L A SYKES - BENEDICTION FOR A THIEF (2020)

Synopsis/blurb...

In Atherton Town, ten miles northwest of Manchester, Jacob Gibfield has been sacked in disgrace. With no chance of legitimate employment, he cashes in on his reputation for doing favours by going legit and opens up the town’s first Private Investigations firm in an attempt to claw back a bit of respect.

It’s not long before his new choice of career, alongside folks out for revenge for a previous escapade, bring bigger problems than being laughed at in Market Street by the local priest.

Things start to spiral and he needs all the help he can get from his old mates, including the likes of the Lieutenant and boxer on the skids The Hag Fold Hurricane, if he’s going to keep the town from dragging him under.

Another one/two sitting read which I raced through and enjoyed, but which a month on hasn't lived too long in the memory bank. I read a lot and more fool me I don't actually make notes or bullet points for myself on what I've read and what I liked, disliked etc. In actual fact the books I don't enjoy live longer in the memory, probably because they annoy me and I'm resentful and vindictive (but only on a good day).

Ergo, I liked this one.

Brit grit crime, northern setting, a PI tale, drugs, boxing, conflict and other stuff besides.  Some books are a bit like pizza. I know I enjoy pizza - look at my waistline - a lot, but I can't remember every mouthful of every single one I've eaten in the past few months.

Apologies to the author if I seem disrespectful or flippant of something he has obviously invested a lot of time and energy into creating, that's not my intention. I'm saving my copy for a re-read sometime in the future and hopefully some more coherent thoughts on this offering.

I liked it, I know I did.

4 from 5

Lee Sykes - The Hard Cold Shoulder - has been enjoyed previously.

Read - June, 2020
Published - 2020
Page count - 142
Source - owned copy
Format - paperback