book reviews , different studio guests each week. Join us every Thursday between 12 and 1pm on Radio Scilly 107.9fm or log on to radioscilly.com.

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Tuesday 26 November 2013

Brendon O’Carroll - The Scrapper


reviewed live on bookshow by Brian Lowen Nov 2013 

Brendon O’Carroll is the writer and star of the hilarious late night comedy show Mrs Brown’s Boys where he plays Mrs Brown.

He has written a trilogy of books about Mrs Brown’s Boys called The Mammy, The Chisellers and The Granny. These are all great stories and very funny but they do contain strong language.

This book is separate from Mrs Brown’s Boys and concerns two families. One is headed by Kieran Clancy and the other is headed by Sparrow McCabe.

Kieran Clancy is a policeman in a safe job as a minder to a government minister and longs for the excitement of being a detective in a crime squad.

Sparrow McCabe was a professional boxer who was champion of Ireland , but when he fought for the world championship against a Spanish boxer, and was winning, he failed to deliver the winning punch that would have won him the World Championship. This has haunted him all his life and he has now ended up as a driver for Simple Simon Williams, a crook who controls all the crime in the Dublin suburb of Snuggstown, together with his two henchmen Teddy and Bubbles.


Kieran Clancy marries the daughter of the Police Commissioner and manages to get promotion. He is given the job of heading up the serious crime squad in Snuggstown and so immediately comes up against Simple Simon and his boys

The battle between these two forces is the heart of the storey and involves some brutality and heart wrenching episodes, but also a great deal of hilarity. I had to put the kindle down to wipe my eyes in one part, when Sparrow was getting his revenge on Simple Simon, because I had been laughing so much.

A great book. A lovely story of family life and the problems the man’s job can cause. Very enjoyable and thoroughly recommended.

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