The Life and Death of Laura Friday — David Murphy

(and that of Pavarotti her parrot)
In Bullock, a proud little town somewhere on the coast, they do things differently. It's probably something to do with the way their pioneering ancestors survived months at sea by ingesting seed of hemp, a wondrous medicinal herb they've grown ever since. And when a local man accidentally cuts off his penis, only to be saved by a selfless transplant offer from his transgender brother, the international media come swarming. Fitz Kennedy, Cub reporter for the Bullock telegraph, loses his scoop and his heart to Frankie Wilton, the scheming femme fatale sent to cover the story for the London tabloids. His revenge is sweet when he turns her into the heartless assassin Laura Friday, who with her parrot, Pavarotti, feature in his first novel. the book is an overnight success. And that's when the fun really starts.