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Joel Sorrell #1
Dust and Desire
AN EXTRAORDINARY KILLER HAS ARRIVED IN LONDON, HELL-BENT ON DESTRUCTION
Joel Sorrell, a bruised, bad-mouthed PI, is a sucker for missing person cases. And not just because he’s searching for his daughter, who vanished five years after his wife was murdered. Joel feels a kinship with the desperate and the damned. He feels, somehow, responsible. So when the mysterious Kara Geenan begs him to find her missing brother, Joel agrees. Then an attempt is made on his life, and Kara vanishes... A vicious serial killer is on the hunt, and as those close to Joel are sucked into his nightmare, he suspects that answers may lie in his own hellish past.
Joel Sorrell, a bruised, bad-mouthed PI, is a sucker for missing person cases. And not just because he’s searching for his daughter, who vanished five years after his wife was murdered. Joel feels a kinship with the desperate and the damned. He feels, somehow, responsible. So when the mysterious Kara Geenan begs him to find her missing brother, Joel agrees. Then an attempt is made on his life, and Kara vanishes... A vicious serial killer is on the hunt, and as those close to Joel are sucked into his nightmare, he suspects that answers may lie in his own hellish past.
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2015
14 people are currently reading
424 people want to read
About the author
Conrad Williams
98 books170 followersIn 2007 Conrad Williams won the International Horror Guild Award for Best Novel for The Unblemished. In 2008 he won the British Fantasy Award for Best Novella, for The Scalding Rooms. In 2010 he won the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel for One.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 31, 2015
“Dust and Desire” , a reworking of Williams’ 2010 novel, “Blonde on a Stick”, is released by Titan Books in anticipation of a second and third Joel Sorrell thriller next year “Sonata of the Dead” and “Hell is Empty”.
The main character, an ex London cop with issues now turned PI, Joel Sorrell is hired by Kara Geenan to find her brother who has disappeared. Sorrell accepts the case despite his better judgement. The first-person narrative allows Joel’s personality to shine through in his strong voice. The Novel is full of amazing dark humor , yet tinged with the sadness that is a constant in Joel’s life due to the death of his wife and missing daughter.
The book also contains the short story ”Do Not Resuscitate” also staring Joel Sorrell.
The book contains a great deal of humor and also great violence. Conrad Williams does an admiral job of blending the two in the novel to showcase his dry wit and such well fleshed precision that this novel deserves to place him high up the crime novelists list of well written PI novels.
The main character, an ex London cop with issues now turned PI, Joel Sorrell is hired by Kara Geenan to find her brother who has disappeared. Sorrell accepts the case despite his better judgement. The first-person narrative allows Joel’s personality to shine through in his strong voice. The Novel is full of amazing dark humor , yet tinged with the sadness that is a constant in Joel’s life due to the death of his wife and missing daughter.
The book also contains the short story ”Do Not Resuscitate” also staring Joel Sorrell.
The book contains a great deal of humor and also great violence. Conrad Williams does an admiral job of blending the two in the novel to showcase his dry wit and such well fleshed precision that this novel deserves to place him high up the crime novelists list of well written PI novels.
November 15, 2015
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Conrad Williams' Dust and Desire was an interesting surprise for me, because it turned out to be an enjoyable PI novel with a few elements that bordered on the line of being horror elements. I don't normally read this kind of fiction, because most thriller novels tend to be anything but entertaining and thrilling, but I enjoyed reading this novel and can recommend it to speculative fiction readers.
Because Conrad Williams has previously written horror fiction, his approach to thriller fiction feels fresh and satisfyingly gritty. I've noticed that horror authors, who have begun to write thriller novels, tend to write interesting stories that have that special something in them. Based on this novel, it's possible to say that Conrad Williams seems to be a good author who clearly knows what he's writing.
As many readers may know, there's often a fine line between thriller fiction, crime fiction, PI fiction and horror fiction; especially psychological horror fiction is often pretty close to crime fiction and thriller fiction in terms of storytelling and terrifying elements. There are a few occasions in this novel when the story borders nicely on the line of being horror fiction, because it contains a couple of dark and brutal scenes.
Here's information about the story:
- In the prologue, the serial killer arrives in London and kills a woman.
- Joel Sorrell hears about Kara Geenan and her problems from Barry Liptrott. He meets Kara and she tells him about her missing eighteen years old brother. Joel is a bit reluctant to accept the job, but after a bit of persuasion he agrees to search for Kara's brother, because he needs a job. He's being attacked and somebody has broken into his house.
- Soon Kara goes missing and Barry turns up dead. Joel finds out that his job isn't as easy as he thought it would be...
This is the beginning of an entertaining story that has been divided into three parts.
The author has a nice touch for brutality and is capable of delivering an interesting story. Rough and sarcastic humour offers nice counterbalance to the darker aspects of the story.
Joel Sorrell is a bad-mouthed private investigator. He's an excellent example of a classic PI character who has had a rough life and who has a love for alcohol. He has quite an attitude and he often uses sarcasm and witty dialogue when he talks to people.
Joel has a dark past, because his daughter, Sarah, is missing and his wife, Rebecca, has been murdered. His past affects his life in many ways. He helps desperate people, because he thinks that by helping them he might find a key to help himself.
Joel is careful about his private life. He doesn't want anybody to come to his house anymore, because he likes his privacy. He advertises his PI services by leaving cards in various places around London from phone boxes to pubs, and uses a post office box.
Conrad Williams draws readers into Joel's dark world in an effective way by writing about Joel's work, private life and his investigations in an entertaining and gritty way. He has a few acquaintances and he carries out his investigations in his own kind of way.
It was interesting to read about Joel's relationship with Dr. Melanie Henriksen (a vet). Their relationship is based on friendship and Melanie looks after Joel's cat, but they also have sex.
It's nice that the story has been divided into three different parts. The second part gives readers an interesting glimpse into the killer's mind. I was fascinated by this part, because Conrad Williams wrote well about the killer. I'm not an expert on thriller and PI fiction, but I've noticed that too many authors play safe and avoid writing about the happenings from the killer's point of view, which often results in mediocre stories with little depth. Fortunately Conrad Williams hadn't avoided it.
It's great that Conrad Williams reveals bits and pieces of the protagonist's life as the story unfolds, because it adds depth to the story and keeps up the reader's interest in the story. When you read this novel, you'll gradually get to know what happened to the protagonist's family.
There are certain dark moments in this novel that perfectly demonstrate the author's ability to write thrilling PI fiction. The author seems to have a talent for creating a mysterious and twisted atmosphere in an effortless way. The author's descriptions of some of the happenings have intriguingly sinister undertones.
Conrad Williams writes well about brutality and violence. The violent acts are as gritty and unsettling as they can be without being tasteless. The story contains a few graphic descriptions that may cause a bit of unease to readers who are not used to reading gritty fiction.
One of the things why this novel works well is the author's ability to write descriptive, sharp and observant prose. His observations about people and happenings are often deliciously sharp. He fluently tells his readers what happens to the protagonist and how he carries out his investigations. It was a pleasure to read the author's prose, because I've always enjoyed reading sharp and observant prose.
I'm sure that careful readers will easily notice that this novel has quite a lot of dark humour and sarcasm. I found it refreshing that the author dared to lighten the story with dark humour, because it fitted the story.
I've noticed that there's something about British horror and thriller authors that separates them from other authors. They have a clear vision of what to write and they know how to write about everyday life and PI life in a stunningly effective way without unnecessary filler material. Conrad Williams clearly belongs to this group of authors. He seems to be a master of his craft, because he doesn't stumble while writing about terrifying and unexpected happenings that shake the life of his protagonist.
I think it's good to mention that if you've ever watched modern British thrillers and crime TV series, you'll most likely be impressed by this novel. There's something in the story that reminded me a bit of British thriller films and crime TV series that have been filmed during the recent years.
This novel includes a bonus short story ("Do Not Resuscitate") and an informative author Q&A. If you enjoy reading this novel, please make sure that you'll read the short story, because it's a good story.
By the way, if you find this novel fascinating and want to read more about Joel Sorrell and his investigations, the next Joel Sorrell novel, Sonata of the Dead, will be published in July 2016.
I give this novel strong four stars on the scale from one to five stars, because it's an entertaining and gritty thriller novel with an interesting protagonist.
I can recommend Conrad Williams' Dust and Desire to readers who are interested in horror fiction, crime fiction, PI stories and serial killer novels. I can also recommend it to readers who have read urban fantasy stories with PI characters. It's a brilliantly hardboiled look at life and brutality in London. It offers readers an interesting glimpse into modern British noir fiction.
My final words are:
Conrad Williams' Dust and Desire is good and well written entertainment to readers who enjoy reading serial killer fiction, PI stories, horror fiction and gritty thrillers. It's modern noir fiction at its best.
Conrad Williams' Dust and Desire was an interesting surprise for me, because it turned out to be an enjoyable PI novel with a few elements that bordered on the line of being horror elements. I don't normally read this kind of fiction, because most thriller novels tend to be anything but entertaining and thrilling, but I enjoyed reading this novel and can recommend it to speculative fiction readers.
Because Conrad Williams has previously written horror fiction, his approach to thriller fiction feels fresh and satisfyingly gritty. I've noticed that horror authors, who have begun to write thriller novels, tend to write interesting stories that have that special something in them. Based on this novel, it's possible to say that Conrad Williams seems to be a good author who clearly knows what he's writing.
As many readers may know, there's often a fine line between thriller fiction, crime fiction, PI fiction and horror fiction; especially psychological horror fiction is often pretty close to crime fiction and thriller fiction in terms of storytelling and terrifying elements. There are a few occasions in this novel when the story borders nicely on the line of being horror fiction, because it contains a couple of dark and brutal scenes.
Here's information about the story:
- In the prologue, the serial killer arrives in London and kills a woman.
- Joel Sorrell hears about Kara Geenan and her problems from Barry Liptrott. He meets Kara and she tells him about her missing eighteen years old brother. Joel is a bit reluctant to accept the job, but after a bit of persuasion he agrees to search for Kara's brother, because he needs a job. He's being attacked and somebody has broken into his house.
- Soon Kara goes missing and Barry turns up dead. Joel finds out that his job isn't as easy as he thought it would be...
This is the beginning of an entertaining story that has been divided into three parts.
The author has a nice touch for brutality and is capable of delivering an interesting story. Rough and sarcastic humour offers nice counterbalance to the darker aspects of the story.
Joel Sorrell is a bad-mouthed private investigator. He's an excellent example of a classic PI character who has had a rough life and who has a love for alcohol. He has quite an attitude and he often uses sarcasm and witty dialogue when he talks to people.
Joel has a dark past, because his daughter, Sarah, is missing and his wife, Rebecca, has been murdered. His past affects his life in many ways. He helps desperate people, because he thinks that by helping them he might find a key to help himself.
Joel is careful about his private life. He doesn't want anybody to come to his house anymore, because he likes his privacy. He advertises his PI services by leaving cards in various places around London from phone boxes to pubs, and uses a post office box.
Conrad Williams draws readers into Joel's dark world in an effective way by writing about Joel's work, private life and his investigations in an entertaining and gritty way. He has a few acquaintances and he carries out his investigations in his own kind of way.
It was interesting to read about Joel's relationship with Dr. Melanie Henriksen (a vet). Their relationship is based on friendship and Melanie looks after Joel's cat, but they also have sex.
It's nice that the story has been divided into three different parts. The second part gives readers an interesting glimpse into the killer's mind. I was fascinated by this part, because Conrad Williams wrote well about the killer. I'm not an expert on thriller and PI fiction, but I've noticed that too many authors play safe and avoid writing about the happenings from the killer's point of view, which often results in mediocre stories with little depth. Fortunately Conrad Williams hadn't avoided it.
It's great that Conrad Williams reveals bits and pieces of the protagonist's life as the story unfolds, because it adds depth to the story and keeps up the reader's interest in the story. When you read this novel, you'll gradually get to know what happened to the protagonist's family.
There are certain dark moments in this novel that perfectly demonstrate the author's ability to write thrilling PI fiction. The author seems to have a talent for creating a mysterious and twisted atmosphere in an effortless way. The author's descriptions of some of the happenings have intriguingly sinister undertones.
Conrad Williams writes well about brutality and violence. The violent acts are as gritty and unsettling as they can be without being tasteless. The story contains a few graphic descriptions that may cause a bit of unease to readers who are not used to reading gritty fiction.
One of the things why this novel works well is the author's ability to write descriptive, sharp and observant prose. His observations about people and happenings are often deliciously sharp. He fluently tells his readers what happens to the protagonist and how he carries out his investigations. It was a pleasure to read the author's prose, because I've always enjoyed reading sharp and observant prose.
