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An Eye For An Eye #1
An Eye For An Eye
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
When it comes to Neil Doyle’s daughter, Gandhi had no idea.
An accident leaves Jasmine Doyle permanently disfigured, and the patriarch of one of Newcastle’s crime families goes on the warpath to find the perpetrator. He doesn’t care who gets in his way, or what he has to do to them, to get his hands on the man responsible.
Graeme Taylor and ‘Tracksuit’ Tony Gordon find themselves dragged into this brutal quest for vengeance, pushed physically and mentally to the breaking point by all that they see, and all that they are forced to do.
By the end, the streets will run with blood, and no one walks away unscarred.
When it comes to Neil Doyle’s daughter, Gandhi had no idea.
An accident leaves Jasmine Doyle permanently disfigured, and the patriarch of one of Newcastle’s crime families goes on the warpath to find the perpetrator. He doesn’t care who gets in his way, or what he has to do to them, to get his hands on the man responsible.
Graeme Taylor and ‘Tracksuit’ Tony Gordon find themselves dragged into this brutal quest for vengeance, pushed physically and mentally to the breaking point by all that they see, and all that they are forced to do.
By the end, the streets will run with blood, and no one walks away unscarred.
- GenresCrime
112 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 20, 2016
57 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 5, 2019
My first exposure to Paul Heatley's writing was of another of his novellas. That particular novella was quite graphic and was just one of several novellas in a series. It left me meaning to read other writings by Heatley. I read about this novella over at Do Some Damage which piqued my interest after one of the writers spoke of it with high praise.
An Eye For An Eye is a stand-alone novella which shows Heatley can aptly produce plain, ole hardcore pulp noir. The tale is about the accidental harming of a local powerful mobster's daughter and his quest to punish the offender.
Crime lord Neil Doyle's daughter and a group of her friends are in a local tavern when she is accidentally permanently injured. Most in her group flee immediately after the injury and the father enlists an aging associate, Graeme Taylor, to seek out those present so Doyle can dole out the punishment after finding out which person caused the injury and what happened.
Along the way, Taylor enlists help of his own with that of a son-like man named Tony Gordon.
Surprisingly for a novella, Heatley provides enough of a back story to the prominent characters to allow the reader to develop a bond with each character and to appreciate the decisions characters like Graeme Taylor are forced to make.
Heatley's writing in an Eye For An Eye novella creates a story where the violence is necessary and each blow is not lost in a gratuitous fashion for the sake of violence.
Highly recommended to readers that enjoy Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos novels and writings where often times violence does leave its marks.
An Eye For An Eye is a stand-alone novella which shows Heatley can aptly produce plain, ole hardcore pulp noir. The tale is about the accidental harming of a local powerful mobster's daughter and his quest to punish the offender.
Crime lord Neil Doyle's daughter and a group of her friends are in a local tavern when she is accidentally permanently injured. Most in her group flee immediately after the injury and the father enlists an aging associate, Graeme Taylor, to seek out those present so Doyle can dole out the punishment after finding out which person caused the injury and what happened.
Along the way, Taylor enlists help of his own with that of a son-like man named Tony Gordon.
Surprisingly for a novella, Heatley provides enough of a back story to the prominent characters to allow the reader to develop a bond with each character and to appreciate the decisions characters like Graeme Taylor are forced to make.
Heatley's writing in an Eye For An Eye novella creates a story where the violence is necessary and each blow is not lost in a gratuitous fashion for the sake of violence.
Highly recommended to readers that enjoy Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos novels and writings where often times violence does leave its marks.
October 30, 2018
A good revenge story told with verve and panache. Paul Heatley writes well, with a good ear for the local vernacular, and his cast of characters are well-rounded (the characters of Graeme and Tony being highlights). The only thing that took a star off (and this isn't the author's fault) is that the formatting of my copy wasn't great. Most of the book was italicised due to a formatting glitch by the publisher. I hate lots of italics - they're usually a recipe for eyestrain and headaches - so it's a testament to Heatley's skill that I kept reading. It's a gripping stuff – a five-star read, in fact, if the publisher sorts out the ebook formatting issue.
