Scorpian Rising

With his third book, Frewin leaves behind the '60s conspiracy subject matter of his first two crime novels (the Promfuno scandal in London Blues and the Kennedy assassination in Sixty-Three Closure) for a stripped down gangster noir. The book was apparently conceived when his son issued a "let's see you do better then" challenge after they saw The Long Good Friday and Frewin hated it (I quite liked it myself). The result is a revenge tale that is ostensibly contemporary, but has a bleak timelessness that connects it to the '60s. The story concerns a bigtime London gangster and the fallout that occurs when his harmless brother is executed in the dying seaside resort of Margate. The boss, Sid, could easily have been a low-level hood in the '60s or early '70s, and now risen to the top. Most of the story is told through his smart but weary right-hand man, Vince. He's one of those classic crime book characters, he just wants to get out of the underworld while he still can, and retire to a quiet comfortable civilian life. His impending retirement is threatened by the mysterious assault on Sid's empire.As the gang shuttles between London and Margate (about an hour away, you might recall it as the scene of the Mod vs. Rocker riots of the early '60s, as depicted in Quadrophenia, although those were in Brighton) a mysterious foe keeps causing problems for them-lethal problems. It's a strange kind of book, because for half of it, there's absolutely no clue as to who could be responsible. Then, about halfway in, a list of possibilities is presented, one of whom seems like the obvious choice. It's a bit if a disappointment when that is confirmed at the very end. But the book is more about atmosphere than plot, and the atmosphere is very heavy on the mockney gangster tip, lots of tough banter and "Guv" use. The portrayal of Margate as a dying resort is quite good, and it's kind of interesting how it acts as a killing ground for these toughs from the big smoke. All in all, a decent gritty page turner, but unlikely to leave much of a mark.