Dry Cleaning

It's not long before Ethan is knee-deep in murder, and caught between Les and Tony his life is soon on the line. Is there any redemption for Ethan here? A chance to recoup some of the money he's owed perhaps, and maybe get some revenge for that betrayal by Les and Tony. A gangster thriller with a simple story that takes twists and delivers surprises, entertaining in both narrative and style, and deceptively deep.

If you can't read the violence, this, like The Bothy, won't be a book for you. If you can cope, Thomas has come up with another powerful gangster thriller that'll have you cheering on Ethan (though he's no angel) and Daria, the secretary of the car dealer who Ethan gets out of the office before their business begins, all the way. It's taut and pacy, it's full of parched air as the countryside around Manchester succumbs to bush fires, and it's a real page-turner, Thomas turning up the temperature dial yet further as we reach the climax. Loved it!

This book just flows so well, I found I'd pick it up planning to read a few pages and several chapters would fly by. I was absolutely rooting for Ethan and Daria; more of them please! I would love to read another book about their very grim adventures. I'd also love to see a tv adaptation! On that note; this is a bleak story at times, with some black humour scattered throughout. Expect a lot of violence but also to be on the absolute edge of your seat reading it. A seriously well-paced, atmospheric crime drama, completely unlike anything else I've read this year. Recommend!