Randall and Hopkirk back to haunt us (Ghosts from the Past - Graeme Grant)

Member Name: Hope

Product:	Ghosts from the Past - Graeme Grant
Date:	03/09/00 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A very easy read

Disadvantages: Not funny or clever enough

Ghosts From the Past: Rather an obvious plot, based on a rather silly idea. Written by Graeme Grant, the book is billed as "fast paced, action packed and furiously funny". True, some of it was so ridiculous that I could not help laughing but on the whole it failed to deliver on all three counts. It is based on the recently revived 60s detective series, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), but is a completely new story. It follows the exploits of Jeff and Marty (deceased) as private detectives trying to solve a mystery which revolves around the death of Marty.

The idea of a ghost helping to solve crime seemed rather too far-fetched for me, although I watched a few episodes of the TV series and found them quite entertaining. More devoted fans of the series would probably enjoy the book a lot more than I did. However, the plot is neither clever enough to suit crime fans, nor funny enough to suit lovers of comedy writing. On the plus side, it is a very easy read, and its lightheartedness is enhanced by mental pictures of Bob Mortimer and Vic Reeves, who played the main characters in the TV series.

Summary: