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Review
`Gripping...filthily bleak' --The Observer
`Written with style, pace and dark humour...hugely fun' --Sport
`Neil Cross, the creator of the series, is a seasoned novelist and it shows- the writing is economical, taut and evocative. This is, quite literally, bloody brilliant'
--Metro
"Luther is to crime fiction what his historical counterpart was to religion. The mystery he is trying to solve is the murder of his soul in an imperfect world. Fallen from grace but struggling for salvation, Luther's most formidable foe is himself. Gripping, taut fiction by a new master in the genre..."
--Guillermo del Toro
Luther, who is intelligent and almost freakishly intuitive, belongs not only to the Sherlock Holmes tradition but also to the newer crime-fiction model elaborated by Thomas Harris in his novels Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal.
--The New York Times
`Written with style, pace and dark humour...hugely fun' --Sport
`Neil Cross, the creator of the series, is a seasoned novelist and it shows- the writing is economical, taut and evocative. This is, quite literally, bloody brilliant'
--Metro
"Luther is to crime fiction what his historical counterpart was to religion. The mystery he is trying to solve is the murder of his soul in an imperfect world. Fallen from grace but struggling for salvation, Luther's most formidable foe is himself. Gripping, taut fiction by a new master in the genre..."
--Guillermo del Toro
Luther, who is intelligent and almost freakishly intuitive, belongs not only to the Sherlock Holmes tradition but also to the newer crime-fiction model elaborated by Thomas Harris in his novels Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal.
--The New York Times
Review
'Cross delivers a brooding piece of back-story for fans of the character inhabited by Idris Elba on screen. However, if you're not already a DCI Luther convert, it also serves as a good jumping off point into his tortured world' Shortlist, top 20 crime novels of the year 'Gripping... eviscerating' Observer 'Written with style, pace and dark humour' Sport magazine 'Neil Cross, the creator of the series, is a seasoned novelist and it shows -- the writing is economical, taut and evocative. This is, quite literally, bloody brilliant' Metro 'Written with style, pace and dark humour...hugely fun' Sport magazine 'Unsettling, lyrical... Cross has always dealt in darkness and been so adept at conjuring bogeymen from the catacombs of mythology that you start to see them everywhere' Guardian 'This story shares the editing technique and visual power of the screen version. But, more than anything, it's an astounding book in its own right. Unapologetic, brutal and stunning - in the very real sense of that word... If you weren't faint-hearted when you started reading, you'll feel it by the end. Whole passages are carried on an adrenaline wave that leaves the reader shaking and in fear of what comes next. If you don't suffer nightmares after finishing this book, you're a stronger reader than me... No doubt about it, Cross is an amazing writer, capable of lyricism and pathos as well as some of the most traumatising scenes you're ever likely to experience in a mainstream crime novel' Eurocrime 'This is no mere TV tie-in; this is a fully functioning standalone, and an excellent book in its own right. The drama is often shocking, always visceral. Cross creates a plot which allows us to see the nascence of a beloved character, showcasing his swaggering brilliance as well as his anguish. Luther: The Calling is strongly recommended even to anyone unfamiliar with the series, but to fans, this is an absolute must' Book Geeks
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I am a huge Luther fan. And being able to read about him as well as watch him on television, well, it gave me mixed feelings. Feelings of terror and dread about what I would find inside. Feelings of exhilaration, fear, excitement. I couldn't wait! And Neil Cross didn't disappoint me.
Firstly, let me say that LUTHER: THE CALLING is freestanding from the series. This is an original book and not a tie-in or novelization. It's one of John Luther's cases pre-series. So there are some characters in there that you don't expect to read about, which I found really good. If, like me, you like the television series for it's unbelievably believable writing, characters and plots, then you'll love LUTHER: THE CALLING. If you haven't watched any of series one or two of Luther, you could pick this book up and enjoy it as it stands. And I have to say, for me, reading it with Idris Elba in mind was wonderful!
LUTHER: THE CALLING is dark, compelling, squeamish, pacy, twisted, well written obviously, ghoulish. In one word - perfect. It felt to me like reading a TV script in book form. Short, sharp sentences. A sense of place would be described in only three words. A character described in four or five words. But the words used were so perfect to provide exactly the right images and feelings.
The only thing I don't like about a book which is this good is that it is so hard to review - I want to say and this happens and then this happens next and wait until you read this part...there are so many euwww moments in it that make it fabulous.
John Luther is now a crime fiction hero - or maybe an anti-hero - and I can't wait to read the next book.
Firstly, let me say that LUTHER: THE CALLING is freestanding from the series. This is an original book and not a tie-in or novelization. It's one of John Luther's cases pre-series. So there are some characters in there that you don't expect to read about, which I found really good. If, like me, you like the television series for it's unbelievably believable writing, characters and plots, then you'll love LUTHER: THE CALLING. If you haven't watched any of series one or two of Luther, you could pick this book up and enjoy it as it stands. And I have to say, for me, reading it with Idris Elba in mind was wonderful!
