Review: For lovers of noir
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 13, 2011
Nigel Bird's new collection of short stories is gritty, nasty, and smooth.I bought the collection based on the excellent work of his I've read in the past--and I'm even more impressed after reading it.One of my favorites is the title story, one of the best revenge tales I've read in a long time. A youth gymnastics coach discovers his athletes are on performance-enhancing drugs when one of them overdoses. The coach hatches a plan to get back at the drug dealer. It's a complex story that asks how far the coach will go to be loyal to his players. The final scene is gruesome and riveting.Another winner is Three Little Birds, an engaging piece about what happens when the kid who gets bullied grows up. I love how the plot arises from conflict between these very genuine characters.In fact, I could say that about any of the pieces in this compilation. If you're a fan of dark crime fiction with real characters, Old Dirty Town is a great find