I'm sure that careful readers will easily notice that this novel has quite a lot of dark humour and sarcasm. I found it refreshing that the author dared to lighten the story with dark humour, because it fitted the story.
I've noticed that there's something about British horror and thriller authors that separates them from other authors. They have a clear vision of what to write and they know how to write about everyday life and PI life in a stunningly effective way without unnecessary filler material. Conrad Williams clearly belongs to this group of authors. He seems to be a master of his craft, because he doesn't stumble while writing about terrifying and unexpected happenings that shake the life of his protagonist.
I think it's good to mention that if you've ever watched modern British thrillers and crime TV series, you'll most likely be impressed by this novel. There's something in the story that reminded me a bit of British thriller films and crime TV series that have been filmed during the recent years.
This novel includes a bonus short story ("Do Not Resuscitate") and an informative author Q&A. If you enjoy reading this novel, please make sure that you'll read the short story, because it's a good story.
By the way, if you find this novel fascinating and want to read more about Joel Sorrell and his investigations, the next Joel Sorrell novel, Sonata of the Dead, will be published in July 2016.
I give this novel strong four stars on the scale from one to five stars, because it's an entertaining and gritty thriller novel with an interesting protagonist.
I can recommend Conrad Williams' Dust and Desire to readers who are interested in horror fiction, crime fiction, PI stories and serial killer novels. I can also recommend it to readers who have read urban fantasy stories with PI characters. It's a brilliantly hardboiled look at life and brutality in London. It offers readers an interesting glimpse into modern British noir fiction.
My final words are:
Conrad Williams' Dust and Desire is good and well written entertainment to readers who enjoy reading serial killer fiction, PI stories, horror fiction and gritty thrillers. It's modern noir fiction at its best.
December 2, 2015
Sorrell is an ex-policeman turned private investigator and for personal reasons he has a particular interest in missing persons cases. So when a desperate young woman asks him to find her brother, despite the fact that he’s only been missing a matter of hours, Sorrell agrees to find him. If only he knew what he was letting himself in for!
In taking on the case Sorrell is searching for redemption for his past and as the story plays out we find out more about the circumstances in which he lost his wife and daughter and learn what drives him on.
His first attempt to track down the brother leads him to a restaurant holding both a private swingers party and bare-knuckle fighting. And I think that probably sums up quite neatly the slightly quirky nature of Willams’ book. While Sorrell neatly fits the part of the traditional cliched PI he is set apart by the quality of the sharp humour. I have to say that I adored the writing. When the narration is in Sorrell’s hands we see a wry take on the world and snappy one-liners.
“Everyone who survives a murder attempt seems to be ‘very lucky’, but I beg to differ. I would have been ‘very lucky’ if I’d decided to wear my Kevlar bobble hat before I’d gone out. I would have been ‘very lucky’ if my assailant had developed a fatal allergy to coshes a second or so before he stuck it to me. Or decided that he didn’t want to hit me at all, but shower me with kittens instead.”
In real life I’m sure you would soon tire of someone with his repartee, but personally I couldn’t get enough of the writing. I was positively disappointed when the perspective switched to that of the killer – a character with a very different voice and with a disturbing background and motivation.
It isn’t just the humour, it’s also the way Williams draws the world with his writing, lending London a gritty, noir air without exaggeration. It’s a London that’s easily recognisable but is depicted in quick strokes and not detailed descriptions.
At home on the mean streets of London Sorrell knows every dive and villain. The noir element is backed up by a considerable amount of fairly graphic violence; Sorrel ends up battered and bruised and Williams doesn’t skimp on the details. There is a twisty plot and a lot to keep track of.
In taking on the case Sorrell is searching for redemption for his past and as the story plays out we find out more about the circumstances in which he lost his wife and daughter and learn what drives him on.
His first attempt to track down the brother leads him to a restaurant holding both a private swingers party and bare-knuckle fighting. And I think that probably sums up quite neatly the slightly quirky nature of Willams’ book. While Sorrell neatly fits the part of the traditional cliched PI he is set apart by the quality of the sharp humour. I have to say that I adored the writing. When the narration is in Sorrell’s hands we see a wry take on the world and snappy one-liners.
“Everyone who survives a murder attempt seems to be ‘very lucky’, but I beg to differ. I would have been ‘very lucky’ if I’d decided to wear my Kevlar bobble hat before I’d gone out. I would have been ‘very lucky’ if my assailant had developed a fatal allergy to coshes a second or so before he stuck it to me. Or decided that he didn’t want to hit me at all, but shower me with kittens instead.”
