RearParty - The Case of the Missing Boyfriend by Nick Alexander

Before beginning this review it is only fair to say that the book has already been an electronic success having been downloaded over 60,000 times and securing the author a publishing deal. Arguably 60,000 readers can’t be wrong!

C.C. is a thirty-nine year old woman she has everything, a great job, a lovely flat and a fabulous bunch of (mainly gay) friends, however as is often the case with career woman over thirty the thing missing from her life is a significant other ,in this case, a boyfriend. For C.C. her dream of raising a family out in the country with the man of her dreams is beginning to fade ,due to her rapidly ticking biological clock and her missing boyfriend.

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In my mind I visualise C.C. as a S.J.P. kind of girl with a Sex and the City life style and so I can imagine how she is and what she does which is fine because her character with in the book is, I feel, a little insubstantial. Perhaps this is a good thing? The characteristics of the main character are left up to the imagination of the reader? I can paint a picture of C.C. that appeals to me? Never the less I do feel her character is slightly ‘hollow’. Her thoughts and feelings being presented by a male author are lacking authenticity ,she thinks as a man imagines she would.

]So to the name thing; only being referred to as C.C. because her actual name was so hideous....... that had the potential to become quite annoying however it didn’t drag on for too long and when her name and it’s suffix were revealed it was actually quite amusing.

In general the intrigue, questions and secrets about her past and how she came to be at this stage of her life with a ‘missing boyfriend’ all moved along quite nicely as a story. The bad deeds done by her ex and the insult to injury revelation worked well as a ‘shocker’ but again was broached early enough in the story to explain how C.C. had changed to become the woman we meet.

There are lots of quirky sub plots and there is plenty to keep the reader interested, wanting to find out what happens next. As a chick-lit novel it works well, nothing too horrendous or offensive but a bit of substance and a hint of social comment. There are lots of diverse characters and as the author intended his gay characters have dimension rather than being lightweight caricatures.

It is overall a witty and amusing book and I would give it 3 wine glasses.

Teacher_lady