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Ricky's Hand
Ricky Smart is a nobody, a Miami Beach paparazzo who lives in a cheap apartment and scrapes a living snapping celebs. One day Ricky wakes up, and realises there’s something wrong with his hand. It’s not his hand. In fact, it’s someone else’s hand. How does he know it’s not his? Because it looks different, it feels different and – perhaps the biggest clue– it has a four-letter word tattooed across the knuckles.
Then a week later, his other hand changes. A few days after that, Ricky gets a new arm…
Ricky is losing his mind as well as his body parts, but he has to eat and pay rent so he manages to get things together enough to pursue his seedy paparazzi career. He’s after candid shots of pop sensation and local girl Scala Jaq, who’s staying in town. He trails Scala, who has a secret of her own, and to his surprise and shock comes across her at a support group for people with an unusual condition, led by an overly enthusiastic guy called Don. Scala and Ricky team up when they begin to suspect Don, who tells them he’s a time-travelling policeman with an interest in Ricky’s problem.
A funny, violent and thoughtful story set in Florida about the way misfits bond together from the Emmy Award-winning writer of Avenue 5, Veep and The Thick of It.
Then a week later, his other hand changes. A few days after that, Ricky gets a new arm…
Ricky is losing his mind as well as his body parts, but he has to eat and pay rent so he manages to get things together enough to pursue his seedy paparazzi career. He’s after candid shots of pop sensation and local girl Scala Jaq, who’s staying in town. He trails Scala, who has a secret of her own, and to his surprise and shock comes across her at a support group for people with an unusual condition, led by an overly enthusiastic guy called Don. Scala and Ricky team up when they begin to suspect Don, who tells them he’s a time-travelling policeman with an interest in Ricky’s problem.
A funny, violent and thoughtful story set in Florida about the way misfits bond together from the Emmy Award-winning writer of Avenue 5, Veep and The Thick of It.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 21, 2022
This 100% pure sf and complex crazy idea of swapping body parts in very crazy way. Dom has a secret that even when find out what is going on you still be say what!
This very funny and very hair pulling. I have bad left leg I love to change it for another but not this way thank you, I refuse to say the twist.
This brilliant idea of survival in crime for the wrong reasons. Ricky the hero is horrible person a sleazy photographer who everyone things is perdo and he now has hand with F**K on it.
This very funny and very hair pulling. I have bad left leg I love to change it for another but not this way thank you, I refuse to say the twist.
This brilliant idea of survival in crime for the wrong reasons. Ricky the hero is horrible person a sleazy photographer who everyone things is perdo and he now has hand with F**K on it.
January 2, 2024
I don't know. It was kind of a jumbled mess and I didn't think it was particularly funny.
November 17, 2022
Ricky is a downbeat, mildly sleazy soul. I guess it comes with the territory when your job is essentially celebrity stalking. It’s tough to maintain the moral high ground. I’ll admit I felt a little sorry for Ricky. When we first meet him, he has hit rock bottom in life and is doing whatever it takes to get by. As soon as anyone discovers his profession, Ricky is viewed with barely veiled contempt and obvious distrust. Understandably, this has made Ricky quite self-motivated. He feels he can only rely on himself. If people won’t trust him then he won’t trust anyone else. Ricky has developed an acerbic, spiky persona. He continually pushes outwards, terrified of connecting with anyone. Of course, this means that Ricky can’t keep his mouth shut; he has a snarky attitude that all but ensures he is going to get a beating at some point or another. As his “condition” escalates, Ricky finds himself in the unusual position of needing help from others.
Scala Jaq exists at the opposite end of the societal scale. She has everything she could want – fame, wealth and a manager who will literally do anything to protect his investment. Like Ricky though, she lives a solitary existence. No-one can understand what it is like to live in the spotlight twenty-four-seven.
Circumstance drives these two disparate souls together. When various body parts start to change overnight both find themselves asking the same question “what can I do?” The answer is easy, do what every other red-blooded American would do, join a self-help group. That’s the point where things take an even weirder turn.
