The Little Moscow, a shady basement bar at the side of the Grand Union canal in Birmingham, stamping ground for thieves, gangsters and conmen â plus some of the cityâ s more glamorous creatures. Blue-skinned Nathan, a hardknock tattooist, refuses to pay Crawfordâ s protection racket. Nearby, a refugee from Middle Eastern wars finds a body hanging from a lamppost and becomes entangled with a goodtime girl called Veronica and an apartment decorated with abstract art. Roles get reversed, debts get claimed and colours collide â while two would-be Andy Warhols make away with incriminating evidence. These stories revolve around the Little Moscow bar in subtle, surprising ways to form a powerfully impressionistic whole. Scully brings a literary virtuosity to the landscapes of urban realism, fuelling a noir mythology with dreams of power, riches and sex. This auspicious collection draws darkly criminal tales from a modern cityâ s mix of cultures.
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'Scully initiates profound moral investigations into the lives of his characters, whose dramas evolve from the villains' pubs, canal towpaths and deprived housing estates of the West Midlands' -- Nicholas Royle
'Scully's stories sift the shifting sediment of the Midlands, bringing to the surface the lives of the marginalised, the criminalised and the downtrodden with an unflinching yet compassionate eye. His characters trail across the Birmingham night like tracer bullets, their momentary brightness leaving an after-image as haunting and as memorable as any in contemporary noir fiction' -- Nick Barlay
'You want it down and dirty? Up the arse or right between the eyes? Then Scully's your man' -- John Harvey
'Scully's stories sift the shifting sediment of the Midlands, bringing to the surface the lives of the marginalised, the criminalised and the downtrodden with an unflinching yet compassionate eye. His characters trail across the Birmingham night like tracer bullets, their momentary brightness leaving an after-image as haunting and as memorable as any in contemporary noir fiction' -- Nick Barlay
'You want it down and dirty? Up the arse or right between the eyes? Then Scully's your man' -- John Harvey
From the Publisher
'Mick Scully is a dark new talent. Little Moscow is full of shocking stories with characters who are disturbingly familiar' Jake Arnott
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Chris
Format:Paperback
A thrilling debut. Scully has a wickedly dark sense of humour which is evident throughout all the stories in the book, even the most distressing and macabre, making this collection of short stories an absorbing read which I recommend highly.
Themes such as the consequences of crime and and what drives people to extreme behaviour are of obvious interest to the author and they are explored with perception and at times a menacing intensity.
Scully appears to have a real affection and empathy for many of the characters, some feature several times and despite the dark nature of many of the stories Scully has the ability to make us sympathise with even the most depraved of characters. Some of the most chilling tales have a tragic poignancy which is touching. I really enjoyed this set of short stories and look forward to reading more from this talented writer.
Themes such as the consequences of crime and and what drives people to extreme behaviour are of obvious interest to the author and they are explored with perception and at times a menacing intensity.
Scully appears to have a real affection and empathy for many of the characters, some feature several times and despite the dark nature of many of the stories Scully has the ability to make us sympathise with even the most depraved of characters. Some of the most chilling tales have a tragic poignancy which is touching. I really enjoyed this set of short stories and look forward to reading more from this talented writer.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Peter
Format:Paperback
A very strongly and tightly written collection of short stories centred around a Birmingham bar frequented by criminals who come from an alarmingly wide range of backgrounds. The plots keep you pinned to the pages, never let you relax and continually surprise. Many of the characters are truly terrifying creations, none of whom you would want to even spot at a distance in or around the city! There are also a few common threads and characters throughout which bind 'Little Moscow' into a thrilling volume. A really great debut!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Scully has an eye for the disturbing and seedy side of Birmingham. His characters are real and dangerous. His stories sharp and vivid.
I'm looking forward to more from this new talent.
I'm looking forward to more from this new talent.
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