The Wall

The Wall comprises two narratives. Opens with a retired gangster writing letters to his deceased twin sister, wherein he attempts to explain his life, his present circumstances - a house and extensive grounds within an encircling high wall. The second narrative tells of the world outside the wall, where two teenage boys have disappeared. The gangster confides his worries about someone having climbed over the wall, possibly even having entered his house. The two fathers of the teenage boys also suspect that their sons have climbed over the wall, have possibly been kidnapped. Afraid to directly ask the gangster they too find ways over the wall. The gangster becomes aware of their activities...

On this gangster's last outing, courtesy Online Originals, Wayne Lanter said "Reading Sam Smith's novel is akin to driving ninety miles an hour on ice. The tone is light, which only adds to the horror and pointlessness of it all. An entertaining and wonderfully readable book."

Paul Sutton said, "Excellent book. I really enjoyed it. It would make an excellent film, with Terence Stamp or Pete Postlethwaite as the mobster. In fact, he's surely worth another book."

While Bob Faulkner said, "Exquisite! Like the 'Balanced Rocks' of the American west - the entire mass perfectly concentrated on the last sentence."