I embarked upon this very random light pick(or so I thought) without much thought given to the contents. It turned out to be anything but light, and I am glad I stumbled on it. The writing style is probably the only 'light' thing about it. This off-hand style of narration might create an impression that the mental crisis that our 'hero' Razor is going through is a frivolous phase, but it is more convoluted than that.
As the blurb rightly proclaims, a mourning husband has a lot more than regular survivors guilt. He forces himself into situations that he ordinarily wouldn't, trying to hasten the end he craves. But fate has other plans for him. Every time he (and we as readers) think that any particular encounter would be the last, and the story was winding down, an unexpected (and at the time, unwanted) help arrives, and the tale takes a whole new path.
The writing was easy to read, and although the content was emotionally heavy, it seemed appropriately dealt with. The ending(s) was highly unexpected, and probably why I did not give this a slightly higher rating.
I was not as taken by the conclusion as I could have been. Even with the talk of twists of fate, I would not have expected some of the pieces to turn the way they did! It seemed to move away from the genre of the book; this is probably as much as I can say without providing spoilers.
I would still recommend it to anyone who finds the blurb interesting.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

A fun read, I recommend it. Surprisingly deep based on what I expected from the cover art. A man looking for a reason to die finds a reason to live.

I adored this book!

One would expect a book that centres around a man attempting to commit suicide due to grief at the death of his wife would be a gloomy or tragic read, but Wilkie Martin has actually created an upbeat supernatural romp with plenty of humour.

I particularly enjoyed the side characters – from Kev and Miranda, to Rocky – as they brought the rather pathos-filled storyline into lighter relief and added pace and action. Ray/Razor is really the ‘everyman’ foil to this supernatural worldbuilding, as he bumbles from disaster to disaster, failing to achieve anything he intends, and especially failing to go out in a blaze of glory as a vigilante hero. He couldn’t be a more unlucky antihero… other than in his apparent ‘guardian angels’!

Honestly, this book had a bit of everything I enjoy; it is simultaneously funny, sad and mysterious, and begins with a slow burn that accelerates into faster-paced action as the plot really kicks in.

I already had Martin’s Unhuman (Inspector Hobbes) series on my wish list, but this book has bumped them to the top of my list!


'He’d once been a stickler for structure in his life, but since Flit’s untimely death, almost everything had been beyond him. Helpless with grief and regret, all he’d been able to do was drag his body through one guilty day after another. This, he recognised, would be unlikely to present the right opportunities—he needed to work out how and where to put himself in harm’s way, though even then he suspected intervening in a crime would more likely result in a bloody nose than death. Most hoodlums, even violent ones, tended to stop short of murder. Yet, surely, if he was in the right places at the right times, the odds for a valorous ending would improve.'

– Wilkie Martin, Razor


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

Odd, But Surprisingly Fun Odd

This book ended up being a bit more than I expected; all good.

It's partly a thriller, and a bit of a mystery, and certainly a picaresque adventure. There are touches of the weird and the strange. We spend our time in the company of an interesting and engaging hero, and a cast of quirky characters, and just sort of rollick about until it's time for the book to end. Sometimes that's just what you want, and if so, here it is.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I was very excited to find a new book by Wilkie Martin - I loved the Unhuman series and checked his website occasionally to see if anything new popped up.

Razor has the same fun humor of the Unhuman series, and I really enjoyed Kev, the somewhat ridiculous, mysterious, but very helpful new friend.

The book takes place in the Unhuman world - much of takes place around Sorenchester and we see passing references to some of our favorite characters (saving teeth for a friend , for example), and we get to learn more about Rocky of the Old T oll House, who is out standing in his field as usual.

These pieces made the book enjoyable, but unfortunately the main character wasn't Kev. Ray/Razor was an okay main character, but he didn't inspire me to devour the book. It took over a week just to finish the last twenty pages because I just didn't care.

Ray's hapless but he's no Andy Caplett.

