Hammett back in the 1930s brought a darkness and suitably complex characters to crime and mystery books, where Sam Spade’s or the Continental Op’s personalities and emotional heritage was as important as the plots they became involved in. Tony Black’s Gus Dury is an Edinburgh journalist whose life has been destroyed and, through involuntary crime investigations, is being rebuilt piece by piece. Both authors reflect the despair brought along by corruption and alcohol and poignantly evoke real life’s reality.
Recommended:
Dashiell Hammett - RED HARVEST. An insidious web of corruption envelopes a whole city. Has never been filmed despite a slew of projects, but think CHINATOWN or the Coen Bros’ MILLER’S CROSSING, which were strongly inspired by Hammett’s book.
Tony Black - LOSS. Gus Dury is trying to patch up his broken marriage, but sinister undercurrents surrounding him and the rotten state of the city all conspire against his likely success. But he keeps on fighting, despite his many weaknesses.
Gus Dury is a changed man. He is off the Edinburgh streets and back with estranged wife, Debs. He has promised her that he won't get involved in any more dodgy cases which the police can't or won't solve. And above all, he's off the drink. In his pocket at all times is a half bottle of scotch, but although the label is worn to shreds, he has never so much as loosened the cap. Then his brother Michael is found dead with a bullet in his heart and Gus' life begins to unravel all over again. How can he keep the promises he has made and still avenge his brother's murder? Loss, Tony Black's third novel about washed-up hack turned private investigator Gus Dury, is absolutely gripping - a labyrinth of violence, secrets and emotion. This is a true rollercoaster of a read.
Tony Black is the author of twelve previous novels, including Artefacts of the Dead and His Father's Son. An award-winning journalist, he was born in Australia and grew up in Scotland and Ireland. Tony has been described by Irvine Welsh as his 'favourite British crime writer'. Tony was shortlisted for The Guardian's Not the Booker Prize in 2014 and has been nominated for the Crime Writers Association Dagger six times.
Maxim Jakubowski's view on Tony Black...
Tony Black's third novel LOSS is another bleak investigation for his poignant Edinburgh washed up journalist turned involuntary private investigator Gus Dury. Black writes about urban blight and the curse of alcohol like no other, but his down at heel tales are also full of everyday humour. Harrowing but indispensable.
