One Man's Opinion: FIREBREAK by RICHARD STARK

Just a mention before the review that the first three books in my Southsiders series are currently free on Amazon for Kindle over the next few days. They were first published by Blasted Heath, something I'm hugely proud of, and it was a collection of books that I loved writing. 

Now to Richard Stark.

I know I've been jumping around the Parker books without sense or direction, moving from Deadly Edge (published in 1971) to Firebreak (published in 2001). In some ways it's a big leap, but in others, not so much. In Deadly Edge, Parker's home is violated with lethal consequences for the invaders. Firebreak sees an assassination attempt down by the lakeside house by a professional hit man, as well the boobytrapping of Parker's home. In some ways, this link between the books made the leap satisfactory. It also highlighted in others, the lack of change in Parker over the years. Thirty years on from the last book and I didn't get any sense of physical or mental alteration. That took a little getting over, after all I'm used to characters like Rebus or Maigret ageing in natural time (perhaps it's different for the bad guys). It's a little bit like Parker has been dropped into a world where the internet exists and [of course] doesn't blink at the change. 

A bigger difference, for me, is the depth of the novel. I'm not the only one making jumps; Stark changes the viewpoint in this one several times, to the point of it jarring on occasion. There also feels like a lot more going on and with the increased number of facets comes further layers of jeopardy. 

Condensed version: Parker is invited onto an art heist aimed at stealing paintings that have been unseen for many years. Interrupting the plans are the attempts on Parker's life that need sorting tout suite. Complications come in the form of a police investigation, paroles, a less than stable team of crooks and a need for revenge. It's a lot to hold on to, but when Stark puts it all into the blender and presses the button, the resulting soup is tasty and full-blooded and, at times, absolutely intense. 

Less stripped down that earlier works, Firebreak manages to satisfy nonetheless. It's a great thriller and had me glued to it most of the time. 

Fun. 

One Man's Opinion: GIOVANNI'S ROOM by JAMES BALDWIN

 

When I heard that the BBC had produced Giovanni's Room for radio, I was straight over there. Though I was excited, I was also a little hesitant on the grounds that not all voices and performances work for me. Fortunately, it was clear from the beginning that the narrator on this one understood exactly how to play it(congratulations Kyle Soller) .  

David is a young American living in 1950s Paris. Very early on, we're introduced to the sense of tragedy as we discover David's former lover, Giovanni, is about to face the guillotine. What we don't find out as we set off is just what a beautifully sad and intense journey we're embarking upon. 

While David's fiance, Hella, is traveling in Spain, he meets Giovanni in a gay bar that carries the seedy atmosphere of an illicit underground club. Their chemistry is instant and it's not long before their love is consummated and their obsession with each other complete. Unfortunately for David, he's struggling with feelings of guilt and is in denial of his  sexuality, for even in the heights of lust and passion he is reluctant to accept that he is gay.   

Upon Hella's return, the love triangle inevitably collapses, leaving David spinning in a whirl of confused emotions and desire that doesn't compute with his cold, calculating rational self.

What I enjoyed most about the read was the depth and intensity of emotion. Baldwin, with simple clarity, creates sparks and ignite them into full-force furnaces with apparent ease. The experiences and torture endured by the three central protagonists brought a lump to the throat on more than one occasion. It's powerful stuff, the lust, confusion and heartbreak palpable. Add to that the sense of people and place and the issues raised and this short novel stacks up into a mighty creation. 

Incidentally, the last use of the guillotine in France was in 1977, which seems awfully late to be chopping off heads.   

Fresh, strong, relevant and important, this is a marvel whether you read it or give the BBC production a try. 

One Man's Opinion: THE NAMING OF THE DEAD by IAN RANKIN

 

Before leaving for my summer hols, my son and I watched the new incarnation of Rebus courtesy of the BBC. What an excellent production it is, with a great story arc and fabulous performances all round. Given the quality of the series, I couldn't resist picking up a couple of the books to read in the sunshine and the first of those was The Naming Of The Dead. 

