Needless Alley: The critically acclaimed noir crime debut (William Garrett Novels)

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It is hard to avoid some of the parallels with Peaky Blinders, but that didn't put me off, as I was a big fan. This is a gritty murder mystery set in 1930’s Birmingham. Our main protagonist is William, a private investigator who earns a living by providing evidence for divorce cases for a shady solicitor. One case that he takes on introduces him to Clara, the wife of a rich industrialist and his growing relationship with her makes him begin to look at his life differently. When the murder happens, he begins to act as a proper investigator and starts to see how little he actually knows about people. Private enquiry agent William Garrett facilitates divorces for the city’s male elite. With the help of his best friend – charming, out-of-work actor Ronnie Edgerton – William sets up honey traps. But photographing unsuspecting women in flagrante plagues his conscience and William heaves up his guts with remorse after every job.

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Needless Alley not only evokes 1930s Birmingham in all its dark glory - it introduces characters that are impossible to forget. Read it." - Alan Parks William is a somewhat surprising character. I didn’t expect him to be as engrossing as he turned out to be. Initially I wasn’t entirely sure as to whether I liked him but I found myself warming to him, with his unorthodox manner and dogged determination. He turned out to be an interesting character filled with history. Needless Alley is a fabulous, fast paced story with unexpected twists and fully formed believable characters - a compelling read. I look forward to more from this author. William's life changes when he meets the beautiful Clara Morton and falls in love. Little does he know she is the wife of a client - a leading fascist with a dangerous obsession. Soon, what should have been another straightforward job turns into something far more deadly. The book conjured up the dark side of a city and its people still recovering, or not, from the Great War and the build-up to the next.The book has obviously been meticulously researched and it includes cameo appearances from real historical figures such as Oswald Mosely as William finds himself negotiating the seedy side of politics and the rise of fascism. The writing and scene setting in this book was absolutely brilliant. I could see the scenes so clearly I could have been watching on a screen . The setting of 1930s industrial Birmingham will evidently draw Peaky Blinders comparisons but it is not a city I see in books often so I enjoyed the fresh perspective.

Needless Alley: The critically acclaimed noir crime debut Needless Alley: The critically acclaimed noir crime debut

There were some very challenging themes, including the tragic impact of WW1 on the young men who had fought and those left behind and bereaved, the sex and drugs industry, the rise of the British fascism movement and the effects of poverty running through it all. I was impressed with the authors knowledge and research that was obvious to the reader.Needless Alley gives us a rich and earthy insight into underbelly of mid-war Birmingham. I know the city well and I do love an early 20th century setting, so this was a good choice for me. Birmingham is brought expertly to life in this atmospheric crime noir where corruption and seedy entanglements lurk down every darkly lit street. Compelling and clever, Needless Alley makes for a gripping read that any Peaky Blinder fan is sure to love." - Susan Stokes-Chapman William finds himself a refuge from all this for a while, an unexpected refuge, but in doing so he brings more trouble on himself than he could have imagined. When reputations are threatened, his hard-won status will count for little except to identify him as someone who doesn't know their place and who can therefore take the blame for whatever is really going on.

Needless Alley: The critically acclaimed noir crime debut

It starts with William a P.I. setting up rather sordid encounters with women so he can provide photographic evidence of infidelity for husbands who wish to divorce their wives but then turns into something much darker; pornography, BDSM, drug dealing, murder. The one that caught my imagination was Phyll, who William at first believes is a young boy. He later discovers that she is a bright intelligent young woman with a penchant for men’s clothing and an eye for good tailoring. Another survivor and a bit of a fish out of water with the norms of the day. Set in the early 30s Birmingham, Needless Alley explores the contradictions of that city - the powerful and wealthy with their country houses and vast incomes from manufacturing, and the demimonde. The bridge between the two is William Garrett - Billy - a private detective whose trade is to facilitate divorces for husbands who wish to be shot of their wives. Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the “Settings & Account” section. What happens at the end of my trial? This was Savile Row smut, nicely tailored and nothing vulgar. Smut for gentlemen rather than players. Smut for the officer class, no doubt of that...'Marlow, who was inspired to write Needless Alley by her great grandmother, who was one of 13 children and lived and worked on the Birmingham canals, added: “ I am thrilled to be working with Jade and the rest of the team at Baskerville. William Garrett has been my own private detective for quite some while now, and it feels momentous to send him out into the world. Needless Alley is an engrossing historical noir with engaging characters an intense plot and a few surprises for the reader. For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. If you’d like to retain your premium access and save 20%, you can opt to pay annually at the end of the trial. Queenie is the strong matronly figure even though she is not the eldest of the three. She’s calm and pragmatic with a survive at all costs attitude which gives her a hard carapace to face the world. Her business dealings include criminal activities but there’s some goodness at heart as she cares for those close to her. A tough woman doing what she needs to survive in a hard man’s world.