- Bloody January, by Alan Parks
Another nicely gritty Scottish crime tale, this time from my honorary cousin 😜. Very much in the footsteps of William McIlvanney, with the same quality of punchy prose (and punch protagonist). Really connected with the main character and am going to follow the series with interest. - Trio, by William Boyd
I'd been saving this as a treat, because Boyd is one of my favourite authors. Unfortunately, although this was a perfectly good novel, I was left a little disappointed.
What I look forward to with his work is being deeply immersed with a character, often for their entire life, to an extent that you really connect with them and invest in their journey. But this was an ensemble piece, and I didn't feel particularly invested in anyone.
It was gently humorous, lightly mocking the vanities of the entertainment industries, and it gingerly explored the identities and tales we spin around ourselves. But not very deeply.
Many authors could be pleased with producing this novel, but it left me wondering why it needed someone of Boyd's talents to write it.
July 2024 reading
Summer days mean I've been out more than reading, but here are the novels I read this month.