Small Town A Novel of New York by
Lawrence Block
hbk out April 03
Published by Orion
at £12.99
Question. What do you do when your whole family is wiped out by the events
of 9/11, when the unthinkable happened in the city you love? Answer. Continue to
sacrifice more people to the rebirth of the city. Thus is a mass-murderer born. Small Town is of course more than a story about the catching of a killer.
Much, much more. This is, after all, Lawrence Block. The story begins with the
discovery of the body of Marilyn Fairchild by her cleaner, Jerry Pankow. The
embarrassment for Jerry, and the police, is that he cleans the apartment before he
finds the body. There is very little evidence left. But her death serves to introduce us
to a range of disparate individuals, all of whom characterise the ambience that makes
up New York. Marilyn was last seen leaving a bar in the company of writer, John
Blair Creighton. He immediately falls under suspicion, much to the pleasure of his
agent, Roz, who sees this as a heaven-sent opportunity to move Creighton into the
best-seller lists. His lawyer is Maury Winters, an aging Lothario with prostate
trouble, who is still not averse to flirting with his client, Susan Pomerance, a folk art
dealer. Susan had a passing acquaintance with Marilyn Fairchild, who found her
apartment for her. Former police commissioner, Francis J Buckram, takes a
professional interest in the murder case too. Eventually he meets up with Susan, and
a torrid and sensual affair commences. Susan, however, is more interested in
Creighton, and the thought that he might have actually strangled Marilyn during sex.
Around these central characters revolve an assemblage of other fascinating New
Yorkers, jaded bar-keeps, boozy private eyes, kinky art gallery assistants, in a world
of extreme gay bars, and fashionable restaurants. Of course, we shouldn't forget there
is also the mass-murderer, dubbed by the press "The Carpenter" when he does three
prostitutes to death with a hammer and chisel.
Most authors will be especially fascinated by the situation John Blair
Creighton finds himself in. Accused of murder, his stock with publishers soars, and
his agent negotiates a multi-million dollar contract on the strength of his notoriety.
Not the easiest way to make it as an author, perhaps! But the story is far bigger than
that, and all readers of Small Town will be engrossed by its whole sweep. Make no
mistake, this is a highly charged, and deeply erotic thriller. The attitude of mind, and
the behaviour of the characters are not always comfortable. But they are always
believable, and redolent of the urban mindset. This is New York.
(
Ian Morson
Author of Falconer books and short listed for 1999 Ellis Peters Historical Crime Dagger)
Small Town A Novel of New York by
Lawrence Block
