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East of England
Dan Matlock is out of jail. He's got a choice. Stay or leave. Go back to where it all went wrong, or simply get out of the county. Disappear. Start again as someone else.
But it's not as simple as that.
There's the matter of the man he killed. It wasn't murder, but even so. You tell that to the family. Especially when that family is the Mintons, who own half that's profitable and two-thirds of what's crooked between the Wolds and the coast. And who could have got to Matlock as easy as you like in prison, but who haven't touched him. Not yet.
And like Matlock found out in prison, there's no getting away from yourself, so what would the point be in not facing up to other people?
It's time to go home.
East of England blends a rural take on the noir thriller with a fascination with the British industrialised countryside that lies east of the Wolds, between the Humber and the Wash. Unlit byways rather than the neon-bright and rain-slicked city. A world of caravan parks, slot machines, and low-rise battery farms.
The flatlands of the east coast; decaying market towns and run-down resorts, and the distant throb of offshore windfarms. Where the smell you're trying to get out of your clothes is the cigarette taint of old phone boxes and bus shelters, and where redemption, like life, is either hard-earned or fought for, one way or another.
But it's not as simple as that.
There's the matter of the man he killed. It wasn't murder, but even so. You tell that to the family. Especially when that family is the Mintons, who own half that's profitable and two-thirds of what's crooked between the Wolds and the coast. And who could have got to Matlock as easy as you like in prison, but who haven't touched him. Not yet.
And like Matlock found out in prison, there's no getting away from yourself, so what would the point be in not facing up to other people?
It's time to go home.
East of England blends a rural take on the noir thriller with a fascination with the British industrialised countryside that lies east of the Wolds, between the Humber and the Wash. Unlit byways rather than the neon-bright and rain-slicked city. A world of caravan parks, slot machines, and low-rise battery farms.
The flatlands of the east coast; decaying market towns and run-down resorts, and the distant throb of offshore windfarms. Where the smell you're trying to get out of your clothes is the cigarette taint of old phone boxes and bus shelters, and where redemption, like life, is either hard-earned or fought for, one way or another.
368 pages, Paperback
Published January 24, 2019
14 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Eamonn Martin Griffin
7 books23 followersEamonn Griffin was born and raised in Lincolnshire, though these days he lives in north-east Wales.
He's worked as a stonemason, a strawberry picker, in plastics factories (everything from packing those little bags for loose change you get from banks to production planning via transport manager via fork-lift driving), in agricultural and industrial laboratories, in a computer games shop, and latterly in further and higher education.
He’s taught and lectured in subjects as diverse as leisure and tourism, uniformed public services, English Studies, creative writing, film studies, TV and film production, and media theory. He doesn’t do any of that anymore. Instead he writes fulltime, either as a freelancer, or else on fiction.
Eamonn has a PhD in creative writing with the University of Lancaster, specialising in historical fiction, having previously completed both an MA in popular film and a BSc in sociology and politics via the Open University. He really likes biltong, and has recently returned to learning to play piano, something he abandoned when he was about seven and has regretted since.
He's worked as a stonemason, a strawberry picker, in plastics factories (everything from packing those little bags for loose change you get from banks to production planning via transport manager via fork-lift driving), in agricultural and industrial laboratories, in a computer games shop, and latterly in further and higher education.
He’s taught and lectured in subjects as diverse as leisure and tourism, uniformed public services, English Studies, creative writing, film studies, TV and film production, and media theory. He doesn’t do any of that anymore. Instead he writes fulltime, either as a freelancer, or else on fiction.
Eamonn has a PhD in creative writing with the University of Lancaster, specialising in historical fiction, having previously completed both an MA in popular film and a BSc in sociology and politics via the Open University. He really likes biltong, and has recently returned to learning to play piano, something he abandoned when he was about seven and has regretted since.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 13, 2019
The British industrial countryside was populated by laborers and farmers. They ran caravan parks, "greasy spoon" diners and farm markets. Liam and Anthony Corrigan were "meat and muscle" men. "Uncle Roy" Minton represented the upper echelon, wealth achieved through legal as well as illegal means. The Mintons owned land and building contracts. A vendetta was set into motion when Daniel Matlock accidentally killed the wrong man. Having served two years in prison, he was now a free man.
Matlock had a dilemma. He could start life in a new county by creating a new identity for himself. Instead, he decided to try to right the wrong he committed. Prison taught him that "there is no getting away from yourself". His plan started with getting the Mintons' attention by leaving "clues" everywhere letting them know he was back. Let the war begin.
Matlock is concerned about his father, Joe. Why hasn't he seen him since he was released from prison? There is unfinished business between the Mintons and Don Matlock. Contemplating his next move, Matlock connects with Big Chris who provides him with temporary shelter in a caravan park. The Mintons could have "gotten to him" during his prison stint but chose to leave him alone. He should leave the county while the getting's good. First however, he needs to locate his dad, Joe.
