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Briony Williams #3
The Calling
It is the fierce English summer of 1976 and the Punk movement is on the rise.
'Chaos' is the catch cry down in its heartland at the World's End of London, and Detective Briony Williams wryly observes that though 'they stick pins in themselves, wear leather masks and insult the Queen', most of this is not against the law. But things take a darker turn as a new group calling itself ‘Sudden Deff’ shows signs of wanting to live up to its name.
When Briony learns that she and her colleagues have appeared on 'Deff Row' in the group's fanzine, she is drawn into a fatal game with adversaries who always seem to be two moves ahead. And when Sharon, a young runaway, moves into a squat with her new punk mates, she enters a sinister world and unknowingly puts her own life in danger.
Can Briony uncover the leader Sudden Deff before anyone comes to harm? Or will she be too late to stop chaos from being unleashed?
'Chaos' is the catch cry down in its heartland at the World's End of London, and Detective Briony Williams wryly observes that though 'they stick pins in themselves, wear leather masks and insult the Queen', most of this is not against the law. But things take a darker turn as a new group calling itself ‘Sudden Deff’ shows signs of wanting to live up to its name.
When Briony learns that she and her colleagues have appeared on 'Deff Row' in the group's fanzine, she is drawn into a fatal game with adversaries who always seem to be two moves ahead. And when Sharon, a young runaway, moves into a squat with her new punk mates, she enters a sinister world and unknowingly puts her own life in danger.
Can Briony uncover the leader Sudden Deff before anyone comes to harm? Or will she be too late to stop chaos from being unleashed?
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Jane R. Goodall
14 books15 followersFor the primatologist, see Dame Jane Goodall.
Professor Jane Goodall (b.1951) is a researcher at the Writing and Society Research Centre of Western Sydney University, Australia.
Prof Goodall has written extensively on arts in the modern era, with a special interest in the relationship between the arts and sciences. She has taught undergraduate courses and supervised research projects in relevant areas of arts history, and has conducted local history research on the Parramatta Road. Her academic publications include Artaud and the Gnostic Drama, Performance and Evolution in the Age of Darwin (winner of the Australasian Drama Studies Association’s Robert Jordan Prize), and, with Christa Knellwolf, the collection Frankenstein's Science (Ashgate, 2008), which contextualises Mary Shelley's work in contemporary scientific and literary debates. She is the author of the popular and award winning novels The Walker (2004), The Visitor (2005) and The Calling (2007). Jane's book on Stage Presence was published by Routledge in May 2008.
Professor Jane Goodall (b.1951) is a researcher at the Writing and Society Research Centre of Western Sydney University, Australia.
Prof Goodall has written extensively on arts in the modern era, with a special interest in the relationship between the arts and sciences. She has taught undergraduate courses and supervised research projects in relevant areas of arts history, and has conducted local history research on the Parramatta Road. Her academic publications include Artaud and the Gnostic Drama, Performance and Evolution in the Age of Darwin (winner of the Australasian Drama Studies Association’s Robert Jordan Prize), and, with Christa Knellwolf, the collection Frankenstein's Science (Ashgate, 2008), which contextualises Mary Shelley's work in contemporary scientific and literary debates. She is the author of the popular and award winning novels The Walker (2004), The Visitor (2005) and The Calling (2007). Jane's book on Stage Presence was published by Routledge in May 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 24, 2008
A pretty good book. I think the ending was slightly rushed though, the climax was too short.
January 22, 2021
It’s 1976 and DI Briony Williams is embroiled in the London Punk scene when parts of burnt corpses seem to be associated with a band called Sudden Death. Jane Goodall has captured the anarchic and violent Punk zeitgeist perfectly, it rang true. This was a less complex case than the first two books in the trilogy but no less enthralling. As always, Briony has the Cassandra curse - always disbelieved or ignored when she figures out important investigation connections. Luckily she soldiers on and her view usually prevails. Once again the story wraps up suddenly leaving the reader to sift through the findings, join the last dots, and farewell the series. Nicki Paull trots out Welsh, Cockney, and aggressive Punk accents with ease - she really is an excellent narrator.
March 31, 2018
Great read, really enjoyed the Briony Williams series!
May 2, 2021
Probably just not my style of story.
October 21, 2019
In the last of the Briony Williams trilogy, the author lovingly recreates London 1976 in an atmospheric and different kind of police procedural.
It is the beginning of punk rock, carefree fashion, and teenage rebellion. Sharon, bored at school, escapes during a class visit to the Tate Modern, unaware that her new punk friends have links to Sudden Deff, a cult band with a wild stage show and some sinister beliefs and practices.
Detective Inspector Briony Williams, back in London, slowly pieces together some disparate evidence and clues, including a gallery of photographs of her and two colleagues in a fanzine dedicated to Sudden Deff. When one of these colleagues is brutally attacked, the threat becomes all too real and the race is on to identify and catch the culprits before they inflict more harm.
The author clearly has a great affection for the London punk scene, which she crafts and describes so vividly. Unfortunately, the level of detail contributes to the slow pace of the story, which stifles the tension and suspense until it catches fire in the second half. Once the investigation gets moving, the pace picks up, the various threads of the story come together for a climax that was over a little too quickly for my liking.
The characters are well-drawn, the dialogue is vivid, and the period is evoked with passion and care, capturing the raw energy and anarchy of the punk era. I loved the atmosphere, but wanted the plot to catch fire. The quality of the writing kept me going, and I’m glad I persevered because the story delivered in a memorable second half. But in the end it’s the punks I remember, not the murders solved.
It is the beginning of punk rock, carefree fashion, and teenage rebellion. Sharon, bored at school, escapes during a class visit to the Tate Modern, unaware that her new punk friends have links to Sudden Deff, a cult band with a wild stage show and some sinister beliefs and practices.
Detective Inspector Briony Williams, back in London, slowly pieces together some disparate evidence and clues, including a gallery of photographs of her and two colleagues in a fanzine dedicated to Sudden Deff. When one of these colleagues is brutally attacked, the threat becomes all too real and the race is on to identify and catch the culprits before they inflict more harm.
The author clearly has a great affection for the London punk scene, which she crafts and describes so vividly. Unfortunately, the level of detail contributes to the slow pace of the story, which stifles the tension and suspense until it catches fire in the second half. Once the investigation gets moving, the pace picks up, the various threads of the story come together for a climax that was over a little too quickly for my liking.
The characters are well-drawn, the dialogue is vivid, and the period is evoked with passion and care, capturing the raw energy and anarchy of the punk era. I loved the atmosphere, but wanted the plot to catch fire. The quality of the writing kept me going, and I’m glad I persevered because the story delivered in a memorable second half. But in the end it’s the punks I remember, not the murders solved.
March 22, 2015
Detective Briony Williams comes back for her third adventure in The Calling. After a break working in Oxfordshire, Detective Williams is back in London. This time Briony tries to balance work, managing the Chelsea Police Department and dealing with a killer from her past, and her personal life with a boyfriend living in Paris.
Set during the English summer of 1976 when the Punk movement was on the rise, this is another exciting adventure that will keep the reader in suspense until the very end. Very well-written, The Calling transports the reader in a period in the English music history in such vivid and evocative details that it seems to be there. I couldn’t put it down!
Set during the English summer of 1976 when the Punk movement was on the rise, this is another exciting adventure that will keep the reader in suspense until the very end. Very well-written, The Calling transports the reader in a period in the English music history in such vivid and evocative details that it seems to be there. I couldn’t put it down!
March 20, 2015
Plods along then, bam, it's done. First time I read a book about Briony Williams and must admit I don't care for her or her colleagues.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews