7.8 /10 1 Votes
Language English Publication date 1998 Originally published 1998 Preceded by Country of the Blind Genres Satire, Detective | 3.9/5 Goodreads Publisher Little Brown, London OCLC 40059177 Country United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Media type Print (Hardback & (Paperback) ISBN 0-316-64065-4 (Hardback first edition) Followed by One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night Similar Country of the Blind, One Fine Day in the Middle of, Quite Ugly One Morning, Be My Enemy, Boiling A Frog | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This article is about Christopher Brookmyre's crime novel. For Geraldine McCaughrean's young adult novel, see Not the End of the World (young adult novel); for Kate Atkinson's book of short stories, see Not the End of the World (short story collection)
Contents
Not the End of the World is Christopher Brookmyre's third novel, and the first not to feature Jack Parlabane, Christopher Brookmyre's most used character. The novel is also the first book Brookmyre has written that is based solely outside of the United Kingdom. The story takes place in Los Angeles.
Plot introduction
LAPD cop Larry Freeman is given the task of 'baby-sitting' a B-movie film festival as a way of easing himself back into work after the death of his son, but things soon turn violent when a right-wing Christian group targets ex-porn actress Madeline Witherson. As Larry investigates the attacks on Maddy and the disappearance of an oceanic survey vessel it becomes clear that certain parties are not content to wait for the Apocalypse.
Characters
Larry Freeman
Los Angeles Police Department police officer. He has recently returned to his job after the death of his son. Previously mentioned in Brookmyre's book Quite Ugly One Morning where he gives Jack Parlabane a gun which ends up saving his life.
Madeline Witherson
Former adult actress who now stars in Hollywood B-Movies. She meets Steff during a photoshoot for her new movie. She is the victim of several right-wing religious attacks at the film festival the book surrounds.
Steff Kennedy
Scottish Photographer from Motherwell. Has long blonde hair and suffers greatly from jet-lag in the book. Has a romantic relationship with Madeline Witherson in the book and helps investigate the attacks against her. Steff also appears in Brookmyre's book A Big Boy did it and Ran Away, in this book he was the photographer for a band's album sleeve.