City of Tiny Lights

by Patrick Neate

From award-winning novelist Patrick Neate, a literary mystery that introduces a new kind of British detective, Ugandan-Indian Tommy Akhtar, and a side of London that the mystery world has never seen.

A contemporary murder mystery set in the heart of London, this is the story of Tommy Akhtar, hard-drinking veteran of the Mujahideen, devoted son, sometime private investigator and sometime idol to the thug-lites of the ethnic motley of West London. Hired by a bewitching prostitute, he's to track down the whereabouts of her missing friend, last seen meeting a client in a local dive. But as the search heats up, Tommy's case takes a turn for the sinister, as he's drawn into a murder investigation and the dark side of both the establishment and those who plan to overthrow it.

Written with all the energy and vividness that earned Neate a 2004 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2001 Whitbread Novel Award, City of Tiny Lights is poised to find a wide new audience for its talented, charismatic young author.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Novels, Crime, Thriller, British Literature

325 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been waiting a few days to write about this book because I wasn't sure what I thought or how I felt about it. But now I've finished Intuition and I'm itching to try to explain how incredibly kick ass it is, so I have to deal with Tiny Lights first, and I guess the contrast kinda clarifies things.

I adored Neate's London Pigeon Wars. OK, I didn't always get the pigeon parts, the weird bird patois, but I stuck with it and I can't immediately recall any other literary ending that has affected me so deeply.

City of Tiny Lights shares one obvious trait with Pigeon Wars: a nearly incomprehensible patois. This time it's not British pigeons, it's just Brits. It's modern noir recounted by a suitably debauched and haunted detective (a Paki detective, really a Ugandan-Indian-British detective). I was out of my depth with the slang and the references -- particularly that damn Cockney rhyming slang. Porkies = pork pies = lies. Why all the bother? What's wrong with just saying "lies"?

It's not just the language; it's the culture. The book is a detective story, sure, but it's a detective story that touches on ethnicity and class and politics and terrorism and civil liberties and bombings ... and I'm sure that if I lived in London I would have been getting more out of it. It's not that I can't grasp the concept of racism or classism, but the divides in England are not quite the same as those in America. The prejudices and the stereotypes are different.

Synopsis:,/b> Tommy Akhtar seems to live on a steady diet of booze and cigarettes. His story open in classic noir fashion -- looking back, he should have shoved the dame right outta his office. Of all the gin joints in all the world, she had to walk into his, ya know? The dame's a chesty hooker who wants Tommy to track down her ho-mate. Tommy soon finds that the Russian pro's disappearance coincides in time, place, and manner with the bloody bludgeoning of a politico. And from there it's nothing but trouble.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Pakistani-Ugandan ex-undercover military operative in Afganistan is pretty lost on returning home but finds his way as a private investigator. Lots of intrigue, beautiful-ugly sense of place and many many everyday characters, so strange yet so normal.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Tommy Akhtar, hard-drinking veteran of the Mujahideen, and PI, gets hired by a bewitching prostitute to find her missing friend.

[Zachary Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining gumshoe detective story that takes place in London firmly into the War on Terror. It's full of entertaining characters, but it's so entrenched in British slang that it's a bit hard to follow what's going on sometimes. Also the author makes a strange choice to use cricket as a metaphor throughout the novel, which is not helpful for someone who knows next to nothing about cricket.

[Aaron McQuiston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I pushed my way through "City of Tiny Lights" with ease because even though I felt like I was an outsider to a great deal of the culture, those things I learned in the midst of a decently unfolded literary mystery made the adventure worth my time. Tommy Akhtar is a hard drinking, chain smoking, Ugandan-Indian-Muslim who catches himself in a story that is much bigger than the job that he was initially hired to perform. This seems like a simple device to any sort of detective story, but this works on another level. Since Akhtar is part of a culture and life that is filled with fundamentalism, racism, and terrorism, you get some insight into what if feels like to be guilty by association. There are several great scenes between Tommy and his father in discussion about covert racism vs blatant racism, how the "War on Terror" is an oxymoron, and how fundamentalism does not exist in the way that the word is used. These small sections of a much larger plot bring an edge to this book that keeps it from being a straight gumshoe novel, but give it more of a political, philosophical edge. These are the parts that I am thinking about still after finishing the book.

One of the biggest downfalls of me reading this is that there is a great deal of talk about the game of cricket, descriptions of game play, lists of players, and a few metaphors that I know would be good if I knew the first thing about cricket. This makes a part of my experience with this novel to be a little disengaged, skipping through some of the cricket talk to get to something that I understand. I know that there are tons of people in the world that would get these references but I am not one of them. This kind of makes me feel alienated, but this alienation, this discomfort I felt during reading this made me understand that there is a world out there that I know nothing about, that is beyond my understanding, and that I should never ever think that I have learned enough about people and the way that the world treats them. All of this from a novel that starts with a detective trying to find a lost prostitute.

