Book Review: Brighton Rock by Graham Green

Iโ€™ve known of Graham Green for a long time but had never read any of his books until I picked this one up, from a
family member, when I was desperate for something to read. Itโ€™s not an easy or โ€˜niceโ€™ read and at times I struggled
with it but, as I finished reading, I was glad Iโ€™d persevered.
Set in Brighton in the 1930s, Brighton Rock is a story about the criminality and gang violence hidden under the
surface of the attractive seaside resort and, in particular, around the racecourse which was drawing in large numbers
of people from the surrounding area and from as far afield as London. As well as portraying the criminality, the book
also shines a light on the dreadful poverty and mean lives of the men and women who inhabited the unseen streets
of Brighton behind the popular faรงade.
In essence, the story is about a seventeen-year-old boy, Pinkie Brown, also known as โ€˜The Boyโ€™, who takes on the
leadership of one of Brightonโ€™s gangs after the murder of his erstwhile boss and gang leader โ€˜Kiteโ€™ by a rival gang
lead by Colleoni, a much older wiser and more experienced gangster. After killing Fred Hale, a Colleoni informer,
Pinkie and his second-rate gang find themselves getting deeper and deeper into trouble as one mistake leads to
another and cover-up to cover up. Pinkie even finds himself compelled to marry Rose, a desperately poor, naรฏve,
under-age girl who comes into the story as a very new waitress at Snowโ€™s, a cheap cafรฉ, to ensure she wonโ€™t be able
to be compelled to give evidence against him if heโ€™s caught.
The ray of light in an otherwise dark story is Ida Arnold, a worldly woman who has a brief date with Fred Hale,
shortly before his murder. Having arranged to meet, she comes to the meeting place but Fred is nowhere to be seen
and, subsequently turns up dead, of natural causes according to the police and coroner. Ida doesnโ€™t believe this and,
with a strong sense of whatโ€™s right and whatโ€™s wrong, set out to uncover the truth and, in so doing, to rescue a very
unwilling Rose from the situation sheโ€™s got herself into. Idaโ€™s persistence finally pays off but there is no happy ending
for Rose and Pinkie though one of them does live to tell the tale.

Phil Leighton

book cover The Testament John Grisham

Book Review: The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

Sequel to Osmanโ€™s first book โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€, The Man Who Died Twice sees the murder club โ€˜gangโ€™ –
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim โ€“ still happily resident at Coopers Chase, a retirement village in Sussex โ€“ back in
action putting their sleuthing skills to work again and, inevitably drawing in DCI Chris Hudson and his assistant PC
Donna De Freitas, all aided, in due course by Bogdan, another hero of The Thursday Murder Club.
The story starts with Elizabeth having received a letter, ostensibly from a dead man; Chris Hudson and Donna on a
stake out, watching a local villain and drug dealer, Connie Johnson, who unknown to them, has had them under
surveillance all the time; and Ibrahim being mugged and having his phone stolen in Fairhaven by a gang of youths on
bicycles, the only clue being one of the youths shouting โ€œcome on Ryanโ€ as the last youth is giving Ibrahim a final
parting kick.
Martin Lomax is a very wealthy crook who lives in a splendid house nearby. Lomaxโ€™s wealth is derived from him
acting as a banker and middle-man for major crime gangs from around the world. His house is often full of priceless
goods which heโ€™s holding for one gang, part of a transaction with a second gang; drugs, weapons, diamonds, works
of art, theyโ€™re all part of his business deals. Lomax has lost a collection of diamonds belonging to an American mafia
boss and believes, correctly, that they have been stolen by operatives from MI5, who have been trying to catch
Lomax for years, during a covert operation against him.
So, through many twists and turns and a number of surprises, the story unfolds, all the threads come together in a
blockbuster finish and of course, in the end, the good guys come out on top and Ibrahim gets his phone back thanks
to the collective detective work of the Thursday Murder Club, especially, Elizabeth but not without help from Joyce
and, at almost the last minute, Bogdan.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read which, in truth, I found it hard to put down. Osmanโ€™s style is very gentle and full
of humour, despite the death toll, and very readable. I recommend this highly.

Phil Leighton

7 Books The Clifton Chronicles

Book Review: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

It took me a while to get round to reading this book which won the Booker Prize in 2020, as I
sometimes feel that the Booker prize winners are difficult reads and often support
experimental writing which I do not always enjoy. However, I could not have been more
wrong and I was hooked from start to finish.
It tells the story of the relationship between a son and his mother, and the effects of
alcoholism, addiction and poverty in Scottish working-class life. The characters are brilliantly
brought to life and are hard to forget even long after you have finished reading the book.
It is very well written and I was rooting for Shuggie the whole way through as he struggled to
look after his alcoholic mother, Agnes, and turn their lives around against all the odds. A
really gripping read right to the end as you fervently hope for a happy ending.

Chris D

Picture of book richard Osman The Thursday Murder Club

Book Review: Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie Oโ€™Farrell

This title caught my eye in the library during the hot weeks of our summer this year and itย didnโ€™t disappoint. It is set in 1976 when England was again in the grip of a heatwave and isย about a dysfunctional Irish family, the Riordans, living in London.
The book begins when Mr Riordan goes out one morning to buy a paper and doesnโ€™t return.ย The rest of the family, two daughters and a son come back home to be with their mother, toย try and work out where he may have gone. The complicated relationships between theย siblings, their partners and their mother are the main essence of the book and are brilliantlyย portrayed by the author. Each of the children is dealing with issues and secrets of variousย kinds which are all satisfactorily resolved by the end of the book.
I love the way Maggie Oโ€™Farrell writes and I would also thoroughly recommend another novelย of hers, โ€˜Hamnetโ€™.

Chris D

Picture of book richard Osman The Thursday Murder Club

All of these books and many more are available to borrow now at Blackfen Community Library. Come along, sit and have a read at our community hub and enjoy a fresh coffee from the Rooted Coffee House, our in house cafe.

To enquire about the availability of these books you can login via your membership loginย or pop into the library and ask our team.

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