March 14, 2018
This is a great piece of moody, gritty noir. Just the right amount of heart and violence. You really get a feel for the setting and characters. I will most def be checking out more of Heatley’s stuff. Feel like I’ve been missing out. Don’t know what I was thinking.
September 13, 2021
What we need to celebrate here is that the novella is making a comeback. Why do books need to be a certain length (The standard novel is 80,000 - 100,000 words) in these days of digital publishing and eBooks? Answer: they don’t. Why do feature films all need to be 90 minutes when we’re watching them at home on the sofa? Why should publishers and film distributers dictate the content of the people doing the creating? They shouldn’t. Story length should be dictated on the requirements of the story, and nothing else.
Just the right amount of grit, violence, and noir to get you through a short flight, or a short sit at at the airport waiting for someone else's short flight.
Just the right amount of grit, violence, and noir to get you through a short flight, or a short sit at at the airport waiting for someone else's short flight.
August 3, 2017
I am sorry to say that the initial release of Paul Heatley’s An Eye for an Eye, came and went and it was never on my radar. Sometimes the sheer volume of books being released means even great books go unnoticed and this book is a great example of why it’s important to visit the websites of the independent presses you like just to see what may have slipped past you. I recently visited Near to the Knuckle’s website and I am pleased to say this great read came to my attention. This is a shotgun blast of a novella and it has put Heatley on my radar in a big way.
Heatley has penned a dark, brooding, atmospheric slice of violent noir. Everything about this novella is done right; from the attention to the setting which helps set the bleak mood the story emanates, to the well fleshed out characters that come to life and breath the air of believability into the story. Heatley hits every high note, but does it with a poet’s touch. His characters, which were originally introduced in the short story The Straightener, are well fleshed out. Graeme, not the toughest thug on the street, is his main character. Graeme’s strength is his morality that comes through in a real-world manner; he doesn’t believe he is a moral man, but he knows his morality stands above the other thugs who reside in the same world as him. He displays a touch of compassion, without being pushover.
Graeme gets the call when the daughter of top mobster, Neil Doyle, loses an eye in an accident. Doyle, a man who makes anyone pay for making him look weak, will move heaven and earth to make the guilty party pay and he puts Graeme on the case. Graeme teams up with Tony, a non-affiliated man whom he knows he can trust. By looking outside the mob circle for a right hand man, Graeme lets us know that he is not a man on a leash, instead he is a free thinking man who balances the need to get the job done, with the knowledge that a job needs to be done right to be completed.
This novella is a brutally violent masterpiece. From dismemberments, heads concaved in from forceful hammer strikes, to men being comatosed though violent means, it has something for every noir and hardboiled fiction lover. This book screams to be read and recognized for the many strengths it possesses, and Paul Heatley deserves to be recognized for his ability to strip a novella down to its barest elements and have every one of them add a vital piece to a kickass story. There is nothing extraneous in this story, yet nothing is missing; indeed a hard balance to accomplish.
While this novella stands on its own, be smart and head over to http://www.close2thebone.co.uk/wp/?ca... and read The Straightener before you dig into this one. While you are there, check out all of the other great things Near to the Knuckle has put out recently. I for one will be seeking out quite a few of their older titles and you will be reading all about them in the future.
Highly Recommended.
Heatley has penned a dark, brooding, atmospheric slice of violent noir. Everything about this novella is done right; from the attention to the setting which helps set the bleak mood the story emanates, to the well fleshed out characters that come to life and breath the air of believability into the story. Heatley hits every high note, but does it with a poet’s touch. His characters, which were originally introduced in the short story The Straightener, are well fleshed out. Graeme, not the toughest thug on the street, is his main character. Graeme’s strength is his morality that comes through in a real-world manner; he doesn’t believe he is a moral man, but he knows his morality stands above the other thugs who reside in the same world as him. He displays a touch of compassion, without being pushover.