[Snotchocheez · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Frankly, I was a bit dubious about this one, a friend's glowing recommendation of a neo-noir potboiler set in London. Fifty pages in, I was still scratching my head why she gushed over City of Tiny Lights, a book that was, to be sure, leaving me with a massive headache every time I cracked it open to decipher the totally foreign (to me) argot and vernacular of gutter-slang English (like, say, gumshoe detective-speak as paraphrased by the rap band The Streets, with a liberal dousing of geezers and birds and what what whats, every pertinent thought punctuated by serious) and incessant descriptions of cricket matches. It was irritating in the extreme, full-stop, serious.

Only Patrick Neate's solid fleshing out of his main character kept me plowing further: Tommy Akhtar, Ugandan/Pakistani/English ex-mercenary/mujahideen in Afghanistan during Soviet occupation, cricket afficionado, and bad-ass gumshoe, fueled by a steady diet of Bennys and Turk (Benson & Hedges and Wild Turkey), is tasked by a prositute to find a friend of hers, also a prostitute, after a high ranking MP (parliament member?) who was dating her was bludgeoned with a hammer. The story careens wildly from there, and again is tough to follow. Slowly the fog dissipated, and once I got into the rhythm of the super odd dialog, I could tell that Neate is a terrific storyteller. Full of side stories, unpredictable twists and turns and snarky humor on almost every page, City of Tiny Lights (whose name evidently is borrowed from a Frank Zappa tune, but is used by Tommy as an apt drscriptor of the myriad and vast sea of sparkly lights the cityscape of London proffers) is definitely worth braving a migraine for.

[Jerry Peace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost a five, but the final thirty pages or so are disappointing. But this is a great book. Cricket references aside, Neate offers wonderful characters, with minimal brushstrokes that seduce us to use our imaginations to fill in. Benny and Turk are fantastic characters, taciturn yet overwhelming. Here are some quotes: "Teenage boys need to be bussed out to the jungle, serious. The chimps could teach them how to act like human beings." "Ask any world leader leader from the dark continent to the White House: keep the people scared and you'll keep them in check." "I closed my eyes but found I could think of nothing but the number of Londoners who'd already drunk this same glass of water." "'The truth is a lie nobody contests." "Farzad explained it as follows: 'It is the new principle, Tommy boy. If you believe that something is undetectable, then the fact that you can't detect it becomes evidence of its existence.'" "It made me realize that there's no such thing as corrupt ideas, only corrupt people." "...but it's easy to forget that the Yanks are the founding fathers of extremism." "This only reinforced my feeling that most people who want positions of authority should be automatically banned from applying." "'I'll just say this, son. You and the 'intelligence boys,' as you call them, you're not on the same side. You had better remember that." This is not a hi-tech, CSI book. This is a people book, with a private eye protagonist who cheerfully embraces himself as a Philip Marlowe wannabe. You're gonna love Tommy. And Tommy reminds us that ultimate goal of terrorists and official security personnel is the same- they want us scared.

[Ubik 2.0 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un improbabile ma simpatico detective

E’ un libro che procede, pressoché lungo tutta la sua durata, su uno stretto binario fra l’estrema simpatia effervescente del protagonista io narrante (anglo-paki-indo-ugandese, fanatico di cricket al punto da trarne una filosofia di vita) e una vicenda londinese che la quarta di copertina vorrebbe spacciare da “thriller ambizioso” e “classico noir” ma che di per sé è di una banalità da sbadiglio.

Il lettore quindi è di continuo sbalzato fra il divertimento per le ricorrenti disavventure dell’imbarazzante detective Tommy, il suo atteggiamento fatalista fino all’autolesionismo e le battute esilaranti che strappano molti sorrisi (si pensi alla scena dell’interrogatorio) e il disinteresse per il destino dei comprimari, persino quando nel prefinale l’autore finge la morte violenta di ben due personaggi molto legati a Tommy per poi smentirla con un “volemose bene” perché in fondo di commedia trattasi e non di thriller.

L’ingrediente “humour” permette quindi di arrivare senza fatica alla conclusione della storia e a provare finanche un retrospettivo affetto per Tommy e la sua banda di parenti e amici così come appaiono attraverso i suoi occhi, indulgenti ma inscindibili da una linguaccia caustica.
Ma il plot sfuma già in un vago ricordo nel momento in cui si ripone il romanzo…

[Jamal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern tale in the best tradition of hard-boiled detective stories. Written like Dashel Hammet with an education in geo-politics. It's flaws are easily forgotten as you come to care for the characters, even feeling a jolt of adrenaline a few times.

