One Man's Opinion: CAUGHT STEALING

 

I go to the cinema a lot. This year, I've averaged a trip per week. On top of that, I've been to two film festivals, where new blood work with the medium of film producing work that has a very different dynamic than the mainstream. 

Posting here about films isn't something I do. Perhaps that's something I should change. I came close with some of my faves of 2025 (The Companion, The Ballad Of Ellis Island, Sinners) and some of the worst views (The Alto Nights and Marching Powder). Regardless of the direction I take, I came out of Caught Stealing with such a spring in my step that I wanted to give it some space.

It's based on the novel of the same name by Charlie Huston, who was heavily involved in the adaptation. Though I don't want to say too much about the plot, it tells the story of a bartender with a drink problem, Henry 'Hank' Thompson. He's screwed up his life once already, having thrown away a baseball career as a youngster, killing a friend and messing up his knee in a car crash. His life's edgy, but he's hanging in there, helped by his girlfriend and his mates at work. 

When his neighbour, a mohawked English punk rocker, leaves the country to visit his dying father, Hank is kind enough to look after his cat. 

A couple of dodgy geezers show up in search of something important at the punk's flat. Hank can't help them as he has no idea what might be inside and, because he knows nothing, takes a brilliantly violent beating. 

Enter the cops. The lead detective gets involved, letting Hank know that there may be another criminal gang searching for whatever it is that's missing, that both crews are deadly serious and, well, just deadly. 

From here it spirals from one nightmare to another. The action comes thick and fast, the outcomes often being unexpected. There are toe-curling moments and stomach-churning scenes. It's an adrenaline-fueled ride that has a retro feel to it, a noir edge that I'd welcome much more of on our screens. 

I don't remember enjoying the bad guys as much in a film for a very long time. They're dark, vicious and superbly played, with a fantastic capacity for causing pain in original ways. 

Add to this an excellent soundtrack (courtesy of Idles) and you have something very special indeed.

Austin Butler is perfect for the central role. I loved him in The Bikeriders and he's only gone up in my estimation here.

There are some syrupy aspects to the story and you might have to let a couple of issues slide, but you really should get along and give this a try. A+ action, brilliant violence, ace characters, anarchic plot, surprising twists and coherently crazy. What's not to like? 

One Man's Opinion: ONE DAY by DAVID NICHOLLS

 

Following on from recent David Nicholls holiday reads, I finally got around to One Day 

I've seen the movie and watched the excellent TV series on Netflix, so there were no real surprises. Except the heart and soul of the book ran deeper than I was expecting and the pacing, drama and tension that runs alongside the moving moments meant I still raced through the pages in spite of knowing what was about to come. 

Such a simple idea, so very well executed. 

I'm not sure there's much else to say, other than that I adored it. 

Better Read Than Dead

 

It's not easy releasing a new book these days, especially if you're not inclined to push hard on advertising and get involved in sales pushes. I've done that before and it was very satisfying at the time, but it's not something I want to do at this point in life or for this particular title.

I've been grateful for all the sales of the paperback version of Cut And Carried and thanks to those who went out of their way to pick up copies. 

The kindle book has been a different story. The ebook version hasn't taken off at all. It's one of the benefits of self-publishing that you can track your sales live, though it's not so much fun when you're also tracking no sales. 

Which means I can, without conscience, put this one up for free. I'm hoping that this will entice a few of you to give the book a try. As the title of the post suggests, I'd rather the book was read than dead. 

If you're up for a short, fun and energetic crime read, this may be for you. It's a noir farce. A pantomime of crazy action with a few laughs along the way. It's a Preston western. One wedding and four funerals. Twenty-four hours of chaos. 

And if you do dip in your toe, please let me know what you think.  

Thank you. 

 

One Man's Opinion: A DARKNESS MORE THAN NIGHT

 

Last time I read a Harry Bosch novel, it was picked from the shelves of my holiday accommodation. In fact, back then I read three in quick succession and enjoyed them all. 

A Darkness More Than Night happened to be another holiday read. 

The plot, initially, seems disparate, though over time the strands come together to produce a satisfying conclusion. 

Ex-FBI profiler, McCabe, lives on an island with his wife. He's given up the world of investigation to concentrate upon his family and his fishing boat. Much to the chagrin of his wife, McCabe is lured back into a new case by a local cop who believes she may have a serial killer on her hands. 