Graeme gets the call when the daughter of top mobster, Neil Doyle, loses an eye in an accident. Doyle, a man who makes anyone pay for making him look weak, will move heaven and earth to make the guilty party pay and he puts Graeme on the case. Graeme teams up with Tony, a non-affiliated man whom he knows he can trust. By looking outside the mob circle for a right hand man, Graeme lets us know that he is not a man on a leash, instead he is a free thinking man who balances the need to get the job done, with the knowledge that a job needs to be done right to be completed.
This novella is a brutally violent masterpiece. From dismemberments, heads concaved in from forceful hammer strikes, to men being comatosed though violent means, it has something for every noir and hardboiled fiction lover. This book screams to be read and recognized for the many strengths it possesses, and Paul Heatley deserves to be recognized for his ability to strip a novella down to its barest elements and have every one of them add a vital piece to a kickass story. There is nothing extraneous in this story, yet nothing is missing; indeed a hard balance to accomplish.
While this novella stands on its own, be smart and head over to http://www.close2thebone.co.uk/wp/?ca... and read The Straightener before you dig into this one. While you are there, check out all of the other great things Near to the Knuckle has put out recently. I for one will be seeking out quite a few of their older titles and you will be reading all about them in the future.
Highly Recommended.
August 2, 2017
Jasmine Doyle and her friends are messing about in a pub after hours when one of them throws a dart which hits Jasmine in the eye. Her gangster dad Neil is soon out for revenge, calling in old stalwart Graeme to track down the perpetrator of the crime.
Paul Heatley’s Eye For An Eye is a brilliant and brutal novella with a fantastically drawn cast of characters. The father-son relationship between Graeme and his reluctant sidekick Tracksuit Tony is particularly marvellous and the book is as touching as it is violent. Very highly recommended. More Please!
Paul Heatley’s Eye For An Eye is a brilliant and brutal novella with a fantastically drawn cast of characters. The father-son relationship between Graeme and his reluctant sidekick Tracksuit Tony is particularly marvellous and the book is as touching as it is violent. Very highly recommended. More Please!
March 6, 2018
dozy twat :)
July 30, 2017
Excellent character-driven crime novella with superb regional English locations and dialogue. There are some mighty grim passages, but what really shines are the unusual relationships, especially the quasi-father-son rapport between Graeme and Tony, which plays out like nothing I've ever seen in exploring the meaning of loyalty. Another most unusual -- yet believable -- angle on fatherhood is the one that drives the plot.
It's tough and sad and shot through with gleams of humor. Well done, Paul Heatley.
It's tough and sad and shot through with gleams of humor. Well done, Paul Heatley.
January 13, 2019
When teenager Jasmine Doyle suffers a terrible accident one drunken night no one could guess the powerful and bloody consequences. Her Newcastle gangland father Neil Doyle wants the culprit and Graeme Taylor aided by his pal “Tracksuit” Tony Gordon are soon on the trail of a young man on the run. An Eye for an Eye is a gritty, authentic and bleak crime story that leads to a poignant conclusion. Author Paul Heatley has written one of the best novels that I’ve read in a long time and I would strongly recommend this book to any curious crime fiction fan. It’s the father/son relationship between Graeme and Tony that elevates this gritty crime story to something really special with emotional depth and impact. Enjoy.
June 6, 2017
This reminds me of George Higgins--dialogue crackling with tension perfectly capturing the way working class criminals talk. Except these criminals are from North England, not Boston. I read this while rocking my daughter to sleep in Heathrow in the middle of that British Airways fiasco. No better way to pass the time.
December 5, 2018
Fantastic little story!
