Blowtorch by
Pat O'Keeffe
hbk out February 04
Published by Hodder
at £18.99
This is another solid yarn from ex-Firefighter Pat O'Keeffe. Even if your only
experience of firefighters is from the TV show London's Burning, you still can't help
but feel that the atmosphere of this book, and the others in the series, is authentic.
Even the geographical location of the beginning of the book had me hooked. I know
the Romford Road, and Manor Park Cemetry, and the setting, the cast of characters all
felt right.
Station Officer Steve Jay has a history of getting mixed up in suspicious
deaths, and not all of the police officers he encounters are on his side. Particularly DS
Menzies with whom he has a bad history. But then Jay is his own man, a 'man's
man' so to speak, and can look after himself. East London is on the verge of riot,
when a Muslim imam dies in hospital after being arrested by police. Jay and his men,
returning to their station, happen upon the brutal murder of an Asian woman. Nearly
beaten to death by the gathering mob, Jay and his colleague Rob Brody escape with
their lives. Enter DI Jo Gordon, attractive and cool murder squad officer. Jay annoys
Menzies after not being able to state with one hundred per-cent certainty that the
murderer he glimpsed was local racist yobbo Vanzie. But of course, Jay's
relationship with Jo Gordon develops apace. He clearly doesn't upset all the police.
From this point we are thrown into the murky world of the politics of racism,
as the murdered woman turns out to be the wife of potential parliamentary candidate
Mohammed Ali Rahman. Steve Jay finds relief from it in Paddy Ryan's gym, where
he trains as a boxer. The dilemma of his affair with Jo Gordon is complicated by the
dying moments of his relationship with his partner Jenny, who is pregnant. Who does
this 'diamond geezer' go for, if he's not to disappoint his best mates, and his own
expectations? Then a disastrous cinema fire, where hundreds of Asians die, is
attended by Jay and his men. The plot thickens, and bursts into flames. Is it racism,
or something else that connects the two incidents?
O'Keeffe's style reflects the character of Steve Jay, and, looking at the
author's picture on the cover, also probably O'Keeffe. The story rollicks along
wrapped in robust prose. And even if the characters that populate the book are writ a
little large, so what? The feeling that the real world of firefighting has people that are
larger than life only serves to strengthen a sense of realism about the book. Well,
maybe Jay is portrayed as a little too good to be true. Could he really be so multi-
culturally sensitive? So aware of his own and others feelings, while still being the
ladies' man? No matter, Steve Jay's determination to do right by his team, at the
same time as risking all often on his own, will leave you no time to worry about such
minor irritations. What you see advertised on the cover, is what you get. This story
carries you along at the speed of a runaway fire engine, and its just as unstoppable.
(
Ian Morson
Author of Falconer books and short listed for 1999 Ellis Peters Historical Crime Dagger)
Blowtorch by
Pat O'Keeffe
