In the World From the Big House to Hollywood - Richard Stratton - It was written in the stars!
Skyhorse Publishing
Arcade Publishing
GENRE -True Crime
Publication Date - 4th of February 2020
1990, Manhatten, New York City. Writer/drug-dealer Richard Stratton is about to leave prison. Having been an industrious drug-dealer (think an American version of Howard Marks), Stratton is released having beaten the system, released on a technicality, and this ex-drug dealer is schooled in the art of law and order. Whilst inside Stratton has trained as a forensic specialist, oh yeah, he's also a writer his novel 'Smack Goddess' is about to be published. Richard Stratton is a great storyteller, a passionate writer, and has friends in very (excuse the pun) high places.
Upon release from prison (on parole when he shouldn't have been) he's offered a job with a law firm, a substantial amount of cahs to publish his book, and life seems good again. With the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other- you wonder how long Richard Stratton will last outside in the real world. What follows is Stratton's story of rejoining the real world, engaging with an array of colourful characters; from mafia legends to a best friend (American writer) Norman Mailer, actors Dustin Hoffman & Sly Stallone, to writing a successful series for HBO, getting married and having kids, all whilst fighting an insatiable urge to go against the American legal system and return to type by dealing one final time. He doesn't. However, Richard Stratton is obviously a highly educated and articulate writer. Whether writing about Mafia court cases or his lust for a dental receptionist, 'In The World' manages to mix murky true crime, with an insight into the TV / Film industry 'street time' publishing 'slam' and his passionate interest in American crime (Harry Chapin, Mike Tyson). The fascinating relationship he has with a septuagenarian mobster is true serendipity.
My only criticism would be that when reading a book by such a talented writer of prose, poetry, film, documentary, and prison life, I would be interested to learn more about how Richard Stratton really writes, an insight into how he does it, the influences, where did his story begin?. More of that and less of the minutia mafia detail. That said, this is a very enjoyable book.
If you'd like to read more from this writer, check him out on goodreads.com
ALL THE RAGE - CARA HUNTER ; It's exactly how crime fiction should be!
ALL THE RAGE by Cara Hunter is the 3rd book in the D.I Fawley series. Although, having never read a book from the series before, you certainly don't need too to become immersed in this engaging and easily readable crime novel.
A thoroughly modern story that's set in Oxford, UK, 2018, its less 'Inspector Morse' and more 'Line of Duty' in terms of crime fiction. Yep, that's right, TV's biggest crime series has just met its match. When a college girl (with a secret) is attacked in broad daylight, a small investigation is opened. When another school disappears and is later found dead, things get a lot more serious and a 'roadside rapist' from 20 years earlier is suspected, a case that D.I Fawley was heavily involved in. Was the wrong man jailed for the attacks? it certainly seems so. As the narrative unravels, our protagonist almost takes a backseat, his team take charge, and as two crimes are investigated, are we lead to the same culprit?
Fawley's diary acts a compelling narrative tool giving the reader insight an into his past, and whilst he leads the investigation, to begin with, he's forced to take a step back and we learn more about the investigation team, with strong characterisation and some great police procedural insight.
Cara Hunter peppers the prose with modern cultural references (expect twitter feeds, and screenshots of text messages), fashionistas, the clique click of teenage schoolgirl life, a slippery suspicious teacher, an insidious yet highly believable modus operandi, and easily likeable characters. It ends not how you expect, it's full of unsuspecting twists and turns, and it compelling throughout - exactly how crime fiction should be!
ALL THE RAGE is published in January 2020 by Penguin
Huge thanks to NetGalley for allowing google books to review our first crime fiction book!
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