Something Nasty in the Woodshed

By: Kyril Bonfiglioli

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Life always seems to be more complicated than it should be for Charlie Mortdecai: degenerate aristocrat, amoral art dealer, seasoned epicurean, unwilling assassin, and confirmed coward.

Something Nasty in the Woodshed finds Charlie exiled from London due to his growing unpopularity on account of some shady art deals. Taking refuge in a country estate on the Channel Island of Jersey, he embarks on a well-intended hedonistic interlude. But his vacation soon morphs into a macabre manhunt, as Charlie seeks to expose a local rapist whose modus operandi bears a striking resemblance to that of a warlock from ancient British mythology known as "The Beast of Jersey".

©1972 Kyril Bonfiglioli (P)2006 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Sticks in the mind long after you've quoted all the funny bits to your friends.' (New Yorker)
"Wickedly entertaining....A sure-fire, acid-tongued winner." (Publishers Weekly)

Ha Ha Got You !

May have been a mistake to read the third having not read one and two. Here is a highly original writer. Those who compare him to Wodehouse are off the mark - his narrative is whimsical but with more bite. His characters are rounded. His landscape is well drawn. The plot is a tad fantastical but not to the point of discomfort. And then towards the end it falls apart. I find myself saying "no - did he really write that ?. But it is totally out of keeping with the plot, the characters, the landscape." You can hear the author going "Ha ha, got you !" Well, guess what. This reading business is a voluntary exercise. That being the case and since I resent being "Got", I shall not read his other books. Pity really, since this one was quite well written. And Prebble was his usual highly competent self.

Wonderful

All three of the books in this series are worth listening to. Reminds me of a modern-day "Flashman." Irreverent and hilarious.

amazing story all three where great

amazing story all three where great but this by far was my favorite of the three

Another great book by Bonfiglioli

Heavier and more disturbing than the first book. Still a great listen if you aren’t disturbed or offended. This guy is a master writer. Wonderfully read by Prebble.

The adventures of the oversexed and bored

I feel like I need a shower and ear bleach after listening to this thing. It's not funny, it's just gross. Performer was good, but the story line is nasty. I didn't get very far in the story, and what I did make it through wasn't funny. I think I had one 'ha' and the rest was just blech.