Jack Wells has given fans of both noir and sci-fi a highly original novel with A Gathering Storm, the first installment in his Monochrome Noir series. We're plunged straight into the action and find ourselves in the gritty, grey world of P.I. Henry Hardcastle. Angel City is an alternate version of Los Angeles in the eighties; a greyish world where "Colorists" add a splash of vitality and flamboyance here and there by "Hueing". While reading this noir escapade, I couldn't help by remember scenes from the classic film, "Sin City", and I suspect Jack Wells was largely inspired by this and similar cinematographic work. The world-building and characterisation are spot-on here and there's some witty dialogue as befits the genre. A couple of minor typos have slipped through the final edit, but most readers won't notice and it doesn't detract from the experience. The only two slight negatives, in my opinion, are that there is a little too much explaining in places, and this slows the narrative, and that we're left with a cliffhanger at the end. This is, of course, only the first part of the series, and the ending is designed to make us want to read the second book...which is out now. Does it achieve this? Well, in short, yes, so the bet paid off. Hats (grey trilby preferably) off, Mr Wells!
Reading updates
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Started reading
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13 March, 2022:
Finished reading
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13 March, 2022:
Reviewed
