Stephanie Jane recenzis Gumshoe Blues de Craig Douglas
A unique atmosphere
4 steloj
Gumshoe Blues is a collection of four linked tales, the eponymous novella length Gumshoe Blues followed by three short stories Mr Kiss And Tell, Who Killed Skippy? and The Lady And The Gimp. In each our worn down private investigator attempts to rake in enough assignments to at least cover his bar tab - with the occasional Pot Noodle thrown in for sustenance - without getting on the wrong side of any of the local crime bosses and gangland hoodlums.
For such a setup, the book has an unusual and deceptively gentle pace. Brazill excells at creating vivid scenes and locations, each one dripping with authentic detail, and maintains a strong sense of threatening unease. I could easily imagine myself alongside Ord in these deprived and forgotten Northern towns. Gumshoe Blues is as much an indictment of the sad state of contemporary England as it is a crime novel. That's …
Gumshoe Blues is a collection of four linked tales, the eponymous novella length Gumshoe Blues followed by three short stories Mr Kiss And Tell, Who Killed Skippy? and The Lady And The Gimp. In each our worn down private investigator attempts to rake in enough assignments to at least cover his bar tab - with the occasional Pot Noodle thrown in for sustenance - without getting on the wrong side of any of the local crime bosses and gangland hoodlums.
For such a setup, the book has an unusual and deceptively gentle pace. Brazill excells at creating vivid scenes and locations, each one dripping with authentic detail, and maintains a strong sense of threatening unease. I could easily imagine myself alongside Ord in these deprived and forgotten Northern towns. Gumshoe Blues is as much an indictment of the sad state of contemporary England as it is a crime novel. That's not to say that such a grim locale has resulted in a depressing read though - far from it! I love Brazill's dry humour and scathing turns of phrase which contrast well with his eye for an absurd situation. All of his characters have a ring of authenticity to them with even people who only put in the briefest of appearances being utterly believable. Gumshoe Blues wasn't at all what I expected it to be, but I appreciated its unique atmosphere and thoroughly enjoyed the read.