"East of England" by Eamonn Martin Griffin presents a study in redemption in a depressed county near the east coast of England. Don Matlock was a sympathetic, yet flawed character. Perhaps different circumstances would have made him more likable, more moral. Author Griffin has crafted a taut, suspenseful thriller.
Thank you Eamonn Martin Griffin, Pigeonhole app serialized in 10 staves, and Unbound Digital for the opportunity to read and review "East of England".
Matlock had a dilemma. He could start life in a new county by creating a new identity for himself. Instead, he decided to try to right the wrong he committed. Prison taught him that "there is no getting away from yourself". His plan started with getting the Mintons' attention by leaving "clues" everywhere letting them know he was back. Let the war begin.
Matlock is concerned about his father, Joe. Why hasn't he seen him since he was released from prison? There is unfinished business between the Mintons and Don Matlock. Contemplating his next move, Matlock connects with Big Chris who provides him with temporary shelter in a caravan park. The Mintons could have "gotten to him" during his prison stint but chose to leave him alone. He should leave the county while the getting's good. First however, he needs to locate his dad, Joe.
"East of England" by Eamonn Martin Griffin presents a study in redemption in a depressed county near the east coast of England. Don Matlock was a sympathetic, yet flawed character. Perhaps different circumstances would have made him more likable, more moral. Author Griffin has crafted a taut, suspenseful thriller.
Thank you Eamonn Martin Griffin, Pigeonhole app serialized in 10 staves, and Unbound Digital for the opportunity to read and review "East of England".
January 15, 2019
I read East of England pre publication through the pigeonhole app, and I am so glad I took this opportunity.
Gritty, realistic, and deliciously dark, this is a novel that draws you into its brutal embrace and takes you on a journey that, although rarely comfortable, is one you won't forget in a hurry. Solid but unpredictable characters carry the reader through a twisting plot which is as unrelenting as it is enjoyable.
I shall certainly be looking forward to more adventures from the inventive mind of Mr Griffin.
Go read
Gritty, realistic, and deliciously dark, this is a novel that draws you into its brutal embrace and takes you on a journey that, although rarely comfortable, is one you won't forget in a hurry. Solid but unpredictable characters carry the reader through a twisting plot which is as unrelenting as it is enjoyable.
I shall certainly be looking forward to more adventures from the inventive mind of Mr Griffin.
Go read
January 13, 2019
East of England
By Eamonn Griffin
Published by Unbound Digital
PUBLISHERS BLURB
Dan Matlock is out of jail. He's got a choice. Stay or leave. Go back to where it all went wrong, or simply get out of the county. Disappear. Start again as someone else.
But it's not as simple as that.
There's the matter of the man he killed. It wasn't murder, but even so. You tell that to the family. Especially when that family is the Mintons, who own half that's profitable and two-thirds of what's crooked between the Wolds and the coast. And who could have got to Matlock as easy as you like in prison, but who haven't touched him. Not yet.
And like Matlock found out in prison, there's no getting away from yourself, so what would the point be in not facing up to other people?
It's time to go home.
East of England blends a rural take on the noir thriller with a fascination with the British industrialised countryside that lies east of the Wolds, between the Humber and the Wash. Unlit byways rather than the neon-bright and rain-slicked city. A world of caravan parks, slot machines, and low-rise battery farms.
The flatlands of the east coast; decaying market towns and run-down resorts, and the distant throb of offshore windfarms. Where the smell you're trying to get out of your clothes is the cigarette taint of old phone boxes and bus shelters, and where redemption, like life, is either hard-earned or fought for, one way or another
MY REVIEW
Dan Matlock, released from prison after two years is expecting his father, Joe to pick him up, but he’s not there. So he steals a car and makes his way home....
Dan is not a nice man, he’s back into ‘working’ for Big Chris almost immediately as her debt collector, he’s also choosing other targets for his thieving, to let certain factions, namely the Mintons and Corrigans that he’s back.
So begins a tale of violence and various dodgy dealings, with such descriptive writing you feel you could find your way round the area with no problem. You can almost smell the seedy, seaside, Skeg, and rural Lincolnshire with its menacing darkness that’s just out of eyesight, something you might catch out of the corner of your eye beyond the bright lights and noise of ‘fun’.
Eamonn Griffin has created a realistic, believable character in Dan Matlock, Lincolnshire’s very own ‘Jack Reacher’...you may not like him much, but you will still be on his side, and hoping for the best with the tension building to a bloody, violent end, with some surprises that I didn’t see coming at all. Brilliant read and I can thoroughly recommend it.
Thank you to The Pigeonhole, Unbound Digital and Eamonn Griffin for the opportunity to read this.
@eamonngriffin
@ThePigeonholeHQ
@Unbound_Digital
By Eamonn Griffin
Published by Unbound Digital
PUBLISHERS BLURB
Dan Matlock is out of jail. He's got a choice. Stay or leave. Go back to where it all went wrong, or simply get out of the county. Disappear. Start again as someone else.
But it's not as simple as that.
There's the matter of the man he killed. It wasn't murder, but even so. You tell that to the family. Especially when that family is the Mintons, who own half that's profitable and two-thirds of what's crooked between the Wolds and the coast. And who could have got to Matlock as easy as you like in prison, but who haven't touched him. Not yet.
And like Matlock found out in prison, there's no getting away from yourself, so what would the point be in not facing up to other people?
It's time to go home.
East of England blends a rural take on the noir thriller with a fascination with the British industrialised countryside that lies east of the Wolds, between the Humber and the Wash. Unlit byways rather than the neon-bright and rain-slicked city. A world of caravan parks, slot machines, and low-rise battery farms.
The flatlands of the east coast; decaying market towns and run-down resorts, and the distant throb of offshore windfarms. Where the smell you're trying to get out of your clothes is the cigarette taint of old phone boxes and bus shelters, and where redemption, like life, is either hard-earned or fought for, one way or another
MY REVIEW
Dan Matlock, released from prison after two years is expecting his father, Joe to pick him up, but he’s not there. So he steals a car and makes his way home....
Dan is not a nice man, he’s back into ‘working’ for Big Chris almost immediately as her debt collector, he’s also choosing other targets for his thieving, to let certain factions, namely the Mintons and Corrigans that he’s back.
So begins a tale of violence and various dodgy dealings, with such descriptive writing you feel you could find your way round the area with no problem. You can almost smell the seedy, seaside, Skeg, and rural Lincolnshire with its menacing darkness that’s just out of eyesight, something you might catch out of the corner of your eye beyond the bright lights and noise of ‘fun’.
Eamonn Griffin has created a realistic, believable character in Dan Matlock, Lincolnshire’s very own ‘Jack Reacher’...you may not like him much, but you will still be on his side, and hoping for the best with the tension building to a bloody, violent end, with some surprises that I didn’t see coming at all. Brilliant read and I can thoroughly recommend it.
Thank you to The Pigeonhole, Unbound Digital and Eamonn Griffin for the opportunity to read this.
@eamonngriffin
@ThePigeonholeHQ
@Unbound_Digital
January 23, 2019
A read that sucks you in, bleak words for bleak landscapes. Deceptively simple, with an anti hero who keeps you just on the right side of him...
January 15, 2019
The action is fast, the main character is real - you love and hate him at different points because he’s got a good heart but can also do some bad things.
I was left with many questions at the end, so I’ve got a feeling that this is the beginning of a series like Jack Reacher or John Wick.
I was left with many questions at the end, so I’ve got a feeling that this is the beginning of a series like Jack Reacher or John Wick.
January 13, 2019
Really enjoyed this. Enjoyed the story, characters and Eamonn’s writing style, brutal yet gripping. Really looking forward to a sequel. I was lucky enough to read this via the Pigeonhole App, one Stave a day over ten days. I quickly became absorbed and couldn’t wait for each stave to arrive!
March 3, 2019
Alerted to the presence of this book via social media, the synopsis instantly grabbed me, and with the plus point of being set in a part of the UK that I am not aware of having read about before, this looked to be a sure-fire winner. I was not wrong, and I was completely delighted by this gritty tale of rural noir…
Set in and around the open flatlands of Lincolnshire, East of England, is a sparely written, but no less compelling account of one man’s thirst for revenge and atonement after a lengthy prison spell for manslaughter. I found that the sparsity of the prose mirrored the anodyne nature of the landscape perfectly, and to a certain degree the smallness and petty criminalities of the people’s lives that Griffin so effectively describes here. This is a small, claustrophobic world, that has moved on little since Matlock’s incarceration, and as he revisits traces of his past there is an overwhelming feeling of how slowly time has passed both inside and outside the prison walls, and how easily Matlock can track down those who have wronged him.
Speaking of which, I loved the way that in describing individual’s physical qualities, Griffin pares them back with a sharp simplicity often highlighting their less attractive features with a rapier wit. Everyone has a certain unattractiveness about them in either appearance or demeanour, but cleverly Griffin manipulates these to keep us fascinated by this collection of nutters, criminals and general oddballs. Matlock himself is a wonderfully mercurial figure, subject to sudden and lethal outbursts of violence and ill-humour, but also demonstrating a more empathetic and charitable side to his character sharply at odds with his bad-boy demeanour. I thought he was an incredibly appealing and unpredictable character, hell-bent on revenge, but quick-thinking and resourceful at every stage, but I was aware of an emotional distance between us and him that I found intriguing. This put me very much in mind of the work of say Ted Lewis (Get Carter) and as Matlock traverses this grim and unrelenting landscape I was sharply reminded of the immortal opening to that seminal film.
I thought this was an accomplished and very enjoyable debut- gritty, tense, violent yet punctuated with moments of pathos and wit at odds with the depressing landscape, and the cast of really quite unlikeable characters. I am keen to see what Griffin produces next, as I would highly recommend this one.
Set in and around the open flatlands of Lincolnshire, East of England, is a sparely written, but no less compelling account of one man’s thirst for revenge and atonement after a lengthy prison spell for manslaughter. I found that the sparsity of the prose mirrored the anodyne nature of the landscape perfectly, and to a certain degree the smallness and petty criminalities of the people’s lives that Griffin so effectively describes here. This is a small, claustrophobic world, that has moved on little since Matlock’s incarceration, and as he revisits traces of his past there is an overwhelming feeling of how slowly time has passed both inside and outside the prison walls, and how easily Matlock can track down those who have wronged him.
Speaking of which, I loved the way that in describing individual’s physical qualities, Griffin pares them back with a sharp simplicity often highlighting their less attractive features with a rapier wit. Everyone has a certain unattractiveness about them in either appearance or demeanour, but cleverly Griffin manipulates these to keep us fascinated by this collection of nutters, criminals and general oddballs. Matlock himself is a wonderfully mercurial figure, subject to sudden and lethal outbursts of violence and ill-humour, but also demonstrating a more empathetic and charitable side to his character sharply at odds with his bad-boy demeanour. I thought he was an incredibly appealing and unpredictable character, hell-bent on revenge, but quick-thinking and resourceful at every stage, but I was aware of an emotional distance between us and him that I found intriguing. This put me very much in mind of the work of say Ted Lewis (Get Carter) and as Matlock traverses this grim and unrelenting landscape I was sharply reminded of the immortal opening to that seminal film.
I thought this was an accomplished and very enjoyable debut- gritty, tense, violent yet punctuated with moments of pathos and wit at odds with the depressing landscape, and the cast of really quite unlikeable characters. I am keen to see what Griffin produces next, as I would highly recommend this one.
January 14, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Griffin's East of England! There was plenty of action right from the start and many surprises along the way. The characters come alive in their interactions with each other and you are drawn in right from the start. I read the book in 10 staves at The Pigeon Hole. I live in the United States and it is not available on our Amazon yet but I will keep watch for it. I heartily recommend it.
January 17, 2019
That was one awesome read. The story of Matlock had me on edge with anticipation. I loved reading this book so much
January 13, 2019
Enjoyed the book. Plot interesting enough to keep your attention but not so complicated that it requires heavy concentration. Makes this a book to read for pleasure. Characterisation and descriptions developed with economy of words. This does not however mean they are superficial. Human characters with failings, but the good guys win in the end.
Descriptions of the location of the book excellent. Backdrop cleverly painted. Recommended reading. Will look our for other books by the author.
Descriptions of the location of the book excellent. Backdrop cleverly painted. Recommended reading. Will look our for other books by the author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2019
This book is the tale of Matlock, who has spent two years in prison for killing a man. The act was an accident but in a place where mafia-type families rule the area, his choice is to leave or stay and face the consequences of his actions, when he is released.
The scene is set as the title implies East of England and brings the reader to an industrial area with low rise farms, caravan parks and flatlands interspersed with small forgettable towns.
Violence, revenge and retribution form the body of this story, and though not my normal genre, was well written, and will certainly appeal to those who enjoy a time to even the score type story.
The scene is set as the title implies East of England and brings the reader to an industrial area with low rise farms, caravan parks and flatlands interspersed with small forgettable towns.
Violence, revenge and retribution form the body of this story, and though not my normal genre, was well written, and will certainly appeal to those who enjoy a time to even the score type story.
January 14, 2019
Thrill ride... Not my normal genre as maybe a little too much violence for me but really enjoyed this. Kept having to remind myself it's set in the 80s hence no mobiles to make life easier. Couldn't help but like the main character and gripping stuff seeing how he was going to sort out the mess he was in.
January 15, 2019
Very gripping from page 1. You start reading about this man fighting for his conscience and coming to terms with his life. What has happened to his father? dead or alive? The story will tell you...
February 27, 2019
If Lee Child and Daniel Woodrell went to Lincolnshire together to write a novel, it might look a lot like Eamonn Griffin's East of England. This is a gritty thriller, a fast-paced noir set in the flat agricultural areas and amusement arcade-covered beach towns of eastern Lincolnshire.
Dan Matlock walks out of the prison, where he has spent the past two years for accidentally killing a man with his car, and across the road to the adjacent hospital carpark where he steals a car to drive home. He wants to see his father, but first he has a plan he needs to set into motion. Two years has given him a lot of time to think about what happened and to stew in his need for revenge. But even a well-laid plan will not hold out in the light of day and it's not long before Dan is just trying to figure out what is going on.
A lot happens in this novel, much of it violent, but Dan is not entirely on his own. There's his old employer, Big Chris, for whom he used to help collecting money from people who don't keep up with their payments and there's the old guy he meets in the caravan park where he is renting a place to live. There's the receptionist at the nursing home and, in an odd way, the head of the crime family that sent him to prison. This is a novel where criminals face off against slightly worse criminals, where the seaside attractions are showing their age and the family farms have given way to giant factory farms. Lincolnshire comes to life as Dan goes about his business, but often the plot is interrupted by sections that regurgitated from road maps and guides to local attractions. Overall, though, this is a solid novel and I look forward to seeing what Dan Matlock gets up to next.
