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 ofNoir, The Last Laugh, Kill Me Quick, Guns of Brixton
Read in March, 2017
Published – 2017
Page count - 128
Source – review copy from author
Format - Kindle
Thanks again Col!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome squire!
DeletePaul is definitely a talented writer, Col. And this one does sound like a good 'un. Glad you enjoyed it .
ReplyDeleteAgreed Margot, he hasn't disappointed me yet!
DeleteI heartily concur.
ReplyDeleteCheers Kate!
Deletesounds like a good read, though not for the faint of heart...
ReplyDeleteDoes that rule you out then?
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
Delete