In the meantime, Bosch is leading up a major court case that's the talk of the town. He's working to put away a suspect in the killer of a young actress. 

As McCabe digs into the case, he's drawn to call upon Bosch because of a shared history involving a previous case where the suspect is now the victim. 

McCabe delves into the study of the artist Hieronymus Bosch and into the deep darkness of his work. 

When he does his sums, he puts two and two together and makes seven or eight. I'm not sure if his line of thinking has been created to generate tension in the book, but for me all it served to do was to have me shaking my head in disbelief (a you-really-expect-me-to-take-that-seriously? kind of shake).

The book is engaging enough. The characters are strong and the overlapping of times and cases works well. 

It's also a little bloated. The dialogue could be slicker. There's a lot of repetition of words in short spaces of time that a decent editor should have cut. Throw in some navel gazing and a dash of exaggeration of conflict and motivation and it's not a smooth ride.

No doubt great for Bosch fans and for those who soak up crime fiction from the airport shelves, it's ideal for helping to spice up a beach break or a long journey. 

All-in-all, less enjoyable than the Scudder I finished before reading this.  

One Man's Opinion: EVEN THE WICKED by LAWRENCE BLOCK

 

Matt Scudder happens to be one of my favourite investigators. He carries all the flaws necessary to make him interesting, yet he's a creature of habit and has such a range of friends that it's impossible not to like him. And then there are the cases that he chooses to work- they're always worthy of ringside seats. 

When I say 'he choses to work', of course I really mean that Lawrence Block is a master storyteller who knows exactly which buttons to press and when.

I read a lot of Scudders a long time ago, but my haphazard approach to pretty much everything means that I didn't work in order and that there were gaps in the process, which is lucky for me because I get to discover new titles that give me as much of a buzz as the others did. 

Even The Wicked is terrific. 

Will (of the people) responds to some heavy journalism by sending out a letter of intent to murder a criminal who is getting away with things instead of being hit with the force of justice. After the murder is carried out and another letter sent, Will becomes the talk of New York. When it's the time of a hot shot DA to get his warning, Scudder is called in to work the case. 

At the same time, an old man who's dying from AIDS is shot to death in a park. Scudder and the victim have a mutual AA friend and he ends up digging into the story. 

Things fall into place as you might expect. Block dangles carrots along the way. Allows you to sense what's coming just before it does, allowing a reader the satisfaction of being on the right path. 

And, spoiler alert, Scudder comes out on top. But so does pretty much everyone else. 

Should I ever be investigated for a crime, I hope it's Scudder who pins me down. At least that way, I know he'll show me the decency and respect I deserve as he carts me off to wherever it is I belong. 

 

SEA MINOR

 

Sea Minor, a short audio story, first published by The Reader Magazine and narrated by Geoff Bird.

CUT AND CARRIED by NIGEL BIRD

It may seem that my rate of writing has slowed over time, and for a while that was the case. Truth is, I've been as hard at it over the last couple of years as I ever have. Well almost.

I've written three novellas in collaboration and they've involved a lot of effort. I think they're as good as anything I've written, partly because my writing partner is so bloody good and I have to raise my game. Those books may well see the light of day in the next year, but they also may not. The timing isn't important to me, but I'm excited about their release whenever that happens to be. 

Meantime, I've been working on a novella of my own. 

Cut and Carried is a noir farce populated by pantomime villains. It was a lot of fun to write and, I'm hoping, will be a lot of fun to read. For those who follow my work, I'd say it's closer to Mr Suit that anything else I've put out. 

It sort of goes like this:

March 11th is a special day.

Frank is leaving prison on compassionate leave to attend his daughter’s wedding.

Sam and Lorraine are getting married to allow Frank to escape, only the registry office have no record of their booking.

Ruud and Betty have stolen Sam and Lorraine’s ceremony to avenge past misdemeanours.

And the last time Alfred handled a gun, he was serving his country. He hasn’t had this much fun in years.

Cut and Carried is a stylish noir farce that will leave readers, and many of the protagonists, in stitches.

It's available as a paperback and in kindle and if you'd like to have a read, then follow this link. If you do, many thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy it.