If you are familiar with other books by Douglas Adams, you will be aware that he is a pretty wacky writer with some very original ideas. He has the unique talent of being able to write absolute nonsense and turn it into a readable story that actually makes sense. Sort of. Well most of the time anyway.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is bursting with eccentric characters, my favourite being the endearing and forgetful Reg, the Professor of Chronology at St Cedd’s, Cambridge. Odd things are happening in his house, as the protagonist of this story, Richard finds out when he is invited to dinner with the Professor one evening. After all, finding a horse in your host’s bathroom is not something you would normally expect to happen.

The oddness does not stop there. While driving home Richard almost drives through the ghost – yes, ghost – of his boss, who unbeknown to him has recently been heartlessly murdered and left at the side of the road near by. To top it all off, Richard suddenly has a mad idea to break into his girlfriend’s flat, almost killing himself in the process. And this is where Dirk Gently comes in.

Dirk Gently is a private ‘holistic’ investigator, whatever that means, specialising in lost cats. But why is he so interested in Richard, the murder, and the Professor of Chronology? He believes in the fundamental interconnectedness of all things, but what does any of this have to do with an Electric Monk, a horse in a bathroom, a crashed spaceship and impossible magic tricks? I have read the book, and I am still not 100% sure of the answer! What I am sure of, is that this book was a delight to read and had me chuckling away to my self all the way through.

Adams is a comic genius. His descriptions are hilarious making the tone of his writing playful and so enjoyable to read. Even if this type of thing is not normally your cup of tea, I would recommend trying this book. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

Give it a go! Click on the picture below.