in a review for "the herald", hugh macdonald stated that, while written fiction is often humorous without ever being laugh-out-loud funny, "bateman can and does make me laugh" and found the novel to contain "sharp-edged humour with a touch of suspense". sue leonard, reviewing for "books ireland", called bateman "the master of the fast-paced improbable satire" and stated that "shooting sean" "is packed full of humour and specializes in one liners". leonard went on to say that "as in other bateman novels the plot is so much larger than life as to be totally unbelievable" however does state that "in the hands of such a skilful writer this adds to the fun". she further states that she loves "bateman's work for its strong construction, sharp satirical writing and inventive characterization" as well as his "attention to detail, and witty observation".