Smalltown Boy (Soho Noir, #6)

by T.S. Hunter

[zooloo1983]

I am starting this review by saying I did not want to read this book nor did I want to write this review. To do so is to accept that the series has (temporarily) finished, and this is something I do not want to accept but hey ho here we are!

However, I can tell you I loved being back with the guys again, letting loose at a Christmas party they don’t want to be at and then bam we have a dead body.

When reading this all I kept thinking of the scandal that happened with Michael Barrymore over the death of Stuart Lubbock. Not sure if this was an influence or not but it is what I had in mind when reading it. There are so many similarities and in SmallTown Boy, we have a celebrity who has come out as being gay, an ex-wife living with him and a lot of drugs, scandal and an interesting twist. I also have to mention what a fitting book title to go with the story, every title has been so fitting upon reflection and this one definitely so!

This was a riveting storyline and I flew through this novella, sadly so, as I just did not want this to end and it really was over before it had started!! Too few a pages but so much happens! Obviously you have to groan and facepalm when Skinner turns up on the pages but well it got exciting at the same time when he does. After all of this will see him get his just deserts?! Mike, a welcome introduction from the last novella is in this a bit more and I adore his character and the way he and Joe are. Patty got so much more page time and it was brilliant, she is such a hoot and definitely knows how to get a party started.

I was behind Joe and Russell this time, I did not see the reveal coming, even when the clues had been discovered and as the norm with Mr Hunter it is always such a bittersweet conclusion.

With this being the conclusion, cue the tissues I will wait, I love seeing how much more comfortable Joe and Russell are now in their own skin. They are gay and they are proud and they really do not care who knows it and why should they! From their tentative steps into the community in Tainted Love to their strong stand in SmallTown Boy is gorgeous to see and it really does prove how far they both have come and grown.

I hear there is more in the pipeline for Joe and Russell and I hope it is true. I can not imagine a bookish life without them in it. 2019 had been dominated by this #SohoNoir and I hope 2020 is dominated by the same people and author again…..can I make that my belated New Year’s wish?!

I can easily keep gushing about this series as I do every time I review them but like the series, I must stop sometime…well for now! Just do yourself a favour whether it is to buy each book individually or the gorgeous hardback with them all in one (which is what I am going to do), just buy the damn things!!!