Dan Matlock walks out of the prison, where he has spent the past two years for accidentally killing a man with his car, and across the road to the adjacent hospital carpark where he steals a car to drive home. He wants to see his father, but first he has a plan he needs to set into motion. Two years has given him a lot of time to think about what happened and to stew in his need for revenge. But even a well-laid plan will not hold out in the light of day and it's not long before Dan is just trying to figure out what is going on.
A lot happens in this novel, much of it violent, but Dan is not entirely on his own. There's his old employer, Big Chris, for whom he used to help collecting money from people who don't keep up with their payments and there's the old guy he meets in the caravan park where he is renting a place to live. There's the receptionist at the nursing home and, in an odd way, the head of the crime family that sent him to prison. This is a novel where criminals face off against slightly worse criminals, where the seaside attractions are showing their age and the family farms have given way to giant factory farms. Lincolnshire comes to life as Dan goes about his business, but often the plot is interrupted by sections that regurgitated from road maps and guides to local attractions. Overall, though, this is a solid novel and I look forward to seeing what Dan Matlock gets up to next.
April 3, 2019
This is so much not the sort of book I usually enjoy reading. Violence and brutality are not subjects I want to hear too much about. But I am so glad I took a chance on this one from NetGalley, as it’s a superbly written, gritty, chilling and compelling story that drew me in and kept me absorbed in the life of Dan Matlock, the protagonist. We meet him as he leaves prison after two years incarceration for murder. But in no way has he paid his debt, and how the revenge waiting for him on the outside plays out comprises the plot of this expertly-paced and atmospheric thriller. In the circles Matlock moves in scores have to be settled, and compassion is in short supply. Matlock isn’t a nice man, but there is humanity there somewhere and that stops the reader becoming totally alienated by him. Descriptions are vivid and I could picture every scene as it unfolded. The staccato writing style perfectly matches the edgy tone of the book and not a word is wasted. A very impressive piece of writing indeed.
January 23, 2019
Really enjoyed this book.
January 13, 2019
An excellent 'rural noir' set in a part of the UK I only know from books. The 'landscape as character' works really well here, and this is a tense and well constructed novel, with an unpleasant semi-twist and lots of realistically nasty characters. The protagonist is compelling despite his flaws, I'd certainly be happy to read more about him.
Also I always like a subplot about red diesel.
(I read this on Pigeonhole, which releases a section every day for ten days or whatever. This is an interesting concept, but I found it quite frustrating, as I would certainly have read the whole thing in one go otherwise. I might read it again when I get my ebook copy.)
Also I always like a subplot about red diesel.
(I read this on Pigeonhole, which releases a section every day for ten days or whatever. This is an interesting concept, but I found it quite frustrating, as I would certainly have read the whole thing in one go otherwise. I might read it again when I get my ebook copy.)
January 17, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next by this author
January 17, 2019
This was a thrilling read with a bad boy hero, Matlock who I loved. I’m looking forward to reading more about him in the future. The writing was excellent and the level of violence was in keeping with the story.
Thank you Pigeonhole and Eamonn Griffin for a great read.
Thank you Pigeonhole and Eamonn Griffin for a great read.
January 19, 2019
Lets get this clear from the start - Dan Matlock is a cold, calculating recidivist who appears to have little in the way of redeeming characteristics. This made it a very hard book for me to actively enjoy reading. Without the desire for the protagonist of the book to overcome his obstacles I found myself not really engaging with the plot that lurches from one criminal act to another. The odd thing is that if this had been a "True Crime" book then I would have enjoyed far more than reading about a fictional criminal.
During reading I likened the book to Nicholas Pileggi's novels on the American Italian underworld and it does have lots in common with them - mainly the acting for the sake of face rather than considering all outcomes first. The big difference is that Pileggi manages to draw some sort of humanity out of his cast of real life villains, sadly Dan Matlock seems devoid of this. even when relating tales of his childhood with his father, Joe, you still manage to feel strangely disconnected from the character. I am still wondering why he carried out the actions he did on release from prison - he definitely got his retaliation in first but I could see no necessity for it at that point.
Whilst the writing is solid and the author works the plot admirably, I was still left with more questions than answers. The set pieces of the book are well crafted and can be shocking in their sheer brutality, a brutality which is treated as mundane. With the denouement looming between the rival factions of Matlock and the Minton/Corrigan families you know it isn't going to end well and you also know that somehow Matlock is going to overcome - somehow I wanted him to fail.
The setting is unrepentantly 1980s but there are one or two anachronisms scattered through the text. Not enough to throw you out of the setting but enough to make the eyes roll (particularly when discussing take away coffees). It's the little things that bother me and this was such a little thing but it REALLY bothered me.
The book leaves on a tentative cliff hanger obviously leaving things open for further adventures of Matlock. To be honest I don't think I am interested enough to read further about this man. He has his moments of humanity but they feel faked and he is not charismatic enough to be a remotely likeable psychopath (for that you really need Thomas Harris).
