The characters were really well written and I had no difficulty in envisaging them and feeling for them.

Needless Alley by Natalie Marlow | Hachette UK Needless Alley by Natalie Marlow | Hachette UK

After all it was a time where women were very much the property of their husbands and subject to their rules and whims. The characters dreamed up by Marlow are so compelling that I found myself wishing the book was just a little longer, so I'd have more time with them.

These are ordinary sometimes poor people just getting by the best they can and their banter and slang was great! desperate to atone for his sins, william begins to develop a plan to try and save clara but ends up in something far worse than he expected. Crafted with all the style and elegance of classic hardboiled fiction, lovingly splashed in the grubbiness and grime of interwar Birmingham's cuts, alleys and back streets. Baskerville has signed two titles in a new series by debut author Natalie Marlowe, with the first, Needless Alley , to be published in January 2023.

Needless Alley by Natalie Marlow | Hachette UK

Most of all I loved its exploration of a vibrant, jostling city - and of the darkness just beneath the surface. A true step back in time as I definitely felt like I was involved, and had gone back in time, involved in the nitty gritty, grimy goings on in the streets of 1930’s Birmingham.Compelling and clever, Needless Alley makes for a gripping read that any Peaky Blinder fan is sure to love. Set in the early 30s Birmingham, Needless Alley explores the contradictions of that city - the powerful and wealthy with their country houses and vast incomes from manufacturing, and the demimonde. A man before his time, his opinion of women and sexual identities and practices are much more accepting than would have been the norm.

Needless Alley | Natalie Marlow | 9781399801799 | NetGalley Needless Alley | Natalie Marlow | 9781399801799 | NetGalley

Natalie Marlow dwells on the physicality of her city - the heat of the Summer, the stink of the canals, the Birmingham brass of a bullet casing, the new steel handcuffs chosen for that modelling session.

With the help of his best friend - charming, out-of-work actor Ronnie Edgerton - William sets up honey traps. personally, i would have liked a bit more from the ending - the epilogue, in particular - as i would have liked to see what the aftermath was for william, queenie and phyll but, aside from that, i really enjoyed and recommend this book. Ronnie is an attractive man, a little fey and living a bohemian life, like a streetwise Oscar Wilde but with a deep libertine streak. As his life falls apart, William embarks on a dangerous inquiry that make him some powerful enemies. This atmospheric private detective novel soon takes a turn for the dark side of life in 1930s Birmingham.

The Bookseller - Rights - Baskerville signs two books in

When I think about Uk in the 30s I think about Miss Marple or Peter Wimsey, the Golden Age puzzles classic whodunit. He is approached by a wealthy, Fascist businessman to find out if his wife is unfaithful, and a series of events comes into play that will change everything for them all. Here the storyline builds up a momentum of its own with a real sense of urgency, some violence, deceptions, and a couple of surprises.along with his best friend, he sets up traps to catch wives in the act - using his camera as a means of supplying evidence to his clients. He comes across as a detective with a heart who is willing to do what it takes to get an answer and justice. The fact he can rub shoulders with canal boatmen and drink in their pubs is beguiling if a little unlikely.