Standstill

This debut novel from Belfast born author John A Marley, bowls along at a pace that will keep you interested, entertained and looking forward to turning each page.

Danny Felix is a thief, but not your ‘run of the mill’ villain engaging in a little breaking and entering. Danny is a meticulous planner; has never been caught and carries his jobs off like a rough-cut Raffles. Now don’t get me wrong Danny’s a naughty boy, but with a twinkle in his eye and at least some form of a code to live by.

When DI Harkness appears to have nailed our Danny, we soon learn that he has a dark side. Inveigling our ‘hero’ into a robbery of such scope and bravado, that Danny is the only one who could ever carry it off. Harkness even takes a close friend of his [as insurance for the thief’s co-operation] and is about as bent as a one of Uri Geller’s spoons.

All the while the Flying Squad’s DI Christine Chance [‘CC’ to her mates] is looking into a chain of serious and violent crimes that lead like a trail of breadcrumbs through London, whilst dealing with her seriously ill daughter, and trying to be a good mum.

From organised dog fights, prostitution, bomb makers, bike couriers and dodgy pubs, the author touches on the rich tapestry of our multi-faceted capital city.

There’s plenty of banter, but a warning as there’s plenty of colourful Anglo-Saxon expletives; with one of my favourite lines - ‘Fucking useless-cupboard-loving-aloof-until-you-feed-it-cannot-even-take-them-for-a-fucking-walk-cat’. But then I am a dog lover.

There’s drinking, fast cars, fast talking and an unrelenting sense of impending violence running right through the story.

Will Danny escape Harkness’s clutches? Will he pull off this audacious mega-job? Will Harkness get his way? Will ‘CC’ get both of them and look after her child?

The answers lie in this debut novel.