Needless Alley
The critically acclaimed historical crime debut
by Natalie Marlow
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Pub Date 19 Jan 2023 | Archive Date 19 Jan 2023
John Murray Press | Baskerville
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Description
An FT Best Summer Thriller 2023
'Creates an atmosphere of mounting menace' The Times
'Conjures up a backdrop so vivid you can taste the smoke in the air' Val McDermid, author of 1989
BIRMINGHAM, 1933.
Private enquiry agent William Garrett facilitates 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.
William's life changes when he 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. Soon, what should have been another straightforward job turns into something far more deadly.
Drenched in evocative period atmosphere and starring an unforgettable cast of characters, Needless Alley takes the reader from seedy canal-side pubs, to crumbling Warwickshire manor houses, and into the hidden spaces of Birmingham's Queer, bohemian society.
'Has all the seamy glitter and cynical grime of the genre' Daily Mail
'Marlow's very engaging protagonist may herald the birth of a new genre: Midlands Noir' Financial Times
'Evokes 1930s Birmingham in all its dark glory' Alan Parks, author of Bloody January
'An exceptionally well-written first novel' Irish Times
'Needless Alley makes for a gripping read that any Peaky Blinder fan is sure to love' Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781399801799 |
| PRICE | £16.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 336 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Louise B, Reviewer
Oh my Word. I loved this book.
When I started I had already assumed what way it would go and I was very very wrong. The twists were good and I liked how the author brought them about.
The ending was not what I thought it would be but on reflection I do like how it ended. Very fitting for how the book went.
I couldn’t put this book down. I would definitely recommend. Thanks for the opportunity to read this.
Katrina O, Educator
What a great story! I could not predict how this was going to end......the story twisted and turned to an incredible finale that I did not see coming! Absolutely brilliant!
Will has returned from the Great War, having fought in the trenches he has now set himself up in business as a private detective. Working with his old pal, he provides photographic evidence in divorce cases- setting women up to betray their husbands- until he meets one wife that he grows to care about deeply. And that's when everything starts to go badly wrong........Set in 1930s Birmingham, this story has a touch of Peaky Blinders about it- hard men, poverty, crime, prostitutes and pornography and an absolutely brilliant storyline. I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.
Yvonne C, Reviewer
This atmospheric private detective novel soon takes a turn for the dark side of life in 1930s Birmingham. It is beautifully scripted, and filled with complex characters. It gives a real feel for the seedier side of this period. The plot becomes more intriguing as the book progresses. An enjoyable, if sometimes gruesome, read.
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