Needless Alley

Fiction & Poetry, Modern & Contemporary Fiction, Crime & Thrillers

Natalie Marlow (author)

Hardback Published on: 19/01/2023

£16.99

22 reviews

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Bookseller Reviews

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Everything You Need in a Glorious Mystery!

Dark, gritty and full of atmosphere. There is so much to enjoy from this powerful and ingenious thriller and is a definite stand out as one mystery not to ... READ MORE

Steven at Bluewater

Synopsis

Birmingham, 1933.

Private enquiry agent William Garrett, a man damaged by a dark childhood spent on Birmingham's canals, specialises in facilitating divorces for the city's male elite. With the help of his best friend - charming, out-of-work actor Ronnie Edgerton - William sets up honey traps. But photographing unsuspecting women in flagrante plagues his conscience and William heaves up his guts with remorse after every job.

However, William's life changes when he accidentally meets the beautiful Clara Morton and falls in love. Little does he know she is the wife of a client - a leading fascist with a dangerous obsession. And what should have been another straightforward job turns into something far more deadly.

Drenched in evocative period atmosphere and starring an unforgettable cast of characters, Needless Alley takes the reader from seedy canal-side pubs, to crumbling Warwickshire manor houses, and into the hidden spaces of Birmingham's Queer, bohemian society.

Publisher: John Murray Press
ISBN: 9781399801799
Number of pages: 336
Weight: 542g
Dimensions: 238 x 156 x 36 mm

Customer Reviews

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A suitably grubby and confident debut

After his experiences in the Great War Billy Garrett returns to Birmingham and carves out a living as a private detective specialising in facilitating divo... READ MORE

Jo-anne Atkinson

Rich and earthy

Needless Alley gives us a rich and earthy insight into underbelly of mid-war Birmingham. I know the city well and I do love an early 20th century setting, ... READ MORE

Nicola Pettitt

Brilliant story, post WW1 detective gets embroiled in crime and hard men.

What a great story! I could not predict how this was going to end......the story twisted and turned to an incredible finale that I did not see coming! Abso... READ MORE

Katrina Oliver

Dark, shocking and absolutely brilliant!

Loved this, it’s first class historical crime that I felt totally immersed in. Find it hard to believe this is a first novel. 1930s Birmingham is a hard a... READ MORE

Heather Nazmdeh

Vivid description. A totally immersive read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the very first page. The scene setting is wonderful. I was transported to the seedy alleys, landmarks, narrowboats and... READ MORE

Alison W

A gripping and atmospheric read

I read this as part of a book club and crime fiction is certainly out of my comfort zone- however, I loved the author's descriptive writing (particularly a... READ MORE

Aimee Whitehead

To be read in a film noir style voiceover

"Needless Alley" by Natalie Morrow had a strong start and set up the scene for a Private Investigator well, so well that I started reading it in a film no... READ MORE

Mel Pretorius

A compelling read

What a fabulous story! While at heart a detective novel, it is also in many ways a story of love in its myriad forms. William Garrett is a refreshing pr... READ MORE

Fran McBookface

Birmingham noir

'This was Savile Row smut, nicely tailored and nothing vulgar. Smut for gentlemen rather than players. Smut for the officer class, no doubt of that...' Se... READ MORE

Blue Book Balloon

A great read!

I really enjoyed this immersive and gritty historical noir set in 1930’s Birmingham. William Garrett, Private Enquiry Agent works and lives from his offic... READ MORE

@SezzThomas

Messy murder in Birmingham's demi monde

Being a Private Detective mostly means taking pictures of wives or husbands in flagrente, often a set-up. Easy money – unless someone dies, of course. In... READ MORE

Denis

Promising new author

Set in 1930s Birmingham, this gritty novel centres on private detective William Garrett. The investigation that starts off as a nice easy little earner, tu... READ MORE

T Edwards

Excellent Debut

Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy. This is an excellent historical crime debut, and I would certainly be happy to read Natalie's next... READ MORE

Fiona Sharp

Impressive debut

Arriving on a wave of fanfare on this side of Christmas 2022, this reader had the pleasure of reading Needless Alley devouring this debut novel by Natalie ... READ MORE

Jamie Garwood

Cracking between wars English noir

Needless Alley is a homage to the golden era of crime fiction encompassing quintessential Englishness married with a touch of the US hard-boiled. Its outlo... READ MORE

Peter Fleming

Atmospheric and brilliantly written!

Needless Alley is a mystery set in the old film noir mould, but the private detective walks the streets of 1930s Birmingham, catching straying wives in the... READ MORE

kendrafortune

A wonderfully immersive northern noir novel