Blending crime fiction with recent political history, and mixing fictional characters with real-life figures — among them major 80s musicians and Margaret Thatcher — Joe Thomas’ Red Menace presents gritty evocations of grim truths about 80s Britain, among them growing social divides, social discontent and corruption.
Second in the United Kingdom trilogy, it kicks off in July 1985, when Britain seem set to burn as Live Aid sets out to save the world. As Margaret Thatcher rolls out her vote-enticing right-to-buy project, there’s corruption around the development of London’s Docklands, not too far from Parker’s Hackney patch. He’s a “spy op” for the local police, though “sometimes it’s difficult to know whether he’s spying on the cops or the robbers.” Unofficially, “he’s on the sniff for anything dodgy out of Stoke Newington nick.” And there’s certainly a lot of dodginess going down, not to mention a sense that the country is about to explode.
Alongside being a punchy page-turner, Red Menace also packs political punch that’ll resonate with readers who lived through the eighties, and crime fiction fans who appreciate novels that stretch the genre’s boundaries.
"A very early candidate for the crime novel of the year" IRISH TIMES Live Aid, July 1985. The great and the good of the music scene converge to save the world. But the TV glitz cannot disguise ugly truths about Thatcher's Britain.
Jon Davies and Suzi Scialfa have moved on since the inquest into the death of Colin Roach, but they're about to be drawn back into the struggle ---- Jon by his restless curiosity and Suzi by the reappearance of DC Patrick Noble.
Noble's other asset, the salaried spycop Parker, is a pawn in a game he only dimly comprehends. First, he's ordered to infiltrate the Broadwater Farm Estate in Tottenham; next will come Wapping, ground zero of a plot to smash the print unions. But who is Noble working for, and how far can he be trusted?
The Iron Lady is reforging the nation, and London with it. Right to Buy may secure her votes, but who really stands to benefit? Corruption is endemic and the gap between rich and poor grows wider by the day. Insurrection seems imminent - all that's needed is a spark.
REVIEWS FOR WHITE RIOT, A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
'Rpresents everything that is good and important about the crime fiction genre' Irish Times 'Enthralling' Sunday Times 'Gripping' The Times 'Propulsive' Guardian
