Heartman

by Mark P Wright

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Heartman is the first Detective J.T. Ellington noir mystery by M.P. Wright. Originally released in 2014, this reformat and re-release from Black & White publishing is 256 pages and is available in most formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

This is a gritty character driven noir mystery with a retro vibe which manages to conjure up the seedier side of 1960s Bristol very well. The protagonist JT is flawed, down on his luck, nearly homeless, and broken hearted. I was so impressed by the writing. The characters are well rendered and believable, and the dialogue flows well and adds a lot to the period ambiance. 

The working parts of the mystery fit together quite well and the climax, denouement, and resolution were self-contained and satisfying. The series has 4 extant works (3 books and a short story appearance) and would make a good long weekend binge read or possibly a buddy read. There are some distressingly realistic portrayals of racism, xenophobia, human trafficking and violent graphic murder. Some of the action scenes remind me in ways of the Hap & Leonard books by Joe Lansdale although, admittedly, there's not a lot of humour here to lighten the mood. Language and vernacular are 60's UK English (torch, bloody, bedsit, etc), but shouldn't prove a problem to North American readers in context. 

Four stars. This is a solid mystery and a promising series start. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.