Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks is the last Jack Parlabane book (at least so far) by Christopher Brookmyre.

Plot:
Jack Parlabane has never believed in ghosts. Which is kinda awkward since he now seems to be one. So he tells us what happened so far – and how it all connects to the psychic Gabriel Lafayette who offered himself to science, to prove once and for all that the paranormal exists.

Even though I caught most of the plot-twists that were to come later pretty early on, Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks is definitely my favourite Jack Parlabane book. Probably because it’s the geekiest. It’s funny, I loved the rants and it features an honest to goodness browncoat. What’s not to love?

[Did I ever mention how much I love the titles of the Brookmyre books? Because I really do.]

[HUGE SPOILERS]

I have to admit that the whole get-up of the book had me guessing the first plot-twist within a couple of pages – that Parlabane isn’t actually dead. Because a) it’s Parlabane we’re talking about and he’s such a cocky bastard because he’s practically never wrong. b) that the books would suddenly take a turn for the paranormal seemed wrong. c) it’s dedicated to Richard Dawkins. Put altogether, it’s balm for the atheist’s soul. [No pun intended.]

I also guessed the whole Easy-is-in-on-it thing pretty early. What did surprise me was how they got the voice of Lemuel’s wife. Did not see that coming.

[/SPOILERS]

Anyways, completely loved Michael. I mean, any love for Firefly is good love but I don’t think I ever stumbled upon a browncoat in a work of fiction. [Truth to be told, I never met one personally, either. Are there no browncoats in Austria?]

And anytime Parlabane (or Michael) would rant against religious restrictions to medical procedures, homeopathy or explain how that “psychic” trick worked, my heart would dance a little dance. [Mostly it would samba, but once it did waltz.]*

Btw, Spammy is back in this book. [He first appears in Country of the Blind.]

So, if all of my gushing didn’t yet convince you to check out Brookmyre altogether, please, do yourself a favour and read at least Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks. Because it is awesome.

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*Brookmyre also includes a further reading section at the back of the book, which I definitely want to check out.