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hieronymusbotched's review against another edition
5.0
Now entirely convinced Derek Raymond was the British Chandler, having effectively written Thatcher-era detective novels with a death-drive so profound Will Self is called upon to pen the introduction, saying the author "took the detective procedural far further - down the road to full blown existentialist horror."
The Factory series only gets better by the page.
Extremely excited for the fourth volume, often lauded as the best (and most upsetting, if it's possible this instalment can be topped in its empathy for the grief and atrocities of time that life demands we bear witness to).
The Factory series only gets better by the page.
Extremely excited for the fourth volume, often lauded as the best (and most upsetting, if it's possible this instalment can be topped in its empathy for the grief and atrocities of time that life demands we bear witness to).
geemont235's review
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
testpattern's review
3.0
This is the worst of the Factory Series. The crime at hand makes not a lick of sense, the Detective Sergeant is just as world-weary and morally outraged as ever.
jcbmathcat's review against another edition
3.0
Derek Raymond is "widely admired as the godfather of the British noir novel." I think someone on Tumblr recommended him, and I had to search the Marina offerings through the Maryland library in order to find a copies of his books.
His protagonist is a nameless police sergeant who is never promoted and likes it that way. He speaks his mind, ruffling feathers everywhere he goes, but he gets the job done.
He is sent to Wiltshire to look into a disappearance that occurred six months ago but was never reported. Things only become more horrifying.
The plot was interesting and "hard boiled." I also found myself re-reading passages because of the writing style.
I don't know if I'll seek out another of Raymond's books, but I might.
His protagonist is a nameless police sergeant who is never promoted and likes it that way. He speaks his mind, ruffling feathers everywhere he goes, but he gets the job done.
He is sent to Wiltshire to look into a disappearance that occurred six months ago but was never reported. Things only become more horrifying.
The plot was interesting and "hard boiled." I also found myself re-reading passages because of the writing style.
I don't know if I'll seek out another of Raymond's books, but I might.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Despite some warning signs that a twist was coming, I still anticipated this following the same pattern as the other two Factory novels I read: figuring out the killer halfway followed by a long denouement as the detective and his companion ruminate on the meaning of life and death.
But holy crap, that twist.
In some ways, it didn’t change the trajectory of the book or its tragic element. But it still was not what I was expecting at all, even with the signs. And it added an edge to the book and to Raymond’s existential musings through his detective surrogate that I have to imagine will stick with me.
Still here is the compassion and empathy for England’s underclass; survivors of a rotting post-empire helmed by a Know Nothing dunderhead. Raymond provides many great lines in his works and this is one which speaks to its context...
As for me, I set my webs in the dark and wait for my prey to come to me.
My prey is never innocent; it causes me wicked and frightening dreams, I am alone against it. All I want is for our democracy to be rid of violent bores.
I don’t mind how it’s done if we protect the innocent.
I don’t know if this is better than He Died With His Eyes Open but it will perhaps stay with me longer than that book did.
But holy crap, that twist.
In some ways, it didn’t change the trajectory of the book or its tragic element. But it still was not what I was expecting at all, even with the signs. And it added an edge to the book and to Raymond’s existential musings through his detective surrogate that I have to imagine will stick with me.
Still here is the compassion and empathy for England’s underclass; survivors of a rotting post-empire helmed by a Know Nothing dunderhead. Raymond provides many great lines in his works and this is one which speaks to its context...
As for me, I set my webs in the dark and wait for my prey to come to me.
My prey is never innocent; it causes me wicked and frightening dreams, I am alone against it. All I want is for our democracy to be rid of violent bores.
I don’t mind how it’s done if we protect the innocent.
I don’t know if this is better than He Died With His Eyes Open but it will perhaps stay with me longer than that book did.
katspectre67's review
3.0
The cover said things like 'British noir'. Whatever-the-hell that is. The forard by Will Self was refreshingly honest in admitting he hadn't read it until asked to write a forward to it,but make it clear he has agreed to do so because he rated Raymond.
I love a nice bit of noir hard-bitten cop action, and I was initially quite satisfied with the traditional Cop Who Is Horrid to Everyone In Pursuit of the Truth. Next thing I know, I am swerving into a 2-page treatise on the nature of povery and our collective failure to address it. A quality rant, but a rant, nonetheless. Then, just when I had got used to the odd digression into political philosophy, I find myself suddenly slap-bang in the midst of a full-on grotesque nightmare somewhere between EA Poe and poppy Z Brite. Quite trippy and disturbing.
BUT evidence from this little tome(which to be fair is the only of th author'sI have read) suggests the guy has a view of women that takes traditional noir suspicion/fascination into the realms of downright revulsion. If anyone can identify a single female character who is neither evil, crazy or king of rotting (sometimes literally), or a mix of any and all of the above, they have sharper eyes than I. (I can think of one reception,but she is mentioned only, and is not actually a part of the narrative). Shame. I would have really enjoyed the read if I didn't keep getting distracted by having to turn the other cheek.
I love a nice bit of noir hard-bitten cop action, and I was initially quite satisfied with the traditional Cop Who Is Horrid to Everyone In Pursuit of the Truth. Next thing I know, I am swerving into a 2-page treatise on the nature of povery and our collective failure to address it. A quality rant, but a rant, nonetheless. Then, just when I had got used to the odd digression into political philosophy, I find myself suddenly slap-bang in the midst of a full-on grotesque nightmare somewhere between EA Poe and poppy Z Brite. Quite trippy and disturbing.
BUT evidence from this little tome(which to be fair is the only of th author'sI have read) suggests the guy has a view of women that takes traditional noir suspicion/fascination into the realms of downright revulsion. If anyone can identify a single female character who is neither evil, crazy or king of rotting (sometimes literally), or a mix of any and all of the above, they have sharper eyes than I. (I can think of one reception,but she is mentioned only, and is not actually a part of the narrative). Shame. I would have really enjoyed the read if I didn't keep getting distracted by having to turn the other cheek.
piccoline's review
3.0
Weakest of the first 3 Factory novels, despite some beautifully despair-filled standalone asides. The plot isn't great and some of the tell-offs feel more by-the-numbers.
I'll still read Dora Suarez, though. No doubt.
I'll still read Dora Suarez, though. No doubt.
janhicks's review
3.0
A change of scene in this book, as our nameless detective sergeant heads to the countryside to investigate the disappearance of a doctor's wife. Less violent than the previous two in the series, and more poignant. There are times when the prose is slightly too florid, and times when the story needs to move on but becomes mired in Raymond's extemporising and theosophising, but over all it's a good yarn with a tragic ending.
alanfederman's review
3.0
This is the third in the "Factory" series - a very dark noir collection featuring an unnamed detective who is part avenging angel and part philosopher. His tactics are unorthodox and he delves more into the nature of crime rather than the crime itself. This book took a bit to get going. It was set in a rural area outside of London and thought the themes were captivating there were a few too many "small town" stereotypes". He's written better.
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