Books like The Long Firm

A peppy, stylish tour of the London underworld of the 60’s and 70’s, punctuated by sudden bursts of gruesome violence. This is the story of Harry Starks, an East End gangster, a charismatic, feared, and fearless man as told by five very different characters who encounter Harry at different stages of his career. Harry is an interesting man. He’s a brutal thug, but charming and protective. He’s perceptive, a natural born genius at psychology, but he employs these gifts to terrorise his victims. And he’s openly gay, though the time period and his chosen profession are virulently homophobic. As Harry explains so succinctly; “I ain’t ashamed of it,” a platitude that seems to extend well beyond his sexual preference.It’s well paced and easy to read. Hints of James Ellroy, but not quite as grim and depraved. The five different characters’ stories are used well to not only tell the story of Harry Starks, but to also tell stories Harry isn’t aware of, like a second secret history behind this secret history of Swinging London, a world of dirty little secrets and discrete back alley business. Though he is the main character, Harry always remains always at arm’s length, viewed through the eyes of other characters, and I think that’s a smart choice. He retains a sense of mystery throughout, allowing Arnott to constantly surprise the reader with a new facet of Harry’s personality. It also removes any of the excuses and self justifications Harry might have for some of his more despicable acts - though I suspect Harry himself would offer none. “I ain’t ashamed of it.”