I'm glad I read the book, and I'm grateful to Witcherley for giving me an advanced copy to read for honest feedback. And I'm grateful Wikie Martin is still writing. I'll definitely keep reading everything he writes - I just hope it's more Kev, Rocky and Miranda and less Ray.

An intriguing read, full of interesting characters. After the death of his wife, the title character decides that living alone with the guilt is far worse than dying...however, he classifies himself as a coward and decides to intervene in hero-needed situations, hoping he'll meet his end being of use to people in need. He roams the area, gets into situations and takes a few punches, but manages to meet & make some rather unusual friends in the process. Rather than introduce himself as Raymond, he chooses to go by an old school nickname of Razor.
A very interesting read, with delightful characters and thugs of all sorts. I enjoyed reading this story and would recommend it.

A really enjoyable book, with a very different and interesting storyline, the twists and turns following our luckless hero were great. I whipped through this book in just three nights, please please let's have a fiollow up

Reading this during Coronavirus lockdown, the book proved a perfect, light-hearted antidote to the anxiety of everyday life at the moment.

To give a flavour of this book, try to imagine if A Man Called Ove were to cross-breed with Off to Be the Wizard, with a dash of Mort thrown in for good measure. It’s a fun, easy read with occasional dashes into a darker narrative.

So why 4 stars, rather than 5?:
1. Certain parts of the storyline were simply too repetitive ie Kevin and Miranda’s appearances, meaning that there was never total lift-off because of lack of narrative tension. Razor never seemed in real danger.
2. The fights always seem pantomime, again a lack of jeopardy keeps us at a slight distance.
3. Rushed ending. So much seemed to happen at the end after a slow pace through the rest of the book. Pacing could be better.

Overall I really enjoyed it and will definitely look out for other books by this author.

I would like to thank the author, Publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This starts as a somewhat confusing attempted suicide by the protagonist (Ray), interrupted by trying to rescue a damsel from a mugger in distress, followed by the mugger throwing the protagonist in the river, from which he is pulled by a mysterious, probably female, saviour. At which point Ray decides he should be called ‘Razor’. That’s the first page or so. If that sounds confusing you need to hang in because it quickly gets more confused and ‘otherworldly’. There is an underpinning mystery concerning the earlier, accidental, death of Ray’s wife, and a cast of unlikely, even improbable, characters, mostly bad. Surprisingly, the story works well although the reader’s willing suspension of disbelief needs to have its cables well tightened. So it’s a bit of a challenge but enjoyable nonetheless.

This was a fun book. Ray/Razor distraught over the loss of his wife goes looking for death, a noble death defending a damsel in distress would be best. But somehow he make a right mess of everything he tries. With the help of two very mysterious strangers who soon become friends, Kev and Miranda work to not only keep Razor alive but to also untangle a mystery involving a coworker of his late wife's. Quite fast paced and an easy read I went through this during a quite trying time in my life and it really helped me escape if only for a while. I certainly will be looking for more by this author.

Thanks to the author publishers and Netgalley for a free ARC of this ebook.
This was the most unexpected, total joy of a book. I absolutely loved it. Its the unhinged story of Razor, love lost, a possible Troll, a dead Shakespeare scholar, a ghoul, kindness and much more besides. There's love, murder, fraud, knives, shotguns, lots of falling in the water and a memory stick. There are loads of laughs, a little bit if sadness and a whole lot of humanity. I'm only knocking half a star off a full 5 because I thought it ended in a bit of a rush. It was fab, I'll look out for Wilkies other books as and where they are. Brilliant.

