Killing the Emperors by Ruth Dudley Edwards
The outrageous and irrepressible Baroness (Ida 'Jack') Troutbeck has another cultural battle to win against the British Establishment: this time, against the horror of modern art. But shortly after she announces this war to her close friends, Baroness Troutbeck is kidnapped. Panic spreads throughout the London art world when they realise nine more victims are missing, including a corrupted art critic and a famed curator. Could the perpetrator be a traditionalist with a grudge against contemporary art? As the press, art world and police all gleefully predict who might be next, Baroness Troutbeck's sidekick Robert Amiss must work with Scotland Yard to find her. But can they reach her in time?
'The latest in a comic crime series, which has, over the years, delivered hefty slaps to the rumps of various sacred cowsHere, [Ruth Dudley Edwards] takes a swipe at the world of conceptual art, with her heroine, the magnificently monstrous reactionary libertarian Baroness Jack Troutbeck, on splendidly splenetic form.' GUARDIAN 'For some people, the inanity of contemporary art is depressing. For Ruth Dudley Edwards, it's hilarious. I devoured 'Killing the Emperors' because I'd rather laugh than cry.' LIONEL SHRIVER, AUTHOR OF WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN 'Ruth Dudley Edwards is a master of satirical comedy writing. The Baroness Troutbeck is a wonderful invention and as a central character provides most of the humour. She is both classy and classless... This hilarious series, that points its funny finger at a corner of society, comes highly recommended, they are all very entertaining, and this is one of her best.' LIZZIE HAYES, MYSTERY WOMEN 'Teasing the cultural establishment is pure joy for Ruth Dudley Edwards. In KILLING THE EMPERORS, it is the art lobby that incurs the wrath of her alter ego, Baroness Troutbeck, a boisterous, fun-loving academic who is the epitome of political incorrectness... Fans of Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin are advised to steer clear of this book but those of us who believe that real art has nothing to do with pickled sharks or unmade beds will cheer every page of an exhilarating read.' DAILY MAIL 'An entertaining polemic against the abuses of modern art, very funny and should be required reading in the nation's art colleges, not to mention for Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Charles Saatchi and Sir Nicholas Serota (or, as Lady Troutbeck prefers, Sclerota).' THE SPECTATOR 'Marvellously entertaining ... Ruth Dudley Edwards is a crime writer whom we should treasure - sharp, intelligent and gloriously politically incorrect' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'Ruth Dudley Edwards is a fearless and serious journalist. She is also one of the most entertaining crime writers around, the author of a series that satirizes special interest groups and the political correctness that makes other commentators look away politely... Whatever posterity's verdict may be of conceptual art, this send-up should be applauded for its vigour and humour.' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
Ruth was born and brought up in Dublin, was a student at University College Dublin, a post-graduate at Cambridge University and now lives in London. A historian and prize-winning biographer (the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Victor Gollancz: a biography). Ruth has written seriously and/or frivolously for almost every national newspaper in of Ireland and the UK and appears frequently on radio and television in Ireland, the UK and on the BBC World Service.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780749014506 |
| ISBN 10 | 0749014504 |
| Title | Killing the Emperors |
| Author | Ruth Dudley Edwards |
| Series | Robert Amiss Mysteries |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Allison & Busby |
| Year published | 2013-07-29 |
| Number of pages | 320 |
| Prizes | Winner of CWA Goldsboro Last Laugh Award 2013 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |