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ewanl's review
5.0
I bought this book because my last 13 years in the Air Force were spent in Lincolnshire, in one of the snooty cliff villages that – in spite of taking barely an hour to travel from one to the other – are a million miles away from the flat-lands between the coast and the Lincolnshire Wolds. Having played rugby in Lincoln prison (they don’t play away matches), my interest was piqued by the fact that the novel’s protagonist leaves it on page one.
This blog-post’s title says it all really. It’s a tag-line used by the author himself, as I recall, and he’s on the nail.
Gripping, gritty and gangland-savvy, Griffin’s East of England guides us on the usual loner’s quest through the mean-streets of a thinly disguised Mablethorpe, Skegness (the real Skeg Vegas) and the market town of Louth. Matlock leaves prison after two years in Lincoln nick at a time in the not too distant past, where the world is wired by cable and copper wire and people use handsets in telephone booths. The author does not hit us over the head with historical detail but evokes this different time with subtlety and finesse. I would put it in Mid-Thatcher period, but honestly, it was only after finishing the book that I started wondering about that at all. Yes, it was that good.
One cover quote refers to an English Jack Reacher, but I think it’s much better than that.
No, far more telling is the source of another cover quote, Nick Triplow, the author of Getting Carter: Ted Lewis and the Birth of Brit Noir. Matlock owes far more to Carter than Reacher, and that is a very good thing.
Violent, with a truly chilling villain at its core, East of England is the first in a series of novels featuring Matlock. I for one will be on board for the fairground ride of the next instalment.
This blog-post’s title says it all really. It’s a tag-line used by the author himself, as I recall, and he’s on the nail.
Gripping, gritty and gangland-savvy, Griffin’s East of England guides us on the usual loner’s quest through the mean-streets of a thinly disguised Mablethorpe, Skegness (the real Skeg Vegas) and the market town of Louth. Matlock leaves prison after two years in Lincoln nick at a time in the not too distant past, where the world is wired by cable and copper wire and people use handsets in telephone booths. The author does not hit us over the head with historical detail but evokes this different time with subtlety and finesse. I would put it in Mid-Thatcher period, but honestly, it was only after finishing the book that I started wondering about that at all. Yes, it was that good.
One cover quote refers to an English Jack Reacher, but I think it’s much better than that.
No, far more telling is the source of another cover quote, Nick Triplow, the author of Getting Carter: Ted Lewis and the Birth of Brit Noir. Matlock owes far more to Carter than Reacher, and that is a very good thing.
Violent, with a truly chilling villain at its core, East of England is the first in a series of novels featuring Matlock. I for one will be on board for the fairground ride of the next instalment.
ridgewaygirl's review
4.0
If Lee Child and Daniel Woodrell went to Lincolnshire together to write a novel, it might look a lot like Eamonn Griffin's East of England. This is a gritty thriller, a fast-paced noir set in the flat agricultural areas and amusement arcade-covered beach towns of eastern Lincolnshire.
Dan Matlock walks out of the prison, where he has spent the past two years for accidentally killing a man with his car, and across the road to the adjacent hospital carpark where he steals a car to drive home. He wants to see his father, but first he has a plan he needs to set into motion. Two years has given him a lot of time to think about what happened and to stew in his need for revenge. But even a well-laid plan will not hold out in the light of day and it's not long before Dan is just trying to figure out what is going on.
A lot happens in this novel, much of it violent, but Dan is not entirely on his own. There's his old employer, Big Chris, for whom he used to help collecting money from people who don't keep up with their payments and there's the old guy he meets in the caravan park where he is renting a place to live. There's the receptionist at the nursing home and, in an odd way, the head of the crime family that sent him to prison. This is a novel where criminals face off against slightly worse criminals, where the seaside attractions are showing their age and the family farms have given way to giant factory farms. Lincolnshire comes to life as Dan goes about his business, but often the plot is interrupted by sections that regurgitated from road maps and guides to local attractions. Overall, though, this is a solid novel and I look forward to seeing what Dan Matlock gets up to next.
