Friday 3 October 2014

Best Served Frozen - the wonders of Gerald Hansen!


I met some very talented writers whilst on the writing site Authonomy and one of those it's been a privilege to get to know is Gerald Hansen. 




His latest offering is 'Best Served Frozen'  and I think it's his best yet! I mean, they're all all pretty sensational but this reached new heights (or lows!) depending on your perspective.


I've read all of Gerald Hansen's books and they just keep getting better and better! This one has to be the icing on the cake and you will see the significance of that remark when you read it! You better batten down the hatches because Fionnuala Flood is back in town. This time, Dymphna Flood is set to tie the knot with Proddy boyfriend, Rory, father to one of her children but not the second child or even the one on the way (possibly). Aunt Ursula, Fionnuala's exiled sister-in-law is on the guest list and we know this will spell trouble. 

Hansen's larger than life characters always have me in stitches with their fresh and gritty Derry wit. If they're not tripping down steps, they're standing on abandoned toilet seats or otherwise getting clonked at some inopportune moment. Hansen's timing for comedy is spot on and there's not many who get it down to such a fine art. His characters are often getting their wires crossed which adds to the tragi-comedy. I've said it before but it's always worth a another mention - Hansen is a master of plot and no scene goes to waste. As if all this wasn't enough, the author still manages to make every sentence fresh and full of literary gems. Here is one example: 'her body was like an ageing sofa you'd want to dump on a skip, shapeless and uncomfortable, with lumpy bits...' This isn't an isolated example either. The book is full of such startling treats. I learned about Irish Alzheimers' which is 'they forget everything but a grudge'! Then there are the usual wacky and wonderful names such as Top-Yer-Trolly (an old friend), Pence-A-Day and Eat-So-Yum. Hansen knows how to poke fun and revels in it. So sit back, enjoy the ride and hilarity and the nail-biting climax. You won't be disappointed.





Other books in the series:

An Embarrassment Of Riches
(Semi-Finalist in ABNA 2010)





Hand In The Till




Fleeing The Jurisdiction



You can find out more about Gerald's books and where to buy them from: