Hello my beloved Beardy Blog Fans, and welcome to what will eventually be my review of Crazy For You, the 4th book in the Soho Noir series by T.S. Hunter (the other books in the series being ‘Tainted Love‘, ‘Who’s That Girl‘ and ‘Careless Whisper‘, my reviews of each you shall find here, here and, yes, you guessed it, here. You’re welcome). But why do I say ‘eventually’? Well, you see, I have just settled down in my favourite café with my laptop, a large coffee and a pastry, to write my review. I have no idea where I’ll go with it, but I cannot possibly foresee any problems whatsoever. Nope, this shall be a most uneventful and informative review, just you wait and see.
” ‘Ere, are you the Beardy Book Blogger?”
Yes I am he, how may I hel …..mmmmph…….
THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE NEVER RUNS SMOOTH
It’s 1987, and Soho is in the grip of another hot summer. While working part-time in The Red Lion, Joe finds himself agreeing to help a notorious gangster search for her missing girlfriend.
Antonia The Gecko Lagorio is daughter to the ruthless but ageing gang boss, Tony The Lizard Lagorio. When her girlfriend, Charlotte Fenwick, goes missing, Antonia turns to Joe for help, believing her to have been kidnapped by a rival gang.
Charlotte Fenwick is daughter to multi-millionaire, Charles Fenwick—who also happens to be one of Freddie Gillespie’s bigger clients. Keen to keep any hint of a scandal out of the public eye, Charles Fenwick had already asked Freddie to recruit Russell and Joe to help him find his daughter discreetly.
With both of them on the case, Joe and Russell find themselves trying to stop a turf war between the two rival gangs while uncovering all manner of dark secrets about the missing heiress and her troubled life.
Meanwhile Freddie Gillespie has a run in with an old foe that could see him lose both his job and his relationship with Russell.
Hello again everybody. Well, it looks as though I spoke too soon and I now wish you a slightly strange… ouch … and unconventional welcome to my humble hirsute … ooof … blog … ach. You see, my beloved readers, your favourite beardy blogger appears to … oosh … have been kidnapped. Yes you read that correctly, I have been kidnapped. Or at the very least I have been apprehended in a very rude manner and have been … owww … bundled into what I can only imagine is the boot (or trunk for my … ouch … American readers), of a car that is being driven by a Lewis Hamilton wannabe over a series of … umph … particularly bumpy … god dammit … cattle grids. I am also currently being assaulted by what I hope is the handle of the … excuse me … car-jack! That’s going to leave a bruise.
So, how did I find myself in this precarious and rather uncomfortable position (and I mean that in both the figurative “what the bloody hell” sense, and literally as in the “get that car jack out of my bum-bum sense”. Seriously, this boot is tiny and would not be my first choice of kidnapping vehicle, I can tell you). Well, it happened thusly:
As I have mentioned above I was seated in my favourite café about to write my incisive and brilliant review of Crazy For You, the 4th novella in the bottom spankingly excellent Soho Noir series, when, quite to my surprise, I heard a voice from behind me say, ” ‘Ere, are you the Beardy Book Blogger?” Of course I am quite used to people coming up to me in the street and asking for my autograph, a stray beard hair or even to conduct an on-the-spot review of a book they may be holding, so I said “yes, I am he”. Well, no sooner had those very words left my bearded lips (well, my lips aren’t bearded – that would be very weird – but you get the idea), than my world went dark, or at least it went very hazy, as a bag of some kind was thrust over my bonce and I was forcibly lifted from my chair and dragged from the café. I didn’t even have time to leave a tip.
It was all most irregular.
I could feel myself being hoisted up, hoisted I tell you, and unceremoniously deposited into what I can only guess, as I have already mentioned, is the tiny boot of a Nissan Micra or Ford Ka, or even a Smart car (but I can hear an engine so I’m guessing it isn’t, but it’s small so you see where I’m going with this, right? Good.). And this is where I’ve been for what seems like … ouch, for fu … hours.
I guess I’ll just have to wait and seeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…………. oooffffffff …… owwwwwwwwww!!!
Well, it would appear that we have come to a very abrupt stop. Christ on a unicycle, now I’ll never get that handle out! Oh, hang on, I can see some light through the bag on my head, it appears that that boot may be opening and, hey, I say, that’s a little rough. Beardy Blog Fans, I am being re-hoisted, re-hoisted I tell you, from the boot and I am now being forcibly carried upon the shoulders of some, some thug, to a place I can only describe as ‘unknown’, because I don’t know where I am. I can hear echoing footsteps and…. ouch!
I have now been plonked very firmly onto a chair (car-jack handle thankfully not present) and my arms have been tied behind my back. I…. ooooh, that’s bright! Beardy Blog Fans, the bag has been whipped from my head and I am now staring into what can only be described as a bright light. I can see, or just about see, three figures standing behind said light. Ooo-er, one is walking towards me.
THUG 1: (looking around) ‘oo are you talkin’ to? You wearin’ a wire? Is ‘e wearin’ a bleedin’ wire? (over his shoulder) Boys, did you frisk ‘im like I said?
THUG 2/THUG 3: (together) Yes Boss!
TBBB: Um, hello? My name is Mart, or Martin, and I am the Beardy Book Blog…
THUG 1: We know ‘oo you are, we brought you here, didn’t we?
TBBB: Ah, yes. Good point, well made and all that. Could I trouble you for a sip of water? My mouth is rather dry.
THUG 1: (to the others) Please trouble Mr. Blogger ‘ere wif a sip o’ water. We wouldn’t want ‘im drying out on us now, would we.
THUG 2: On it!
TBBB: Look, um, what is going on and why am I here….
THUG 1: You don’t get to ask the questions here, Mr, Blogger…
TBBB: Um, it’s just Mar…
THUG 1: (getting all up in my face) … We’re the one’s ‘oo will be asking the questions. okay?
TBBB: Um, yes, yes, that’s perfectly okay. Just don’t harm the beard, I beg of you!
THUG 1: (incredulously) ‘Arm you? We don’t want to ‘arm you, we just want some answers to some questions now (to the others) don’t we boys?
THUGS 2 & 3: (in unison) Yes boss!
THUG 1: See? Now we ‘ave an understanding, shall we get on with it?
TBBB: *squeak* yes!
THUG 1: Good, now….. ewwww, what is that smell? It smells like, like rotten vegetables.
TBBB: Sorry, I couldn’t help it. I’ve never been tied up and held at lamp-point before.
THUG 1: You need to seriously reassess your diet, my friend. Jesus! (over shoulder) ‘Ere, Trev…
THUG 2: (interrupting) No real names, remember!
THUG 1: Shit, yeah, sorry, er, I mean, someone, please open a window or somefin’. I’m going blind over here.
TBBB: Sorry. Again.
THUG 1: Okay, now that I can breathe a little easier, let’s get on with this.
TBBB: Fire away.
THUG 1: Where is Charlot….
THUG 3: Ask him where Charlotte Fenwick is, boss?
THUG 1: (rounding) I know what to ask him! I was just asking him that before you interrupted! (mimicking) “where’s Charlotte Fenwick, boss?“
THUG 3: (pouting) You know I have a hearing problem boss. It isn’t polite to mock my affliction. I’ll stop coming to these things if you continue to …..
THUG 1: Okay, okay, I’m sorry. You’re right, that was unfair of me. Can we just get this thing started or we’ll be here all day. Trev…, er I mean ‘Rameses’, ‘ave you got that water for Mr. Blogger yet?
THUG 2: What? Oh, yeah, sorry, miles away. Hold on…
TBBB: Err, ‘Rameses’? That’s his codename: Rameses?
THUG 1: Yeah? So? What of it? He likes a bit o’ Egyptology, does our Trev…. does our Rameses. ‘E’s well known for it, ‘aint ya Ram?
RAMESES (aka THUG 2): Am I? Oh, yeah, that’s right. Love a bit o’ Egyptian ‘istory, me. Can’t get enough of it. In fact I…
THUG 1: Yeah yeah, okay, don’t over do it. The point is, Ram ‘ere is a bit o’ a fan of those old Egyptians and that is utterly irrelevant to our purpose ‘ere today. So, where is Charl…
TBBB: What’s your codename then?
THUG 1: … otte Fenwick? What?
TBBB: Well, I assume you have one too? So, out with it? I can’t keep referring to you as ‘THUG 1’ now, can I?
THUG 1: ‘THUG 1’? What? I ‘aint no thug? Why are you calling me that? And to who? (over shoulder) Are you sure he’s not wearing a wire, boys?
RAMESES: We’re sure Boss. Mind you we didn’t check his bum-bum on account of a car-jack handle being wedged….
TBBB: Er, yes, ha ha, they did check very thoroughly and I can confirm that I am not wearing any wires. I’m still not sure why you have me tied up to a chair for reasons you’ve yet to explain and you are, if you don’t mind me saying so, quite threatening in your demeanour.
THUG 1: Threatening? I’m not threatening. I can’t ‘elp my, whatchamacallit, demeanour. I’m sorry if that’s ‘ow I’m coming across. My name is Morris, no, I mean ‘Red Dog’. Bugger.
TBBB: Oooh, as in the publisher Red Dog? Them what publish the rather excellent Soho Noir series of books by T.S. Hunter? That Red Dog?
RED DOG (aka THUG 1): Exactly that. Sounds good, right?
TBBB: Well it is better than Morris…. oops!
RED DOG: I can be threatening when I need to be you know!
TBBB: Sorry, sorry Red Dog.
RED DOG: (placated) ‘Sok, apology accepted. Now we’ve sorted that out, may we continue?
TBBB: Of course? Ooh, wait, what’s THUG 3’s name then?
RED DOG: *sigh* Brian, tell Mr. Blogger here your codename….. shit!
THUG 3: It’s not Brian, I’ve no idea where Morr…. er Red Dog got that idea from. No, I’m Cujo.
TBBB: Sooooo, you’re a Stephen King fan then?
CUJO (aka THUG 3): Yeah, that’s right. Also I tend to foam at the mouth a bit when I get hungry, so there’s that too, but it’s mostly because I’m a King fan.
RAMESES: To be fair mate, it is because you foam at the mouth when you get hungry.
CUJO: No, no it isn’t just because of that, it’s mostly because I love Stephen King…
RAMESES: Seriously, so much foam. It’s like ‘es swallowed a bar of soap….
RED DOG: If you two are quite finished? We ‘ave a guest remember?
TBBB: Hello.
RAMESES/CUJO: (together) Sorry Boss. Sorry Mr. Blogger.
RED DOG: Right, enough of this twaddle. Where. Is. Charlotte. Fenwick?
TBBB: I have no idea. Sorry, old sock.
RED DOG: ….
TBBB: What?
RED DOG: We were told that you would know where she was. Ask the Beardy Book Blogger they said, he’ll know all about it they said. So, where is she?
TBBB: Hang on, Charlotte Fenwick? The daughter of the multi-millionaire business tycoon, Charles Fenwick? Heiress to the Fenwick millions, that Charlotte Fenwick?
RAMESES: Yeah, that’s ‘er. We want to know where she is, like. ‘Oo’s got her?
RED DOG: Yes, thank you Rameses, I’m asking the questions here.
RAMESES: Sorry Boss. But he knows sumfink, I can see it in his eyes.
TBBB: Are you serious? You want to know where Charlotte Fenwick is? As in the fictional….
RED DOG: *sigh* Yes, I think that we’ve made that perfectly clear, ‘aven’t we? She was last seen leaving her father’s posh gaff with some bloke called Keiran, or at least that’s what we ‘eard. ‘E’s part of the notorious Doherty crime family; right nasty buggers they are. ‘Ave they got ‘er? Was she caught up in some kind of kidnapping to exhort money from ‘er old man? Or ‘as she run away to avoid being sent to finishing school in Switzerland or somewhere? We need to know!
CUJO: And what about Detective Skinner? Is that slimy sleaze ball piece of filth, er I mean, policeman, still on the scene? ‘As he got anyfin’ to do wif her disappearance? He’s on the payroll of Anthony “The Lizard” Lagorio, Soho’s resident crime lord, after all.
TBBB: Hang on, hold up a second. So you’ve bundled me up, thrown me about in the boot of a tiny car, tied me up and threatened me all to find out where this Charlotte Fenwick is? The Charlotte Fenwick who is the character from….
RAMESES: (interrupting) And what about ex-detective Russell Dixon and Freddie Gillespie, his new lawyer boyfriend? Are they still an item? How’s that going? Ooooh, I do ‘ope they are ok? I do love a bit o’ romance. They wouldn’t do anyfin’ rotten to them now, would they? I bet Detective Skinner is still gunning for their blood, rotten copper that ‘e is.
TBBB: What?
RED DOG: Then there’s young Joe Stone, let’s not forget about him? I bet he’ll be able to find out what happened to Charlotte. He’s a dab hand at solving crimes, is young Joe. Oh, what a partnership he and Russell are. Tragic how they came together though, what wif the murder of Joe’s best friend Chris all the way back in boo….
TBBB: Are you all high? What on earth are you all wittering on about?
RED DOG/CUJO/RAMESES: (together) Crazy For You. The 4th book in the Soho Noir series, of course. Why, what did you think we were on about?
TBBB: Okaaaaaay, that was a bit weird you all saying that together at once like that. Ahh, now I think I see what you are getting at. Nope, I don’t see what you are getting at. What on earth are you all trying to get at?
RED DOG: Lads, he’s not getting it. I think we need to make ourselves a little bit clearer. Rameses, fetch the battery and jump leads!
TBBB: Errr, steady on chaps…..
CUJO: Jesus, Morr… Red Dog, there’s that awful smell again…..
TBBB: Sorry?
RAMESES: ‘ere you go Boss; one car battery and set of jump leads.
RED DOG: Excellent, cheers Trev… Rameses. Now, let’s see what whether these can clear Mr. Blogger’s mind and make…. Jesus, that really does stink you know? ‘Ave you seen a dietologist at all because you really should!
TBBB: Dietician. Er, no, no I haven’t, but I think I have more pressing concerns right now. What…. what are you planning to do with those…?
RED DOG: Ah, these my beardy friend, these are my little friends. I like to call them ‘The Clarifiers’ on the basis that they tend to ‘clarify’ people’s minds.
TBBB: …. ummmmm …. sorry …. again!
RED DOG: Right, Cujo, ‘old Mr. Blogger ‘ere steady while I attach the cables to the….
TBBB: ARRGHHHHHHHH…… NO PLEASE! DON’T HURT ME! PLEASE DON’T CLAMP MY NIPPLES! HELP! HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP!
RED DOG: What…. what are you yelling about? I’m not going to clamp your nipples? ‘Oo do you take me for?
TBBB: But…. but why is Brian, sorry, Cujo, holding me like this?
RED DOG: Oh, that’s just so I can reach behind you and connect the cables to the screen wifout ‘urting you. We placed the chair in a rather silly place, sorry. Ok, Cujo, turn ‘im round!
TBBB: Oh, I see! That’s a very impressive screen. Um, why?
RED DOG: Well, we ‘ave no more plug sockets in ‘ere – the lamp is plugged into the only one – so we ‘ave to power it wif this battery.
TBBB: No, not why the cables, why the screen?
CUJO: It’s so we can have movie nights, innit. The cables power the projector over there; proper 8mm film buffs, we are. We love a good film as much as a good book, us, don’t we boys?
RED DOG/RAMESES: (together) Ooh, we do love a good movie as much as a good book, us.
TBBB: Will you stop that talking together thing, it is most disconcerting. Look, none of this explains why I am here tied to this chair.
RED DOG: I thought that was obvious; we want to know all about Crazy For You. Now, tell us where Charlotte Fenwick is!
TBBB: Sooooo, you want a review? Is that what all this is about? You want a review of the book?
RED DOG: Well you are The Beardy Book Blogger, aren’t you?
TBBB: Um, yes.
CUJO: And you do review books, don’t you?
TBBB: That I do, on occasion.
RAMESES: And you have read Crazy For You, haven’t you?
TBBB: Look, yes, yes and yes again, but I can’t just rattle off a review right here, right now, especially under these stressful circumstances. These things take time, don’t you know.
RED DOG: Cujo?
CUJO: Yes Boss?
RED DOG: Disconnect the ‘Clarifier” from the projector!
CUJO: Right O Boss…
TBBB: *gibber* Okay, okay, what do you want to know?
RED DOG/RAMESES/CUJO: WHERE IS CHARLOTTE FENWICK?
TBBB: You’re doing it again! Okay, okay, sorry. Look, I can’t just tell you that! That’s spoiler territory. What would be the point of reading the book if I told you that? Huh?
RED DOG: (rubbing chin) You know what? I think he may have a point there boys. That would rather ruin the rest of the book for us, wouldn’t it?
CUJO: Yeah, I suppose it would. Ok, what do we ask him instead?
TBBB: I can tell you about the characters?
RED DOG: Yeah, yeah tell us about them.
TBBB: Well you’ve already mentioned the main players: Joe Stone, Russell Dixon, Freddie Gillespie, Tony “The Lizard” Lagorio and slimy Detective Simon Skinner, all return from the previous books, but we are introduced to newcomer “The Gecko”, aka Antonia Lagorio, daughter of The Lizard. She’s called ‘The Gecko’ due to her smaller size in relation to her dad, but no one calls it to her face. She comes to Joe for his help to look for Charlotte.
RED DOG: If anyone called me a bleedin’ gecko I’d have their elbows in a vice! So she comes to our boy Joe to find out where she is? Why? What has The Lizard’s daughter got to do with a multi-millionaire’s daughter… oh, wait, silly question.
TBBB: Well, it may not be that silly as the connection may not be what you think it is.
RED DOG: …
CUJO: …
RAMESES: …
TBBB: …
RED DOG: …
CUJO: …
RAMESES: …
TBBB: …
RED DOG: … we can keep this up all day you know…
TBBB: I told you, no spoilers, but it is in the blurb so I refer you to that if you want to find out what the connection is.
RED DOG: Well, if it’s in the blurb, it ain’t a spoiler, is it?
TBBB: Technically I suppose it isn’t, but some people may not read the blurb, I know that I don’t always read them properly, so I shall treat it as one here.
RED DOG: You’re a tough reviewer, Mr. Blogger. I’m beginning to like you.
TBBB: Thank you?
RED DOG: Think nothing of it. So, what happens then?
TBBB: So, amongst other things, Joe and Russell need to avert a turf war between the aforementioned Doherty family, led by the fearsome Ma Doherty, and The Lizard’s lot, as Antonia believes that the Doherty’s have kidnapped Charlotte.
RAMESES: Oooh, we do love a good turf war, don’t we Morris, er, I mean, Red Dog? Remember the one we had wif the Klacker Twins? We had Kevin Klacker right in the clackers after we chopped off his brother’s tes…
RED DOG: (interrupting) Yesyesyesyes, thank you Rameses. Ignore him, Mr. Blogger, please continue.
TBBB: Who are the Klacker Twins?
CUJO: Were…
RED DOG: (scowling) … Cujo, don’t you have some coffees to make?
CUJO: Oh, yeah, right… sorry… um, I’ll have to unplug the lamp.
TBBB: Phew, thank goodness. It was getting very hot in here with that on.
RED DOG: You said that Detective Skinner is back in this one?
TBBB: Oh yes, he’s back. He stoops to new lows in this one in his quest to make Russell’s life a misery.
RAMESES: All because he is gay, right? I mean, I ‘ate the filth, bleedin’ pigs put my brother in the nick for doing nothing more than asking a bloke a few questions…
CUJO: Yeah, but he was asking them with a drill and a box of wasps, Trevor.
