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T. J. Brown
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The Unhappy Medium: A Supernatural Comedy. Book 1 Kindle Edition

by T. J. Brown (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 3,580 ratings

Discover the rollicking bestseller about life, death, and the peculiar bit in the middle.

'Hilariously smart and funny.' 'Terry Pratchett readers, form an orderly queue.’

Meet the ultra-rational Dr. Newton Barlow. Cool, cynical, scientific, he’s the last man you’d want to be a bridge between the living and the dead. But with his academic reputation in tatters, and nothing to lose but his few remaining marbles, the great skeptic is about to discover that the past that haunts him will be nothing compared to his ghost-ridden future. Thrust into a rollicking struggle between good and evil, can Dr. Barlow forget everything he ever believed in to save this world...and the next?

Thrilling, chilling, and utterly hilarious, The Unhappy Medium is a bone-dry British comedy in the great tradition of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.

‘A very funny novel.’
‘More fun than a barrel of monkeys.’
‘Brian Cox meets Monty Python.’
‘Unhappy Medium made me very happy.’
‘Reminiscent of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens... a rollicking finish.’
‘As if the Sixth Sense had been written by Douglas Adams.’
'A great example of the genre from a new author to watch out for.'
‘Rip-roaring adventure had me laughing out loud.’

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  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Unhappy Medium
  2. Print length
    396 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    22 Feb. 2014
  6. File size
    871 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 3 books in this series.
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  1. People were so wedded to their ignorance, Newton observed, frustrated not for the first time by the yawning gulf between fact and assumption.
    Highlighted by 44 Kindle readers
  2. People in the trade claimed he could sell clouds to the Welsh, pork scratchings to Mossad and nipple clamps to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
    Highlighted by 36 Kindle readers
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Product description

About the Author

T J Brown was born in Dorset during the 1960s but was too young to realise how good the decade was meant to be. Instead, he had to make do with the 1970s, which only became interesting towards the end when many, Brown included, started wearing charity-shop clothes and swearing. Conscription into arts school was at this time mandatory and as a result Brown found himself reading German literature, creating miserable paintings and performing music that in retrospect, and at the time, was dreadful. After three lost years at art school Brown moved to London to begin five lost years on the margins of the capital's fashionable underbelly. After all that, a career in publishing almost came as a relief. And so, after many years producing illustrated books on astronomy and aviation, Brown returned to his love of comic writing. He lives in Kent, dangerously close to two pubs.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00ILRX3D0
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 22 Feb. 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 871 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 396 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1310646805
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ The Unhappy Medium
  • Customer reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 3,580 ratings

About the author

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T. J. Brown

T. J. Brown

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T.J. Brown always found life far more amusing than he should have. Like most authors, he has a surreal CV with jobs in frozen food, a crematorium, publishing, design, illustration, and medical technology. Alongside these he also paints, makes music, drinks red wine, catches spiders and grows vegetables.

Brown works, lives and writes in Wales, where the castles are.

Wretched Things, book three of the bestselling Unhappy Medium series be released Spring 2024.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
3,580 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book entertaining with an engaging tale and well-researched content. The writing style is brilliant and easy to read, while customers appreciate the humor, with one noting the witty dialogue. Customers praise the character development, with one describing it as a "hilarious romp." The pacing receives mixed reactions, with some finding it good while others say it's slow to start.

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130 customers mention ‘Plot’104 positive26 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, describing it as an engaging tale with an interesting premise and action-packed storyline.

"...and some made me laugh - added to a final quarter which was classic Hollywood Thriller if directed by Douglas Adams...." Read more

"Thoroughly enjoyed this! Funny and all consuming storyline. Likeable characters (even the villains) and edge of the seat drama...." Read more

"...If you enjoy a tremendous, imaginative, story, told with passion and affection, and if you like laughing until your face aches, your stomach hurts..." Read more

"...In its favour, it had an interesting take on Purgatory and everything did tie up in the end but it ended up just being an okay read and nothing..." Read more

122 customers mention ‘Enjoyment’122 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, with one describing it as an extremely enjoyable fantasy.

"...Really worth the read !" Read more

"...Extremely in depth with the character back stories. It was a pleasant and enjoyable easy read." Read more

"Thoroughly enjoyed this! Funny and all consuming storyline. Likeable characters (even the villains) and edge of the seat drama...." Read more

"...If you enjoy a tremendous, imaginative, story, told with passion and affection, and if you like laughing until your face aches, your stomach hurts..." Read more

98 customers mention ‘Humor’89 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, finding it full of wit that makes them laugh until their face aches.

