Harry Charters Chronicles [Kindle Edition]

I bought this on recommendation and wasn't sure if it would be my cup of tea but I loved the stories and read them all in one go, couldn't put them down! Really entertaining and am off to buy his other book now :)

Harry Charters Chronicles - Graham Smith.

Graham Smith has only been writing for a few months but in that time he has saturated the internet with his short stories and flash fiction. His words usually have a mean and gritty edge to them and I believe that I am correct in saying that his debut piece (Annie's Story) was removed from a flash fiction site because some people found it offensive.

I hooked up with Graham at this time when he kindly sent me the story to read for myself. The subject matter was rape, gang rape infact, and although it may not be a pleasant subject it was an excellent story and the punch line more than made up for any discomfort anyone may have felt whilst reading it. It was a very cleverly executed first piece of writing to go public.

To that end I have, I think, read every piece that Graham has put up in the time that I have known him and I am sure he will not mind me being honest in saying that occasionally I thought his stories could do with a little filling out, but, and I must say this, he has gone from strength to strength, and with each piece he has grown as a writer.

So this brings me to Harry Charters Chronicles, the second collection that Graham has published with Trestle Press, the first being 11 The Hard Way.

Here we have seven tales of a gumshoe detective whose only real friend seems to live in the bottom of one bottle or another. We meet him when work is on the up and he is starting to think that life is not always that bad.

These are short stories and I don't want to give too much away but Harry is not a law abiding citizen doing a fine job for society. He is a man who meters out his own form of justice once he has tracked his targets down.

Graham Smith has the language and detail of the time down to near perfection and I can honestly say that five lines into the first story I was taken aback and thought," way to go Graham, this is something else. You've cracked it mate." And he has.

My favourite tale is The Smell of Perfume, a magnificent play on words that has him searching for the missing son of his old army sergeant.

We have card game deceit, a very dodgy coach driver and a little bit of gangland control in this collection and through it all, Harry Charters and his straight up bourbon manage to bring it all to a satisfying conclusion.

I sincerely hope that Graham gives life to Harry and writes a full length novel so that we can learn what made this man what he is.

This collection of short stories was a real joy to read. Our hero goes through life fighting his many demons - some with more success than others. He is a born fighter on so many levels. As I progressed through the stories, I became more and more attached to Harry Charters. By the end of this book, I was willing him to search out the scum of his world and dispense his justice on them. The characterisation of Harry is impecable and the style is easy to read, drawing the reader in almost without realising it. An excellent book which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone and everyone.