James Davis (13)

Enjoyable tosh undermined by typos and an implausible plot

The story is set in Fitzrovia and Soho. Fitzrovia is generally taken to refer to the area in London that lies north of Oxford Street and south of Euston Road. I am baffled as to why author James Davis chose to call his book "Noho". Noho, or North Soho, is a name loathed by most residents of Fitzrovia and the name only emerged around 2008 by estate agents attempting to rebrand the area. It has no relevance to 1930s London when the area show more was only known as Fitzrovia. Perhaps, then, I should have been wary of a book called "Noho"?

So having got that bone of contention out of the way, I will say I quite enjoyed this story of private investigator Nick Valentine set in 1930s London, at least at first. The story is set in Fitzrovia and Soho - both areas I know well, and so I could imagine many of the places being described. Despite the pleasure I derived from recognising places, I became increasingly frustrated. There were two reasons:

1. The story, whilst fast-paced, becomes increasingly implausible and cliche-ridden as the bodies pile up. By the book's end there was barely anyone, bar protagonist Nick Valentine, left alive.

2. The number of typos. I noticed in other earlier reviews of this book a similar complaint, although apparently more extreme than the twenty plus I spotted. Someone associated with the book, commenting in 2011, stated that "the first file upload for the Kindle version of Noho was corrupted. It has since been rectified." I dread to think what the original version was like, because the numerous sloppy mistakes that are still present were a major distraction.

I regret reading this book. show less

An intriguing look at the underworld of 1930s London where immigrants, gangster and spys rub shoulders in smoky jazz clubs and dingy pubs in London's Soho. The shadow of the last war hangs heavy and the spectre of the next looms as a disgraced war hero is pressured into using his underworld contacts to help British Intelligence smash a foreign spy ring. The plot twists and turns and the sense of time and place adds atmosphere, from drinks in the Savoy to chasing through fog draped streets, show more it's a fascinating and thrilling look at a forgotten world. show less