Into Books Review: Funtime – William Ritchie

Book: Funtime
Author: William Ritchie
Publisher: Amazon

Ian Dury once sang about Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. In his debut novel, William Ritchie has not only covered these topics but has gone quite a bit further by incorporating gangsters, hookers, murder and a lot more besides.

The book is set in London and told from the main protagonist, Tulse’s point of view. Tulse is a musician with a drug-fueled joie de vivre and the story centres around what happens to him over the course of what can only be described as a madcap weekend. There are plenty of spills ‘n’ thrills, scrapes and seemingly inescapable situations, but what underpins this most is the humour evident in the prose.

This is a short, sharp story which get the attention from the off and somehow manages to keep the same breakneck speed throughout. It’s irreverent, fast-paced, genuinely funny, and has many a twist along the way, before it reaches its unpredictable conclusion. It is fair to say that on occasion you can judge a book by its cover, Funtime indeed.

Ritchie has picked up on the do-it-yourself punk ethos to pen, what is, a confident debut novel. There is a nod to the writing styles of Irvine Welsh and John Niven and that is no bad thing.

Funtime and Ritchie’s second novel, Vambo, can be purchased here.

John Welsh
@welshjb

Links:
@BillyVambo