The heavy dose of timely (biting?) political and social commentary is not out of place as it would be in other stories of the type owing to the characters and London itself, a place where you cannot escape the World if you tried.

It's a book devoted to it's characters and it's plot. It's not complex, nor does it need to be (though one shouldn't be mistaken and think this means it's shallow) as the hard line taken by the narrator mirrors the hard lines throughout.

It's a hard life and the hard better get harder or stay as hard as they can to get through or else get hit by it...hard.

Hard!

The narrator drinks without remorse, a lesson for us all.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was disappointed when I first began reading this random library pick. I couldn't help but think it was going to be yet another noir crime novel with a very predictable plot. In many ways it was just that and in many ways it was so much more.
The book is set in the dregs of London and the hero is a Ugandan-Indian P.I. The level of detail that Neate goes to in developing this character is remarkable. I didn't care so much for the story as much as the backstory. The history of the character was so interesting I had a hard time putting the book down. It is packed with humor, action and emotion and something I will have to read again. Highly recommend.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable but I will apparently never undestand cricket metaphors.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neate's lastest novel is an engaging take on the hard-boiled detective genre, albeit one that perhaps somewhat overextends itself just a bit to much to be considered a total knockout of a book. Set in contemporary London (with a minor excursion to the Lymington seaside), the book revolves around Tommy Akhtar. Now in his mid to late 30s, Tommy was born in Uganda to Indian parents who immigrated to England when Idi Amin came to power. But don't let his colorful background fool you (in his youth he fell in with some people at the local mosque and ended up killing Soviets in Afghanistan), he's a classic Chandleresque private eye. Alcoholic? Check. Chain-smoker? Check. Smart aleck? Check. Cynic? Check. Good-hearted? Check. Got a "friend" on the police force? Check. Poor family life? Check. Pursues interesting case even though he's finished what he was paid to do? Check.

It all kicks off when a hooker hires Tommy to track down her missing flatmate/partner, who apparently owes her money. By the time the book is over, this simple case will have spiraled out of control into a very complex situation involving the murder of a Minister of Parliament, a mysterious Russian, an alleged terrorist group, and a cadre of MI5 and CIA agents. Interwoven with this is background on Tommy's life and his relationship with his dodgy brother and whacked out artist father. When the story follows Tommy down the mean streets, doing his work, tracking down the missing girl, sneaking into hotel rooms, and bantering with the supporting characters, the book works very very well. Neate brilliantly catches the patter and rhythm of dialogue, from Tommy's father's stern scolding to the local Pakistani teenage rude boy's patois. Where the book is somewhat less successful is the convoluted plotting, especially once the intelligence agencies are brought into the thick of things and it all gets rather conspiracy-theoryish.

There's a lot to like in the book as Neate takes the reader along for a very colorful and often funny ride. One aspect that's very welcome is that Tommy is a private eye who takes a lickin' and comes away quite wobbly. It's a rare case of the detective getting roughed up and there being real consequences. Some American readers may have trouble deciphering some of the book's pervasive Brit-slang and there's are running references to cricket tactics, lore, and legends which will elude those not familiar with the sport. These minor quibbles aside, it's a pretty entertaining read that's unlike almost anything else out there in the crime genre. I'll definitely be going back to check out Neate's previous books.

[Stuart Haining · Rating 5 out of 5]

9.5/10 vfm 10% One of my top 5% books over the last 6 months and purchased at higher than usual price (hence lower VFM score) after watching the good TV film adaptation which was a pretty accurate rendition. To me this portrayed a convincing atmosphere of a Ugandan Asian living and working in Britain but as the author looks to also be white British like me, whose to say if I’m liking an inaccurate racial stereotype akin to Jewish Tailors?
Either way, a brave attempt and a really enjoyable book. I slowed down my reading pace as much as possible to savour the moment and the book didn’t disappoint right to the end, it’s just a great shame Patrick seems to revel in creating unique classics rather than serials, this has all the potential of a Morse and yet sadly only the one book about an interesting and three dimensional central character and supporting family and neighbours.
It would have been a perfect 10 were it not for quite a lot of cricket based analogies - but they didn’t detract that much even if you’re not a huge fan of the sport!...and their is a slight relevance to the plot. Worth keeping and reading again, I’ve bought another by the author so looking forward to the postie arriving soon!

