I’m not sure why I avoided this great novel for as long as I did. I just started a part time job where I’m working with a few twenty somethings that all love the idea of London crime, especially movies like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (and are fond of quoting lines from these movies while we work, it’s very funny, maybe not in this context, but I guess you have to be there). I certainly appreciate those movies, and when I realized I had this book laying around I brought it in and gave it to the one of the guys I work with, I said, “You might like this, if you don’t, try not to torture yourself, I won’t be offended.” The twenty something said back, “Oh, I’m a slow reader, I’ll get it back to you eventually.” Two days later he gave it back to me, I said, “Oh, you didn’t like it,” I was crestfallen, “No, just the opposite, I read it in one sitting, this book is amazing.” We both gave it to the third member of our team, (we pump gas at a popular south Jersey gas station), and he devoured it in two sittings, giving back to me, (I felt a little sheepish for having not read it yet) and I sat down and tore through this wonderful story in about three hours. It is rare to find two people, almost out of nowhere, who all immediately like the same book. There is something to be said in that. What it is, I don’t know.
I never knew Ken Bruen to be such a great writer, a grab you by the throat kind of guy, and this story is nothing short of asskicking at its finest. Bruen makes no secret for his love of crime fiction, and this novel is an ode to his favorites, he namedrops them through out the book, his main character takes over a flat once occupied by a lover of crime fiction, and has lined his walls with the greats, Elmore Leonard (not great, if you ask me), James Ellroy (he is great), James Sallis, Charles Willeford, John Harvey and sprinkled over the course of this story Bruen references other greats crimes novelists, quotes them, and generally reminds you that the story your reading wouldn’t be possible without the crime forefathers who he’s standing on. He even mentions a great movie, John Boorman‘s classic, Point Blank, with Lee Marvin, (rent that right away, a real kickass revenge movie), which this story has more in common with than anything else.
Mitchell is released from prison after serving a three year stretch for assault, he can’t remember doing it, but his friend who picks him up when Mitchell is released assures him he did the crime, (hint #1). Mitch proceeds on an inner dialogue that is both thrilling and unnerving, sometimes hard to follow, but incredibly distinctive, it’s like listening to a person describe good sex to a blind man, it’s short on the details, but the broad strokes are memorable, and leave a permanent mark. I love how Mitchell delivers his message like he would a slap to a unresponsive cadaver, short and sharp. Mitch goes from post prison life to the straight life in a few chapters, and before we know it he’s got a job on the straight and narrow working for a faded actress (think Julie Christie, right now) and her butler, a man who is harder a coffin nail, (thanks Guy Ritchie), Jordan, (hint #2). While Mitch is getting settled with his new boss, and he gets settled quickly, passionately, and with unique force, we also meet Mitch’s sister, who is a unique form a crazy, and will play a part in Mitch’s life, like all characters in this book will, over time.
Bruen is a classic story teller, each part of this puzzle means something to the story (details are just background rendering), each character has a unique set of identifying marks, and while we’re admiring the quicksilver prose and rapid dialogue that sounds more real than real, like running water it comes at you in the shower, and before you know it, Jordan, Mitch, and the actress are all wrapped tighter than a Chinese yo-yo. Mitch runs afowl of a gangster named Gant (who will be played by Ray Winstone in the movie adaptation, which is perfect casting), and gets involved with another heist, all while managing to bed the actress and another woman he Fancy’s, and being a handy man around the mansion occupied by the actress and Jordan. You see, that’s his day job, doing odd jobs for the actress, being indispensable, irreplaceable. (hint #3).
It would be unkind of me to spoil this great story, as I’ve mentioned, the book is being adapted for the screen, by none other than William Mohahan (The Departed, Body of Lies) with Colin Farrell playing Mitch. This book is easier to read than falling out of a boat, but much more fun. -JR
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