Review: An Impressive Debut
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 11, 2014
The blurb about this family based gang crime drama set in a fictional London borough immediately brought to mind images of the Cray Twins, London’s East End and really gritty and tactile writing. First time author Andy Christopher delivers on all counts, the roughness of his debut novel complimenting the jagged edges of his characters and the dark and drawing criminal underworld into which they fall.Seemingly innocent Ollie and his powerful criminal brother Jimmy travel to their grandfather’s funeral, their every move observed by Jimmy’s gangland rivals, a shock ambush sets the ball rolling and as unsuspecting family members become intertwined in dangerous criminal activity the once kind and genuine Ollie is forced in unfamiliar situations.What Christopher does exceptionally well in Cannonside, beyond the setting and landscaping which as a Londoner born and bred was a personal treat, is character development; he delves deep into the minds of his key characters and with care and a generous helping of tension morphs them into hardened criminals before our very eyes.Though in places the writing could do with some polishing and perhaps the narrative darkened from its current murky grey to the terrifying deep black depths of a body at the bottom of the Thames, by and large Cannonside was an impressive first starter and has set Christopher of on the track to real success.