I don’t want to give too much of the plot away. Half the fun of this novel is trying to guess where things are going to go next. That’s where Ricky’s Hand excels, it demands your attention. The narrative mashes together the best of science fiction and crime to create a deliciously unique novel. The premise says it all really. You have to admit that random people having random body parts replaced for no apparent reason is pretty weird. Fortunately, David Quantick is on hand* to guide us. I was a big fan of his last novel, Night Train. The bastard son of Snowpiercer and Cube was a great deal of fun. Even now I am still reeling from the scene with the soup. There is little doubt that with Quantick we are in a safe pair of hands**. When it comes to all things odd he has got us covered.
There is some darker than dark comedy infused throughout this story. Ricky tries to compensate for his many failings by portraying himself as a cocky son of a bitch. Unsurprisingly, it almost never works but for an outsider looking in, it is funny.
If you are in the market for a cheeky little science fiction novel that is going to throw you a curveball or two, then you need look no further.
*excuse the pun
**honestly this isn’t deliberate, I promise.
Scala Jaq exists at the opposite end of the societal scale. She has everything she could want – fame, wealth and a manager who will literally do anything to protect his investment. Like Ricky though, she lives a solitary existence. No-one can understand what it is like to live in the spotlight twenty-four-seven.
Circumstance drives these two disparate souls together. When various body parts start to change overnight both find themselves asking the same question “what can I do?” The answer is easy, do what every other red-blooded American would do, join a self-help group. That’s the point where things take an even weirder turn.
I don’t want to give too much of the plot away. Half the fun of this novel is trying to guess where things are going to go next. That’s where Ricky’s Hand excels, it demands your attention. The narrative mashes together the best of science fiction and crime to create a deliciously unique novel. The premise says it all really. You have to admit that random people having random body parts replaced for no apparent reason is pretty weird. Fortunately, David Quantick is on hand* to guide us. I was a big fan of his last novel, Night Train. The bastard son of Snowpiercer and Cube was a great deal of fun. Even now I am still reeling from the scene with the soup. There is little doubt that with Quantick we are in a safe pair of hands**. When it comes to all things odd he has got us covered.
There is some darker than dark comedy infused throughout this story. Ricky tries to compensate for his many failings by portraying himself as a cocky son of a bitch. Unsurprisingly, it almost never works but for an outsider looking in, it is funny.
If you are in the market for a cheeky little science fiction novel that is going to throw you a curveball or two, then you need look no further.
*excuse the pun
**honestly this isn’t deliberate, I promise.
June 10, 2022
I enjoyed Ricky’s Hand. It’s a pretty mad plot, but it’s very well done and I found it an amusing and a gripping read.
Ricky is a sleazy paparazzo in Florida, tracking Scala Jaq, a pop star. He wakes up one morning to find that he now has someone else’s hand...and it eventually transpires that others also have new, different body parts, including Scala. A support group is convened by the mysterious Don...and a weird, rather complex but entertaining story ensues involving time-travel, body appropriation and some major skulduggery.
In the wrong hands this could be terrible, but David Quantick makes it immense fun. His characters are believable and very well drawn, the tension really does build and the dialogue is excellent – as you’d expect from such an experienced screen writer. There’s an excellent balance of humour, sharp observation and exciting plot and although this sort of sci-fi stuff isn’t usually for me, I enjoyed the book very much and I can recommend Ricky’s Hand.
Ricky is a sleazy paparazzo in Florida, tracking Scala Jaq, a pop star. He wakes up one morning to find that he now has someone else’s hand...and it eventually transpires that others also have new, different body parts, including Scala. A support group is convened by the mysterious Don...and a weird, rather complex but entertaining story ensues involving time-travel, body appropriation and some major skulduggery.
In the wrong hands this could be terrible, but David Quantick makes it immense fun. His characters are believable and very well drawn, the tension really does build and the dialogue is excellent – as you’d expect from such an experienced screen writer. There’s an excellent balance of humour, sharp observation and exciting plot and although this sort of sci-fi stuff isn’t usually for me, I enjoyed the book very much and I can recommend Ricky’s Hand.
August 14, 2022
I am not sure if the title is a nod to the song by Fad Gadget,a song about the perils of dissociating body parts from mind control, extrapolated as a warning not to drink and drive.
However, much like its predecessor,'Night Train' , 'Ricky's Hand' plunges you straight into the action whereupon we,and Ricky,start with the notion that the hand on the end of his arm is not his.
As unreliable narrators go,Ricky's job as a paparazzi sets him up as just higher up the food chain than a rat.
So when he wakes in a hungover state, are we to really believe that this is actually happening?