"Plenty here made me smile and some made me laugh - added to a final quarter which was classic Hollywood Thriller if directed by Douglas Adams...." Read more

"Thoroughly enjoyed this! Funny and all consuming storyline. Likeable characters (even the villains) and edge of the seat drama...." Read more

"...story, told with passion and affection, and if you like laughing until your face aches, your stomach hurts, and your face is wet with tears, and..." Read more

"...It is not a comedy. There is some humour in it, but not enough to class the whole book as a comedy...." Read more

61 customers mention ‘Writing style’58 positive3 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, describing it as brilliantly and well thought out, with one customer noting it has fewer grammar and syntax mistakes than usual.

"...It was a pleasant and enjoyable easy read." Read more

"...the reader to anywhere, by this standard, this is indeed great writing...." Read more

"...and everything did tie up in the end but it ended up just being an okay read and nothing spectacular." Read more

"...It was good fun, a real page-turner and a cracking good read. I could not put it down...." Read more

49 customers mention ‘Character development’49 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting how they are pleasantly led through the various travails of the protagonists.

"It was a slow start. Extremely in depth with the character back stories. It was a pleasant and enjoyable easy read." Read more

"Thoroughly enjoyed this! Funny and all consuming storyline. Likeable characters (even the villains) and edge of the seat drama...." Read more

"...it. It is the funniest book I have ever read, the characters are all believable (even the dead ones), likeable (even the evil ones), and..." Read more

"Really enjoyed this book. Good characters and a great story with lots of fun too. Can’t wait to read book 2" Read more

30 customers mention ‘Thought provoking’30 positive0 negative

Customers find the book clever and well-researched, with one customer noting its fantastic topical references.

"...Brilliant stuff. I cannot wait for another book in this vein, if the author should treat the reading world again...." Read more

"This book is a cross between 1066 and all that and a James Bond, well observed and very funny. Recommend." Read more

"...Overall a good start and I am looking forward to the next volume." Read more

"...Well thought out, well planned and perfectly executed...." Read more

31 customers mention ‘Pacing’16 positive15 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it good while others say it's slow to start.

"...This was a brilliant book, fast paced and breathless. I look forward to many other adventures of Dr Barlow, C'mon T.J. get yer finger oot," Read more

"It was a slow start. Extremely in depth with the character back stories. It was a pleasant and enjoyable easy read." Read more

"...It had me hurrying up my chores so I could get back to reading. Could picture all the characters as they were so well drawn...." Read more

"...It really did take way too long to get started, and although character development is welcomed and needed, I don't think it needed quite so much..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • David B
    5.0 out of 5 stars stylish - builds to a page turning crescendo
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 May 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Plenty here made me smile and some made me laugh - added to a final quarter which was classic Hollywood Thriller if directed by Douglas Adams. After slow and steady introduction of the characters the final act combines some genuine horror with dark humour. Really worth the read !
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  • lindsy zubrzycki
    4.0 out of 5 stars easy reading
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 March 2025
    Verified Purchase
    It was a slow start. Extremely in depth with the character back stories. It was a pleasant and enjoyable easy read.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great yarn!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Thoroughly enjoyed this! Funny and all consuming storyline. Likeable characters (even the villains) and edge of the seat drama. What more could you want from a book??
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  • Robert D. Ferrari
    5.0 out of 5 stars More fun than a barrel of monkeys.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 July 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I was obliged to download this superb book on the beach in Croatia recently, despite having more than fifty unread novels on my Kindle already. (I know, I know, but I have an irrational fear of being without something to read, I hoard real books and digital ones.) I felt compelled to download this particular book after spending the first day and a half of my holiday listening to my wife shrieking with laughter and watching the tears roll down her face as she writhed about on the sunbed next to me. I simply had to read it myself, to find out if it really was that good, or if my dearly beloved was simply indulging too heavily in the 'cocktail of the day'.
    Download it I did, and her one word review, (GENIUS!') to me turned out to be not in the least over stated. I won't bother with a synopsis, you can read that in the book description, I will simply tell you what I thought of it.
    It is the funniest book I have ever read, the characters are all believable (even the dead ones), likeable (even the evil ones), and three dimensional.
    The story takes place in various locations, from sleepy Dorset, to the big city, rural Spain, and even Purgatory, Great writing is capable of transporting the reader to anywhere, by this standard, this is indeed great writing.
    If you enjoy a tremendous, imaginative, story, told with passion and affection, and if you like laughing until your face aches, your stomach hurts, and your face is wet with tears, and if you don't mind nearby people staring at you with amazement and amusement, then you must buy this book. You will not regret it.
    If you read this book and don't pull a muscle somewhere in your face, then you would probably qualify for a job as a lower level administrative assistant somewhere in the bowels of purgatory.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Pamela Oldfield
    4.0 out of 5 stars great stuff
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 January 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Really enjoyed this book. Good characters and a great story with lots of fun too. Can’t wait to read book
    2
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  • Sorrel
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not a comedy
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Whoever wrote the description of this book is way out of line. It is not a comedy. There is some humour in it, but not enough to class the whole book as a comedy. The book starts off with information about a museum in a tiny village and then another chapter that is unrelated about the Bonetaker. Then it moves on to the main body of the story and it is a long time before either of the earlier things come back into the book to start to make sense. Parts of it got boring and seemed to ramble on about unimportant details. In its favour, it had an interesting take on Purgatory and everything did tie up in the end but it ended up just being an okay read and nothing spectacular.
    One person found this helpful
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  • R J Musgrave
    5.0 out of 5 stars A rollicking, unexpected, intriguing and very good read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 April 2016
    Verified Purchase
    If you do not want any of the general framework of the fascinating plot given away, please do not read the details of my review in the paragraphs below this one. It was good fun, a real page-turner and a cracking good read. I could not put it down. My smiles were broadened even more by the author's amusing use of incongruous simile. Brilliant stuff. I cannot wait for another book in this vein, if the author should treat the reading world again. I cannot work out if T J Brown is an English or an American author, or someone who has lived in both countries. There is a hint of all three.