If you love crime stories or thrillers then you may really love this. I didn't hate it but I couldn't find enough here to rhapsodise about it.
THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PIGEONHOLE.
During reading I likened the book to Nicholas Pileggi's novels on the American Italian underworld and it does have lots in common with them - mainly the acting for the sake of face rather than considering all outcomes first. The big difference is that Pileggi manages to draw some sort of humanity out of his cast of real life villains, sadly Dan Matlock seems devoid of this. even when relating tales of his childhood with his father, Joe, you still manage to feel strangely disconnected from the character. I am still wondering why he carried out the actions he did on release from prison - he definitely got his retaliation in first but I could see no necessity for it at that point.
Whilst the writing is solid and the author works the plot admirably, I was still left with more questions than answers. The set pieces of the book are well crafted and can be shocking in their sheer brutality, a brutality which is treated as mundane. With the denouement looming between the rival factions of Matlock and the Minton/Corrigan families you know it isn't going to end well and you also know that somehow Matlock is going to overcome - somehow I wanted him to fail.
The setting is unrepentantly 1980s but there are one or two anachronisms scattered through the text. Not enough to throw you out of the setting but enough to make the eyes roll (particularly when discussing take away coffees). It's the little things that bother me and this was such a little thing but it REALLY bothered me.
The book leaves on a tentative cliff hanger obviously leaving things open for further adventures of Matlock. To be honest I don't think I am interested enough to read further about this man. He has his moments of humanity but they feel faked and he is not charismatic enough to be a remotely likeable psychopath (for that you really need Thomas Harris).
If you love crime stories or thrillers then you may really love this. I didn't hate it but I couldn't find enough here to rhapsodise about it.
THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PIGEONHOLE.
January 19, 2019
Short advice to others: Try an excerpt - if you're hooked from the get go, this is a book for you :)
I needed to get used to the writing style and some elements and events of the story rubbed me the wrong way. However, I still think the work is gripping and enjoyable if you like the style, the nostalgic feeling of 1980s England, and violence, feuds, revenge and brawn over brains-ish protagonists are your thing.
The story follows an initially unlikable main character and how his past, both good and bad, catch up to him in the present. A past he had a lot of time to think about in the two years he's been in prison. To some, that is long, to others it is too short.
The story opens with Dan Matlock getting out of prison, where he sort of hoped (though not entirely expected) to find his father waiting for him. Would have made things easier. When his father isn't there, Matlock promptly jacks a car and the story kicks into gear.
The writing is descriptive, yet keeping the pace through the writing style. The story's twists and turns may mess with your head as much as it may make readers above thirty nostalgic. It is quite a ride.
However, as I mentioned, there are some plot elements presented that just are dangled in front of the reader too much too long, with even the character acknowledging something amiss but not acting on it. While I understand it was needed for plot and character emotional development, I thought it was annoying.
I needed to get used to the writing style and some elements and events of the story rubbed me the wrong way. However, I still think the work is gripping and enjoyable if you like the style, the nostalgic feeling of 1980s England, and violence, feuds, revenge and brawn over brains-ish protagonists are your thing.
The story follows an initially unlikable main character and how his past, both good and bad, catch up to him in the present. A past he had a lot of time to think about in the two years he's been in prison. To some, that is long, to others it is too short.
The story opens with Dan Matlock getting out of prison, where he sort of hoped (though not entirely expected) to find his father waiting for him. Would have made things easier. When his father isn't there, Matlock promptly jacks a car and the story kicks into gear.
The writing is descriptive, yet keeping the pace through the writing style. The story's twists and turns may mess with your head as much as it may make readers above thirty nostalgic. It is quite a ride.
However, as I mentioned, there are some plot elements presented that just are dangled in front of the reader too much too long, with even the character acknowledging something amiss but not acting on it. While I understand it was needed for plot and character emotional development, I thought it was annoying.
January 17, 2019
Dan Matlock has got out of jail .
There the murder of the man he killed it wasn’t murder .
When Matlock found out in prison there is no getting away from your self.
So it’s time to go home
I had an ARC from Unbound Digital
There the murder of the man he killed it wasn’t murder .
When Matlock found out in prison there is no getting away from your self.
So it’s time to go home
I had an ARC from Unbound Digital
March 20, 2019
I bought this book because my last 13 years in the Air Force were spent in Lincolnshire, in one of the snooty cliff villages that – in spite of taking barely an hour to travel from one to the other – are a million miles away from the flat-lands between the coast and the Lincolnshire Wolds. Having played rugby in Lincoln prison (they don’t play away matches), my interest was piqued by the fact that the novel’s protagonist leaves it on page one.
This blog-post’s title says it all really. It’s a tag-line used by the author himself, as I recall, and he’s on the nail.