All we have to go on is Ricky's assertion that he did not have the word 'fuck' tattooed on the knuckles when he went to sleep.
So,ostensibly, we have a tale about a hand which belongs to Ricky as it exists at the end of his arm. And yet, further probing reveals not only is this absolutely not his hand, he has little redress to this situation.
A quick trip to hospital has the Dr's thinking it is a case of possible Body integrity Identity Disorder.
But as Ricky tries to distract himself doing his day job,his path crosses with that of singer Scala Jaq who has a secret of her own...
If you imagine Invasion Of The Body Snatchers crossed with Doctor Who and a soupçon of a future crime novel, this is alternatively hilarious and terrifying.
Bodily integrity and autonomy is very difficult when your parts are being taken over by some mysterious force from the future wanting restorative justice for a crime yet to be committed.
But how can you stop future you from doing something without altering that future?
Mindbending and peppered with fabulous characters like Scala's manager, Jonty, support group organiser, Don and my personal favourite, Ricky's contact , Isinglass, I would urge any reader of speculative, and often gory fiction,to take a punt on this novel!
However, much like its predecessor,'Night Train' , 'Ricky's Hand' plunges you straight into the action whereupon we,and Ricky,start with the notion that the hand on the end of his arm is not his.
As unreliable narrators go,Ricky's job as a paparazzi sets him up as just higher up the food chain than a rat.
So when he wakes in a hungover state, are we to really believe that this is actually happening?
All we have to go on is Ricky's assertion that he did not have the word 'fuck' tattooed on the knuckles when he went to sleep.
So,ostensibly, we have a tale about a hand which belongs to Ricky as it exists at the end of his arm. And yet, further probing reveals not only is this absolutely not his hand, he has little redress to this situation.
A quick trip to hospital has the Dr's thinking it is a case of possible Body integrity Identity Disorder.
But as Ricky tries to distract himself doing his day job,his path crosses with that of singer Scala Jaq who has a secret of her own...
If you imagine Invasion Of The Body Snatchers crossed with Doctor Who and a soupçon of a future crime novel, this is alternatively hilarious and terrifying.
Bodily integrity and autonomy is very difficult when your parts are being taken over by some mysterious force from the future wanting restorative justice for a crime yet to be committed.
But how can you stop future you from doing something without altering that future?
Mindbending and peppered with fabulous characters like Scala's manager, Jonty, support group organiser, Don and my personal favourite, Ricky's contact , Isinglass, I would urge any reader of speculative, and often gory fiction,to take a punt on this novel!
June 1, 2022
Ricky's Hand by David Quantick.
Ricky Smart is a nobody, a Miami Beach paparazzo who scrapes a living snapping celebs. One day Ricky wakes up and realises there’s something wrong with his hand. It’s not his hand. In fact, it’s someone else’s hand. How does he know it’s not his? Because it looks different, feels different and – perhaps the biggest clue – has a four-letter word tattooed across the knuckles.
An OK read. Wasn't for me. I did like the cover though. 3*.
Ricky Smart is a nobody, a Miami Beach paparazzo who scrapes a living snapping celebs. One day Ricky wakes up and realises there’s something wrong with his hand. It’s not his hand. In fact, it’s someone else’s hand. How does he know it’s not his? Because it looks different, feels different and – perhaps the biggest clue – has a four-letter word tattooed across the knuckles.
An OK read. Wasn't for me. I did like the cover though. 3*.
August 7, 2024
Shame this book isn't more popular, i loved it! Going into this, i had no idea this was scifi, so i was shocked (in a good way). The writing is good, the main character is icky but thats the whole point. Anyways, couldnt stop reading, would recommend!
December 29, 2022
Ricky the paparazzi...or paparazzo...wakes up one day with a hand that is not his own. On the knuckles is a tattoo of a cuss word. This is not normal. Soon he meets others of his kind who have also found themselves endowed with new body parts. Soon it spirals into a sci Fi crime drama that might not be meant to be taken too seriously.
It's fun, a quick read by an Emmy award winning tv writer.
It's fun, a quick read by an Emmy award winning tv writer.
December 28, 2022
It was pretty good.
August 9, 2023
Well this was something interesting. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Like literally. I just happen to pick this up blindly. One of those blind date with a book type things you find in bookstores. Now most the time those don’t intrigue me because I much rather know what I’m spending my money on.
