Destroy the Evil of Jonathon Fairfax

MLW: A grand farce, poor hapless Jonathan faces his foe, Todd Stuckers with hilarious scenes of murder and mayhem.
Very enjoyable.

United Kingdom on Sep 17, 2023

anonnymouseling: Jonathon Fairfax is awkward, a bit weird and utterly endearing. He also unwittingly attracts trouble, and also shoes. I absolutely love this and the previous book and am looking forward to seeing what scrapes Jonathon manages to get into in the next one.

United Kingdom on Aug 18, 2023

Kitty Kuehl: Would this be worth it??? Yes! I laughed, I cried (well not really) but the story had me hooked, I finished it in 2 days. I can’t wait for the third installment.
One question, why didn’t Jonathan recognize Jane?

Germany on Jul 28, 2023

Sean: This is one of the best books I've read. If you like Alexander mccall smith books you'll like this book.

United Kingdom on Jun 15, 2023

Bird K. Mccargar: One should read if only for the masterful way Shevlin spins out anomatopoeias! A true gift. Other things like characters who speak to the ridiculousness of how we see each other and ourselves, made me giggle incessantly and out loudly.

The plot is driven by accidental connections and accidents of acquaintances and kept me amused and wondering how the pickle would turn.

I've bought the next book and am starting it no..

United States on Apr 06, 2023

H Dow: Kept me up from 9 until 2 am finishing it. I haven’t done that in years! Great story, characters and writing! I am now a big fan.

United States on Feb 23, 2023

JoMamaB: Afraid to say something that would inadvertently not want to make you read this! Sorry? I typically read crime fiction by American authors. Stumbled onto this series, where I found a really compelling story I couldn’t put down and also laughed out loud while reading it, quite often actually. Good character development where it matters. I also want to punch Lance, but also kinda love him, while Jonathan just remains intriguing. Well done, Mr. Shevlin.

United States on Jun 18, 2022

Kindle Customer: This review also covers the previous Fairfax book, because for some reason I am not offered the chance to assess it. In that book Jonathon and his associates are generally pretty dreary, except for the action filled final scenes. However, the hired assassin and his family are fascinating. Jonathan's finale is predictable, but you are left wanting more on Lisa and Gemma.
This book also takes a while to build momentum, despite (SPOILER) also starting with murder. The finale is worth waiting for, although again Jonathon is barely necessary to the story and his character doesnt develop much.

United States on Apr 23, 2022

T.O.Powell: I absolutely loved the first book by Shevlin: “The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax.” I’ve actually read it several times and thoroughly enjoyed it each time, thus I thought I’d try the next book, “Jonathon Fairfax Must Be Destroyed.” Unfortunately, this one was a big disappointment. *Warning: Some spoilers ahead*

The first major problem for me was: No Rachel! In Book 1, Rachel was the perfect girlfriend for Jonathon, but in this one she is shipped off to France and never heard from again. I suppose the author thought it’d be funny to free up Jonathon so he could bumble around falling for a new love of his life, but for me it simply didn’t work. It reminds me of the old soap opera trick where the couple has a child but later it gets inconvenient to the story so they have the child go upstairs in one episode and he never comes back down, gradually fading completely away from the story. Jonathon is not a James Bond, where he has to have a new love in every story.

The first book was perfect, and in truth, my wife actually got so tired of me bursting out laughing as I read it that she stopped taking me out in public till I finished the book...

United States on Nov 25, 2018

ljdaintyho: There is a lot wrong with this book. The big plot is predictable (you can safely work out the conclusion from the first paragraph). The characters are 2D cardboard cut-outs; the bad guys are rotten through and through, the nice dippy girl is a likeable air head, the over polite Englishman is quintessentially sorry for everything he does that causes minor inconvenience to anyone, the liberal old man with a heart the size of a planet is untainted by cynicism etc. And the plot detail lurches from one improbable scenario to the next incredulous unbelievable situation. All in all a wooden performance which could be very dull indeed if it wasn’t so good at being itself.
All those 'faults' are part of what makes this farcical farce such a good read. I couldn't help being reminded of the 'Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy' trilogy (!) - which is credited as an inspiration in the acknowledgements. The humour is spot on being both cynical and satisfying. It starts with a witty observation of the similarities between the London Underground and love at first sight - it's a great opener and the pace of humour keeps up throughout the book. Added to which it is full of nostalgia of the late...

United Kingdom on Apr 10, 2018