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newson66's review against another edition
2.0
I kind of felt I had read this story before, a little too familiar to Anthony Frewin's London Blues which I though was excellent.
Whilst not totally plagiarised London Blues this had enough about it to make it an interesting plunge into the dark side of Swinging London. A little over written and plodding at times but well worth a read.
Whilst not totally plagiarised London Blues this had enough about it to make it an interesting plunge into the dark side of Swinging London. A little over written and plodding at times but well worth a read.
robert_vardill's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Billed by no less than bestselling author David Peace as the English answer to The Black Dahlia, Bad Penny Blues has a lot to live up to. For the most part, it met the hype.
There are two concurrent stories going on here, both of which brush against each other in the setting of Swinging 60s London. One is a rising star detective who is trying to figure out what’s behind the brutal murders of random women, most of the prostitutes. The other is an up-and-coming clothing designer who has a gift of foresight into who the women are and how they are being killed.
I would have expected to enjoy the former more than the latter but Unsworth does a great job fleshing out both characters. She probably gives more detail to the designer/medium but that’s fine. I’ve read plenty of grizzled, lone wolf detectives to know what ensues with a person like that. All the while, she does a great job building the story from small time murders, to front-page grabbing sensations while the two heroes poke behind the curtain for both empathy (medium) and conspiracy (detective).
It is through the designer’s profession and the detective’s investigation that we get good looks at what London was like during this particular time. I always appreciate writers who give me just enough atmosphere without laying it on too thick. Unsworth is good at that. I learned a lot about a place and culture that I’m not too familiar with, having visited London but for two days in 2013. The postwar kids just wanted to have fun, the wartime adults were psychologically ruined and it all plays out in 430 pages.
There are quibbles about pacing and editing. This could have been about 25-50 pages lighter. But it’s still a good read and it’s nice to have a feminine touch on a male serial killer story.
There are two concurrent stories going on here, both of which brush against each other in the setting of Swinging 60s London. One is a rising star detective who is trying to figure out what’s behind the brutal murders of random women, most of the prostitutes. The other is an up-and-coming clothing designer who has a gift of foresight into who the women are and how they are being killed.
I would have expected to enjoy the former more than the latter but Unsworth does a great job fleshing out both characters. She probably gives more detail to the designer/medium but that’s fine. I’ve read plenty of grizzled, lone wolf detectives to know what ensues with a person like that. All the while, she does a great job building the story from small time murders, to front-page grabbing sensations while the two heroes poke behind the curtain for both empathy (medium) and conspiracy (detective).
It is through the designer’s profession and the detective’s investigation that we get good looks at what London was like during this particular time. I always appreciate writers who give me just enough atmosphere without laying it on too thick. Unsworth is good at that. I learned a lot about a place and culture that I’m not too familiar with, having visited London but for two days in 2013. The postwar kids just wanted to have fun, the wartime adults were psychologically ruined and it all plays out in 430 pages.
There are quibbles about pacing and editing. This could have been about 25-50 pages lighter. But it’s still a good read and it’s nice to have a feminine touch on a male serial killer story.
phillyward's review
4.0
3.5-4 stars. A really enjoyable and beautifully researched read that takes you through 1960s London with a colourful cast of characters. I didn't enjoy it as much as Weirdo (which I adored) but it was a fascinating read. It starts off strong, then the story dips slightly until page 200 and then it returns and becomes an addictive read. Can't wait to read more than Cathi Unsworth. She is an incredibly talented author.
rosseroo's review
3.0
This fictional take on the unsolved real-life "Jack the Stripper" murders in London from 1959-64 delve deeply into the era's sordid side. The city is on the cusp of breaking out of the postwar gloom and into the so-called "Swinging Sixties", but meanwhile, someone is killing prostitutes and dumping them in the Thames. The story alternates between two characters: copper Pete (who rises from patrolman to detective inspector over the course of the story) and Stella (who rises from art student to acclaimed fashion designer over the course of the story). The former finds the first body and is later deeply involved in the hunt for the killer, while the latter is tied to the killings through her psychic "gift," which allows her to experience the last minutes of each woman's death.
That's right, for some reason, what could have been a perfectly good gritty noir is marred by an unnecessary dose of the supernatural. Now, I'm not completely opposed to mixing the supernatural and the crime genre (for example, Colin Cotterhill's Laos-set series does it quite well), but here it jars badly. I can only imagine that the author had decided to write about the burgeoning art and music scene of the time, and felt the need to connect that aspect to the murders much more directly than it already was. It's not a good choice, but nor does it wreck the book -- it's more of an irritant.
The story oozes atmosphere, and anyone interest in the cultural history of modern London will probably find it worth reading on those merits (Colin MacInnes' trilogy is clearly a heavy influence). Those with an interest in music of the era will also have fun matching some of the fictional characters to their real-world counterparts (the two I'm pretty certain of are the pioneering producer Joe Meeks and the provocateur Screaming Lord Sutch). On the whole, it's a sleazy world, and as the story progresses, it comes as little surprise that plot elements and characters start to mingle with the Profumo Affair. And if you're familiar with that, then the ultimate destination of the story should come as little surprise.
So, while the book is pretty engaging and full of atmosphere, by the end it starts to feel a bit like a nostalgic synthesis of 50-year old touchstones: the rise of modern art, the birth of British rock-and-roll, subcultures like Teddy Boys, the sleazy West End before it was gentrified, the high-level corruption, the lords and ladies up to their eyeballs in porn and S&M, and soforth. It's all remarkably well-done, but I'm not sure to what extent readers will find it satisfying.
Note: Those interested in the real-life case can find plenty of info about it in various serial killer anthologies, as well as two hard to find books published about a decade after the events: Murder Was My Business by John Du Rose (the autobiography of the cop who led the investigation) and Found Naked and Dead by Brian McConnell.
That's right, for some reason, what could have been a perfectly good gritty noir is marred by an unnecessary dose of the supernatural. Now, I'm not completely opposed to mixing the supernatural and the crime genre (for example, Colin Cotterhill's Laos-set series does it quite well), but here it jars badly. I can only imagine that the author had decided to write about the burgeoning art and music scene of the time, and felt the need to connect that aspect to the murders much more directly than it already was. It's not a good choice, but nor does it wreck the book -- it's more of an irritant.
The story oozes atmosphere, and anyone interest in the cultural history of modern London will probably find it worth reading on those merits (Colin MacInnes' trilogy is clearly a heavy influence). Those with an interest in music of the era will also have fun matching some of the fictional characters to their real-world counterparts (the two I'm pretty certain of are the pioneering producer Joe Meeks and the provocateur Screaming Lord Sutch). On the whole, it's a sleazy world, and as the story progresses, it comes as little surprise that plot elements and characters start to mingle with the Profumo Affair. And if you're familiar with that, then the ultimate destination of the story should come as little surprise.
So, while the book is pretty engaging and full of atmosphere, by the end it starts to feel a bit like a nostalgic synthesis of 50-year old touchstones: the rise of modern art, the birth of British rock-and-roll, subcultures like Teddy Boys, the sleazy West End before it was gentrified, the high-level corruption, the lords and ladies up to their eyeballs in porn and S&M, and soforth. It's all remarkably well-done, but I'm not sure to what extent readers will find it satisfying.
Note: Those interested in the real-life case can find plenty of info about it in various serial killer anthologies, as well as two hard to find books published about a decade after the events: Murder Was My Business by John Du Rose (the autobiography of the cop who led the investigation) and Found Naked and Dead by Brian McConnell.
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