Saturday 29 April 2017

PAUL D. BRAZILL - TOO MANY CROOKS (2017)


Synopsis/blurb….

Too Many Crooks is a blackly comic Brit Grit romp from the author of Guns Of Brixton and Kill Me Quick!

When high-class fence Leslie Hawkins meets Peter Rhatigan in a sleazy London pub, he offers her the chance to get her hands on the Totenkopfring, a legendary piece of World War Two memorabilia. However, after a violent encounter with a member of a biker gang, things soon spiral wildly and dangerously out of control. Meanwhile in Poland, Dr Anna Nowak finds an amnesiac Englishman half-dead in the snow...

Too Many Crooks by Paul D. Brazill is a fast-moving and action-packed cocktail of bodies, bullets and death-black comedy.

Another engaging offering from Hartlepool’s premier wordsmith.

128 pages long – or short if you like - a romp of pure comedy gold with Mr Brazill resurrecting his unhealthy obsession with Himmler’s ring-piece.

London, Warsaw, pubs and hotels, hospitals and bedrooms, Russian gangsters and an aging odd couple, Leslie and Sidney - still with the chops to go head to head with a biker gang and our dangerous foreigners, hat-tips to Pink Floyd and Bowie, Rod Stewart and Coldplay, Nazi memorabilia - Lugers and Himmler’s legendary Totenkopf ring, wheelchairs and crutches, vodka and Guinness, a mcguffin – Jim McGuffin, memory loss and murder, jelly and a whip – but not party food, coke and cock, and a passing reference to a short ginger bloke with sunglasses.

There aren’t many better ways of spending a couple of hour’s reading-time in the company of one of Brazill’s books…… mystery, cultural references, action, violence, enough boozing to sink a battleship, memorable characters and a genius for situational comedy……

Leslie and Stanley and the aftermath of a business meeting with the Russians…

“Speaking of which,” said Leslie. She unzipped Sidney’s fly.
“You know how murder always gets me horny. And we do have the room until tomorrow.”
“What about them?” said Sidney.
He nodded toward the corpses spread around the room.
“Let’s deal with the other stiffs after I deal with this one,” said Leslie.
“Fnarr fnarr,” said Sidney.

Further on…..

When I got to Carl’s gaff, Velvet answered the door in a red leather dress that was made with just about enough material to make a wallet, and looking like a long limbed drink of water calling out to a thirsty man.

A top read

4.5 from 5


I’ve featured Paul’s work on the blog before……..13 Shots ofNoirThe Last LaughKill Me QuickGuns of Brixton

His website is here and he’s active on Facebook here and on Twitter - @PaulDBrazill

Read in March, 2017
Published – 2017
Page count  - 128
Source – review copy from author

Format - Kindle

10 comments:

  1. Paul is definitely a talented writer, Col. And this one does sound like a good 'un. Glad you enjoyed it .

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    1. Agreed Margot, he hasn't disappointed me yet!

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  2. sounds like a good read, though not for the faint of heart...

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  3. I have this book and I will read it. Even though i have it as an e-book. I Have read the Gumshoe portion of The Gumshoe, and Other Brit Grit Yarns, and need to read the rest of the stories first. I liked the Gumshoe, especially the ending, although I will admit to some confusion along the way.

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    1. I had a flick through the kindle the other day and I'm surprised how prolific he has been - I have a lot of catching up to do. I think there is a kind of quirky Britishness to his writing, which might be peculiar to an American reader.

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