Whenever anyone writes fiction about politics there's always the danger of making it too reactionary; too raw. Knee-jerk observations and hot takes that don't age well or properly capture the spirit of the moment. It takes a truly talented writer to be able to capture the zeitgeist of a particular event or era of political history. Austerity Britain, the student riots, Donald Trump, Brexit – so much of what is, and has been, written in the immediate aftermath of these phenomena has been proven by time to be frothy and insubstantial and ultimately not particularly powerful or incisive. Inevitably (and perhaps disappointingly for people who do enjoy fiction of this nature), the best writing about current political events is that which is written when the events in question are no longer current and when time and experience has afforded the writer the benefit of a more objective view.
| White Riot by Joe Thomas | |
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| Category: Crime | |
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Reviewer: Stephen Leach
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| Summary: Pacey, punchy, and incredibly clever, this look into the racial tensions of Thatcherite Britain is a powerful and engaging thriller and a story I can't wait to see continued. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 400 | Date: January 2023 |
| Publisher: Arcadia Books | |
| ISBN: 978-1529423372 | |
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White Riot is an example that proves this to be true. This book captures the mood of Thatcher's Britain in a way I haven't read before. It has that sense of a knowing, analytical look at history rather than the urgent passion of something written in the heat of the moment. Key to the success of this novel also is Thomas's accomplishment in creating a fascinating portrait of a London that doesn't really exist anymore, or at least one that's eons away from the one I'm familiar with. Every time you start to feel like this setting is a primitive or remote sort of place Thomas manages to uncomfortably remind you that this is real; that this place existed not all that long ago.
This duality in the setting is embodied well by the book's protagonist Patrick Noble. A detective called back from the professional wilderness to investigate a racially charged murder, his sense of guilt and resentment is further amplified by the ethical conundrum that he himself helped bring this society about when he participated in a plot to bring down the previous government. It's a fascinating way to give the protagonist a stake in events without tying him directly to the case he's involved in. While the political commentary here is often overt, it works well without feeling preachy or overly detached because the results are manifest in the events unfolding here. Perhaps ironically given my thoughts on the timing of political fiction, it's certainly timely considering the renewed scrutiny on the police in recent years – but then some things never change.
And on the most enjoyable note, Thomas's prose is whip-smart – clever and lean, with voices that sound effortlessly real. He's got a real knack for making a character seem authentic with only one or two turns of phrase, and getting you onside almost too quickly; I was immediately taken with Suzi, the journalist trying to uncover the truth of the police's mismanagement and corruption, and longed for her to succeed. This talent is to put to its best use in the running thread of scenes from the viewpoint of none other than Thatcher herself as she first prepares for, and then manages, the demands of power. Again, this doesn't feel ironic or caricatured, and in fact makes her feel perhaps the most rounded character in the piece.
White Riot is a fantastic story – perfectly paced, layered with meaning, foreboding and energetic, and stuffed full of characters I wanted to see more of. It could have been a perfectly adequate standalone, but I was delighted to learn it's to be the first of three. Bring on the next one!
But until then, to satisfy the itch this book has given me, I can recommend some further reading. The Great Wide Open by Douglas Kennedy is another book that takes a sweeping, wide-ranging backwards view of recent (American) history in a powerful and analytical way. In terms of crime, Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda Novak is one that I've reread several times since I first reviewed it. It's tense and pacey and electrifyingly scary – not to be missed.
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