LUTHER: THE CALLING is dark, compelling, squeamish, pacy, twisted, well written obviously, ghoulish. In one word - perfect. It felt to me like reading a TV script in book form. Short, sharp sentences. A sense of place would be described in only three words. A character described in four or five words. But the words used were so perfect to provide exactly the right images and feelings.
The only thing I don't like about a book which is this good is that it is so hard to review - I want to say and this happens and then this happens next and wait until you read this part...there are so many euwww moments in it that make it fabulous.
John Luther is now a crime fiction hero - or maybe an anti-hero - and I can't wait to read the next book.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Neil Cross is a screenwriter who created the TV series Luther - Series 1 [DVD]. This novel is a prequel to that series, which I have never seen, but it also works as a standalone crime novel.
DCI John Luther, "a big man with a big walk", is a damaged cop whose marriage is falling apart. The story involves two cases. In the first, a property developer is putting heavy pressure on an aged tenant to move out of his home and when the book opens his heavies have just beaten up Luther's colleague, who has been trying to protect the old man. The second and major plotline involves the murder of a young couple and the theft of their unborn baby. In both instances, Luther becomes heavily and very personally involved.
Neil Cross has a taut style of writing. He doesn't spend a lot of time on back stories or lengthy descriptions. It's tight and relentless and bang! - it draws you in immediately. After only a few pages, I felt like I had been reading the book for some time. The storyline in this book is more complex that his books usually are. He's juggling a large cast of characters. It feels reminiscent of Simon Kernick's early books, about flawed cop Dennis Milne. The pace is fast and the action continues right up until the final page. My main critique is that there's not a lot of suspense (compared to his other books), and the suspense that there is tends to be about what's going on in Luther's head rather than how the plot will resolve itself.
Be aware that it's fairly violent and some of the sexual descriptions are pretty graphic.
DCI John Luther, "a big man with a big walk", is a damaged cop whose marriage is falling apart. The story involves two cases. In the first, a property developer is putting heavy pressure on an aged tenant to move out of his home and when the book opens his heavies have just beaten up Luther's colleague, who has been trying to protect the old man. The second and major plotline involves the murder of a young couple and the theft of their unborn baby. In both instances, Luther becomes heavily and very personally involved.
Neil Cross has a taut style of writing. He doesn't spend a lot of time on back stories or lengthy descriptions. It's tight and relentless and bang! - it draws you in immediately. After only a few pages, I felt like I had been reading the book for some time. The storyline in this book is more complex that his books usually are. He's juggling a large cast of characters. It feels reminiscent of Simon Kernick's early books, about flawed cop Dennis Milne. The pace is fast and the action continues right up until the final page. My main critique is that there's not a lot of suspense (compared to his other books), and the suspense that there is tends to be about what's going on in Luther's head rather than how the plot will resolve itself.
Be aware that it's fairly violent and some of the sexual descriptions are pretty graphic.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
this book is great, and gives you a real insight into luther's personal and work life. The book leads up to the first scene of the first series, and also gives more information on Ian Reed's greed fuelled killing spree. Also worth noting, that this book mentions a few characters from neil cross' earlier book "Captured". You do not need to read captured to understand the plot though.
If you are a fan of the show you must buy this book, you won't be dissapointed.
If you are a fan of the show you must buy this book, you won't be dissapointed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great read, if uncomfortable at times
Brilliant tie in to where the tv series starts. I didn;t realise that this was the case until 5 pages before the end. Read more
Published 14 days ago by nickyfran75
Brilliant
Every bit as good as the tv series. You nan imagine Idris as you are reading the book. The mannerisms are down to a tee. Story line is excellent as are the characterisations.
Published 27 days ago by Gordon Campbell
Present for a fan of Luther the TV Series
I bought this book for my Mum who is a massive fan of the series Luther. I have watched it myself but mainly for Edris Elba, lol! Read more
Published 1 month ago by tinyforever
Intense
This is an intense thriller which captures in print the tense, atmospheric drama of the two fantastic TV series. Read more
Published 1 month ago by D. Bane
EXCELLENT READ
I have yet to write a review of a book i have read on my Kindle but feel compelled to do so now- this book is sooooo good!!! Read more
Published 1 month ago by shazamac
British crime at its best...
Wow...wow...wow - what a story.
The story is the written prequel to Luther (TV show starring Idris Elba). Read more
The story is the written prequel to Luther (TV show starring Idris Elba). Read more
Published 1 month ago by Kevin O'Brien
Luther's new life in print
This is not a 'novelisation' of the great BBC TV series but an original Luther story, in fact a prequel to the first series. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. H. Bretts
Can't Wait To Read This
I absolutely loved the BBC series - Idris Elba was absolutely fantastic as the title character so can't wait to get hold of this book. Neil Cross is a dude!
Published 2 months ago by samhabib
Good police procedural
I wasn't familiar with the BBC series, "Luther", when friend told me about Neil Cross's novel, "Luther: The Calling". Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jill Meyer
As scintillating as the BBC series
Neil Cross, sole writer of the BBC TV series, Luther, wrote this psychological crime drama prequel subsequent to writing the TV show. Read more
Published 2 months ago by switterbug
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