E. Borgers wrote:
>David Peace and his Red Riding Quartet. Not only an
epic, but the
work of a real top class writer. Absolute noir in West
Yorkshire. Far from the ridiculous SK gothic replays of so
many best-sellers. I read only 3 of the series of 4, but it's
enough to make my mind: Peace belongs to the kind of authors
which appears once every ten years, when we're lucky! My
advice: don't read the 4 books (1974-1977-1980-1983) in a
row. Wait at least two weeks between 2 of them... IMO he is
closer to Derek Raymond's universe than Ellroy's, but he
shares some technique and the power of his writing with the
second. Do not miss this series.
Ed suggests to wait two weeks between Peace books, but two
months or even a year would be better. I read 1974 and 1977
almost back-to- back while visiting in Yorkshire a couple of
years ago and thought they were two of the best books I had
read in awhile. Before returning to Canada I tracked down
1980 in Hay-On-Wye, the booktown in Wales, and 1983 in a
bookstore on Charing Cross Road in London. I could hardly
wait to read them, but every time I picked up 1980 I just
didn't feel I was ready to take on Peace again. He is a
"tough" read, but worth the effort. Since then I ordered his
latest book, GB84, which focuses upon the miners' strike in
1984. Last night I picked up 1980 once again, but put it back
on the shelf and replaced it with Blind Eye by John Morgan
Wilson, another author who is not an easy read. I am looking
forward to GB84 to see how it compares to Born Without
Punches, another crime novel book about the strike by Martyn
Waites.
Waites's series featuring Newcastle journalist Stephen Larkin
is excellent although I enjoyed Candleland, which is set in
London, the most. The New York Times says it better than I
can. "Martyn Waites stands out in the crowded field of young
British noir writers...with his bruised characters, raw-edged
dialogue and extraordinary night vision."
Anyone else read Waites?
Kent Morgan
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