I was browsing through Barnes and Nobles when this tagline got me. The wrapped book tag said, “what would you do if you woke up with a hand that wasn’t yours?” That sure got me, along with it saying it was under the horror genre.
I took it home with me. Upon opening it, it’s not a cover that appeals to me. It’s eye catching with its bright color & bold simple graphics. Nothing I would remark as beautiful or a lovely cover to have on the shelf. It gets its point across with a fist holding a camera strap along with a certain crossed out four letter word tattooed on the fingers. Don’t worry you’ll get it soon enough starting the story.
It’s not a cover that would first intrigue me, I’m not even sure the full synopsis or writing would either. I don’t care for any of the characters themselves, but they all play a roll. This is one of those sci-fi stories with gritty humor.
A similar story that comes to mind that I would suggest is John Dies at the End by… You’ll have to look up the author because I read it back when the author used a fake name (David Wong) which is no longer uses. Now more recent prints have come out with his real name. Something along the lines of Jason Pargin maybe. Either way, if you enjoyed this book with its absurd mess of what the heck is going on along with the type of humor it entails then check out that series.
This isn’t a great book by any means, & I felt the ending was a bit rushed through compared to the entire thing of trying to find out what happen. Once the action started to roll it really started to roll. I found the previous sections of the book to be better than the last part of it. This book probably deserves a 3 star rating from me, but I did enjoy it for a bit. Might change my rating after. This probably won’t be a book I keep in my collection long term.
Either way, if you decide to pick this up, it will be one ride you won’t forget.
I was browsing through Barnes and Nobles when this tagline got me. The wrapped book tag said, “what would you do if you woke up with a hand that wasn’t yours?” That sure got me, along with it saying it was under the horror genre.
I took it home with me. Upon opening it, it’s not a cover that appeals to me. It’s eye catching with its bright color & bold simple graphics. Nothing I would remark as beautiful or a lovely cover to have on the shelf. It gets its point across with a fist holding a camera strap along with a certain crossed out four letter word tattooed on the fingers. Don’t worry you’ll get it soon enough starting the story.
It’s not a cover that would first intrigue me, I’m not even sure the full synopsis or writing would either. I don’t care for any of the characters themselves, but they all play a roll. This is one of those sci-fi stories with gritty humor.
A similar story that comes to mind that I would suggest is John Dies at the End by… You’ll have to look up the author because I read it back when the author used a fake name (David Wong) which is no longer uses. Now more recent prints have come out with his real name. Something along the lines of Jason Pargin maybe. Either way, if you enjoyed this book with its absurd mess of what the heck is going on along with the type of humor it entails then check out that series.
This isn’t a great book by any means, & I felt the ending was a bit rushed through compared to the entire thing of trying to find out what happen. Once the action started to roll it really started to roll. I found the previous sections of the book to be better than the last part of it. This book probably deserves a 3 star rating from me, but I did enjoy it for a bit. Might change my rating after. This probably won’t be a book I keep in my collection long term.
Either way, if you decide to pick this up, it will be one ride you won’t forget.
January 31, 2023
You ever wake up and you can’t feel your arm? Now machine if you could but it looked different, like it belonged to a stranger. That’s the basic premise from which this wild tale spins out.
Quantick writes for TV on top of books, so he knows a thing or two about quippy dialogue and brisk pacing. Also, he managed to gain oodles of praise from really respectable sources. But for this reader, he’s yet to deserve any of it.
Night Train was entertaining but nothing special. And this novel is more of the same, albeit less so.
It’s fast and flashy and snappy and glib, but all the appeal is surface level. The plot is preposterous and credulity-straining with not much to back it up. The characters are virtually interchangeable in their mannerisms, tone, and conversational skills. This is very much a book by the way of a TV script. One where the jokes look like they ought to be funny but fall flat as soggy pancakes.
Much the same as Quantick’s TV show Avenue 5. Fun cast, technically fun lines that are never really funny. Unlike Avenue 5, I did finish this book. I’m a completist, plus it reads very quickly owing to all the dialogue. But outside of being mildly forgettably entertaining, it didn’t have much to offer. Not that humorous (certainly not as humorous as it thinks it is), not that exciting. Kind of a one note joke dragged out into a novel length plot. Punchline may vary. Thanks Netgalley.
