A novel with a title as cool as “Of Wee Sweetie Mice and Men” is just begging to be at least taken off of the shelf. If that catchy handle isn’t enough, the boxer throwing a jab on the cover, with a little mouse atop his glove, should certainly get your attention. If I hadn’t already been directed to this book by my friend, Glenn, that title and cover art would have gotten me to give this one a try.
Bateman grabbed a hold of me with the first paragraph.

“Peace had settled over the city like the skin on a rancid custard. Everybody wanted it, just not in that form. The forecast remained for rain, with widespread terrorism.”

Boy, Howdy! I think this was the most fun I’ve had with a book in all of 2021. I love boxing, comedy, and weird characters. This page-turning thrill ride is the crazy misadventures of unlikely, heavyweight contender, Fat Boy McMaster and his entourage preparing for a mismatch of a title shot with the champion, Mike Tyson. Fat Boy “can’t fight, he has the charisma of a bag of sugar and more in common with tripe than hype. He is the Great Fat Hope”.
Our motley crew welcome the chance to leave the atrocities of Northern Ireland behind for the more settled conditions of New York City. Ha! Right from the frying pan, and into the fire.

Special thanks to Glenn Russell for introducing me to Colin Bateman’s work.

( )

Giving a nod of his head to John Steinbeck, Northern Irish author, Colin Bateman delivers Of Wee Sweetie Mice and Men, the second novel featuring Dan Starkey, a boozy, sarcastic and often misguided journalist. In this outing we are presented with a fun story line, some bizarre twists, plenty of shady characters and a considerable amount of dark humor.

We find Dan joining the entourage of the Irish heavyweight champion “Fat Boy” McMaster, and heading to New York to cover the upcoming fight between McMaster and Mike Tyson. When McMaster’s wife is kidnapped and the fighter is misunderstood and becomes labelled a racist, Starkey tries his hand at detective work and along the way gets involved in an attack on a Muslim temple and manages to insult and get beaten up by a group of gay waiters before zeroing in on the Irish political and religious troubles.

Of Wee Sweetie Mice and Men is a fun romp, not to be taken too seriously, but simply enjoyed for it’s tongue-in-cheek style, fast pace and sharp humor. I am already looking forward to the next book. ( )

Irish Journalist Dan Starkey is back in his second appearance. The first, [b:Divorcing Jack|163144|Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul - 101 Stories of Love and Inspiration for the Single, Divorced and Widowed|Jack Canfield|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172314570s/163144.jpg|157478], was great and this one may be better. Bateman who is a wonderful and hilarious story teller has moved his story this time out of Ireland, to the Northeast part of the U.S. Semi-decent heavy weight boxer, Bobby McMasters is pitted as the great white hope against Mike Tyson for a St. Patrick's Day match. Starkey's been hired to write a book about the whole thing. Ireland meets New York in the 1990's itself is a set up and Bateman takes it all the way. Bateman's next novel is already out in the U.K. I hope it swims across the pond at a fast clip! ( )

Belfast journalist Dan Starkey is off to New York to cover a fight between Mike Tyson and a little-known Irish fighter, nicknamed Fat Boy McMaster, or sometimes Marshmallow McMaster who has somehow become Ireland's champion. After a series of misunderstandings McMaster's wife is kidnapped. This slapstick farce is loaded with humour that is hardly likely to be fully understood outside Northern Ireland. However, Bateman gave me several laugh out loud moments and a happy memory of "wee sweetie mice", a favourite candy of my childhood. ( )

Unpleasant. ( )