Angel's Share
First Published: 2006
Published By: Allison and Busby
Angel Number: 14
Personal Favourite: 2
Quotable Quote: I needed caffeine so badly it hurt.
The Backstory
There is no rest for the wicked and expectant fathers. Although Angel much prefers perusing his Chandler "training manuals", he reluctantly takes on a missing person case.
Enlisting the help of Huddersfield's Hoh-Hoh-Seven, Angel tries to track down the location of a long lost love of a retired civil servant. Although a seemingly innocent search for the 'Angel's Share' he's lost, it becomes apparent that the man's intentions may not be entirely honourable.
Just taking this on should be enough, but no, he also has to visit his father's new flame, arrange for his father to visit his ex-wife to undertake the awesome task to inform her that she is to become a grandmother, and cope with Amy's ever developing hormones.
The Webmaster's Take
So, there I was, reeling (a little) from the disappointment of House, wondering whether there would be an Angel novel to budge one of the top three, (at that time That Angel Look, Lights, Camera, Angel and Angel Underground, in that order) indeed, not knowing if there was even going to be another Angel novel. Little did I know that the following two would split them asunder.
Years ago, I picked up a copy of an anthology of Raymond Chandler's books - and I barely understood a word. Well, strictly speaking, the author invariably lost me in his convoluted plot after the first chapter of any of the books. Not a fan, then, (though the anthology is on my Amazon wish list, hint) well, not really at the time. Actually, I was more taken with Chandler's attitude to writing, and a few years later I read about how novels should be constructed; I forget most of it, but the basics are: Keep the major characters down to a minimum. Keep the basic plot simple. If the plot diversifies, don't go too far down a dead end. Do not branch off the wrong route. Do not double back. The theory goes, the more complicated the plot, the more numerous the characters, the greater chance there is of losing your readership. Chandler did something very important: he threw the entire rule book out of the window. Now, at the risk of being too philosophical, isn't that really how attitudes are changed, and how art of any form develops? He also had some great one-liners, not only in the novels, but in real life. If you Google "Raymond Chandler Quotes" you will get lists that read something like Angel's Rules Of Life.
Despite my very brief encounter with Chandler's books, the first few chapters had me thinking, hang on, bits of this sound really familiar. It was only when I got to the end and read that the book was a mini homage to Chandler that made me metaphorically slap my hand on my head and say 'Doh!' - loudly. No, I did not attempt to find out which book was referred to in each chapter. I wonder if there is someone out there that has.
The best of House, i.e. Ms Jane Bond and Amy's continued pregnancy (must be at least four years by now) are re-introduced and, in my mind at least, revamped (and who's the biggest vamp?). There are scenes in there which remain my favourites above all others, Springsteen and the computer geek, the former Page Three girl turned university student, the first meeting of Huddersfield's own Hoh-Hoh-Seven (sense a theme building here?), the incident at an off licence in Hackney involving more than harsh words, Angel under the influence of something or other but still managing to construct a plan to get him out of the mess he finds himself in, without incurring the wrath of Veronica, or worse, Amy.
Share has an ending which has me not knowing whether to shriek, laugh, cry, or remember to start breathing again. Some may call it totally unbelievable as it takes you, double quick time, waltzing into a comedy of epic proportions. From around about the middle of the book, I did not stop reading until the end, and I must have read it in about two evenings - which is quite a lot for me.
It very, very nearly did the unthinkable, by knocking Look off the top spot. I do not have a complicated 'points' system with my own personal listing, they are listed purely by gut instinct. Let's just say that if there was a points system, Share would only be within 5 points or so of Look. It misses, I suppose, purely from the plagiarism point of view, Look is totally original; Share borrows, albeit in the best way that I have ever read.
Chandler once said: "A good story cannot be devised; it has to be distilled." I'll drink to that, Angel and Ripley.
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