Straight Circles Published 2018

REVIEWS 

“…a thriller that succeeds by nodding politely to the formula, then turning it on its head… Bateman hasn’t imagined a world of dogged cops, rumpled detectives, or amateur sleuths. Nondescript Rambunctious is about the heartbreaking consequences of human depravity, not tying up loose ends or piecing together clues. It wouldn’t be wrong to label this novel a thriller, but it also confounds the expectations of that label, to great effect.” – Quill & Quire

“…a bewitching first novel that transforms from gentle domestic comedy into gripping suspense… The novel resonates with today’s reader because of recent well-publicized cases involving grisly murders and sadistic websites. Not matter how familiar one is with such things, however, Bateman’s story is terrifying.” – Prairie Fire Review of Books

“Jackie Bateman’s debut novel is very impressive. The writing is taut, controlled and relentless. Nondescript Rambunctious is a dark, murderous thriller, a winner with a variety of narrators, surprising turns and shifts, and some hard, hard corners.” – Mark Anthony Jarman

“Oliver, a serial killer suffering from an intense case of OCD, becomes more and more fascinating as he evolves throughout the book, observing the repercussions of his murder. Considering the current state of the world, his character is unsettlingly real and chilling.” – Bloody Underrated

“It is the character of Lizzy and her world, represented in Bateman’s almost sociological attention to details of slang, dress, lower-class lifestyles and despair, that makes the book memorable. The naturalistic argument – that there is no escape from one’s past and one’s environment – is absolutely unsparing.” – Good Reports, Canada’s Premier Independent Book Site