Genre: Crime/Thriller/Noir
Description:
John Doyle is a quiet man, that is until local crime boss, Barry Wood,
threatens his step-daughter, April. Doyle has a past, one he’d tried to bury
but is forced to bring back to the surface to protect his family.
Author:
David Siddall writes his crime in his home city of Liverpool. He had a
number of stories published in magazines before writing A Man Alone, his debut work.
Appraisal:
This is an excellent novella full of excellent characters and a
situation that ramps up the pressure on the protagonist, John Doyle. The
initial premise, man protects family from local thug, isn’t unusual, but
there’s something intangible about Doyle that keeps the pages turning. It’s
dark, brooding and violent.
Doyle the underdog up against a man who’s used to calling the shots
and is caught off guard when someone fights back. For Doyle has a past, one
that’s gradually revealed piece by piece as he turns up the heat on Wood. He
moved to Liverpool for some peace, hoping he’d left his past behind, but he
can’t help but draw on his experience.
There’s also several neat little twists that add to the story, I can’t
say what for fear of ruining the surprise. If you like your crime hard boiled,
I strongly recommend this novella. I’ve only one complaint – it’s too short
(although the story is really well paced and balanced) in that I’d like to see
more of Doyle. I really hope the author brings him back in a future story.
FYI:
Nothing of note.
Added for
Reprise Review: A Man
Alone was a nominee in the Crime Fiction category for B&P 2015 Readers'
Choice Awards. Original review ran July 28, 2014.
Format/Typo
Issues:
A small number of issues.
Rating:
***** Five Stars
Reviewed
by: Keith Nixon
Approximate
word count: 15-20,000 words
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