REVIEW
Russell James --- Count me Out
Serpents Tail Pbk £8.99
Set in the fairgrounds of Devon and awash with sleaze and excitement comes the eloquent thriller Count Me Out by Russell James. The story begins in South East London where Jet and Scott live; two brothers who have been brought up on the mean streets. Scott is bored with his wife, son and life in general so when an opportunity arises to get out, he goes. As the search for Scott mounts, those who want him most pursue Jet, certain that he will know of Scott’s whereabouts. In desperation, in order to escape the vicious crooks who hound him, Jet takes Stella , his eight year old daughter back to his former life - working as a boxer in a travelling fair.
Scott has disappeared with half a million pounds and hot on his trail is an unpleasant character, Ray Lyons, who wants more from Scott than the money. Ticky, his sidekick, must be one of the vilest yet most plausible characters in crime fiction. A dwarf with foul breath, false teeth and a predilection for small children, he serves the mighty Lyons obsequiously and, as the plot unfolds, he becomes more and more grotesque. Stella is a self contained, mature child who is happy living with only her father. Not so, however, in the eyes of Social Services, who do not approve of the situation. Some stereotyping occurs with Kelly, the young and well meaning "I’m not cut out for this job" social worker and with Mr Meaburn, the reactionary, red faced and bombastic know it all boss who everyone loves to hate. Having said that I’ve certainly met people who accurately fit that bill. Jet’s haul back to fitness in the ring is tempered by the injuries he has sustained earlier. I hate boxing but there’s no gratuitous violence in any of these fights ; it’s more a pertinent observation of the pressures on young men to display there machismo at all costs. What I really liked about this book was the immediacy of the characters. The setting of a fairground added a magical quality and the plot kept me guessing till the end. It’s different, original and well worth a read. I shall certainly be looking for more books by Russell James.
Lynda Ross.