Lose This Skin

Jerry Sykes makes an auspicious, character-drive debut with LOSE THIS SKIN, introducing us to Frank Roscoe, a detective with a lot of things in his past, and a lot on his mind. Just as strong as Sykes' characters are his London locales (particularly Camdentown), which shimmer grittily at the turn of every page. Highly recommended.

According to the book jacket, Jerry Sykes is a two-time winner of the British Crime Writers' Association's Short Story Dagger award. The only other author to have achieved this feat is Ian Rankin. And while this debut novel may not quite be up there with Rankin, Sykes more than hits the ground running and shows that he has lost none of his storytelling skills in the move from the mile to the marathon. Detective Frank Roscoe is not dealing well with the aftermath of a drive-by shooting that left him with a shattered foot. So when an old friend asks him to look into the death of her son he reluctantly agrees. The boy had been killed under the wheels of a police car and the official line is that it was an accident but his mother thinks differently. Meanwhile another mother is questioning her role in the death of her son from a drugs overdose as she tries to keep her other son on the straight and narrow. She had been a recreational user as her son was growing up and she is convinced that this contributed to his death somehow. The two strands eventually intertwine in a finale that is as heartbreaking as it is unexpected. Readers of a certain age may also take great delight in the many references to The Clash in the book. The story is set in their old stomping ground in North London and reminders of their ongoing influence are littered throughout.

Two women who have lost sons in tragic circumstances are at the center of this impressive debut mystery. And the book is as much about their ongoing stories as it is about Detective Frank Roscoe, the nominal main character, as he helps out one of the women, an old family friend, when much to her sorrow and disbelief the death of her son under the wheels of a police cruiser responding to a domestic incident is dubbed a tragic accident. While the pace and the pull of the plot are strong, it is the veracity of the characters, with all their shortcomings and their small human surprises, that makes this book so good. Roscoe, on medical leave following a drive-by shooting by a gunman still out there in the night, is a particular delight, full of his own foibles and flaws, especially in his burgeoning relationship with a new female colleague. Like all the best mystery writers, Sykes understands that if you make it real, the readers will come.

A great crime novel, if you like British author Ian Rankin you'll love this...

LTS is a riveting trawl through the harsh, grimy realities of north London life. It has the geographical authenticity that the documentary 'LA Plays Itself' talked about, pulling the characters through the grand and the seamy streets as the police, the innocents and the baddies inhabit. The characters are vividly brought to life, particularly the gritty cop Roscoe and the newcomer to the north London beat Marnie. Perhaps best realised is Barney, going through his difficult teenage years, trying to deal with a broken home and a dead brother thanks to the drug trade that pervades all the lives in this story. It's Barney who is the unwitting catalyst for the super-tense finale, where the tendrils of this novel are tied together. A recommended debut from a fine writer.