Review: Witty, Modern Noir
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 6, 2013
Eddie G, or Edward to his mother, is a quick witted 26 year old struggling to find a place for himself in the small British town he lives in; bar staff and waiting jobs just don’t cut it so one day Eddie decides to set up his own Private Detective agency. At first things seem to be going well for the son of dead policeman Sam Greene, but less than 24 hours before taking on his first case Eddie winds up with a dead body on his hands and a beating from the one of the town’s most dangerous men: Jimmy “the Kingpin” Cartwright.With all the recognisable character types of a Chandler novel Eddie G is like many young men we meet every day, a little arrogant but still a little confused; rendered utterly helpless by a pretty girl and an intriguing puzzle; unfortunately for Eddie that pretty girl is a young solicitor and the mystery involves the Mayor of Weighton.Well paced and easy to slip in and out of Weekend at Weighton makes for excellent holiday reading, with just enough bite to keep you engaged but not so much as to cause a problematic distraction: this could be an excellent opener to a fun series that could get young readers interested in noir again.Told with the air of a true 40’s film noir PI Eddie’s story is both bizarre and engaging; short sharp chapters reflect his short sharp quips that manage to leave the cop’s baffled and Jimmy’s heavies feeling extra aggressive. The comic turns of phrase and references to both contemporary and traditional tropes of the PI genre make Weekend in Weighton an absolute joy to read.