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blevins's review
2.0
Kind of disappointing crime book set in London underbelly. I was just never intrigued by the story despite all the positive reviews/awards the book has. Dull.
smohundro's review
3.0
I totally picked up this book because of the pixel art cover (and the sale price at Powell's). But I was pleasantly surprised that the book was actually quite decent, serious. A good half of it was the way the writer used language; I don't know if everyone in London talks like this, but I really liked the lingo. As a mystery, it's not that suspenseful, but it has plenty of colorful characters and twists and turns. It would help if I could understand cricket, for real.
The author appears to be Caucasian yet the main character is an Indian-Ugandan geezer (a bit more tan, you might say). So some of the cultural stuff is a bit suspect without knowing more about the reaction to this book in England.
It touches on subjects like multicultural cities of the world, terrorism, the aforementioned game of cricket, smoking Bennies, and drinking lots of Turk. Serious.
The author appears to be Caucasian yet the main character is an Indian-Ugandan geezer (a bit more tan, you might say). So some of the cultural stuff is a bit suspect without knowing more about the reaction to this book in England.
It touches on subjects like multicultural cities of the world, terrorism, the aforementioned game of cricket, smoking Bennies, and drinking lots of Turk. Serious.
theapedroza's review
4.0
I liked this. It was clever and engaging and a good mix of dialogue & otherwise. The ending was somewhat abrupt, however, and I don't know that it gained much by being novel-length.
doulicia's review
4.0
Between English slang, street slang and cricket references, I only understood about two-thirds of the book. And still I liked it. The narrator was a stereotypical hard-drinking, hard-smoking, hard-tongued P.I. who was cut right from the noir mold. Except when he wasn't. Those moments gave him dimension and moved me to some empathy that took the book beyond straight entertainment.
I don't read enough mysteries to know if the plot was a good one or not. It kept me guessing.
This was a great surprise for a book I chose completely because of its cover (which rewards a close look).
I don't read enough mysteries to know if the plot was a good one or not. It kept me guessing.
This was a great surprise for a book I chose completely because of its cover (which rewards a close look).
jessica503's review
3.0
This was a completely enjoyable, fast-paced, neo-noir crime story. Not normally a genre I enjoy, but the setting (London) and the characters (mostly Pakistani and Indian working class)added some twists and depth not normally seen in American works. The 3-star rating has nothing to do with the quality of the story and writing--it's really an excellent book. But, alas, at the end of the day I cannot make myself like hard-boiled detective novels, try as I might!
rosseroo's review
4.0
Neate's lastest novel is an engaging take on the hard-boiled detective genre, albeit one that perhaps somewhat overextends itself just a bit to much to be considered a total knockout of a book. Set in contemporary London (with a minor excursion to the Lymington seaside), the book revolves around Tommy Akhtar. Now in his mid to late 30s, Tommy was born in Uganda to Indian parents who immigrated to England when Idi Amin came to power. But don't let his colorful background fool you (in his youth he fell in with some people at the local mosque and ended up killing Soviets in Afghanistan), he's a classic Chandleresque private eye. Alcoholic? Check. Chain-smoker? Check. Smart aleck? Check. Cynic? Check. Good-hearted? Check. Got a "friend" on the police force? Check. Poor family life? Check. Pursues interesting case even though he's finished what he was paid to do? Check.
It all kicks off when a hooker hires Tommy to track down her missing flatmate/partner, who apparently owes her money. By the time the book is over, this simple case will have spiraled out of control into a very complex situation involving the murder of a Minister of Parliament, a mysterious Russian, an alleged terrorist group, and a cadre of MI5 and CIA agents. Interwoven with this is background on Tommy's life and his relationship with his dodgy brother and whacked out artist father. When the story follows Tommy down the mean streets, doing his work, tracking down the missing girl, sneaking into hotel rooms, and bantering with the supporting characters, the book works very very well. Neate brilliantly catches the patter and rhythm of dialogue, from Tommy's father's stern scolding to the local Pakistani teenage rude boy's patois. Where the book is somewhat less successful is the convoluted plotting, especially once the intelligence agencies are brought into the thick of things and it all gets rather conspiracy-theoryish.
There's a lot to like in the book as Neate takes the reader along for a very colorful and often funny ride. One aspect that's very welcome is that Tommy is a private eye who takes a lickin' and comes away quite wobbly. It's a rare case of the detective getting roughed up and there being real consequences. Some American readers may have trouble deciphering some of the book's pervasive Brit-slang and there's are running references to cricket tactics, lore, and legends which will elude those not familiar with the sport. These minor quibbles aside, it's a pretty entertaining read that's unlike almost anything else out there in the crime genre. I'll definitely be going back to check out Neate's previous books.
It all kicks off when a hooker hires Tommy to track down her missing flatmate/partner, who apparently owes her money. By the time the book is over, this simple case will have spiraled out of control into a very complex situation involving the murder of a Minister of Parliament, a mysterious Russian, an alleged terrorist group, and a cadre of MI5 and CIA agents. Interwoven with this is background on Tommy's life and his relationship with his dodgy brother and whacked out artist father. When the story follows Tommy down the mean streets, doing his work, tracking down the missing girl, sneaking into hotel rooms, and bantering with the supporting characters, the book works very very well. Neate brilliantly catches the patter and rhythm of dialogue, from Tommy's father's stern scolding to the local Pakistani teenage rude boy's patois. Where the book is somewhat less successful is the convoluted plotting, especially once the intelligence agencies are brought into the thick of things and it all gets rather conspiracy-theoryish.
There's a lot to like in the book as Neate takes the reader along for a very colorful and often funny ride. One aspect that's very welcome is that Tommy is a private eye who takes a lickin' and comes away quite wobbly. It's a rare case of the detective getting roughed up and there being real consequences. Some American readers may have trouble deciphering some of the book's pervasive Brit-slang and there's are running references to cricket tactics, lore, and legends which will elude those not familiar with the sport. These minor quibbles aside, it's a pretty entertaining read that's unlike almost anything else out there in the crime genre. I'll definitely be going back to check out Neate's previous books.
spygrl1's review
3.0
I have been waiting a few days to write about this book because I wasn't sure what I thought or how I felt about it. But now I've finished Intuition and I'm itching to try to explain how incredibly kick ass it is, so I have to deal with Tiny Lights first, and I guess the contrast kinda clarifies things.
I adored Neate's London Pigeon Wars. OK, I didn't always get the pigeon parts, the weird bird patois, but I stuck with it and I can't immediately recall any other literary ending that has affected me so deeply.
City of Tiny Lights shares one obvious trait with Pigeon Wars: a nearly incomprehensible patois. This time it's not British pigeons, it's just Brits. It's modern noir recounted by a suitably debauched and haunted detective (a Paki detective, really a Ugandan-Indian-British detective). I was out of my depth with the slang and the references -- particularly that damn Cockney rhyming slang. Porkies = pork pies = lies. Why all the bother? What's wrong with just saying "lies"?
It's not just the language; it's the culture. The book is a detective story, sure, but it's a detective story that touches on ethnicity and class and politics and terrorism and civil liberties and bombings ... and I'm sure that if I lived in London I would have been getting more out of it. It's not that I can't grasp the concept of racism or classism, but the divides in England are not quite the same as those in America. The prejudices and the stereotypes are different.
Synopsis:,/b> Tommy Akhtar seems to live on a steady diet of booze and cigarettes. His story open in classic noir fashion -- looking back, he should have shoved the dame right outta his office. Of all the gin joints in all the world, she had to walk into his, ya know? The dame's a chesty hooker who wants Tommy to track down her ho-mate. Tommy soon finds that the Russian pro's disappearance coincides in time, place, and manner with the bloody bludgeoning of a politico. And from there it's nothing but trouble.
I adored Neate's London Pigeon Wars. OK, I didn't always get the pigeon parts, the weird bird patois, but I stuck with it and I can't immediately recall any other literary ending that has affected me so deeply.
City of Tiny Lights shares one obvious trait with Pigeon Wars: a nearly incomprehensible patois. This time it's not British pigeons, it's just Brits. It's modern noir recounted by a suitably debauched and haunted detective (a Paki detective, really a Ugandan-Indian-British detective). I was out of my depth with the slang and the references -- particularly that damn Cockney rhyming slang. Porkies = pork pies = lies. Why all the bother? What's wrong with just saying "lies"?
It's not just the language; it's the culture. The book is a detective story, sure, but it's a detective story that touches on ethnicity and class and politics and terrorism and civil liberties and bombings ... and I'm sure that if I lived in London I would have been getting more out of it. It's not that I can't grasp the concept of racism or classism, but the divides in England are not quite the same as those in America. The prejudices and the stereotypes are different.
Synopsis:,/b> Tommy Akhtar seems to live on a steady diet of booze and cigarettes. His story open in classic noir fashion -- looking back, he should have shoved the dame right outta his office. Of all the gin joints in all the world, she had to walk into his, ya know? The dame's a chesty hooker who wants Tommy to track down her ho-mate. Tommy soon finds that the Russian pro's disappearance coincides in time, place, and manner with the bloody bludgeoning of a politico. And from there it's nothing but trouble.
hardcoverhearts's review
4.0
I picked this one up on a lark, at the Friends of the Library book sale, because I thought the cover was clever and it was $1. Little finds like this at the sale is what keeps me going back. This was such a fun book to read. I found myself carrying it around in my too overloaded purse, looking for opportunities to sneak another few pages.
This book is a hard boiled, neo-noir style, detective mystery set in London in the post 911 age. I loved the characters, the language, the setting, the storyline- just everything. I found it clever, but not overly so. It was very hip with the Cockney street slang. As one reviewer said, it would have been nice to understand a bit more about cricket, but that isn't a big detraction.
This one I will lend out but keep a copy in my library. Very nice surprise...
This book is a hard boiled, neo-noir style, detective mystery set in London in the post 911 age. I loved the characters, the language, the setting, the storyline- just everything. I found it clever, but not overly so. It was very hip with the Cockney street slang. As one reviewer said, it would have been nice to understand a bit more about cricket, but that isn't a big detraction.
This one I will lend out but keep a copy in my library. Very nice surprise...
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