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

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e. someone who crept covertly into enemy trenches for ‘clearance’ purposes, a task that required a strong will. In this case Morton, a rich manufacturer and rising star in Oswald Mosley’s “Britain First” fascist movement, has been receiving letters accusing his wife of being involved in a range of depravities. set in 1930's birmingham, this book centres around the character of william garrett, a private detective who helps to manufacture evidence for divorce for the men of the upper classes.

Needless Alley by Natalie Marlow | Hachette UK

Deftly plotted, beautifully written, Needless Alley is a delicious slice of Chandleresque Midlands noir. This was a time where life was stacked against women (you may argue it still is) with limited rights and divorce laws favouring the husband. The best way to explain my feelings on this story is to compare it to others; not great practice, but I feel it works for this.Here the storyline builds up a momentum of its own with a real sense of urgency, some violence, deceptions, and a couple of surprises. Marlow's pellucid prose shines a brilliant light on 1930s Birmingham and the lives and loves of the exquisitely drawn characters that populate its mean streets and waterways.

New Blood with Val McDermid | 22 July 2023 - Harrogate

The fact he can rub shoulders with canal boatmen and drink in their pubs is beguiling if a little unlikely. I always like these descriptions as it really helps to solidify location and differentiate between places in my mind and in the story. As such, you slog through the difficult cha As such, you slog through the difficult chapter because the proverbial carrot is dangling over yonder and you'd like to reach it. When the first big twist comes along it will catch most readers unawares (I spotted it coming but only when almost on top of it).This is a brilliant debut novel and I am really grateful to Net Galley and the publishers, John Murray Press for providing my ARC in exchange for my honest review. Crafted with all the style and elegance of classic hardboiled fiction, lovingly splashed in the grubbiness and grime of interwar Birmingham's cuts, alleys and back streets. As a neurodiverse adult I often struggle to picture things in my head when I read but due to the excellent writing I could often see what the author wanted me to see.

Needless Alley by Natalie Marlow | Goodreads

This adds a nice dark and seedy touch to the period without getting down to the dregs of society of the Berlin of the period as inhabited by Bernie Gunther. CW that the book does deal with themes of rape and abuse and there is one fairly gruesome description of a murder scene). This book takes us to those worlds - to clandestine Queer bars, to haunts of artists and sex workers, to the tenements of the poor and to the locations of seamy photoshoots, where powerful men pay to watch the models pose, to closed factories and far-right politics, to the struggles of desperate people to stay one step away from destitution.The characters dreamed up by Marlow are so compelling that I found myself wishing the book was just a little longer, so I'd have more time with them. Natalie Marlow’s description is just incredible, the detail is really intricate which makes the goings on extremely realistic.

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

Photographs and film play a large part in narrative and are ultimately responsible for throwing light an all the mysteries. The pace then picks up considerably as Billy tries to unravel the contradictions that keep wrongfooting him.My bugbear too much repetition of actions ie lighting and smoking cigarettes or pouring out drinks and the same adjectives throughout the text. This is a great, vibrant and twisty read, with its social and political commentary of the historical period, a treacherous story of vengeance, fear, bad blood, grudges, sorrow, grief, love and hate.

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