I was recommended to read this author when I asked who wrote in a similar style to Jasper Fforde and Tom Holt.
As I am not a film "buff" I can only guess that many of the allusions in the book are film allusions. I did recognise one or two, and Rankin was quite blatant about them.
This book is a sequel, and I haven't read the previous one, but it made a lot of sense, so I would say it isn't imperative to have read the previous book.
The blurb from the back of the book probably tells you better what the story is about than I can.
Things are not going well in Toy City. There have been outbreaks of STC - Spontaneous Toy Combustion - and strange signs and portents in the Heavens. Many believe the End Times, a Toy City Apocalypse, will soon come to pass. But can this possibly be true, or is there a simpler explanation, - an alien invasion, for instance?
With the body count rising and the forces of law and order baffled, Tot City needs heroes - Eddie Bear, Toy City Private Eye, and his sidekick, Jack.
But their adventure, fraught with thrill, spills, danger, excitement and rather too much alcohol, will take them far from Toy City into a world beyond even their wildest imaginings. This world.
Our courageous twosome face their biggest challenger yet: not only saving toykind, but the world of mankind too.
Which should keep them both out of the pub for a while.
You might wonder why I didn't read the book this is a sequel to first. Simple, this was 99p, special offer, and I didn't notice that it was a sequel. I will probably read some more of Robert Rankin's books, in the future, as it was quite enjoyable, and an easy read.