BENT
Joe Thomas (Arcadia)
Taking a break from his acclaimed Sao Paolo quartet, Joe Thomas brings us Bent, the re-imagined story of Harold ‘Tank’ Challenor, a real-life wartime SAS hero turned corrupt cop, hell-bent on cleaning up the nefarious underground of 1960s Soho, even if it means breaking the law. The most anti- of anti-heroes, in Thomas’s hands Challenor is a world-weary sleuth who could have stepped out of a Raymond Chandler novel, although the world he inhabits contains less pulpy glamour. This is a grimy tale and, for the most part, a convincingly told one. Less convincing is a dual narrative which recounts Challenor’s exploits during the war. Not only do these sections sap the momentum of the main narrative, they fail to reach a meaningful conclusion. Neverthless, Bent is a slick, highly readable yarn.
Price: £9.99. Info: www.arcadiabooks.co.uk JR