Gripping, gritty and gangland-savvy, Griffin’s East of England guides us on the usual loner’s quest through the mean-streets of a thinly disguised Mablethorpe, Skegness (the real Skeg Vegas) and the market town of Louth. Matlock leaves prison after two years in Lincoln nick at a time in the not too distant past, where the world is wired by cable and copper wire and people use handsets in telephone booths. The author does not hit us over the head with historical detail but evokes this different time with subtlety and finesse. I would put it in Mid-Thatcher period, but honestly, it was only after finishing the book that I started wondering about that at all. Yes, it was that good.
One cover quote refers to an English Jack Reacher, but I think it’s much better than that.
No, far more telling is the source of another cover quote, Nick Triplow, the author of Getting Carter: Ted Lewis and the Birth of Brit Noir. Matlock owes far more to Carter than Reacher, and that is a very good thing.
Violent, with a truly chilling villain at its core, East of England is the first in a series of novels featuring Matlock. I for one will be on board for the fairground ride of the next instalment.
This blog-post’s title says it all really. It’s a tag-line used by the author himself, as I recall, and he’s on the nail.
Gripping, gritty and gangland-savvy, Griffin’s East of England guides us on the usual loner’s quest through the mean-streets of a thinly disguised Mablethorpe, Skegness (the real Skeg Vegas) and the market town of Louth. Matlock leaves prison after two years in Lincoln nick at a time in the not too distant past, where the world is wired by cable and copper wire and people use handsets in telephone booths. The author does not hit us over the head with historical detail but evokes this different time with subtlety and finesse. I would put it in Mid-Thatcher period, but honestly, it was only after finishing the book that I started wondering about that at all. Yes, it was that good.
One cover quote refers to an English Jack Reacher, but I think it’s much better than that.
No, far more telling is the source of another cover quote, Nick Triplow, the author of Getting Carter: Ted Lewis and the Birth of Brit Noir. Matlock owes far more to Carter than Reacher, and that is a very good thing.
Violent, with a truly chilling villain at its core, East of England is the first in a series of novels featuring Matlock. I for one will be on board for the fairground ride of the next instalment.
Read
April 26, 2020East of England is both darkly disruptive and believable. The characters are strongly drawn and thus the compelling plot is even more tightly wound. A great skirmish between the dark and bright sides of the main characters, played out in moments of tenderness and compassion and the scatter-gun of hot and cold violence - so much more interesting than pure blood and guts action.
February 18, 2019
I had no idea it was this dangerous on the other side of the Humber. The next time I use the Humber bridge I will make sure to venture into the den of iniquity braced with my hardman persona and a cosh.
I’ll admit that the title in no way prepares the reader for the well written plot. It’s as if the author wants the reader to make assumptions based on the bland almost blasé words used to describe such an nondescript part of England. In comparison to other parts of the country it’s become a little bit like the forgotten land in between the hard-nosed North and the laid-back South. The first being not far from Scotland and the latter close to London, and keeper of the gates to the mainland.
I digress.
Dan Matlock has just been released from prison after being convicted for manslaughter. To be completely fair he wasn’t trying to kill anyone and even if he might have thought about it for a minute, well he ended up taking out the wrong man instead. He knows exactly what he is going do, as he heads straight back into the lions den to face the consequences for killing one of their lion cubs.
For some strange reason he never expected the Minton’s to have been planning their own version of the Hunger Games to get revenge. Well, perhaps more tea break than hunger and fight club rather than games, and uhh definitely a tad more English ruffy-tuffy- style. It’s up to Matlock to outsmart them, save his loved ones and somehow equal the score between the two families.
Griffin takes the London gangster feel of the 60s and infuses the Lincolnshire area with the old eye for an eye justice system. It’s my word is my bond, and you have to pay off your debt, kind of mentality in this crime thriller with a noirish feel to it.
I enjoyed it, in fact I think Griffin has a talent for spinning a yarn. It’s a clever tongue in cheek nod to the old gangster regimes, but with a small countryside flair to it.
*I received a courtesy copy*
I’ll admit that the title in no way prepares the reader for the well written plot. It’s as if the author wants the reader to make assumptions based on the bland almost blasé words used to describe such an nondescript part of England. In comparison to other parts of the country it’s become a little bit like the forgotten land in between the hard-nosed North and the laid-back South. The first being not far from Scotland and the latter close to London, and keeper of the gates to the mainland.
I digress.
Dan Matlock has just been released from prison after being convicted for manslaughter. To be completely fair he wasn’t trying to kill anyone and even if he might have thought about it for a minute, well he ended up taking out the wrong man instead. He knows exactly what he is going do, as he heads straight back into the lions den to face the consequences for killing one of their lion cubs.
For some strange reason he never expected the Minton’s to have been planning their own version of the Hunger Games to get revenge. Well, perhaps more tea break than hunger and fight club rather than games, and uhh definitely a tad more English ruffy-tuffy- style. It’s up to Matlock to outsmart them, save his loved ones and somehow equal the score between the two families.
Griffin takes the London gangster feel of the 60s and infuses the Lincolnshire area with the old eye for an eye justice system. It’s my word is my bond, and you have to pay off your debt, kind of mentality in this crime thriller with a noirish feel to it.
