A review by jenpadreader
Happy Like Murderers by Gordon Burn

4.0

Gruesome, terrifying, addictive. The repetiveness of the writing echoed Fred's voice. I was 14 in 1994, living in Cheltenham and watching the news unfold around our idyllic Cotswold lifestyle; this book reminded me of the horror we felt at the time. These monsters lived on our doorstep and walked our streets. Some sections of the book are so graphically disturbing, but I read on with the same morbid curiosity that found me driving down Cromwell Street itself a few years after the world was watching. I found all the little details of Cheltenham and Gloucester interesting, but wonder if someone without local knowledge would have felt the same. Recommended but be warned, it is not an easy read.