Originally published as Cycle of Violence in 1995, this Bateman thriller now comes out under its new title as a tie-in with the eponymous film of Crossmaheart. This is the name of the small town that bicycling journalist Miller is exiled to from his Belfast newspaper in order to replace reporter Jamie Milburn, who has mysteriously disappeared. Not wishing to become involved in any shenanigans, Miller keeps his head down until he meets Jamie's girlfriend, Marie, and then, as the poet says, things fall apart. The result is a typical Bateman melange of darkly comic skirmishing, replete with over-the-top characters, stand-up comic dialogue and regular dashes of violence.
Vincent Banville