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Needless Alley: The critically acclaimed noir crime debut (William Garrett Novels)

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Needless Alley makes for a gripping read that any Peaky Blinder fan is sure to love' Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora Still, it's his old friend Queenie that William turns to when he gets into trouble, his accent slipping - I loved the way that Marlow played with the characters' speech, you can hear them all clearly in your mind as you read the book - and we then learn a bit of what binds him to her and to his other friend Ronnie. Ronnie plays the honey in William's traps, and he's also another who has a foot in different worlds, more so than even William realises. This is a gritty murder mystery set in 1930’s Birmingham. Our main protagonist is William, a private investigator who earns a living by providing evidence for divorce cases for a shady solicitor. One case that he takes on introduces him to Clara, the wife of a rich industrialist and his growing relationship with her makes him begin to look at his life differently. When the murder happens, he begins to act as a proper investigator and starts to see how little he actually knows about people. Queenie is the strong matronly figure even though she is not the eldest of the three. She’s calm and pragmatic with a survive at all costs attitude which gives her a hard carapace to face the world. Her business dealings include criminal activities but there’s some goodness at heart as she cares for those close to her. A tough woman doing what she needs to survive in a hard man’s world. William's life all changes, when he accidentally meets the beautiful Clara Morton and falls in love. Little does he know she is the wife of a client - a leading fascist with a dangerous obsession. And what should have been another straightforward job turns into something far more deadly.

Needless Alley (William Garrett, book 1) by Natalie Marlow Needless Alley (William Garrett, book 1) by Natalie Marlow

For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. If you’d like to retain your premium access and save 20%, you can opt to pay annually at the end of the trial. Some great female voices in the story too were made even more interesting by the historic 1930’s setting. After all it was a time where women were very much the property of their husbands and subject to their rules and whims. William Garrett is a refreshing protagonist. Shaped by a chaotic upbringing and his experiences of war he is a man who knows himself - a flawed but ultimately moral. A man before his time, his opinion of women and sexual identities and practices are much more accepting than would have been the norm. He is partnered by his close friend Ronnie who brings some spice and humour to the story. When Private enquiry agent William Garrett, a man damaged by a dark childhood spent on Birmingham's canals, specialises in facilitating divorces for the city's male elite. With the help of his best friend -charming, out-of-work actor Ronnie Edgerton - William sets up honey traps. But photographing unsuspecting women in flagrante plagues his conscience and William heaves up his guts with remorse after every job.Needless Alley is a beautifully written novel, a very material book. Natalie Marlow dwells on the physicality of her city - the heat of the Summer, the stink of the canals, the Birmingham brass of a bullet casing, the new steel handcuffs chosen for that modelling session. And always the cigarette smoke, the drink, the noise, a cacophony that lets up only briefly when William finds... well, that would be a spoiler. Needless Alley is an engrossing historical noir with engaging characters an intense plot and a few surprises for the reader. Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the “Settings & Account” section. What happens at the end of my trial?

Needless Alley by Natalie Marlow | Goodreads Needless Alley by Natalie Marlow | Goodreads

The book conjured up the dark side of a city and its people still recovering, or not, from the Great War and the build-up to the next. Marlow, who was inspired to write Needless Alley by her great grandmother, who was one of 13 children and lived and worked on the Birmingham canals, added: “ I am thrilled to be working with Jade and the rest of the team at Baskerville. William Garrett has been my own private detective for quite some while now, and it feels momentous to send him out into the world. Needless Alley, Marlow's debut is crime fiction gold. Every word is crafted with care; every plot twist is elegantly presented. And at the heart of it all is a heinous crime that begs to be solved by a hero as full of heart as he is driven. I love everything about this book." - Femi KayodeThere were some very challenging themes, including the tragic impact of WW1 on the young men who had fought and those left behind and bereaved, the sex and drugs industry, the rise of the British fascism movement and the effects of poverty running through it all. I was impressed with the authors knowledge and research that was obvious to the reader. The affairs of William Garrett are exactly that. The first part focuses, primarily, on his relationships, namely those with Clara and Ronnie, and the part ends on an interesting footing for them all. Yet, the subsequent parts utilise a consid There are many other interesting characters in the novel; Queenie, Ronnie and Clara to name a few. They all feed into each other nicely, creating a full circle and I found them all to be interesting for different reasons. Set in the early 30s Birmingham, Needless Alley explores the contradictions of that city - the powerful and wealthy with their country houses and vast incomes from manufacturing, and the demimonde. The bridge between the two is William Garrett - Billy - a private detective whose trade is to facilitate divorces for husbands who wish to be shot of their wives. Publishing director Jade Chandler acquired world rights to the two books from Abi Fellows at the Good Literary Agency.

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