TBBB: Exactly, he hates Russell because he is gay and as this is 1987, attitudes towards gay people were not exactly as enlightened as they, mostly, are today. Hold on, a box of wasps??
RAMESES: He was allergic to wasp stings, obviously.
TBBB: Um, oh, yeah, obviously. And he’s in jail now you say? I cannot think why.
RED DOG: Er, remember where you are Mr. Blogger! Cleopatra was a good man and a loyal soldier.
TBBB: Cleopatra? He enjoyed Egyptology too then?
RAMESES: Eh? Oh, no, he loved Carry On Cleo and had a thing for Amanda Barrie. Takes all sorts, dunnit?
TBBB: Okay, I’ve had quite enough of this nonsense now. Why have you brought me here under such duress?
CUJO: We’re not making you wear a dress.
TBBB: Not a dress. Duress; it means to force me to do something against my will. Why don’t you just read the review on my blog if you know who I am?
RED DOG: Well, it’s all a little sensitive really.
TBBB: Enlighten me!
RED DOG: Rameses, plug the lamp back in!
TBBB: *sigh* No, not light me. Enlighten me.
RED DOG: Oh yeah, right, well (proudly gesturing with a sweep of his arm) you are in the presence of the Bad Boys Book Club.
TBBB: The Bad Boys Book Club?
RED DOG/RAMESES/CUJO: (together) The Bad Boys Book Club.
TBBB: Will you please stop that!
RED DOG/RAMESES/CUJO: (together) Sorry.
TBBB: *sigh* But that still doesn’t explain why I’m here, tied to this chair, threatened with jump leads and being forced to recite a review to you.
RED DOG: Well, you see, we’re Hard Men, ain’t we?
CUJO: Yeah, we can’t be seen to be holding a Book Club every first Thursday of the month now, can we? What would the other gangs say?
RAMESES: So we hold it in secret and discuss our beloved books away from prying ears.
CUJO: And we hold our Bad Boys Film Club on the second Tuesday of every month. It’s Goodfellas this month.
RED DOG: Again…
CUJO: It’s a good movie. We did agree it was a good movie worth watching over.
RED DOG: Yes, It is a great film, but I wanted to watch Splash. I bloody love Splash.
RAMESES: And I hold an Egyptology night every other month on a Wednesday. Or at least I did until Cleo went to jail. Now It’s just me and my slides.
RED DOG: The point is, as Hard Men, we would be laughed out of the criminal fraternity if it was discovered that we read books for fun and then discussed them over a cup of coffee and some biscuits. What kind of Hard Men would we be then, huh?
TBBB: Biscuits? I don’t see any biscuits.
CUJO: Oh, this month’s biscuit is the Bourbon. My choice that was. We change them every month. Fancy one?
TBBB: Oooh, yes please.
RED DOG: Okay, get him a biscuit Brian. Cujo, I mean Cujo.
TBBB: Thank you. Any chance of untying my arms so I can eat the biscuit?
RED DOG: Oh, yes, sorry about that. Rameses, please?
TBBB: Oooh, my wrists are stinging. You did tie that very tightly. Unnecessarily so, I must say.
RED DOG: That was Cujo. He can be a bit OTT at times.
CUJO: Sorry.
TBBB: You could have just, you know, asked me here. You needn’t have said you were a criminal book club. You could’ve just given me the address and I would’ve come.
RED DOG: Yeah, but this is a secret book club. It wouldn’t be very secret if we gave out our address willy nilly to everyone ‘oo asked for it now, would it? So, we ‘ave to bring our guests here covertly.
TBBB: By grabbing them from a café, forcing a bag over their heads, bundling them into the boot of a car – a very small boot I may add – and then tying them to a chair and forcing a review out of them? Oh yes, that’s very covert that.
RED DOG: Yeah, sorry about all that. Force of habit.
TBBB: ‘Force of habit’? You kidnap people often then?
RED DOG: …
TBBB: Okay, forget I asked that. Look, am I free to go or is there anything else you want to know?
RED DOG: As a matter of fact there is….
TBBB: I guessed there would be.