I enjoyed it, in fact I think Griffin has a talent for spinning a yarn. It’s a clever tongue in cheek nod to the old gangster regimes, but with a small countryside flair to it.
*I received a courtesy copy*
September 13, 2021
Cracking British gangland revenge novel
Matlock has served his sentence for manslaughter. The man he killed was a member of the gangland family that runs "The East of England." Does he run or go back to face the Minton family head on. He decides there is no point in running because you just cant run from yourself. Besides he still has family there. Each land blows on the other before heading for the final climatic confrontation.
East of England is set in Lincolnshire, somewhere with which I am not familiar at all, so its was interesting to discover somewhere new in a literal sense.
The author gives us a down and dirty, gritty violent British gangster novel. Think Get Carter in Skegness or The Long Good Friday in Mablethorpe and you get the picture. And what a vivid picture he paints. Low level violent crime in the bottom rungs of society. This is a strength of the book, you really feel the everyday routine, slow seaside economic decline and banality of life.
Before prison Matlock was a hard as nails enforcer for loan shark Big Chris. Big Chris is an agrophobic, overweight, asthmatic middle aged mother who just happens to carry a shotgun but even his former boss doesn't want him to come home.
The narrative doesn't have two things. One was police involvement. Despite the violence, robbery and death, there is no police involvement at all. This is explained away as wrong un's sorting it out in house. The other is touchy, feely emotions. The only female of note is Big Chris and, great character that she is, she is not one for deep meaningful conversations, long walks in the snow and everlasting emotional commitment. That said, it is not a criticism. This book knows it's genre and does it bloody well.
@grumpyoldbooks
grumpyoldbooks.blogspot.com
Matlock has served his sentence for manslaughter. The man he killed was a member of the gangland family that runs "The East of England." Does he run or go back to face the Minton family head on. He decides there is no point in running because you just cant run from yourself. Besides he still has family there. Each land blows on the other before heading for the final climatic confrontation.
East of England is set in Lincolnshire, somewhere with which I am not familiar at all, so its was interesting to discover somewhere new in a literal sense.
The author gives us a down and dirty, gritty violent British gangster novel. Think Get Carter in Skegness or The Long Good Friday in Mablethorpe and you get the picture. And what a vivid picture he paints. Low level violent crime in the bottom rungs of society. This is a strength of the book, you really feel the everyday routine, slow seaside economic decline and banality of life.
Before prison Matlock was a hard as nails enforcer for loan shark Big Chris. Big Chris is an agrophobic, overweight, asthmatic middle aged mother who just happens to carry a shotgun but even his former boss doesn't want him to come home.
The narrative doesn't have two things. One was police involvement. Despite the violence, robbery and death, there is no police involvement at all. This is explained away as wrong un's sorting it out in house. The other is touchy, feely emotions. The only female of note is Big Chris and, great character that she is, she is not one for deep meaningful conversations, long walks in the snow and everlasting emotional commitment. That said, it is not a criticism. This book knows it's genre and does it bloody well.
@grumpyoldbooks
grumpyoldbooks.blogspot.com
January 14, 2019
A book about mobs, family code, loyalty and revenge!
This book drags you in right from the start!
Matlock is released from prison after serving a 2 year sentence for a death he (accidentally) caused.
We follow him on his journey back home to make things right and whilst we are rooting for him to "go straight", we can't help feeling his anguish as he discovers more and more betrayal.
A book that keeps you wondering and second guessing.
A character that you want to support but somehow know he's still doing wrong.
Lots of surprises in this book and a fresh style of writing that suited the pace and content of the story.
Enjoyed this one.
This book drags you in right from the start!
Matlock is released from prison after serving a 2 year sentence for a death he (accidentally) caused.
We follow him on his journey back home to make things right and whilst we are rooting for him to "go straight", we can't help feeling his anguish as he discovers more and more betrayal.
A book that keeps you wondering and second guessing.
A character that you want to support but somehow know he's still doing wrong.
Lots of surprises in this book and a fresh style of writing that suited the pace and content of the story.
Enjoyed this one.
October 17, 2019
Dark, violent and gripping is this crime noir set in Lincolnshire. The narrative is visceral and tense and the prose fluid and addictive. The main character is Dan Matlock who you will really like for his badness. He is believable and flawed but he is strong and clever. The moment he is released from prison, he steals a car and goes back to Big Chris to be her debt collector. Also for his side hustles, he has to get even with the Minions and Corrigans. The seaside setting is moody and atmospheric and adds the chill factor to the storytelling. The build towards a surprising climax is satisfying.
September 22, 2025
It’s always a delight to discover a new author, even more so when they produce something that sparks an interest in you that is rarely enticed out. This is an old school, proper pulp noir book, full of staccato sentences, implications rather than answers, and stone cold revenge. If the likes of Dead Mans Shoes and Get Carter appeal to you, then this will too.
February 14, 2019
Wasn't really my cup of tea but well written. For those that enjoy this genre I would recommend. I never guessed the plot which made me keep reading and kept me interested.
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