It’s 1965 and provocative author Henry Miller is taken incognito to an infamous title fight.
In the turbulent aftermath of the bout, Miller is forced to battle his way through the ensuing melee in order to make a vital connection with the keeper of a tightly guarded secret.
‘Is it safe?’
Twenty years later, a young Maine waitress receives an unusual bequest.
From the estate of an elderly patron, May Morgenstern takes ownership of a bound collection of letters, hitherto unseen correspondence between her late friend and the aforementioned writer in which he not only recounts the story of how he came to be accused of the slaying of the man who fathered her but how his fate came to be linked with that of future heavyweight champion, Sonny Liston.
George Paterson’s epistolary tale of murder and chicanery is a study of chaos in instalments. ‘The Girl, The Crow, The Writer And The Fighter’ is an incendiary, exciting, ‘what if?’ page turner which spans continents and lifetimes.
I also have a SIGNED, DEDICATED hardback copy to give away to one blog reader today. Entry is simple, just fill out the competition widget on this blog post. UK Entries only please.
GOOD LUCK!
I was intrigued by the premise of this debut novel from George Paterson, not least because of the glowing endorsement from author David F Ross; the guy who wrote my favourite book of last year; There's Only One Danny Garvey (published by Orenda Books).
This is a tightly and cinematically structured novel, it's a brave undertaking for a new novelist and one that has clearly involved a great deal of research. I have to admit that I'm not familiar with either the life or works of author Henry Miller, and despite the urge to, I refrained from Googling him whilst reading the book. I've since done that though and what an extraordinary character he was.
The opening paragraphs find Henry in a hotel room, preparing for the night ahead. I 'saw' these scenes in black and white, reminded of a noir movie filmed on an old camera and with an air of anticipation about them.
Henry Miller is taken to a boxing ring to watch what becomes something of a controversial fight, however, he's not there for the action, he's there to meet someone.
Some years later, the reader is introduced to the staff of a Maine diner, and most importantly, to May Morgenstern who has just returned from her first trip to Vegas. She didn't travel there for the bright lights, or the gambling, she went to collect her bequeath from one of the diner's customers who May had been kind to, and had recently died.
May's inheritance is a book of letters. Written to her friend by Henry Miller and detail Miller's involvement in a murder case, a criminal gang and time spent on Corfu. The author relates most of the story through the letters, using Miller's voice and it's long and it's detailed but it is difficult to put down. I found myself totally gripped by the drama and wondering just how May was going to be involved in this.
The large cast of characters are skilfully created, there's such an air of authenticity about the people, the place and the era, it's perfectly done and the reader truly feels part of both the 1960s action and the more recent recollections.
A difficult book to write about, but not difficult to read and lose yourself in by any means. Paterson's lyrical style of writing is satisfying and enjoyable. I look forward to reading more from him.
George Paterson is a writer, DJ and musician who, as a member of the bands White and DMP,
released a number of well received albums on the Poco Alto Label. His work can be found in a number of independent feature length and short films as well as providing the musical backdrop to the London stage production of the play, ‘ISM’.
Since returning to Scotland in 2017, his focus has been split between the spoken word - his popular weekly ‘Lost in Music’ radio show - and the written, with articles appearing in a number of online publications before finding a home as a regular features writer and reviewer for INTO Creative.
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