    I loved the unusual story, whose reluctant hero was a disgraced physicist; not through any misdoing of his own part but owing to bad luck, to innocent gullibility and to the corporate dishonesty of shady and exploitative people. Just when things could not get any worse for our hero, the author then introduced an intriguing take on the afterlife, in whose employ this scientist eventually joined, very much against his better judgement, while remaining firmly in the land of the living. Thereby improved his fortune at last.
    .
    For this he had to overcome severe despondency, following his earlier calamitous fall from fame and respect in academia and the grind of suddenly reduced means (little money following marital breakdown, and no likely prospects of gainful earthly employment). And finally, when the new opportunity came along, he had to overcome his own logical reluctance to believe in the supernatural. This after his lifelong propensity to debunk all such phenomena.

    Thus he became the most unusual secret agent imaginable, in battle against the most odious baddies of two planes of existence, who were pure evil both incarnate and reincarnate. In this, he is assisted in the fight by the most unlikely team of heroes imaginable. It was touch and go at every turn.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • ffitzgerald
    5.0 out of 5 stars hilarious (and well researched)
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 February 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This book is a cross between 1066 and all that and a James Bond, well observed and very funny. Recommend.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • ulih
    3.0 out of 5 stars nice
    Reviewed in Germany on 22 August 2014
    Verified Purchase
    that`s a nice read.
    Not wholly sufficient but not disappointing either. You get an interesting story, but there are some flaws. Don`t expect too much, but it is a nice read. I`ve received it for free. But I wouldn`t pay a lot to read this story.
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Ken Shaw
    Reviewed in Spain on 13 May 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This book sounded different, so I decided to give it a bash. I am glad I did. It was very funny and I loved the comical interaction between its protagonists, who are a mixture of spirits from purgatory, the Spanish inquisition, a ruthless property dealer and a scientist, to name but four. If you like a laugh, it is well worth a read.
    Report
  • shanker narayan nair
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in India on 13 June 2016
    Verified Purchase
    nice
    Report
  • TW
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in Australia on 15 April 2017
    Verified Purchase
    As a fan of a good supernatural story I had to have a quick look at this and was not disappointed. This story is well researched, with enough fuzzy history and current paranormal presumptions to make the themes familiar enough to anyone with a passing knowledge or interest in either subject matter.
    The approach to the story telling starts as separate threads, giving the reader deep insight into the back stories of the main characters before delving into the crux of things about halfway through. I liked it, as the writing style drew me in and made each story equally as interesting as the last while raising the anticipation of how the threads would be woven together.
    The storytelling is peppered thoroughly with wit, humour and tongue in cheek observations. Great comedy, had me grinning throughout most of it (obviously not as many chuckles when things heat up, but still a few), and a few places where I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
    Each character, even the minor support roles, are well rounded and fleshed out to be recognisable individuals.
    Most importantly though, imho, this is an excellent example of showing and not telling. Themes, environments, emotions, action, and any I've missed out, are easy to conceive and paint flowing word pictures with the text.
    If you're looking for a fun read with a lot of thought gone into it, then give this a go. Definitely the type of story you can read more than once.
    Report
  • Sue
    5.0 out of 5 stars Need more stars for this terrific book
    Reviewed in Canada on 23 June 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I could write a tome about how much I enjoyed this terrific book but I will try to keep it down to a short essay. Once in a while you read a book that is so fantastic and different that you really want to be able to give it more than five stars. This is one of those books for me. I enjoyed this book a lot. It’s funny, witty, exciting, inventive, adventurous, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable. At the beginning there are chapters that don’t seem to relate to one another but T J Brown brings it all together and carries you off on a grand adventure into the absurd. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
    Report

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