Cocaine Nights

by J. G. Ballard
Cocaine Nights cover
Good Books rating 4.0
Crime, Mystery, Thriller/Suspense
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Paperback • £10.99
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  • ID: 9381
  • Added: 2025-12-24
  • Updated: 2025-12-30
  • ISBN: 9781582435701
  • Publisher: Catapult
  • Published: 2010-01-05
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

Charles Prentice travels to Spain to investigate his brother's involvement in a deadly fire at an upscale coastal resort. As he delves deeper, he uncovers a hidden world of drugs, pornography, and murder beneath the resort's polished surface. The novel is a gripping mystery that evolves into a thought-provoking exploration of a society grappling with unlimited leisure and its consequences. /n/n J.G. Ballard's Cocaine Nights is a mesmerizing blend of suspense and social commentary, showcasing his signature style of blending the mundane with the sinister. The novel's vivid setting and complex characters make it a standout work in contemporary fiction.

Reviews
Letterpress Project · 2020-04-09
mixed 3.50

Initial reviews were disappointing, suggesting Ballard had fallen back on familiar tropes. The book offers a deep dive into the psychological and social dynamics of a wealthy, retired community.

When Cocaine Nights was first published, some initial reviews were disappointing, with critics suggesting that Ballard had fallen back on familiar tropes. However, the novel offers a deep dive into the psychological and social dynamics of a wealthy, retired community. The story is set in a leisure-driven paradise where the aging residents engage in tennis, amateur dramatics, and adultery. The narrative explores the darker side of this seemingly idyllic setting, revealing the underlying tensions and moral ambiguities. The book provides a thoughtful commentary on the complexities of human behavior and the consequences of unchecked privilege.

Quick quotes

    When this book first appeared back in 1996, a number of initial reviews were disappointing and suggested that Ballard had fallen back on familiar tropes.

    The novel offers a deep dive into the psychological and social dynamics of a wealthy, retired community.

    The story is set in a leisure-driven paradise where the aging residents engage in tennis, amateur dramatics, and adultery.

Free Range Reading · 2012-07-28
thought-provoking 4.00

The book is framed as a literary murder mystery with a focus on the 'why' rather than the 'who'. It explores themes of decadence and moral decay in a leisure-driven paradise.

This novel is a compelling exploration of a leisure-driven paradise where the aging residents divide their time between tennis, amateur dramatics, and adultery. The story is framed as a literary murder mystery, focusing more on the 'why' rather than the 'who', which adds a unique twist to the narrative. The setting and characters are richly drawn, providing a vivid backdrop for the unfolding drama. The book delves into themes of decadence and moral decay, offering a thought-provoking commentary on society.

Quick quotes

    Cocaine Nights is framed like a literary murder mystery—call it a why'dunit rather than a whodunit—but it possesses many of the tropes that make mysteries so compelling.

    The book explores the darker side of a seemingly idyllic retirement community, revealing the underlying tensions and moral ambiguities.

    Ballard's prose is sharp and incisive, drawing the reader into a world of wealth, boredom, and moral decay.

The Guardian · 1997-08-24
compelling 4.50

The book portrays a leisure-driven paradise with aging occupants divided between tennis, amateur dramatics, and adultery. The narrative is rich with social commentary and psychological depth.

Cocaine Nights portrays a leisure-driven paradise where the aging occupants divide their time between tennis, amateur dramatics, and adultery. The narrative is rich with social commentary and psychological depth, offering a vivid portrayal of a wealthy, retired community. The story is set in an exclusive Spanish resort for the rich, retired British, and it explores the darker side of this seemingly idyllic setting. The characters are well-drawn and complex, providing a nuanced look at the moral ambiguities and social dynamics within this community. The book is a compelling exploration of the human condition, offering a thought-provoking commentary on the consequences of unchecked privilege and the complexities of human behavior.

Quick quotes

    A leisure-driven paradise whose ageing occupants divide their time between tennis, amateur dramatics and adultery, while their money makes them money elsewhere.

    The story is set in an exclusive Spanish resort for the rich, retired British, and it explores the darker side of this seemingly idyllic setting.

    The characters are well-drawn and complex, providing a nuanced look at the moral ambiguities and social dynamics within this community.

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