In real life I’m sure you would soon tire of someone with his repartee, but personally I couldn’t get enough of the writing. I was positively disappointed when the perspective switched to that of the killer – a character with a very different voice and with a disturbing background and motivation.
It isn’t just the humour, it’s also the way Williams draws the world with his writing, lending London a gritty, noir air without exaggeration. It’s a London that’s easily recognisable but is depicted in quick strokes and not detailed descriptions.
At home on the mean streets of London Sorrell knows every dive and villain. The noir element is backed up by a considerable amount of fairly graphic violence; Sorrel ends up battered and bruised and Williams doesn’t skimp on the details. There is a twisty plot and a lot to keep track of.
November 27, 2015
Fabulously gritty - and often gruesome - PI novel, with some great one-liners which mean the violence is frequently relieved by a good chunk of original humour. It kept me turning the pages furiously until the wee small hours. The first in a trilogy, I'll be on the lookout for no. 2 as soon as it's released next summer. Conrad Williams looks like being an exciting name to watch in the thriller/PI field. If that's your bag, don't miss this one!
Full review to come in ShinyNewBooks.com.
Full review to come in ShinyNewBooks.com.
February 25, 2016
I want to start this review by thanking my husband who (as part of my Christmas gift) gave me this book and introduced me to Joel Sorrell. A million thank yous Ryan as I LOVED this novel. You know me so well!
I was a little sceptical to begin with as I found out that Conrad Williams is known for his fantasy writing and the very last genre I will touch with a 10 foot barge pole is fantasy (sorry fantasy fans but that’s just the way it is). However, Williams is a master of the written word so please accept my humble apologies for doubting you.
This is the first Joel Sorrell book of the series and wow, it’s started with a bang. I believe this book was originally published with the title ‘Blonde on a Stick’.
Sorrell is a PI who trained as a police officer but decided he wasn’t cut out for the politics and red tape of the profession, deciding to go it alone like most other superheroes. Sorrell’s number one weapons are his wit and dark humour, which I found refreshing as it’s not often that you get the chance for a giggle while the bodies are being sliced up (having read that back it does sound a bit wrong, but you know what I mean….I hope!).
He answers a call for help from a woman trying to find her missing brother. Nice and simple huh? No, not really. That’s when the bodies start piling up and the chase begins.
Gripping and full of action from the opening chapters to the end. Life was pretty much put on hold whilst I read this book. I couldn’t wait to find some quiet time and pick up from where I left off.
Very much looking forward to the next Joel Sorrell adventure.
Five out of five stars.
I was a little sceptical to begin with as I found out that Conrad Williams is known for his fantasy writing and the very last genre I will touch with a 10 foot barge pole is fantasy (sorry fantasy fans but that’s just the way it is). However, Williams is a master of the written word so please accept my humble apologies for doubting you.
This is the first Joel Sorrell book of the series and wow, it’s started with a bang. I believe this book was originally published with the title ‘Blonde on a Stick’.
Sorrell is a PI who trained as a police officer but decided he wasn’t cut out for the politics and red tape of the profession, deciding to go it alone like most other superheroes. Sorrell’s number one weapons are his wit and dark humour, which I found refreshing as it’s not often that you get the chance for a giggle while the bodies are being sliced up (having read that back it does sound a bit wrong, but you know what I mean….I hope!).
He answers a call for help from a woman trying to find her missing brother. Nice and simple huh? No, not really. That’s when the bodies start piling up and the chase begins.
Gripping and full of action from the opening chapters to the end. Life was pretty much put on hold whilst I read this book. I couldn’t wait to find some quiet time and pick up from where I left off.
Very much looking forward to the next Joel Sorrell adventure.
Five out of five stars.
May 4, 2017
I've been a fan of Conrad Williams' work in the horror field since the publication of London Revenant over a decade ago, so I was excited at the prospect of his writing in the noir/crime genre. He has a good feel for gritty urban environments, especially those marked by decay and strife. However, I was pretty deeply disappointed by Dust and Desire.
