I was pleasantly surprised by this book and would describe it as a true little gem.
Set in the Second World War with a group of inept Liverpool criminals as the central characters it is neither a war story nor a crime story. It is far more a tale of people.
People used to surviving on their wits and muddling through, no matter what adversity they face. Initially they face the problems of adapting their criminal lifestyle to life in war time Britain. They have no sentiment toward King or country only to themselves and their efforts to continue their criminal activities. It is ironic then that those very activities cause them to become involved in a situation and a war they want no part of and are ill equipped to deal with. Being thrust into the fray at short notice and with minimum training means they have to rely on their criminal instinct rather than military skill. Their ultimate emergence as heroes is almost by default owing more to dogged determination and their simplistic code of values than heroic swashbuckling deeds.
The plot flows at a pace that had me wanting to turn each page to see what happened next and whilst being a work of fiction there are enough threads of fact to give the story and characters a real credibility suggesting that the events might just have really happened.
Its’ great strength though is the characters. There is pathos, humour, genuine affection and real interaction between them. They are simple men yet complex, ordinary yet extraordinary the author explores the strengths, weaknesses, humanity and loyalty of each character and the interactions between them in a way that brings them to life as everyday folk. If you are their ‘mate’ you are their family and they fiercely protect their own. They would not hesitate to give their all, even their lives to protect their friends and family, yet can see no point or merit in dying for King or Country. There is a contradiction between their selfless attitude to those close to them and their closed shop attitude to anything outside of their world. They are ordinary men who drink beer in the pub, smoke, swear, gamble and are just like hundreds of thousands of other men who made this country what it is. They are not the usual stuff of heroic novels. They would not aspire to be regarded as intellectuals, but have graduated from the University of Life with honours and are able to adapt to whatever life throws at them changing their game as each card is dealt. So, whilst they would not subscribe to the rhetoric associated with discussion of the finer points of food and wine they have no issues with trying new things, especially the wine, and praising them simply because they are good. Their real gift and merit though lies in their ability to make the most of their lot and get on with life with a simplistic acceptance yet steely resolve that reflects the bulldog spirit and dogged determination that won the war, only theirs has a 'Scouse' twist.
Their simplistic outlook, naivety and at times madcap schemes provided moments when I genuinely laughed out loud. Their devotion and true loyalty to each other as they face the realisation that despite being hardened criminals, they are not prepared or equipped to cope with the stark reality and true horrors of war at times prompts tears.
The cover notes state that the author has previously worked in script writing. This is apparent in the way he explores and develops the characters using techniques more akin to that medium. There is a lot of dialogue and interaction like a script and the settings are described accurately and visually. The events go from ‘A’ to ‘B’ without clutter and unnecessary diversion making it extremely readable by telling the story in a straightforward, no nonsense style. So often, a storyline suffers, appearing to have been padded out and watered down with irrelevant content and flowery descriptive simply to achieve a set number of pages that can actually detract from the simple pleasure of reading it.
It is so refreshing to read a book like ‘The Lime Street Irregulars’ that just gets on with it and doesn't get bogged down in sub plot after sub plot. It is quite simply a good story well told. It will take those that lived through those times back to smoky pubs that were full of real characters and reluctant heroes. People they knew and can identify with. It is far more though than simply a work of nostalgia and has a style, pace and content that should appeal to all age groups.
