Synopsis/blurb....
THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE NEVER RUNS SMOOTH
It’s 1987, and Soho is in the grip of another hot summer. While working part-time in The Red Lion, Joe finds himself agreeing to help a notorious gangster search for her missing girlfriend.
Antonia The Gecko Lagorio is daughter to the ruthless but ageing gang boss, Tony The Lizard Lagorio. When her girlfriend, Charlotte Fenwick, goes missing, Antonia turns to Joe for help, believing her to have been kidnapped by a rival gang.
Charlotte Fenwick is daughter to multi-millionaire, Charles Fenwick—who also happens to be one of Freddie Gillespie’s bigger clients. Keen to keep any hint of a scandal out of the public eye, Charles Fenwick had already asked Freddie to recruit Russell and Joe to help him find his daughter discreetly.
With both of them on the case, Joe and Russell find themselves trying to stop a turf war between the two rival gangs while uncovering all manner of dark secrets about the missing heiress and her troubled life.
Meanwhile Freddie Gillespie has a run in with an old foe that could see him lose both his job and his relationship with Russell.
Crazy For You is the fourth entry in T.S. Hunter's Soho Noir series of novellas and it's as pleasing and enjoyable as the two other I've read previously.
Late 80s Soho, our recurring double act of Joe and Russell and a missing girl who's disappearance needs to be investigated on the Q.T.
Wild child behaviour, a rich daddy, a drunken mother, an unhealthy friendship with a young man who is part of a criminal family, drugs, drinks, money issues, sexuality, an obsessed girlfriend with a mob family, criminal rivalries, a potential turf war, a ransom note, ergo - a kidnapping, relationship complications for Russell, a familiar figure reappearing - with our local corrupt cop pulling the same old stunts, drag girls hitting the streets, a pair of puppies, a pile of the best Bolivian, a fire and a mystery solved.
There's a lot crammed into this busy little book. There's not as many song references as in previous books, which I kind of missed. They do have a way of firmly establishing the time frame of events. I did enjoy the trip back in time to Soho, when the streets were a little more vibrant and there was a manic energy to the place.
I enjoyed the story line and the ease with which Joe and Russell work together. There's a firm friendship and a real level of trust between the pair. All in all another decent outing and an enjoyable quick read.
4 from 5
Tainted Love and Careless Whisper have been enjoyed before. Who's That Girl sits on the pile.
Read - October, 2019
Published - 2019
Page count - 132
Source - review copy from publisher - Red Dog Press
Format - paperback
It sounds as though there's a lot here, Col. I like the time and place of the setting, too. And there's something about a good 'partnership' sort of story that can add a lot to a plot. Glad you enjoyed this.
ReplyDeleteCheers Margot, it's a great series that I'm really enjoying.
DeleteSounds like a great series! Just out of interest, why did you choose not to read them in order?
ReplyDeleteI'm liking them - not least because of their length. I had a chance to get involved with the second in the series, but it was really short notice and I couldn't squeeze it in. Got a copy afterwards. It's probably a series where after the first the order might not be too important.
DeleteI was interested when I read your review of Careless Whisper. Now I went and purchased the first one... in Kindle so won't read it until I retire because ebooks mess with my sleeping when I read them in the evening.
ReplyDeleteTracy, I'm sure it will keep for the duration. I hope you like it when you do get to put your feet up!
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