It may not seem to be the obvious place for a revisit, but the time period is significant for me as it reflects events that I remember well, namely the Make Poverty History march and the gig at Murrayfield, closed by James Brown in a way that didn't appear to reflect the spirit of the movement in any way, yet was musically safisfying. 

Anyway, there's a serial killer on the loose and an MP dies in mysterious circumstances up at the castle. 

On the edge of the city, protestors are gathering to voice their disatisfaction with the leaders of the G8 and police from around Britain have been called upon to preserve the state. The place is chaos and there's politics wherever you look- the summit itself, Westmister, local council, internal policing and a mixture of crowd control styles. 

The key to the novel, as per, is Rebus himself. He's approaching retirement and struggling with some of the loose ends (namely Ger Cafferty). He goes at these cases full of cynicism and guile, unable to accept the limitations of his bosses and those secret services who have an uncanny knack of showing up in various guises. Also very satisfying here is the development of his relationship with Siobhan, even at this late stage, and her own grown as a human and a detective is brilliant to watch. 

There's no doubt about the compelling nature of the story. It's very difficult to finish a chapter and to resist carrying on and the 500 plus pages fly by. The epilogue is hugely rewarding and was as unexpected this time around as with my first exposure- it's definitaly a stand-up-and-punch-the-air kind of ending.

On the very slight downside, there's has to be an element of disbelief suspension. Coincidences abound to the point where things come to the brink of breaking apart, but the suspense of the cases and the periferal action is always strong enough to keep it on track. 

Lots of fun and a pleasing holiday read. 

And a note on the BBC series. We came back home to watch the final couple of episodes and were utterly gripped once again, until the end of the final episode that is. There are so many threads left hanging and so many questions unanswered that we both felt a little cheated. No doubt the follow-up series will bring it all together, but it fell flat for us when we realised there wasn't a next episode to help us out. 

One Man's Opinion: LAST SUMMER IN THE CITY by GIANFRANCO CALLIGARICH

 

So, I recommended that my eldest read Long Time No See and she suggested I gave Last Summer In The City a try. What a great swap it proved to be, both of us coming out as happy readers. 

Leo Gazzara leaves his Milan home to find a new life in Rome. It's quite a leap. The world of his family is a simple one, full of the noble grit of a working-class household under which the shadow cast by his father serving in WW2 looms large. Rome, on the other hand, is ruled by a frivolous class steeped in glamour and success. They have high opinions while really they're floundering out there in the shallows.  

For Leo the transition should be easy, his good looks, charm and intellect perfectly suited to help him rise through the ranks and remain in high society. Problem is, he can't see the value in anything. He holds the world in disdain, looking down on the paltry falseness of many of his ilk. The only places he really finds solace are in the bars of the city or in the bottom of the bottles he consumes. 

He's a fairly cold protagonist, for whom opportunities trip over themselves to land at his feet, yet he's incapable of picking them up for long, overcome each time by a sense that everything is pointless. 

His relationships are interesting. There's the actor whom he manages to respect, the love interests that he is able to take or leave and his best friend, a Bukowski-like creative who sponges off his wife to pay for the booze he soaks his insides in. In each case, Leo appears to be ambivalent and yet entirely in need of support and affirmation.

There are lots of occasions where I felt a strong urge to reach inside the pages and give Leo a good shake, maybe slap his face and show him how good he has it, but that's not the kind of thing you can do in a book and I imagine the fiction is all the stronger with him being left to his own devices. 

Last Summer has a dark underbelly with moments of humour and insight. Calligarich has a wonderful way with words and his turn of phrase often hits mouth-opening quality. As the ending swallows you up, everything that has been before makes total sense and I reckon a reread to get the best out of it might be in order. 

Glad that I took this one on, a reminder that you have to shake things up every once in a while to find or revisit a perspective. Excellent stuff.     