RED DOG: Is this book wurf readin’? Is it as good as the other three in the series? Why should we buy it?
TBBB: Well, finally, some very good questions.
RED DOG: See, Cujo ‘ere, he’s a fan of book 1 ‘Tainted Love‘, on account of his obsession wiv Marc Almond back in the day, ain’t that right Cujo?
CUJO: Oh yes. Couldn’t get enough of Soft Cell, me. That title just spoke to me and I loved the book, too. So I brought it to the group and the rest is geography.
RED DOG: History, Cujo. And Rameses here….
RAMESES: Hellooo..
RED DOG: … is a fan of book 3, ‘Careless Whisper‘ because…
TBBB: … of his love for George Michael?
RED DOG: Eh? Nah, because he loves the story, innit Ram’?
RAMESES: Oh yeah, great story that one. I used to dabble in the recording industry myself, so it kinda has a certain restaurant wif me.
TBBB: …
RED DOG: ‘E means, ‘resonance’. And he didn’t so much dabble as break a few knee caps at EMI back in the day because they wouldn’t listen to ‘is demo tape. That right, innit Ram’?
RAMESES: Dark times, boss, dark times.
RED DOG: But we’ve moved on from all that now and now we like to read about crime, not so much in the partaking of it. That right lads?
CUJO/RAMESES: (together, uncertain) Yeah, that’s right, Red Dog.
RED DOG: Me? I really enjoyed book 2, ‘Who’s That Girl‘. Ooh, bit o’ a dark storyline that one, but I do love a bit o’ dark, me. So, what we want to know is, is this one a good as those three?
TBBB: Well, if you’ll let me get a word in edgeways…. sorry, please don’t look at me that way… I can categorically state that… it is!
RED DOG/RAMESES/CUJO: (together) Hurrah!
TBBB: Hurrah indeed, for Crazy For You is a brilliant instalment in the Soho Noir series, furthering the characters of our beloved Joe and Russell, forging new relationships and testing existing ones. Amongst all of this we are introduced to new characters, letting us into their busy lives and taking us deeper into London’s Soho of the 1980s.
RED DOG: Ah, but what if we hadn’t ‘ave read the rest of the series? Could we ‘ave fearetically ‘ave read this one too?
TBBB: Oh yes, CFY can be easily read as a stand-alone, but as all of the books in this series are novellas of around 120 pages or so, it wouldn’t hurt to head over to the Red Dog website and avail yourself of the previous books in the series.
RED DOG: See, we knew you’d be worth kidnapping, um, I mean, inviting along to our little club. I’m going to pre-order it right now!
RAMESES: Hey, order one for me too, boss! I need it to go along wif the others on my shelf; they make a right tasty collection, all rainbowy.
CUJO: You may as well hook me up too, Boss! I have a little space reserved on my bookshelf for them.
RED DOG: Bloody ‘ell lads, I ain’t made of money, but seeing as Mr. Blogger ‘ere has recommended it so ‘ighly, I shall treat you all. The next book is on you, Beardy!
TBBB: Umm, okaaaaaay? Of course, I’d be only delighted to buy you all a copy of ‘Killer Queen’ when it is released in November. Ha ha, yes, highly delighted.
RED DOG: (clapping his hands together) Excellent. Boys, take Mr. Blogger ‘ere back to is café so ‘e can finish writing ‘is review, and if you ever need anyfin’ from us, you know where to find us.
TBBB: Well, um, actually, I don’t know where you are, you’re a secret book club, remember?
RED DOG: Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Ok, well, we know where you are, so if you ever want sumfin’ from us, we know where you are.
TBBB: Umm, okay, I’m not sure how that will work, but I’ll be sure to let you know if I ever do. Now, if you could….. oh, for pity’s sake, really? Another bag over the head?
RED DOG: We ‘ave to maintain our air of secrecy, I’m sure you’ll understand.
TBBB: And I suppose you’re going to put me in the boot again, haha….
RED DOG: Got it in one!
The Beardy Book Blogger 
Great review as always, knew you’d smash it!
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Blinking brilliant review as always!
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