Careless Whisper (Soho Noir, #3)

by T.S. Hunter

[zooloo1983]

Oh my days, I love this series, not just for the awesome covers, the 80s nostalgia but for Joe and Russell. These men are the best unofficial crime-fighting duo. Somehow, just somehow they seem to find themselves in the middle of mayhem, with a murder to solve. This time, everything Careless Whisper just hit home to how it truly was for the gay community in the 80s.

I am not even going to pretend to understand what it must have been like but in this novella, you get a glimpse of the fears of HIV with the testing and the waiting and the results. How these results would change your life and how the result affected other people. Certain bits in this snappy story broke my heart, I was waiting, holding my breath living the fear with them and at the end, I may have had something in my eye due to the release of emotion from the subplot.

However, the main story is Adam Cave, the lead singer of a band called Loose Lips. Struggling to come to terms with who he really is, what he is doing in such a destructive band and how to move on when a ruthless murder happens in his hotel room and he is arrested. Arrested by everyone’s favourite (to hate) Detective Skinner -urgh!

With every novella, I have not played detective, mainly because I couldn’t guess straight away who the murderers have been. Instead, I sat back, put my feet and watched Joe and Russell follow the clues, occasionally telling them what I thought and where to go next but they are always ahead of me. I love watching the two of them go their separate ways to solve the murder and reconvening at the Red lion in the seat by the window also known as their office. Building on everything they have learned and always just trying to help their friends and the community. I have to also say I loved the introduction to Gillespie and really hope he is back in the next one.

Talking of which! I need to read the next one! I have blasted these books in the last week and now I feel quite bereft. I have no more Joe and Russell to read and not quite sure what to do now, bar twiddling my thumbs waiting for Crazy for you!!

As I have mentioned before the book covers are the absolute best and so poignant! The titles too, spot on, I always love when the titles make sense in the book and when the covers do, I feel complete! Careless Whisper, for me, is quite a sad tale when you think back on the story, it’s a bit like Chinese whispers, the misinterpretation of what you think you know with what you do know can ultimately be someone’s downfall. The death was so unnecessary and so sad and all due to the offending party not having all the facts.

Yet, there are some moments that did make me chuckle, and like normal they include Paul aka Patty and his new partner in crime Scott, Ron’s son! Through the darkness of secrets and lies, you have the light relief, you have the strength of the community and you have the love of people who make their own family.

I can gush all day about these novellas, I truly could. Again, Hunter has not let me down with his writing, no words or pages are fluffy or wasted, it is just flawless. His writing is taut and you find you do fly through the book at breakneck speed to find the truth. I tried to savour every word as I did not want it to end!

Please just go back, relive your youth and buy these novellas! Plus they are just so pretty!