Mrs Rush's Reviews - Anthony Horowitz

The Killing Joke
Anthony Horowitz

Have you ever wondered where a joke came from, or who was the first person to tell it? Guy Masters is told a tasteless joke in a pub. When he protests about it he is headbutted and then wonders whether it is possible to find out who originally told the joke. This leads to him travelling around the country but other people are intent on preventing him from finding anything out.
The book starts off as a crazy quest and becomes something a lot more sinister along the way. If you enjoy(ed) the Alex Rider series you’ll like this. Comes complete with the quirky bad taste Ian Fleming (James Bond) female names. The characterisation is pretty threadbare but there are plenty of jokey leads and clues along the way. About half way through I realised that the head-butting, lazy builder was probably just another joke.
It becomes slightly more surreal as it goes on with an ending similar to that of Scorpia . Did AH just give up or is it cleverer than it appears?
Reminds me of a joke I know -
There’s this guy, goes into a bar . . . .