Dan Matlock walks out of the prison, where he has spent the past two years for accidentally killing a man with his car, and across the road to the adjacent hospital carpark where he steals a car to drive home. He wants to see his father, but first he has a plan he needs to set into motion. Two years has given him a lot of time to think about what happened and to stew in his need for revenge. But even a well-laid plan will not hold out in the light of day and it's not long before Dan is just trying to figure out what is going on.
A lot happens in this novel, much of it violent, but Dan is not entirely on his own. There's his old employer, Big Chris, for whom he used to help collecting money from people who don't keep up with their payments and there's the old guy he meets in the caravan park where he is renting a place to live. There's the receptionist at the nursing home and, in an odd way, the head of the crime family that sent him to prison. This is a novel where criminals face off against slightly worse criminals, where the seaside attractions are showing their age and the family farms have given way to giant factory farms. Lincolnshire comes to life as Dan goes about his business, but often the plot is interrupted by sections that regurgitated from road maps and guides to local attractions. Overall, though, this is a solid novel and I look forward to seeing what Dan Matlock gets up to next.
rogerb's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don't know how this got onto my "to read" list. It's published by unbound, of whom I approve.
Griffin writes in a particular style - pithy, in your face staccato. It took a bit of time to stop regarding this as an annoying affectation and to enjoy it, but on balance it works well. I wonder if all his books are this way, or maybe it's reserved for Matlock. I have to assume there's more than one Matlock book.
I did enjoy the way he painted a picture of contemporary desolation in parts of Englend; he frequently found one liners that captured this sort of thing quite well for me. I also rather enjoyed the way that almost everyone in the book was criminal to some extent or another; good to see the reader's hero graduating to murder.
I'd happily pick up another of his.
Griffin writes in a particular style - pithy, in your face staccato. It took a bit of time to stop regarding this as an annoying affectation and to enjoy it, but on balance it works well. I wonder if all his books are this way, or maybe it's reserved for Matlock. I have to assume there's more than one Matlock book.
I did enjoy the way he painted a picture of contemporary desolation in parts of Englend; he frequently found one liners that captured this sort of thing quite well for me. I also rather enjoyed the way that almost everyone in the book was criminal to some extent or another; good to see the reader's hero graduating to murder.
I'd happily pick up another of his.
toofondofbooks's review
4.0
East of England follows Dan Matlock as he gets out of prison after serving two years for causing the death of a man. He’s expecting his dad to meet him but no one is waiting for him. What follows is Dan trying to track down his dad whilst also laying a trail so that the family that caused him to be locked up can find him, and that past can be put to rest once and for all!
This isn’t my normal type of read but I very much enjoyed this book, it was so hard to put down and I read it in a couple of sittings! Dan Matlock is such a great character, one that will stay with me. He’s so much more complex than I thought he was going to be and I really appreciated that. I loved how he’s seeking to avenge himself by whatever means necessary and yet he always makes sure to look after people who need looking after. He takes time with people who he sees are lonely, even when he doesn’t have the time to give.
We follow Dan over the course of a week as he gradually gets closer to the day when things from the past will have to be put right. He immediately gets work as a debt collector with an old mate Chris, and starts scoping out the Minton and Corrigan families so he can lay a trail for them to find him. There is a great creeping undertone of menace as this novel goes on, it’s unsettling because you know the situation will come to a head and it’s just a matter of when and how. The reveals when they come are shocking, and at times violent, but it’s all in keeping with the build up.
The novel is set in the present but we also get flashes of the past and what led to Dan been put in prison, and also some really moving stories of Dan with his dad. Gradually you get a fuller picture of who Dan is and how he ended up in the situation he’s in.
The sense of place in this novel was spot on. Griffin makes Lincolnshire feel like another character in this novel – the feel of the county was done in such a way that I felt I could see everywhere he describes, I could smell the seaside and the fish and chips. It brought the book alive for me and I got so lost in it that it was like watching a film.
East of England is dark and gritty novel, that has some really moving moments in amongst the heavier stuff. I found this book near impossible to put down, and am so thrilled to discover that a second book featuring Dan Matlock is planned! I definitely recommend this one.