The first issue for me was the wildly uneven narration--not only does Sorrell seem to be an entirely unstable character, to the point where I can't imagine anyone ever hiring him--but the character's swings drastically from outbursts of sarcasm to fits of rage to waxing poetic and being sentimentally introspective. His use of diction fluctuates between crass and eloquent, so that it's difficult to get a grasp of the character's actual personality. Rather than coming across as characterization, it strikes this reader at least as the author being uncertain of the tone and rhythm of the voice he's using.
The second issue was one of plotting. The story didn't make a tremendous amount of sense, and Sorrell comes across as not just unstable but inept. He operates in contemporary London yet acts as though he's living in the '70s or '80s. He leaps to violence with little provocation, antagonizes potential allies and sources, never makes use of modern technology to simplify his searches, and only thinks of London's ubiquitous CCTV cameras once, when he contemplates the death of another character. Basically, Sorrell comes across as thick and incompetent.
Finally, the structure of the novel uses a device that Chandler would have flat out called a cheat, and which other writers also use to get around the bother of making their detectives conduct some inductive reasoning and research. There's a substantial section of the novel--and just one--that jumps to the perspective of a primary antagonist, giving us his background, psychology, and motive. It undermines the surprise of Sorrell figuring some of it out, and it comes across as a kind of narrative laziness, a way of feeding the information to the reader without bothering to maintain the first-person narration that makes up the majority of the novel. Again, I was very disappointed, and I can't imagine buying the rest of the series. I'll stick to Williams' horror works, which have all been much more elegantly constructed.
The first issue for me was the wildly uneven narration--not only does Sorrell seem to be an entirely unstable character, to the point where I can't imagine anyone ever hiring him--but the character's swings drastically from outbursts of sarcasm to fits of rage to waxing poetic and being sentimentally introspective. His use of diction fluctuates between crass and eloquent, so that it's difficult to get a grasp of the character's actual personality. Rather than coming across as characterization, it strikes this reader at least as the author being uncertain of the tone and rhythm of the voice he's using.
The second issue was one of plotting. The story didn't make a tremendous amount of sense, and Sorrell comes across as not just unstable but inept. He operates in contemporary London yet acts as though he's living in the '70s or '80s. He leaps to violence with little provocation, antagonizes potential allies and sources, never makes use of modern technology to simplify his searches, and only thinks of London's ubiquitous CCTV cameras once, when he contemplates the death of another character. Basically, Sorrell comes across as thick and incompetent.
Finally, the structure of the novel uses a device that Chandler would have flat out called a cheat, and which other writers also use to get around the bother of making their detectives conduct some inductive reasoning and research. There's a substantial section of the novel--and just one--that jumps to the perspective of a primary antagonist, giving us his background, psychology, and motive. It undermines the surprise of Sorrell figuring some of it out, and it comes across as a kind of narrative laziness, a way of feeding the information to the reader without bothering to maintain the first-person narration that makes up the majority of the novel. Again, I was very disappointed, and I can't imagine buying the rest of the series. I'll stick to Williams' horror works, which have all been much more elegantly constructed.
March 4, 2017
Conrad Williams is a master of crafting complex characters (with so much depth and backstory) and brutal, punishing plot design. Joel Sorrell is damaged beyond all repair, during a brief stint in the police force, Joel's wife is savagely murdered. Rebecca's death causes a rift to form between Joel and his daughter Sarah that festers until Sarah (aged 13) cannot stand it anymore and runs away. Dust and Desire is set several years from this point, Joel has become a private investigator, he is constantly searching for Sarah while picking up work where ever he can.
Even after Joel's relentless punishment, he still retains the grit, aggression and attitude necessary in his line of work. After being recruited to investigate a missing person, Joel finds himself facing multiple murder attempts. The case quickly goes cold and Joel starts to unravel a bigger scheme that has been brewing for nearly 2 decades. CW's writing style consists of a blend of harshness, humour and humanity.
Joel Sorrell is probably my favourite protagonist of 2016, he is so complex, walking the tightrope between insanity and family instinct. CW consistently develops Joel, putting him through so much without ever letting up. I spent so much time with Joel, feeling his pain, fury and desperation to find Sarah, constantly deflecting strike after strike. Luckily Joel has a quality bunch of associates he can lean on, and one not so helpful in the form of Ian Mawker. Their anti-friendship kept me entertained throughout the grimmer parts of this book, forever antagonising each other and fighting over leads.
