Book Synopsis:
SOHO, 1935.
SERGEANT LEON GEATS’ PATCH.
A snarling, skull-cracking misanthrope, Geats marshals the grimy rabble according to his own elastic moral code.
The narrow alleys are brimming with jazz bars, bookies, blackshirts, ponces and tarts so when a body is found above the Windmill Club, detectives are content to dismiss the case as just another young woman who topped herself early.
But Geats – a good man prepared to be a bad one if it keeps the worst of them at bay – knows the dark seams of the city.
Working with his former partner, mercenary Flying Squad sergeant Mark Cassar, Geats obsessively dedicates himself to finding a warped killer – a decision that will reverberate for a lifetime and transform both men in ways they could never expect.
My Review:
Vine Street is a powerful, atmospheric and entertaining read from a new author for me.
Firstly the author has clearly done his research and I felt fully transported to London between the wars. I loved roaming the streets and exploring the Soho bars with the characters. It’s one of my favourite eras so I eagerly drank in every little detail of the fantastic world the author has created.
The story focuses mainly on three main characters Cassar, Geats and Billy. It was great fun to follow these characters through the mean streets of Soho and to see how they changed over time. The author gives the reader lots of time to really get to know the characters, so they feel like old friends, and I found myself feeling quite affectionate towards them as the story went on. I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen to them but also wanted to stop and savour it as I really didn’t want the story to end.
Overall I really enjoyed this book which I have continued to think about long after reading. It is a bit of a slow burn to start with but I didn’t mind as I loved spending time in the characters world. There are some wonderful twists which took me by surprise and I loved seeing the story unravel as it had much more too it then I originally thought.
Huge thanks to Rosie from Headline for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.
About The Author:
VINE STREET is Dominic Nolan’s third novel, following his widely acclaimed books PAST LIFE and AFTER DARK.
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