Goodreads – Rosie Amber
Please… Call me Derek is a grown up comedy following the events in Derek’s life. It begins with a little introduction to Derek as a child and explains some of the history behind the large Supermarket called Bisko’s which was built on an old piece of derelict ground which young Derek and his friends used to play on.


We next meet Derek aged 29 years old and leaving his current job with the wild idea of becoming an author. Circumstances and unfortunate events find Derek struggling to write and in need of finding a new job.


The book is full of some great characters, I loved Derek’s full name, Derek Toozlethwaite. There is Rob the newspaper editor with a gambling debt to pay, a banker with a hidden secret, his wife Muriel, the victim of a kidnapping and many more. Derek lives with his Grandparents, his Grandad has a paper-round which he does on his bike, while his Gran is doing a study on the benefits of keeping the aging mind active.


There is an unusual element in the book in that many of the characters don’t drive cars and they rely on cycling which adds to the comedy. Grandad’s bike has it’s own starring role in the proceedings more than once, and hopefully someone will give it some loving oil soon.


Throughout the story the local police force are half a step behind most of the goings on, and it seems to be the intent of the characters to outwit the police any way they can, from the very beginning chapter when Derek arrives home with a very large security dog on his trail, to the end when the detective known as Andy Pandy finally throws in the towel.
The plot revolves around a complicated kidnapping, with several twists and turns, leave no stone unturned whilst reading this and beat the detective to the bottom of this crime if you can. Yet despite all that happens to Derek, by the end he finds inspiration for his new book, we leave Derek deeply involved in character fieldwork and look forward to reading more in the next book entitled “Derek in Trouble”.


This book is pure entertainment.

Star Rating***** Definitely Recommended