Planting Out: The second Borough novel (The Borough, Book 2) - Hardcover

There has been talk that O'Brien is the "next Terry Pratchett," not that we need one. Whether that is accurate remains to be seen, but this yarn is certainly good for laughs. The second book in what promises to become a series, it is set in the Bourough, a fictional borough of London. In the story's beginning, the monastery's Gardener lies on his deathbed, and the Chip is stolen from its high-security building by a gang of robbers who never expected to end up in the Bourough. The fates of the Chip and the Corpse (formerly known as the Gardener) are about to be inextricably linked. Fortunately, the desires of each are simple, albeit incompatible. There are, however, sinister plots afoot that simply will not let either rest in peace. Things all get quite shaken up as the Abbot and councilmen plot, the robbers search for the Chip (lost in a fall), the Chip seeks safety, and the Corpse seeks a place to lie down and be dead. Silly fun: the Bourough shows great potential. Regina Schroeder
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