This isn’t my normal type of read but I very much enjoyed this book, it was so hard to put down and I read it in a couple of sittings! Dan Matlock is such a great character, one that will stay with me. He’s so much more complex than I thought he was going to be and I really appreciated that. I loved how he’s seeking to avenge himself by whatever means necessary and yet he always makes sure to look after people who need looking after. He takes time with people who he sees are lonely, even when he doesn’t have the time to give.
We follow Dan over the course of a week as he gradually gets closer to the day when things from the past will have to be put right. He immediately gets work as a debt collector with an old mate Chris, and starts scoping out the Minton and Corrigan families so he can lay a trail for them to find him. There is a great creeping undertone of menace as this novel goes on, it’s unsettling because you know the situation will come to a head and it’s just a matter of when and how. The reveals when they come are shocking, and at times violent, but it’s all in keeping with the build up.
The novel is set in the present but we also get flashes of the past and what led to Dan been put in prison, and also some really moving stories of Dan with his dad. Gradually you get a fuller picture of who Dan is and how he ended up in the situation he’s in.
The sense of place in this novel was spot on. Griffin makes Lincolnshire feel like another character in this novel – the feel of the county was done in such a way that I felt I could see everywhere he describes, I could smell the seaside and the fish and chips. It brought the book alive for me and I got so lost in it that it was like watching a film.
East of England is dark and gritty novel, that has some really moving moments in amongst the heavier stuff. I found this book near impossible to put down, and am so thrilled to discover that a second book featuring Dan Matlock is planned! I definitely recommend this one.
raven88's review
4.0
Alerted to the presence of this book via social media, the synopsis instantly grabbed me, and with the plus point of being set in a part of the UK that I am not aware of having read about before, this looked to be a sure-fire winner. I was not wrong, and I was completely delighted by this gritty tale of rural noir…
Set in and around the open flatlands of Lincolnshire, East of England, is a sparely written, but no less compelling account of one man’s thirst for revenge and atonement after a lengthy prison spell for manslaughter. I found that the sparsity of the prose mirrored the anodyne nature of the landscape perfectly, and to a certain degree the smallness and petty criminalities of the people’s lives that Griffin so effectively describes here. This is a small, claustrophobic world, that has moved on little since Matlock’s incarceration, and as he revisits traces of his past there is an overwhelming feeling of how slowly time has passed both inside and outside the prison walls, and how easily Matlock can track down those who have wronged him.
Speaking of which, I loved the way that in describing individual’s physical qualities, Griffin pares them back with a sharp simplicity often highlighting their less attractive features with a rapier wit. Everyone has a certain unattractiveness about them in either appearance or demeanour, but cleverly Griffin manipulates these to keep us fascinated by this collection of nutters, criminals and general oddballs. Matlock himself is a wonderfully mercurial figure, subject to sudden and lethal outbursts of violence and ill-humour, but also demonstrating a more empathetic and charitable side to his character sharply at odds with his bad-boy demeanour. I thought he was an incredibly appealing and unpredictable character, hell-bent on revenge, but quick-thinking and resourceful at every stage, but I was aware of an emotional distance between us and him that I found intriguing. This put me very much in mind of the work of say Ted Lewis (Get Carter) and as Matlock traverses this grim and unrelenting landscape I was sharply reminded of the immortal opening to that seminal film.
I thought this was an accomplished and very enjoyable debut- gritty, tense, violent yet punctuated with moments of pathos and wit at odds with the depressing landscape, and the cast of really quite unlikeable characters. I am keen to see what Griffin produces next, as I would highly recommend this one.
Set in and around the open flatlands of Lincolnshire, East of England, is a sparely written, but no less compelling account of one man’s thirst for revenge and atonement after a lengthy prison spell for manslaughter. I found that the sparsity of the prose mirrored the anodyne nature of the landscape perfectly, and to a certain degree the smallness and petty criminalities of the people’s lives that Griffin so effectively describes here. This is a small, claustrophobic world, that has moved on little since Matlock’s incarceration, and as he revisits traces of his past there is an overwhelming feeling of how slowly time has passed both inside and outside the prison walls, and how easily Matlock can track down those who have wronged him.