One Man's Opinion: LONG TIME NO SEE by ED McBAIN

 

Long Time No See is a real treat and, much as I normally appreciate the shorter reads, this 87th is a substantial novel and is all the better for it- imagine getting two scoops of your favourite ice cream instead of the usual thrifty single.

It's freezing cold. The streets are quiet. A blind Vietnam vet and his guide dog are returning home when the dog is put to sleep with chloroform and its owner has his throat slit. 

The man's wife is blind, too. She's also very soon dead. 

There's a third blind victim and a further attack later in the story that almost goes under the radar. 

Whoever it is that's carrying out these crimes is one sick individual. 

There are many layers to this one. There are the family backgrounds, a military history, connections to sex workers, friction between detectives and there's concern about what will happen to a dog who refuses to take food from anyone other than his dead owner. 

I was so convinced by the constant tension of this one that I recommended it to my eldest daughter who doesn't normally look at crime fiction. She absolutely loved it. 

A great read for fans of the 87th and anyone who fancies giving detective fiction a try.  

 

One Man's Opinion: DEADLY EDGE by RICHARD STARK

The first of my holiday reads was a brilliant choice. 

Another Parker novel, Deadly Edge had a very different feel to my previous one. 

It opens mid-heist, the target the cash takings of a huge gig where the music provides the soundtrack to the crime. As always, the plan is detailed and almost every angle has been considered, but the way things unfold, it becomes a little more personal.

Parker retreats from the hit to the stash in his new home, a place bought by his partner Claire who had to find a property that ticked Parker's list of demands. It's a lovely getaway on the edge of a lake and, as it's off season, things are relatively quiet.

It soon becomes clear that someone's after the gang who ripped off the venue and that whoever it is has a mean streak wide enough to murder the members as they catch up with them, leaving a bloody trail in their wake. 

Almost as soon as Parker's comfortable in his new home, he has to leave. Following clues and cars, he finally tracks down the two drug-fuelled lunatics back at the lake as they hold Claire hostage.

The result is never in doubt (of course it isn't), though the amount of carnage and damage likely to be created during the demoument is impossible to predict as Stark ramps up the pace. 

Excellent stuff, indeed, making me think that if Stark were an Olympic competitor, he'd be involved in something high octane with masses of adrenaline, nail-biting climaxes and streamlined perfection. I'm thinking Taekwondo or the 50m freestyle or artistic dancing 

A deadly edge, indeed and an extremely sharp one.  

One Man's Opinion: THE SCORE by RICHARD STARK

If I kill, it's because I don't have any choice.

You mean self-defence.

Wrong. I mean it's the only way to get what I want.

The last book I passed on thoughts about was Cold In July. Here we are, the 6th, I'm wrapped up in my extra hoody whilst having to blow on my fingers to keep them loose. Seriously. 

And we have a new government. I wouldn't normally comment on such things, but a Labour led House of Commons has been such a rare thing in my adult life; after so many past disappointments, this shift needs celebrating. Apart from the rise of the ugliness represented by the Reform party, I'm overjoyed with the result. Just for now there is hope. Sure, it's likely to be a long haul and there will be difficult days and months, but for the first time in an age, change for the better seems possible. Go Keir. 

The book I was reading on the day of the election was The Score by Richard Stark. Perhaps it was a lucky charm. It's a Parker novel, so the quality of the writing barely requires mention- hardboiled, always to the point and as tough as the protagonist. 

I really enjoyed it, though I share some of Parker's own reservations about the escapade. The plan comes from an unknown entity. It involves taking down an entire town. There's only one exit, there's a barracks in the way and it's likely they'll require a small army to carry out the heist. If that weren't bad enough, there's a tail following Parker to the first meeting, which means there's something fishy about the whole package. 

In the end, Parker can't resist. Perhaps that says something of his character, though I'd have expected him to walk away as soon as his senses began to twitch. 

The operation itself is a treat. The twist is not unexpected, but the way it plays out maintains the energy and tension. 

A well told story, then, with the wonderful whiplash turns of phrase and crackling dialogue, just not my favourite in the series is all.