[Shane Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It’s a brusque, gritty neo-noir (open on PI Tommy Akhtar, hungover, trying to look presentable as he takes notes on a prostitute’s missing “ho-buddy”) that threatens to lose you early—if not from the abrasive masculine energy then from its dense regional slang and extensive cricket allusions (a Me problem, admittedly)—but unfolds in unexpectedly satisfying ways. The story is gripping. Its insights into race and class in post-9/11 London are profound. And importantly, it’s effective not in spite of the things that wore on me early, but because of them. The story is about disaffected young men—Tommy is the bitter, drunken husk of a young man who was once radicalized (and traumatized) by the draw of ideological violence during the mujahideen insurgency; it’s about a boy who was raised by a father expelled from Uganda, who grew up in London, who feels responsible for his mother’s death and now gets drunk with his dad watching nothing but old tapes of cricket matches. Tommy is not a redemptive hero, but he’s reflective. Like any decent PI, he seeks the truth, and that feels like enough.

[David Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the song says, "you can see it anytime, when you get the squints", and "talkin' 'bout them tiny cookies"; that's not to say those pulls have anything to do with the story ("tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny sheets"), but if you've any familiarity with the song it will repeat itself over and over and over as you read this ("hear the tiny auto horns: beepbeep").

ANYWAY.

This is one of those first-gen Londoner stories that cropped up in droves in the late 'aughties, and is a particularly excellent example of the type. It's fun. If you don't like fun, don't read it.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. I don't thing the slang and cricket references were that hard to follow; you could easily pick up on the meaning based on context. I felt like Tommy's characterization was a bit all over the place: it seems like he was being set up as a jerk with a heart of gold character, but the jerk part never really came through in any of his interactions with his father, Melody, Michelle, etc., so it was kind of a weird thing to emphasize. Overall, would recommend.

[Pete Harmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleverly put together. I'd have given it Five Stars but the cricketing metaphors got to me a bit, as did all the 'Street' talk. As a result, I constantly had Google on standby. There was no way I would have understood what IC2 meant. Constant use of terms like 'sparked a Benny' wore me down. Thoroughly enjoyed it even so.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give this one a little time. When I started reading, I didn't like the main character. I hate to give up on a book, so I kept reading. I grew to enjoy the protagonist and the array of unusual characters, especially his excentric father. Incredible amount of alcohol consumption. I woke up with a hangover each morning, just from reading this book. There's lots of twists and turns in this mystery.

[Uldis Mednevs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pats nedomāju ka došu tik daudz šai grāmatai. Stāsts pats par sevi nekas īpašs, bet Londonas ikdienas dzīves attēlojums ir lielisks. Sajūta ka tieši tur arī atrodies. Mazliet skarba valoda, bet tas pieder pie lietas, ja darbība notiek Brixtonas apkaimē. Varu tikai teikt, ka pērciet lētas grāmatas, jo tās var izrādīties pērles.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing detective/thriller that couldn’t seem to decide if it was a comedy or a tragedy. Some characters were very good, some cartoonish. The politics are left, I guess, with more than a touch of paranoia. Lots of new London ethnic salad in the dialogue, some very good. The story drove forward with too much exposition by characters who knew stuff, rather than by actual action in the book.

[Lila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a postcolonial hard boiled noir detective novel set in present day London. The heavy use of current British slang is a challenge. I managed to sort everything out, but I expect most Americans will find the dialog mystifying.

[Andrew Potter-Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not read a book that reads like a crime noir and I low key loved it. I think the only negative for me wad that the plot was slow building in my opinion, although the book itself was a fun read!

[Info.Cathrine Hughes · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

A great album with a memorable sound and plenty of energy. The production and delivery come together nicely, making it an enjoyable listen from start to finish. Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy this style of music.

[Jonathan Gruber · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have loved both of his other books but this was a huge disappointment. A noir novel with copious british slang - just too diffiuclt to get into

[Rob Bevan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tommy Akhtar is an extremely irritating character along with his family. Didn't find him amusing or likeable at all.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A noir story about a Muslim PI in London. Interesting fresh mix. I enjoyed it quite a lot, though between the heavy British slang and the cricket metaphors there was a lot I couldn't follow.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the 13 best mysteries I read in 2006.

[Brandon Mehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paki-Ugandan-immigrant detective chases down the partner, involved in the murder of an MP, of a black whore name Melody. Many references to cricket, and involving our lovely terrorist friends.

[Nicole Jesson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was wishing it was a series -- great characters!

[KK · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

I didn’t think I would like this book. Tommy Akthar sounds very much like if you’d cast Bill Hicks in a noir film in the 2000’s, and it slowly grew on me throughout the chapters like some kind of mold. I won’t say I understood all the cricket metaphors and British slang, being more of a soccer fan from the US. Surprisingly heartfelt, and shocking, and meaningful.