Christopher Brookmyre - Boiling A Frog

Four and a half stars. Highly recommended. Award-level stuff.

The best of the Jack Parlabane series so far. It could easily be seen as anti-Catholic, but I think it is mostly anti-hypocrisy: the Catholic character who rejects the hypocrisy he co-conspirators indulge in is redeemed. Also, the flawed characters are too obviouslt straw men to take entirely seriously as genuine targets. It's satire, and it's supposed to have bite.

(This quick review is part of my September 2005 "clearing the decks" exercise.)