Breaking Up is Hard to Do by
Edward Gorman
hbk out August 06
Published by Hale
at £16.99
This is the latest in Gorman's series of books featuring young legal eagle Sam
McCain which take their titles from hit songs of the 50s and 60s, the period in which
they are set. The popular cultural references scattered throughout the book are
pleasurable, but they aren't merely window dressing. In the first chapter, when Sam is
asked to deliver a package by a creepy little man, the comparison with Peter Lorre and
the references to that great film noir 'Laura' create vivid pictures with the author's
characteristic economy. The background of impending nuclear catastrophe – this was
the era of the Cuban missiles crisis – is equally well integrated into the story (one
character explains happily how Khruschev has improved his sex life) but never gets in
the way of the action. Ed Gorman isn't as well known in the UK as he ought to be, but
I've been a fan since I first came across his work in the early 90s and this crisp,
enjoyable mystery is a welcome reminder of his mastery of the thriller set in a small
American Everytown.
(
Martin Edwards
- author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)
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Breaking Up is Hard to Do by
Edward Gorman
