Kiss Me Quick by Danny Miller
| Kiss Me Quick by Danny Miller | |
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| Category: Crime | |
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Reviewer: Louise Laurie
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| Summary: We're in 1960s Brighton in amongst all the Mods and Rockers. But a smart London detective is in the area and he's not there for the bracing sea air - he has other things on his mind like corruption, extortion, drugs and the odd murder to solve. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Maybe |
| Pages: 320 | Date: March 2011 |
| Publisher: Robinson | |
| ISBN: 978-1849015165 | |
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The jacket cover is certainly eye-catching, a nice sepia-tinged photograph of Brighton seafront. The Prologue opens in the year 1939, also in the Brighton area. A young Jack Regent is enjoying the start of what appears to be a new life. He's apparently paid the price for previous 'events' and is now a reformed character. Or is he? The next couple of pages would suggest otherwise. But then again, Jack's smart, very smart. He makes sure that he doesn't get his hands dirty. He leaves that for others. For the mugs.
Straight away I got the impression that Jack well, leaves an impression on whoever he meets. He's a legend in his own town apparently. Miller does an excellent job in giving his readers a sense of danger early on in the book. Scores need to be settled etc. In other words, Jack's back and he's king of the underworld castle. The Prologue finishes on a nice cliffhanger. I was eager to read on ...
We then meet up with Detective Vince Treadwell who's based in London. And the reader is taken into the seediness of Soho - the strip clubs and the gambling joints. Miller has a terrific creative take, on names, in particular. For example, there's the Peek-A-Boo Club. (I'm assuming it's fictitious). There's also mention of some girl pop bands such as: The Morning Afters, The One Night Stands and The Hard-Ons. Brilliant creativity. And generally the book gets off to a cracking start. The narrative and the characters' dialogues are also good and credible. Lots of gangster-speak, down-and-dirty jokes, slang words, witty nicknames etc. However, there's also a helluva lot happening in this book as there's a pretty big fistful of characters almost fighting for space on the page. A tad too frenetic at times.
And the 1960s decade plays its part too. The reader is treated to the fashions of the day, the television programmes and the recent film and book releases, for example. A veritable potted history. I really loved the first couple of chapters. There's a piece early on in the story which serves to highlight beautifully the stupidity and narrow-mindedness of the local police force when discussing our 'coloured cousins', shall we say. I burst out laughing because it was so funny. But then the book took a bit of a dip in the middle section (like a souffle) before rising again towards the end. I can mention a couple of reasons why. Unfortunately Miller repeats himself on more than one occasion (one is forgivable) and in my opinion, he has way too many characters. Could be a little confusing for some readers. Rather than creating a smooth storyline, it does the opposite. The plot has far too many twists and turns and it's far too busy. Some readers may not be prepared to put in the hard work figuring out who's who. It's as if Miller has thrown everything bar the kitchen sink at his book in an effort to impress.
And as Vince prods, digs and investigates in his own unique manner, he gets himself in deeper and deeper. I just feel that if Miller had reigned himself in a bit, it would have been a better book. The essence of the plot would have stood out. Overall, the book did not live up to my initial expectations, I'm afraid.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.
If this book appeals then try The Chemistry Of Death by Simon Beckett.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Kiss Me Quick by Danny Miller at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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