Paul D. Brazill brings us a seedy high school teacher turned sleuth in Gumshoe Blues. The sarcasm can crack a whip in this short novel.
- Title: Gumshoe Blues: The Peter Ord Yarns
- Author: Paul D. Brazill
- Publisher: Close to the Bone on August 30, 2019
- Genre: Tragicomedy
- Format: e-ARC
- Pages: 101
- Rating: 4/5
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Following the breakdown of his marriage, in a booze-addled flash of inspiration, Peter Ord decides to become a private investigator. Dark farce and tragicomedy soon ensue. Peter must tackle many challenging cases, and when he comes under the radar of a local crime lord, he may have bitten off more than he can chew. With sidekicks, like boozy hack, Bryn Laden, failure is not an option – it’s compulsory.
Goodreads
My Review of Gumshoe Blues:
I must admit that I am a little bit in love with Ordy. He is as full of dung as he is booze. That is what makes him so magnetic. I didn’t laugh once through the whole story, but I did snort quite unladylike. Ordy has that effect on people, I suppose.
The sheer number of characters in this book is overwhelming at times, but they all belong there. I can’t put my finger on why, but mostly for ambiance, I think. They set the stage for the kind of seedy hangouts that the main character frequents.
I give props to the author for his fantastic descriptions of the setting, as well as those secondary characters. I could feel myself sitting across from Tuc drinking a good gin and tonic.
I award Gumshoe Blues 4 out of 5 stars because I was confused as often as I knew what was happening. There are massive shifts in the story, and some of the wording contradicts itself. However, it is a great read, and I recommend it to anyone who is up for a quick read with a little sass to go along with it.
About the Author:
Paul D. Brazill was born in Hartlepool, England and now lives in Bydgoszcz, Poland, where he’s been TEFL teaching for more than a decade.
His books include Last Year’s Man, A Case Of Noir, Guns Of Brixton, Small Time Crimes, and Kill Me Quick. He’s had stories published in various magazines and anthologies, including The Mammoth Book Of Best British Crime 8,10 and 11, and his writing has been translated in Italian, Polish, Finnish, German and Slovenian.
You can usually find him on Twitter @PaulDBrazill and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pauldavidbrazill/
Website: https://pauldbrazill.com/