Tangled Web UK Review June 2008
Waterloo Sunset by
Martin Edwards
hbk out April 08
Published by Allison Busby
at £19.99
Harry Devlin is already a well-known and much-loved character in British crime fiction and Waterloo Sunset shows exactly why.
Devlin is a criminal lawyer, a partner in the Liverpool firm of Crusoe and Devlin, who dabbles in detection courtesy of his insatiable curiosity. There is a likeable simplicity to him, verging on the naïve, which is reflected in the modest prose of the narrative. Despite his jaded past and career choice - which he describes as ‘making crime pay’ - he is neither cynical nor unkind. In addition, Devlin is down to earth and unpretentious; equally at ease when mixing with legal professionals or manual labourers, and equally interested in their respective problems. Both the character and the style are refreshing and original: there are no clichés here, and the needless complexity so often associated with legal thrillers is absent.
Mr Edwards’ Liverpool is a stylish mix of fact and fiction which retains an exquisite authenticity of place. The city is integral to the plot: Waterloo Sunset belongs in Liverpool and could not be set anywhere else. The writing is full of local lore, evidence of the author’s love for and understanding of a city in the midst of a massive urban regeneration after a century of waxing and waning fortunes. The sense of place is never more powerful than in the finale, set in Waterloo Railway Tunnel, which has been closed for thirty years.
The novel is compelling from the very first page, which is a facsimile of a death threat alluding to Devlin’s imminent demise. The scene is quickly and expertly set: Devlin’s firm has moved into the recently-refurbished John Newton House in the city centre, where one of the penthouse flats is occupied by his ex-girlfriend, Juliet May - ex-wife of local gangster Casper May. Devlin has mixed feelings about seeing her again and is disturbed to learn that Casper owns the whole building; he is also irritated by the appearance of disgraced lawyer Wayne Saxelby, employed by Crusoe for a fortnight of management consultancy. Devlin reads a report of the body of a murdered woman washing up on Waterloo beach, only to find that the victim was the best friend of one of their cleaners, Gina Paget. Gina works for a firm owned by...Casper May...and the plot thickens deliciously.
One of the great strengths of this book is that it is both fast-paced - it takes place in seven days from beginning to end - and intricate, a rare combination. Waterloo Sunset is a great story told in an assured voice from an author who knows exactly how to mix characterisation, setting, and plot; and who has mined the rich history of Liverpool to produce yet another gem.
(
Rafe McGregor
Rafe's own site - www.rafemcgregor.co.uk)
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