I loved this most unusual book!! I have never read any works from this author, but fully intend to seek them out, whilst hoping the high standard of this novel is maintained in his other published stories.
Ray( Razor) is a widower, not through choice, but because his wife died during an incident that he ran away from, in order to save his own skin.
That's what the Police believe, and eye witnesses agree upon, only Razor knows the truth, but proving his side of the argument is impossible, so, in his deep despair, he decides to commit suicide.
But, that's not easy. Every time he finds the perfect spot, railway bridge/ deep canal, or hopes to be beaten to a pulp by a well known bully, somehow- Razor survives all attempts to end his miserable life. It's almost like he has a guardian angel watching over him, but, all he has, is a rather annoying man, named Kev, and his equally mystifying cousin Miranda. The three of them go through unusual and inexplicable experiences, where the body count increases at a steady rate, before Razor realises that strangers may care more for your wellbeing, than older established friends, with ulterior intentions.
Is it wrong to laugh out loud at someone trying to commit suicide? I had a stupid grin on my face for most of this book, it was refreshing and so insightful at the same time!! The ending was decidedly spooky, I had an inkling where this story was going, but I was not disappointed at all, to be proved correct.
I have given this book a four star rating, only because, I felt that some of the story was too repetitive at times. This does not suggest that it is not a good read, because it is. I will post a review to Goodreads today. Thank you for a most entertaining read, I will seek out other titles from this author.

It's a darkly funny and well written story I truly enjoyed.
I liked the well crafted plot, the characters and the setting.
I look forward to reading other stories by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Being a fan of the Hobbes books by Wilkie Martin I had high hopes of this being just as enjoyable. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed with the whole thing.
Raymond (or Razor), is a mourning husband who has decided he wants to die but to go out heroically. The first half of the book is Razor finding himself being the unlikely hero to a number of crimes and injustices. It is during this time he meets Kev and Miranda who always appear at the right time to help and save him. This premise takes up half of the book and eventually becomes repetitive.

The second half is where the book picks up but only slightly, as we learn more about the death of Razor’s wife and those involved which then leads to a conclusion that falls a little flat.
As a standalone book, Razor felt like a bunch of ideas thrown together during a break from the Hobbes books. This is a shame as he can be a good writer as his previous books have shown. The only thing to take from this is Martin’s continuing use of his central character (something also seen in the Hobbes books) constantly slipping, sliding or tripping and falling over every ten or so pages which after a while just becomes annoying.

A quick read that is enjoyable in places and sad in others. This is not my normal type of book and I don’t know if I would read another book by this author.

4.5 stars

I have to start out by saying that I just finished reading [book:A Man Called Ove|18774964] yesterday, which also stars a man who is trying to kill himself after the death of his wife. But the men are two very different people, lol. In this one, Raymond, aka Razor, is too chicken to kill himself, but he also feels a lot of guilt in the death of his wife, so he comes up with the bizarre idea that he will redeem himself by dying during the hero rescue of some innocent. The story started out a bit slow and I had no idea where this was going, but the more I read, the more I couldn't put it down and things started leaving you to wonder about who some of these people are and if there might even be an element of supernatural or fantasy in the works. Kev cracks me up with his way of talking in Shakespearean or other literary quotes and Miranda is just as mysterious in the beginning as she is in the end. Other interesting characters include Rocky and Winston. Razor himself has to come to terms with who he was in the past and who he will be in the future. I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, but this ended up being a really fun adventure with a little bit of mystery and thriller material thrown in. This is my third book by the author, although the other two were children's picture books with a twist of Grimm, and I can say that I find his writing style to be a lot of fun and his characters to be very interesting. I can definitely recommend this one.

Thanks to #WilkieMartin, #NetGalley, and #Witcherley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book by Wilkie Martin.. Razor is funny, dark and enjoyable. A good read for a long train journey or when you want cheering up. The main character Raymond or 'Razor' is down on his luck and very nearly ends it all. However, friends Kev and Miranda persuade him otherwise. Chased by thugs, kidnapped, run over and made homeless, it sounds like luck isn't on his side. But life can change and the sun does shine again. Recommended.

Razor by Wilkie Martin, an interesting read. Razor is not having the best of times. While contemplating Suicide he keeps inadvertently helping others ... sort of.

This was not really one for me but it is an engaging story with rich characterisation and a great pace. Definitely one if you enjoy quirky sci fi.

The narrative style felt too pleased with itself, and the story felt all over the place and was either silly or boring. This was a real slog to get through unfortunately. I will say that I liked the characters of Miranda and Kev, the parts with them in I breezed through.