Speaking of which, I loved the way that in describing individual’s physical qualities, Griffin pares them back with a sharp simplicity often highlighting their less attractive features with a rapier wit. Everyone has a certain unattractiveness about them in either appearance or demeanour, but cleverly Griffin manipulates these to keep us fascinated by this collection of nutters, criminals and general oddballs. Matlock himself is a wonderfully mercurial figure, subject to sudden and lethal outbursts of violence and ill-humour, but also demonstrating a more empathetic and charitable side to his character sharply at odds with his bad-boy demeanour. I thought he was an incredibly appealing and unpredictable character, hell-bent on revenge, but quick-thinking and resourceful at every stage, but I was aware of an emotional distance between us and him that I found intriguing. This put me very much in mind of the work of say Ted Lewis (Get Carter) and as Matlock traverses this grim and unrelenting landscape I was sharply reminded of the immortal opening to that seminal film.
I thought this was an accomplished and very enjoyable debut- gritty, tense, violent yet punctuated with moments of pathos and wit at odds with the depressing landscape, and the cast of really quite unlikeable characters. I am keen to see what Griffin produces next, as I would highly recommend this one.
mydearwatsonbooks's review
3.0
(I received an #ARC of this book from #Unbound/#UnboundDigital through #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Please accept my apology for finishing this book so late.)
(TW: violence. LOTS of violence.)
East of England is one of those novels where you root for the main character, but you're not quite sure why. Dan Matlock is fresh out of a two week stay in prison. He immediately steals a car.
(full review at https://mydearwatsonbooks.wordpress.com/2019/02/24/east-of-england/)
#eastofengland
(TW: violence. LOTS of violence.)
East of England is one of those novels where you root for the main character, but you're not quite sure why. Dan Matlock is fresh out of a two week stay in prison. He immediately steals a car.
(full review at https://mydearwatsonbooks.wordpress.com/2019/02/24/east-of-england/)
#eastofengland
buzz's review
4.0
The action is fast, the main character is real - you love and hate him at different points because he’s got a good heart but can also do some bad things.
I was left with many questions at the end, so I’ve got a feeling that this is the beginning of a series like Jack Reacher or John Wick.
I was left with many questions at the end, so I’ve got a feeling that this is the beginning of a series like Jack Reacher or John Wick.
alexclare's review
5.0
A read that sucks you in, bleak words for bleak landscapes. Deceptively simple, with an anti hero who keeps you just on the right side of him...
luluallison's review
East of England is both darkly disruptive and believable. The characters are strongly drawn and thus the compelling plot is even more tightly wound. A great skirmish between the dark and bright sides of the main characters, played out in moments of tenderness and compassion and the scatter-gun of hot and cold violence - so much more interesting than pure blood and guts action.
leda's review
4.0
East of England is a dark, noir story of revenge, set in Lincolnshire. The plot is great, shocking and violent at times, and the characters complex and realistic, especially the smart, perceptive and methodical Dan Matlock, the protagonist of the story, who has just been released from a prison in Lincoln. The physical traits and appearances of the characters become an important part of the character development, in a way they help determine the type of the characters. And it was particularly interesting to follow the emotional resilience and development of the main character, how he is transcending pain and grief by letting his anger unfold and moving towards a goal. Dan Matlock is not a nice guy, but he is certainly interesting.
The physical setting, the narrow area of Lincolnshire that is bisected by the A16, the decaying market towns and the run-down resorts in the coast, is equally important in the development of the story and it is described so realistically by Eamonn Griffin that becomes part of the story. You can feel, hear and smell the sea, the cattle market; it really influences the way you react in the story.
I am looking forward to the sequel.
The physical setting, the narrow area of Lincolnshire that is bisected by the A16, the decaying market towns and the run-down resorts in the coast, is equally important in the development of the story and it is described so realistically by Eamonn Griffin that becomes part of the story. You can feel, hear and smell the sea, the cattle market; it really influences the way you react in the story.
I am looking forward to the sequel.