Quantick writes for TV on top of books, so he knows a thing or two about quippy dialogue and brisk pacing. Also, he managed to gain oodles of praise from really respectable sources. But for this reader, he’s yet to deserve any of it.
Night Train was entertaining but nothing special. And this novel is more of the same, albeit less so.
It’s fast and flashy and snappy and glib, but all the appeal is surface level. The plot is preposterous and credulity-straining with not much to back it up. The characters are virtually interchangeable in their mannerisms, tone, and conversational skills. This is very much a book by the way of a TV script. One where the jokes look like they ought to be funny but fall flat as soggy pancakes.
Much the same as Quantick’s TV show Avenue 5. Fun cast, technically fun lines that are never really funny. Unlike Avenue 5, I did finish this book. I’m a completist, plus it reads very quickly owing to all the dialogue. But outside of being mildly forgettably entertaining, it didn’t have much to offer. Not that humorous (certainly not as humorous as it thinks it is), not that exciting. Kind of a one note joke dragged out into a novel length plot. Punchline may vary. Thanks Netgalley.
July 6, 2024
I really wanted to like this book, and at times I truly did. The first third of the book or so really held me, and even through to the end there were parts here and there that made me laugh. But I think the style in which this was written could have been better served in a different medium. The style is like if John Does At The End and the film adaptation Scott Pilgram had a baby, but it lacks a bit of the charm that those two have and it’s hard to explain why that is. I legitimately believe that of this were written as a screenplay and I were watching it as a film things would have translated and comedic timing would have been much better. A lot of the dialogue felt like it was trying to be quirky and quippy, with characters constantly interrupting each other to say that they were confused or to say the person talking was dumb. And the first few times it happened it was really funny. By the tenth time it was grating. And by that point I was only in like chapter 5. It happened entirely too often for it to continue to make me laugh. I think this book had a LOT of potential, and I think it could have worked out much better, but between the writing style oddities and a few of the plot twists just making the story feel like the author was trying to subvert expectations without trying to make it actually make sense (not to mention the emotional moments that did not feel earned in any way), and I’m just left disappointed.
August 16, 2022
“Ricky’s Hand” was interesting. A story about a paparazzo who’s stalks celebrities to capture pictures of them at their worst for the biggest possible payout. One morning, Ricky, the MC, wakes up to discover that his hand isn’t his hand and there’s a random tattoo spelling out “F*CK* across his knuckles. It doesn’t hurt, he moves okay, but it’s definitely not his hand.
While trying to figure out the origin of his new appendage, Scala Jaq, a well-known pop star comes to Miami. Thinking he hit pay dirt, Ricky heads to her hotel to try and get some pictures, only to be confronted by the angry singer who then destroys his camera by throwing it into a pool.
Fast forward: Ricky finds a support group for others that have woken up with strange body parts that are not their own. But guess who else is there? Scala Jaq. From there, the story turns into a sci-fi mystery that involves time travel, murder, and a slew of other unsavory characters that bring the whole ordeal to wacky new heights.
I enjoyed it, but towards the end, things were happening so fast that I had to stop and reread some of the details to make sure I fully understood what was going on. Just a heads up: though it’s marked horror, I’d say it’s more sci-fi/mystery than anything else. Nothing scary about this one, but it's still a fun and unique read.
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While trying to figure out the origin of his new appendage, Scala Jaq, a well-known pop star comes to Miami. Thinking he hit pay dirt, Ricky heads to her hotel to try and get some pictures, only to be confronted by the angry singer who then destroys his camera by throwing it into a pool.
Fast forward: Ricky finds a support group for others that have woken up with strange body parts that are not their own. But guess who else is there? Scala Jaq. From there, the story turns into a sci-fi mystery that involves time travel, murder, and a slew of other unsavory characters that bring the whole ordeal to wacky new heights.
I enjoyed it, but towards the end, things were happening so fast that I had to stop and reread some of the details to make sure I fully understood what was going on. Just a heads up: though it’s marked horror, I’d say it’s more sci-fi/mystery than anything else. Nothing scary about this one, but it's still a fun and unique read.
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June 12, 2022
Also reviewed on www.juliaclewis.com
I didn't really know what I was getting myself into when I picked up David Quantick's Ricky's Hand, but I had a feeling it would be an amusing ride- and I was not wrong.
