Don't Point That Thing at Me

A Charlie Mortdecai Mystery

By: Kyril Bonfiglioli

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

A cult classic in the United Kingdom since its first publication there in the 1970s, Don't Point That Thing at Me is the first of a series of hilarious and dark-humored crime thrillers featuring the Honorable Charlie Mortdecai: degenerate aristocrat, amoral art dealer, seasoned epicurean, unwilling assassin, and acknowledged coward.

With his thuggish manservant, the incomparably named Jock Strapp, Mortdecai endures all manner of nastiness involving stolen paintings, a vintage Rolls Royce, secret police, a whirlwind trip to the United States, a dead client, and a ravishing and wealthy young widow, all to make a dishonest living. He's not one to pass up a drink, and he prides himself on being stylishly dressed for whatever occasion may present itself, no matter how debauched. Don't miss this brilliant mixture of comedy, crime, and suspense.

©1972 Kyril Bonfiglioli (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Wickedly entertaining....A sure-fire, acid-tongued winner." (Publishers Weekly)
"[A] laugh-out-loud nasty tale of international intrigue." (Kirkus Reviews)

Dashed Amusing, Dontcha Know

A blend of Lord Peter Whimsey, Lovejoy and Bertie Wooster all mixed up and resulting in something original and incredibly fun. Simply one of the best I've heard recently. Simon Prebbles accent is spot on and the various voices he takes for the characters are distinctive and nicely done. The plot is intricate, the characters are well fleshed out (particularly Johanna) and I found myself amused and entertained throughout. I'm giving this one five stars and can't recommend it highly enough.

Jack

Pulp Fiction Pleasure

Kyril Bonfiglioli's Charlie Mordecai triology is funny, raunchy, pornography, surreal, and ultimately fatalistic. In these strange novels - where Jeeves meets James Bond meets Quentin Tarrantino - Bonfiglioli produces the rare pulp fiction that rises to the level of art. The narrator, Simon Prebble, gives the same perfectly nuanced performance as he did with the Bertie Wooster and Jeeves stories that are the inspiration for Mordecai and his servant-enforcer Jock. He understands every word and every joke, and brings the writing vibrantly to life. "Don't Point that Thing at Me" and the rest of the series are not for the faint-hearted. I, on the other hand, loved them.

snarky fun

This is a prime example of how a great narrator can improve a book by a superb narration -- Simon Prebble is perfect for Charlie Mordecai, and I look forward to hearing more adventures.

This is good, snarky, fun. I wouldn't want to buy art from Charlie, but I think I'd love to have a few drinks with him, and Jock. They are wonderful characters in a romp of a tale.

Interesting but not pleasurable

Engaging prose makes the language enjoyable. For me, the story wasn't credible or even pleasurable

One of my favorite!

I listen to this book once a year or so and it never fails to make me laugh. Simon Prebble narrates better than I could read it in my head. A fun combination of Wooster and Bond. If plot is very important to you it might let you down a bit, but I wouldn't let it stop me from enjoying this book. I wish there were more that just 3 installments.

A charming scoundrel

I'm not sure why stories about likable ne'er-do-wells are so appealing, but this is a fine example. Good prose and narration.

Beyond disappointing

Wooster, Whimsey, Bond, and Lynley must be turning over in their fictional graves to find themselves compared to this lout. I bought this book because I am very fond of British humor, snarky anti-heroes, outright villains, and Simon Prebble, but Charlie Mordecai is just a mean-spirited annoying loser murkily entangled in a complicated and idiotic non-plot. Audible should set up a minus points option for books like these.

Why?

This was one of those books I wonder why I purchased after listening to it. And I also wonder why I must not have read others' reviews of it. The story never caught my interest as there were too many plots, bad guys, killings, and everything else deplorable. I did not even like the narration. The main character was somewhat likeable, but a little too know-it-all. But he really lost me when he killed his best ally at the end. Numerous references to things "the reader will know" that I didn't.

Bertie Wooster...He's not!

While readers might recognize the Wodehouse style, the hero of this work, Charlie Mordecai, has none of the wit or style of Bertie Wooster. The maze-like plot would confuse even the most determined Minotaur. Enjoy it for the great narration by Simon Prebble, but don't expect the plot follow even the minimum of logical sequence. It's not worth wasting a full credit...maybe if Audible offered bargain basement price...or maybe not.

Confusing Plot

I was looking forward to this audible as I enjoy both Lord Peter and Bertie Wooster, as the first reviewer posed. However, I found the plot confusing, very little humor and kept waiting for something to happen to redeem the story. Nothing did, and I was very glad to hear the end. Don't think I will give this author another try - pity.