When gangster Neil Doyle's daughter has her eye accidentally impaled by dart in a freak accident, he takes it as a personal affront and calls in sometime enforcer Graeme to help his thugs track down the responsible party.
Graeme drags his ex-girlfriend's son, Tony, into the search. They have a semi-genial/semi-fractious relationship that makes for thoroughly enjoyable reading throughout.
Between Doyle's seemingly endless need for vengeance (regardless of his wife's or daughter's feelings on the matter) and the back-and-forth between Graeme and Tony, this book is a genuine page-turner!
I highly recommend it.
PS: I love the phrase "dozy twat"! :)
When gangster Neil Doyle's daughter has her eye accidentally impaled by dart in a freak accident, he takes it as a personal affront and calls in sometime enforcer Graeme to help his thugs track down the responsible party.
Graeme drags his ex-girlfriend's son, Tony, into the search. They have a semi-genial/semi-fractious relationship that makes for thoroughly enjoyable reading throughout.
Between Doyle's seemingly endless need for vengeance (regardless of his wife's or daughter's feelings on the matter) and the back-and-forth between Graeme and Tony, this book is a genuine page-turner!
I highly recommend it.
PS: I love the phrase "dozy twat"! :)
June 8, 2018
Dark, gritty noir at its finest. The characters are well-written and thoroughly likable. The relationship between Graeme and Tony is endearing to say the least. And the dialogue, what fantastic dialogue, laced with witty banter. In fact, the storytelling is heavily dialogue driven, which I like, a style I use in my own tales. I didn't see the twist at the end coming and thought it a fitting climax. Heatley is a new author to me, but I'll be keeping an eye on him for sure.
April 25, 2019
hard and gritty
An Eye For An Eye is a fast paced, gritty punch in the jaw set in Newcastle. It has great characters in Tony and Graeme, great dialogue, and plenty of hard edged mayhem. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
One downside I hate to mention because it didn't ruin the book for me. About a quarter of the way through the format suddenly changed to italics and never goes back. Just a little issue. Like I said nothing that hurts the story. Anyway buy this book.
An Eye For An Eye is a fast paced, gritty punch in the jaw set in Newcastle. It has great characters in Tony and Graeme, great dialogue, and plenty of hard edged mayhem. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
One downside I hate to mention because it didn't ruin the book for me. About a quarter of the way through the format suddenly changed to italics and never goes back. Just a little issue. Like I said nothing that hurts the story. Anyway buy this book.
August 11, 2019
Well worth a read
Smashing quick read, full of action. Some good characters who could become cult figures of this genre. Will definitely follow this author and read the next book in the series.
Smashing quick read, full of action. Some good characters who could become cult figures of this genre. Will definitely follow this author and read the next book in the series.
August 15, 2019
This is a gritty, sometimes funny and fast paced modern Noir. It packs a punch with a rusty knuckle duster strapped on and has heart too- which can be difficult to pull off. I'm looking forward to reading more of this novella series.
February 21, 2019
This one one is gritty, visceral, and vivid. It punches from the first page to the last. A solid and entertaining read.
October 18, 2024
Short story but packs a punch.
March 23, 2019
A cracking book with an ending which will make you angry, heartbroken, and just resigned to life's injustices all at once - and all in a good way. This is brutal noir which doesn't skip the violence. You'll feel every punch and broken bone, but it’s necessary to get to the story's emotional punch of an ending.
It's about two reluctant heavies doing the dirty work for Neil Doyle, a man on the warpath when his daughter loses an eye by accident. Heatley does a great job getting under the skin of the protagonists, giving what could have been a regular gangster story a lot of heart.
A top read - and on I go to its sequel, The Runner.
It's about two reluctant heavies doing the dirty work for Neil Doyle, a man on the warpath when his daughter loses an eye by accident. Heatley does a great job getting under the skin of the protagonists, giving what could have been a regular gangster story a lot of heart.
A top read - and on I go to its sequel, The Runner.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews