"If ever a book warranted the caution..........not for the faint hearted, this is it

Barbelo’s Blood is unlike any other book you’ll read.........ever

Think, of Joseph Heller on Crystal meth

A wild demented saga of dark and satanic glee

With wonderful illustrations to match the mood of this neo-gonzo narrative of manic invention

Tighten your seat belts, you’ll never see an 82 year old in the same light again!"

 Ken Bruen

The Guards, London Boulevard, Blitz

"Every now and again the world of Irish crime writing throws up a maverick genius, and ‘Capt. Joseph Barbelo’, pseudonymous author of the quasi-autobiographical BARBELO’S BLOOD, is this year’s diamond shining on crazily from the rough...

it reads like Ken Bruen’s stroppy uncle with a bad case of Tourettes and one too many viewings of A Clockwork Orange under his belt. Which is, just to clarify, a very good thing indeed. "

 Declan Burke

 The Big O, Eightball Boogie

First of all, this book is completely bonkers and defies all reviewing. I could stop there, but I won't, of course. BARBELO'S BLOOD is like a cross between Death Wish and Grumpy Old Men. The subtitle is "The Trusty Terrorist's Illuminati Handbook", and it has all that and more - conspiracies, major philosophical concepts, action-hero thriller stuff and complete and utter madness. Really, I mean it.

This utterly lunatic book is set in Brixton in the 1980s and features...no, stars... eighty-two year old Capt. Joseph Barbelo who, despite his advancing years, takes over a 'firm' and causes havoc - even going so far as to contemplate blackmailing the Bank of England. Lots of very clever stuff, lots of stuff that went over my head, and lots of stuff that made me laugh. Barbelo is a fascinating character, and the supporting characters are excellently drawn - particularly the women, two of whom I absolutely adored. I have no idea how to classify this one - magical realism meets hardboiled meets heavy acid trip, perhaps. A very, very different book that I heartily recommend. But not to my Mum.
 

Donna Moore

Go to Helena Handbasket

"Barbelo's Blood... drips with irreverence and ends up being the place where The Da Vinci Code meets A Clockwork Orange and Mein Kampf... once it’s had its way with you, you’ll never be quite the same again."

Kevin Higgins

The Boy With No Face, Time Gentlemen, Please