to Benjamin’s strange empire. It’s hard to imagine a story like this, it’s absurdity, yet you sometimes have to wonder just how real this could be. The dynamic of the story served it well, with its ups and downs of character development and seemingly everyday life of a serial killer.
Simon does crime fiction quite well. Pick this story up. You won’t be disappointed. 5 out of 5 stars.