Louiseir's review of Bad Monkeys

The cover looked cartoonish and decidedly childish. However, I read the blurb and was intrigued. According to the publisher Bad Monkeys is a "page-turning psychological thriller" and it was, but it was also much more.

The main character is a middle aged woman with a bad attitude, Jane Charlotte, who has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The story revolves around her interview by a doctor whilst in the psychiatric unit of the Las Vegas County Detention Centre. It transpires that she is being held there because of her claims to be a member of a secret organisation, her division of which is an execution squad called the Bad Monkeys. The initial premise is that we are unsure if she is telling the truth or if she is delusional. As the story unfolds, as told by her, we are drawn into a fantasy world drawn by the unique imagination of the Author, Mr Ruff. Hilarious and sometimes very dark and disturbing, we follow Jane Charlotte's adventure which includes psychotic clowns, a fantastical method of execution and an Orwellian surveillance technique that may just make you wonder...

It would be impossible to reveal too much of the story line without spoiling it, but suffice to say, I was pleasantly surprised with the ending. Just when the reader thinks they have figured out what's happening, everything gets turned on its head. This isn't a long read, at only 230 pages in the paperback edition but I feel it is small but perfectly formed.