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How to Be a Vigilante: A Diary

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About this listen

From the author of the international best-seller The Stone Man, shortlisted for Audible UK's Book of the Year Award 2015.

In the late 1990s, a laptop was found in a service station just outside of Manchester. It contained a digital journal entitled 'TO THE FINDER: OPEN NOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE!' Now, for the first time, that infamous diary is being published in its entirety.

It's 1998. The Internet age is still in its infancy. Google has just been founded. Eighteen-year-old supermarket shelf-stacker Nigel Carmelite has decided that he's going to become a vigilante.

There are a few problems: how is he going to even find crime to fight on the streets of Derbyshire? How will he create a superhero costume - and an arsenal of crime-fighting weaponry - on a shoestring budget? And will his history of blackouts and crippling social inadequacy affect his chances? This is Nigel's account of his journey; part diary, part deluded self-help manual, tragically comic and slowly descending into what is arguably Luke Smitherd's darkest and most violent novel.

What do you believe in? And more importantly, should you?

©2016 Luke Smitherd (P)2016 Luke Smitherd Crime Crime Fiction Dark Humour Fantasy Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction Superhero Vigilante Justice Exciting Funny Scary Witty Comedy
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Well here we go it’s that bloody Smitherd bloke . . . AGAIN! Ridiculous premise, dopey sounding plot, run of the mill title and when you put them all into a story you somehow get something exceptional. Adrian Mole meets Walter Mitty on acid and chaos ensues! The lead, named Nigel living in the hell of 1990’s Derby is barely adequate, fairly unlikeable and yet reaches for the stars. I loved him.

Smitherd is not an author you can settle down and get comfortable with. As soon as you think that you’ve got his number up comes the next book and does a “And now for something completely different” act on you. It is a real talent and here we’ve departed from the supernatural / paranormal influences and yet find ourselves in a dark yet humorous misadventure. It does cut up rough with violence and swearing but it’s quality plotting and writing all the same.

Once again I can’t give Sir Luke a bad review even though I did once again come to this book to bury him rather than praise him. I did not receive a free copy, which is obviously because he hates me, so I was not obliged in any way to give an honest review. I did anyway just to spite him.

We're Only Making Fans For Nigel

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I don't know why I enjoyed this as much as I did, I only occasionally felt sympathy for a character that I found to be a complete tool. But his gradual progress kept me going. However when things started getting (very) dark, and the story began to go completely off the path I was expecting it to go, I couldn't stop listening. Often clapping a hand to my eyes or mouth at some new revelation.

Thanks for another great listen.

Slow going to begin, but excellent

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I have signed up to audible and pay subscription fees just to be able to get smitherds books. this month's 7.99 was not wasted. I just hope when he is signed up by the big publisher he keeps reading them too. I've covered countless miles in my hgv listening to his books. everyone is great and vigilante was a journey.

brilliant again!!!!

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Yet another brilliant roller coaster of a story from the dark and probably slightly insane mind of Luke Smitherd. This story has elements of realism that made me think that the author must have experienced some pretty grim things to be able to be this insightful.

The characters are real.
The locations are vivid.
The story holds together well and does not fail to driver what's promised without being predictable.

Careful though, if you pick this story up you will not be able to put it down! You have been warned.

Unstoppable, dark and real.

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1st audiobook by Luke Smitherd I've listened too and it was great. Have read all his other books and love how they are all completely different from anything else.

Great book

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