''Shooting Sean'' is the fourth novel of the ''Dan Starkey'' series by Northern Irish author,

Colin Bateman Colin Bateman (known mononymously as Bateman) is a novelist, screenwriter and former journalist from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Biography Born on 13 June 1962, Bateman attended Bangor Grammar School leaving at 16 when he was hir ...

, released on 8 May 2001 through

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. The novel was named by Hugh Macdonald as one of '' The Heralds'' "paperbacks of the week" in June 2001.

Plot

Dan Starkey is employed by legendary

film star A movie star (also known as a film star or cinema star) is an actor who is Celebrity, famous for their starring, or leading, roles in Film, movies. The term is used for performers who are marketable stars as they become popular household names ...

, Sean O'Toole, who is looking to escape his type cast

action hero An action hero (sometimes action heroine for women) is the protagonist of an action film or other form of entertainment which portrays action, adventure, and often violence. Action heroes are depicted in exciting or perilous chase sequences, figh ...

career and move into directing movies. Unfortunately, O'Toole is making a movie based on an infamous IRA member, nicknamed "The Colonel", and events soon lead to Starkey once again struggling to both protect his wife Patricia and

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...

child "Little Stevie", while also keeping himself alive and writing.

Reception

The novel was well received, with reviewers praising Bateman's

droll A droll is a short comical sketch of a type that originated during the Puritan Interregnum in England. With the closure of the theatres, actors were left without any way of plying their art. Borrowing scenes from well-known plays of the Elizabe ...

humour and attention to detail. In a review for '' The Herald'', Hugh Macdonald stated that, while written fiction is often humorous without ever being laugh-out-loud funny, "Bateman can and does make me laugh" and found the novel to contain "Sharp-edged humour with a touch of suspense". Sue Leonard, reviewing for ''Books Ireland'', called Bateman "the master of the fast-paced improbable

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...

" and stated that ''Shooting Sean'' "is packed full of humour and specializes in one liners". Leonard went on to say that "as in other Bateman novels the plot is so much larger than life as to be totally unbelievable" however does state that "in the hands of such a skilful writer this adds to the fun". She further states that she loves "Bateman's work for its strong construction, sharp satirical writing and inventive characterization" as well as his "attention to detail, and witty observation".

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

also reviewed the novel, with Tom Grealis stating that the novel was "a funny and highly entertaining tale of narcotics, terrorism and eh, moviemaking". He does mention that "one thing that has to be pointed out about ''Shooting Sean'' is that the plot becomes somewhat ridiculous in the latter stages", following this with " ateman'sdecision to go for suspense over characterization certainly panders to the mainstream, but it is a pandering one cannot but enjoy". Grealis also concluded that he found the novel to be "engaging, funny and eminently readable". Writing for Scottish newspaper, the ''Southern Reporter'', Fiona Scott stated that Bateman "has become an absolute favourite" and that "''Shooting Sean'' is my favourite so far". She states that "Bateman's droll Irish wit is ideal for this storyline", calling the novel as a whole simply "hilarious". Reviewing for ''Sprout Lore'', reviewer David V. Baker stated that Bateman "has a wicked sense of humour" and that he found the book to be "a gripping read which will leave you laughing and sad at the same time, a rare quality".

References

External links

* {{Colin Bateman Novels from Northern Ireland Novels set in Northern Ireland Novels by Colin Bateman 2001 British novels British crime novels HarperCollins books