I will quickly mention the villain that CW has expertly forged throughout the duration of the book. Wire or The Four-Year Old is the hellion in Dust and Desire, I was certainly impressed at the length that CW went to involve and develop him over the course of the plot, but I am not really a fan of the whole 'bad guy in the shadows' concept so I was not overly keen on the ending after all the hard work put in to make him an impressive adversary.
Dust and Desire is a tough book, not for the faint hearted. I recommend this book to those who enjoy the rougher side of the crime genre and are readers who can happily invest themselves in a series of books. Grating and caustic themes with an atmosphere that change at any moment makes Dust and Desire so unpredictable and that is what I most enjoyed about it. CW is not overly descriptive or obvious, changing the pace and the tone of a scenario on the spot whenever it suites him.
I am keen to continue on with the Joel Sorrell story, though I have a feeling that it won't get any easier to digest anytime soon. CW is predominately a horror writer and it definitely bleeds through onto the pages of Dust and Desire. Check it out and tell me what you think!! Thank you for reading this review and I will be reviewing part two 'Sonata of the Dead' very soon.
Even after Joel's relentless punishment, he still retains the grit, aggression and attitude necessary in his line of work. After being recruited to investigate a missing person, Joel finds himself facing multiple murder attempts. The case quickly goes cold and Joel starts to unravel a bigger scheme that has been brewing for nearly 2 decades. CW's writing style consists of a blend of harshness, humour and humanity.
Joel Sorrell is probably my favourite protagonist of 2016, he is so complex, walking the tightrope between insanity and family instinct. CW consistently develops Joel, putting him through so much without ever letting up. I spent so much time with Joel, feeling his pain, fury and desperation to find Sarah, constantly deflecting strike after strike. Luckily Joel has a quality bunch of associates he can lean on, and one not so helpful in the form of Ian Mawker. Their anti-friendship kept me entertained throughout the grimmer parts of this book, forever antagonising each other and fighting over leads.
I will quickly mention the villain that CW has expertly forged throughout the duration of the book. Wire or The Four-Year Old is the hellion in Dust and Desire, I was certainly impressed at the length that CW went to involve and develop him over the course of the plot, but I am not really a fan of the whole 'bad guy in the shadows' concept so I was not overly keen on the ending after all the hard work put in to make him an impressive adversary.
Dust and Desire is a tough book, not for the faint hearted. I recommend this book to those who enjoy the rougher side of the crime genre and are readers who can happily invest themselves in a series of books. Grating and caustic themes with an atmosphere that change at any moment makes Dust and Desire so unpredictable and that is what I most enjoyed about it. CW is not overly descriptive or obvious, changing the pace and the tone of a scenario on the spot whenever it suites him.
I am keen to continue on with the Joel Sorrell story, though I have a feeling that it won't get any easier to digest anytime soon. CW is predominately a horror writer and it definitely bleeds through onto the pages of Dust and Desire. Check it out and tell me what you think!! Thank you for reading this review and I will be reviewing part two 'Sonata of the Dead' very soon.
August 31, 2024
"Dust and Desire" is about an ex-police officer, now a PI, solving a what originated as a missing person case, while fighting for his life while sulking in his own dark past. The plot is somewhat slow to unravel but pretty good. A lot of characters (borderline too many) are introduced but only a few are somewhat developed. For me, it is an OK read, nothing that I would strongly recommend as the best I've read of the genre but certainly not that bad to make me discourage someone from reading it.
August 9, 2017
First in a gritty new PI series, a convoluted thriller featuring a flawed but engaging hero.
June 9, 2023
Over the top gritty, violent, unrealistic and unbelievable.
Not for me!
Not for me!
September 29, 2016
I liked this book, though because of the difference between UK English and US English it was hard for me to follow at times. The storyline is good, but I feel like the ending is a bit of a let down considering the buildup in the book. I wish there was a bit more of an explanation to the killer's motives, more meat behind his story. There is some horrible language in the book, but I was thoroughly warned about that before I entered the giveaway. I will continue reading the series to find out what happens to Joel's daughter, and in hopes of him ending up with Melanie.
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.
January 11, 2016
I was a lucky winner of this book here on goodreads but after making it a bit over 200 pages I had to stop reading it. There was too much filler & I finally lost interest. I might try another Conrad Williams book in the future though since I have read many favorable reviews from his other books.
July 6, 2016
I enjoyed this gritty crime novel very much.... I want to read more about Joel and what happened to his daughter and am looking forward to the next book. His horror books are seriously good also.
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