Ricky is a paparazzo who is down on his luck, and not very popular by the citizens of Miami Beach. He has a bad relationship with his sister, and is really only scraping by by taking snapshots of celebrities. But his fate all changes when he wakes up one morning with a different hand- yes, someone else's hand. Soon, he forces a love-hate alliance with a local celeb by the name of Scala Jaq and together they meet Don who runs a support group for people who also woke up with different body parts. Weird stuff, right? Well, just wait until you find out that Don calls himself a time traveling police man. Now, THAT is weird.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel with it's crude humor and quirkiness. It reminded me a bit of novels such as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and John Dies at the End. While the characters might have been all a bit unlikable, they did further the story and served their part. I did feel that the end was all a bit rushed, but it didn't ruin the book for me.
I didn't really know what I was getting myself into when I picked up David Quantick's Ricky's Hand, but I had a feeling it would be an amusing ride- and I was not wrong.
Ricky is a paparazzo who is down on his luck, and not very popular by the citizens of Miami Beach. He has a bad relationship with his sister, and is really only scraping by by taking snapshots of celebrities. But his fate all changes when he wakes up one morning with a different hand- yes, someone else's hand. Soon, he forces a love-hate alliance with a local celeb by the name of Scala Jaq and together they meet Don who runs a support group for people who also woke up with different body parts. Weird stuff, right? Well, just wait until you find out that Don calls himself a time traveling police man. Now, THAT is weird.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel with it's crude humor and quirkiness. It reminded me a bit of novels such as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and John Dies at the End. While the characters might have been all a bit unlikable, they did further the story and served their part. I did feel that the end was all a bit rushed, but it didn't ruin the book for me.
June 12, 2022
Ricky's Hand is a novel about a man whose hand suddenly changes to someone else's, and in the process he finds himself entangled in a weird web of secrets that go places he'd never expect. Ricky is a paparazzo in Miami Beach, just about making a living, when he wakes up one morning to find that his hand is no longer his hand, and instead is shaped different and has a tattoo. When he tries to ignore it to get shots of pop star Scala Jaq, Ricky finds himself with an unlikely ally in the attempt to work out what is happening to his hand.
As the premise suggests, this is a suitably ridiculous book, about body parts changing and, eventually, a weird explanation for it. The book mostly follows Ricky and Scala as they go from natural enemies to teaming up, and the plot follows various twists and turns as they attempt to get the leader of a local support group to give them more information. The narrative isn't the most gripping, but there's enough going on to keep you reading. It's a fairly fun, comic book (though it might be marketed as horror, it's not really horror though does have a vague element of body horror) that makes a good light read, with unlikeable characters that suit the style.
As the premise suggests, this is a suitably ridiculous book, about body parts changing and, eventually, a weird explanation for it. The book mostly follows Ricky and Scala as they go from natural enemies to teaming up, and the plot follows various twists and turns as they attempt to get the leader of a local support group to give them more information. The narrative isn't the most gripping, but there's enough going on to keep you reading. It's a fairly fun, comic book (though it might be marketed as horror, it's not really horror though does have a vague element of body horror) that makes a good light read, with unlikeable characters that suit the style.
April 24, 2023
Hilarious and fun book! Very quick read, can get through it in a day pretty easily. Concept was fun and unique, but I couldn't find the logic in Don's actions. For example, these people had already had parts of their bodies replaced, seeming to imply that the future gang already knew where they were. So why try to get them all in the same place on the beach instead of just continuing the slow, insidious process they had already started?
And as far as that's concerned, why even start a support group? But assuming they needed to be in one place together, why even divulge to Scala that he was from the future? What purpose did that serve? Why not keep her in the dark along with everyone else?
Finally, if the people who were having their parts replaced were simply "in the same space" as those in the future, as is suggested toward the end, then why take the time to infiltrate the security on a celebrity's email just to gain her trust and convince her to join the support group? If these people were randomly chosen due to proximity, why not choose a more "accessible" citizen of Miami than one who is under constant scrutiny as a celebrity?
Overall, I would recommend this book! There were just these plotholes that were hard to get around
And as far as that's concerned, why even start a support group? But assuming they needed to be in one place together, why even divulge to Scala that he was from the future? What purpose did that serve? Why not keep her in the dark along with everyone else?
Finally, if the people who were having their parts replaced were simply "in the same space" as those in the future, as is suggested toward the end, then why take the time to infiltrate the security on a celebrity's email just to gain her trust and convince her to join the support group? If these people were randomly chosen due to proximity, why not choose a more "accessible" citizen of Miami than one who is under constant scrutiny as a celebrity?
Overall, I would recommend this book! There were just these plotholes that were hard to get around
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2022
My thanks to Netgalley for introducing me to this writer.
Ricky's hand is a fun read, despite the publisher blurb purporting it to be a horror. Quantick is not rewriting a genre or reinventing the wheel, but Ricky's misadventures from the morning he wakes up (hungover) to find another hand in the place of his own are comedy gold. While he IS a sleazebag, his minor transgressions pale in comparison to that of the real bad guys in the story, and despite the possibly tenuous use of time travel (explanations for which always either melt my brain or are too flimsy to be believable), the plot tears along at an engrossing pace. The characters are reasonably well-drawn and credible, and the humour rarely lets up, even when things look grimmest for our heroes. Far more of a comedy thriller than a horror, and Quantick is going on my list of cheer-ups for those bad days that need a little lift.
Ricky's hand is a fun read, despite the publisher blurb purporting it to be a horror. Quantick is not rewriting a genre or reinventing the wheel, but Ricky's misadventures from the morning he wakes up (hungover) to find another hand in the place of his own are comedy gold. While he IS a sleazebag, his minor transgressions pale in comparison to that of the real bad guys in the story, and despite the possibly tenuous use of time travel (explanations for which always either melt my brain or are too flimsy to be believable), the plot tears along at an engrossing pace. The characters are reasonably well-drawn and credible, and the humour rarely lets up, even when things look grimmest for our heroes. Far more of a comedy thriller than a horror, and Quantick is going on my list of cheer-ups for those bad days that need a little lift.
September 15, 2023
I just thought that this book was creative, well-executed, and a lot of fun. The vibes were similar to that of the John Dies at the End series by Jason Pargin, one of my all-time favorites, so I couldn't help but love it. This book has been described by some as a horror, and maybe some things about it are horrifying, but it didn't really grip or scare me in the way that horror books can.
Some of the characters you meet early on are not inherently likable at the start, but the growth they experience through the book is worth sticking around for. The writing is paced well, the developments are surprising and mostly unexpected (I think I read too many mystery-like novels, I tend to catch twists before they happen), and the overarching story is just really cool. This has been my favorite book of 2023 and I'm already looking forward to reading it again.
Some of the characters you meet early on are not inherently likable at the start, but the growth they experience through the book is worth sticking around for. The writing is paced well, the developments are surprising and mostly unexpected (I think I read too many mystery-like novels, I tend to catch twists before they happen), and the overarching story is just really cool. This has been my favorite book of 2023 and I'm already looking forward to reading it again.
September 12, 2022
I wanted a new read that would take me away from my usual crime ration and chose Ricky's Hand pretty much at random (other than recognising Quantick's name from his sharp Twitter account) - and it didn't disappoint.
Smart, funny and original, Ricky's Hand is a fresh take on time-travel. An engrossing "where the hell will it go now" story larded with wisecracks and great one-liners. I don't want to let out any spoilers here, but basically it's one guy's quest to find out why his hand doesn't look or feel like his own any more. He ends up meeting some seriously heavy blokes and gets in a few sticky situations before he and his female sidekicks begin to unravel the mystery.
Great fun, loved it. This trio need to come back for another episode!
Smart, funny and original, Ricky's Hand is a fresh take on time-travel. An engrossing "where the hell will it go now" story larded with wisecracks and great one-liners. I don't want to let out any spoilers here, but basically it's one guy's quest to find out why his hand doesn't look or feel like his own any more. He ends up meeting some seriously heavy blokes and gets in a few sticky situations before he and his female sidekicks begin to unravel the mystery.
Great fun, loved it. This trio need to come back for another episode!
August 21, 2022
Ricky, a paparazzo in Miami wakes up with a different hand - definitely not his! And he is not alone in this, it's happened to others to. And keeps on happening. To get to the bottom of the mystery he'll need to team up with Scala Jac, the latest big thing in entertainment (and another victim of both changed body parts and his papping).
The story here was good fun with equal parts horror, Sci-Fi and humour - although the Sci-Fi infodump around the halfway point slowed things down a bit for me. I got through it in 3 sittings though and really enjoyed it
Recommended.
