Gus Dury once had a high-flying career as a journalist and a wife he adored. But now he is living on the edge, a drink away from Edinburgh's down-and-outs, drifting from bar to bar, trying not to sign divorce papers. But the road takes an unexpected turn when a friend asks him to investigate the brutal torture and killing of his son, and Gus becomes embroiled in a much bigger story of political corruption and illegal people-trafficking. Seedy doss-houses, bleak wastelands and sudden violence contrast with the cobbled streets and cool bistros of fashionable Edinburgh, as the puzzle unravels to a truly shocking ending.
Paying For It (Gus Dury 1)
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
A fine debut. Black is the new noir (Allan Guthrie )
Tony Black's first novel hits the ground running, combining a sympathetic ear for the surreal dialogue of the dispossessed with a portrait of the belly of a city painted in the blackest of humour (Guardian )
Paying For It might just be the most aptly titled novel of the year. Rarely has a title worked on so many levels... the narrative blasts off the page like a triple malt... This is one adrenalin-pumped novel, as moving and compassionate as it is stylishly written (Ken Bruen, Author Of The Guards Novels )
Assuming (and hoping) that this is the first of many featuring the tortured Gus Dury, we've never seen a series character so richly and honestly drawn from the get-go. The emotional punches connect solidly in Paying For It, as the pains of being a father and the pains of being a son are laid bare. The debut of the year (Thuglit.com )
Of all the new writers emerging this year, he is the one to watch (Martyn Waites, author of the Joe Donovan series )
Tony Black's first novel hits the ground running, combining a sympathetic ear for the surreal dialogue of the dispossessed with a portrait of the belly of a city painted in the blackest of humour (Guardian )
Paying For It might just be the most aptly titled novel of the year. Rarely has a title worked on so many levels... the narrative blasts off the page like a triple malt... This is one adrenalin-pumped novel, as moving and compassionate as it is stylishly written (Ken Bruen, Author Of The Guards Novels )
Assuming (and hoping) that this is the first of many featuring the tortured Gus Dury, we've never seen a series character so richly and honestly drawn from the get-go. The emotional punches connect solidly in Paying For It, as the pains of being a father and the pains of being a son are laid bare. The debut of the year (Thuglit.com )
Of all the new writers emerging this year, he is the one to watch (Martyn Waites, author of the Joe Donovan series )
Book Description
A brilliant thriller debut from Edinburgh journalist turned rising crime-writing star Tony Black, introducing Gus Dury, a compelling new hero in the great tradition of Scottish detective fiction.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It doesn't happen often, but sometimes you're completely blown away by a book. It's even rarer for it to happen with a debut novel... but Tony Black makes a myth of all that with Paying for It. It's a stunning tale, narrated by a character who, in reality, you'd cross the road from, but whose life sparks a deep and unrelenting fascination. Edinburgh-based PI Gus Dury is a drink away from destruction, his marriage and career in tatters. He needs a focus and when he's asked to probe the brutal murder of a young man, his dedication and deep desire for justice comes to the fore. Gus wades through prostitution, Eastern European gangsters and even comes face-to-face with a wolf. Tony's stark portrayal of modern Scotland and its rulers is hard-hitting, yet blisteringly recognisable. Buy this, read it, then make your friends read it. When you finally, bleary-eyed in the small hours after one sitting, put it down, you'll tell yourself you had no problem Paying for It.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By T. Maxwell
Format:Hardcover
It's hard to believe that Paying For It is Tony Black's first book. He delves deep into Edinburgh's underworld and paints a vivid picture of the dark side of Scotland's capital. The book opens with the aftermath of a brutal murder which Gus Dury, an alcoholic ex-journalist, has been asked to investigate. What follows is a gripping story full of fascinating characters and shocking revelations. It also has a truly mindblowing ending. You won't want to put it down. I can't wait for the next installment - Tony Black is definitely one to watch.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Take the 5th
Format:Paperback
Loved the book so much i want to carry on reading about Gus Dury and so glad i found that there is another book out for me to get into.
Loved Tony Black's writing. Any book that actually makes me feel i care about the people being wrote about is a winner for me.
Hope he writes many more.
Loved Tony Black's writing. Any book that actually makes me feel i care about the people being wrote about is a winner for me.
Hope he writes many more.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good read
I read this book after reading another, later, book written by the author. This is a good, solid read, pacy and well-written. Read more
Published 20 days ago by J. Ellis
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very readable
An enjoyable book. Some words need a translation as they are clearly local dialect but didn't hinder the overall story.
Published 1 month ago by JOJO
5.0 out of 5 stars
A highly recommended read
It must be difficult for an author to find a different angle for a crime story set in Edinburgh but Tony Black is no ordinary author and Gus Dury is no ordinary crime fighter! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Neil Wright
3.0 out of 5 stars
Life on the edge in Edinburgh
Set in contemporary Edinburgh, this novel follows ex-journalist Gus Dury as he tracks down the truth about how the son of a friend of his came to be so brutally murdered. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Alison McVey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love Gus
The first Gus Dury novel in the series which introduces us to the washed up journalist and all his problems in gritty detail as he investigates the murder of a friend's son in... Read more
Published 4 months ago by K. Nixon
2.0 out of 5 stars
Rather a downer!
A rather depressing novel set in the murky underworld of Edinburgh. The principal charcter (I can't countenance the term "hero") is an ex-journalist sinking ever-deeper into... Read more
Published 7 months ago by James Brydon
2.0 out of 5 stars
poor and badly written
Did not enjoy this book at all. The writing was poor, and to me it was not in anyway shape or form a book based in Edinburgh. Read more
Published 7 months ago by RETIRED AND READING
3.0 out of 5 stars
enjoyable enough start to a series
Paying For It is written from a first person perspective, the reader viewing the world through Gus Dury. And it's the view from one step away from the gutter. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Rob Kitchin
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the bawbeees
Another few, quite a few, bawbeees spent via my beloved Kindle. I like to try Scottish authors and I found this one as a good book when checking out reviews for Craig Russell. Read more
Published 11 months ago by happybooks
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pay For It, Now.
Tony Black has redefined the myth of the mean Scotsman. Paying For It reads like the manifesto of a man who has to pay for his country's crisis out of his own pocket. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mary Helen
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