The story here was good fun with equal parts horror, Sci-Fi and humour - although the Sci-Fi infodump around the halfway point slowed things down a bit for me. I got through it in 3 sittings though and really enjoyed it
Recommended.
June 1, 2022
Ricky's Hand by David Quantick.
Ricky Smart is a nobody, a Miami Beach paparazzo who scrapes a living snapping celebs. One day Ricky wakes up and realises there’s something wrong with his hand. It’s not his hand. In fact, it’s someone else’s hand. How does he know it’s not his? Because it looks different, feels different and – perhaps the biggest clue – has a four-letter word tattooed across the knuckles.
An OK read. Wasn't for me. I did like the cover though. 3*.
Ricky Smart is a nobody, a Miami Beach paparazzo who scrapes a living snapping celebs. One day Ricky wakes up and realises there’s something wrong with his hand. It’s not his hand. In fact, it’s someone else’s hand. How does he know it’s not his? Because it looks different, feels different and – perhaps the biggest clue – has a four-letter word tattooed across the knuckles.
An OK read. Wasn't for me. I did like the cover though. 3*.
August 22, 2022
A weird and strangely readable book about Ricky who wakes up one morning with someone else's hand and his quest, with a similarly affected superstar, to find out why. Full of sly dark humour, lots of bizarre and violent deaths and an unbelievable plot line it managed to keep this reader hooked until the end!
Thank you to netgalley and Titan for an advance copy of this book
Thank you to netgalley and Titan for an advance copy of this book
August 28, 2022
A brilliant, weird, and darkly humorous story. Even if it's not amongst my top books of the year I must say that It's surely one of the most original and entertaining.
I liked the style of writing and it kept me reading.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I liked the style of writing and it kept me reading.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
October 5, 2022
2022 Spooktacular Read #1
So it turned out, despite where this novel was shelved and its inherently unsettling premise, this one is more a sci-fi/comedy read than a horror. Whoops. David Quantick has a whole improv troupe's worth of "yes and"s at his disposal and the book clops along quickly, it just felt a bit too breathless for its own good.
So it turned out, despite where this novel was shelved and its inherently unsettling premise, this one is more a sci-fi/comedy read than a horror. Whoops. David Quantick has a whole improv troupe's worth of "yes and"s at his disposal and the book clops along quickly, it just felt a bit too breathless for its own good.
January 16, 2023
I loved this book when I started it. I found Ricky the down and out photographer an interesting character and his new hand an inviting premise. But the whole time travel scenario just left me cold and I lost interest in his characters. I was much more interested in his lack of relationship with his disgusting sister then Don and the pop singer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2023
Ricky's Hand is a wild, modern-noir, body horror comedy. Quantick (VEEP) has a sharp ear for dialogue and creates a very sharp, funny, ambling noir-ish dialogue: not a simple task. The premise of "what would you do if you woke up with someone else's hand on your arm," is easy to get sucked into. Characters are simply, yet sharply drawn. The pace is quick. All in all, a funny, breezy, crazy read.
April 7, 2023
Amusing book, it is a light read and it has an interesting premise.
The internal logic doesn't hold up very well, however, and at times it made me think the author had forgotten what he had already written, removed, or added. The end comes rushing way too fast and, for all it was building to, comes out as disappointing.
Still, enjoyable.
The internal logic doesn't hold up very well, however, and at times it made me think the author had forgotten what he had already written, removed, or added. The end comes rushing way too fast and, for all it was building to, comes out as disappointing.
Still, enjoyable.
August 31, 2023
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/rickys-hand-by-david-quantick-brief-note/
By a well-known TV writer. Funny but ultimately implausible even on its own terms. The future tech works just well enough to drive the plot.
By a well-known TV writer. Funny but ultimately implausible even on its own terms. The future tech works just well enough to drive the plot.
January 5, 2024
Fairly enjoyable read, easy and quick to get through. There were a few grammatical errors, even one where they refer to the main character as Rocky instead of Ricky. Interesting science fiction plot, but didn’t go into details of trying to explain the sf nature of how things occurred (which I liked). Interesting concept and would read again.
September 28, 2022
My first attraction was the book cover, close second was the title. Then I read it, and was ultimately sucked in. David Quantick is up there with all the great writers that know how to tell a story with suspense and humor A+
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