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Moonstomp
1979: punk, reggae, boots, braces, and button down shirts. The full moon rises, a skinhead’s sideburns grow. Packed full of music, style, and bovver, Moonstomp is the written in blood story of a teenage skinhead who’s also a werewolf. Aggro on the streets of London has never been like this.
The full moon rises and bodies fall.
This pulp novel is in the style of the 70s skinhead/Hell’s Angels books churned out by the New English Library, books that were passed round school such as Skinhead, Suedehead, Chopper, and Speed Freaks.
Tim Wells was a crop headed yoof that saw the bands, bought the records, and looked sharp. He’s still got an overflowing shelf of 70s pulp classics and sports Brutus button down shirts and knows how to shine his brogues.
Howling back to the days when we used to pass the Skinhead and Hell's Angels books around school, and watched Hammer Horror films at home on our black-and-white televisions, Tim Wells has written a fiendish tale of a skinhead werewolf rampaging through London in 1979. Being a sharp-dressed lad (still), the clothes and music are spot on. Snap up a copy before it bites your hand off. John King, author of Football Factory, Human Punk, Skinheads, and more.
Skinheads and werewolves and reggae and boozers, lager and kicking in fat city losers, Punk rock and Sta-prest when Lene she sings. Tim Wells has written a novel about a few of my favourite things... You can feel the sticky floors of the gigs and the sweaty menace is tangible as you read Tim Wells’ swaggering prose. This is no rose tinted amble down memory lane. The landscape of his world is a London that was swallowed whole by the eighties. For a book so full of life, there’s a lot of death in it as well. Beautiful. Brutal. Brutus. It’s got the lot! Phill Jupitus
The full moon rises and bodies fall.
This pulp novel is in the style of the 70s skinhead/Hell’s Angels books churned out by the New English Library, books that were passed round school such as Skinhead, Suedehead, Chopper, and Speed Freaks.
Tim Wells was a crop headed yoof that saw the bands, bought the records, and looked sharp. He’s still got an overflowing shelf of 70s pulp classics and sports Brutus button down shirts and knows how to shine his brogues.
Howling back to the days when we used to pass the Skinhead and Hell's Angels books around school, and watched Hammer Horror films at home on our black-and-white televisions, Tim Wells has written a fiendish tale of a skinhead werewolf rampaging through London in 1979. Being a sharp-dressed lad (still), the clothes and music are spot on. Snap up a copy before it bites your hand off. John King, author of Football Factory, Human Punk, Skinheads, and more.
Skinheads and werewolves and reggae and boozers, lager and kicking in fat city losers, Punk rock and Sta-prest when Lene she sings. Tim Wells has written a novel about a few of my favourite things... You can feel the sticky floors of the gigs and the sweaty menace is tangible as you read Tim Wells’ swaggering prose. This is no rose tinted amble down memory lane. The landscape of his world is a London that was swallowed whole by the eighties. For a book so full of life, there’s a lot of death in it as well. Beautiful. Brutal. Brutus. It’s got the lot! Phill Jupitus
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2019
3 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 23, 2019
Joe Bovshover, works in a print shop during the day and is a skinhead. He’s sharp dressed in regulation DM’s, button down shirts and braces……he’s also a werewolf!
Bitten on the cheek by Lene Lovich at a gig, he keeps waking up covered in blood but with no memory of how he got home…..must be the booze right?
This is a wild ride through the late 70’s with its music, culture and politics.
”Maggie Thatcher, milk snatcher’
Such close attention to detail, books of the time (Pan Horror, of which I still have a few), the blakeys on boots and shoes…..(I can hear that tap shoe click in my mind) and the huge range of music….punk, ska, reggae etc….and the fashion that went with it….
A time when Camden Market was real and ‘unique’..
A brilliant social commentary with the horror of a werewolf in London…brutal and thoroughly entertaining…..I hope there’s a follow up!
“There was a monster sat in Downing Street intent on tearing the country apart and eating it’s beating heart”
Thank you to The Author and The Pigeonhole for a free ecopy of Moonstomp. This is my honest and unbiased review.
Bitten on the cheek by Lene Lovich at a gig, he keeps waking up covered in blood but with no memory of how he got home…..must be the booze right?
This is a wild ride through the late 70’s with its music, culture and politics.
”Maggie Thatcher, milk snatcher’
Such close attention to detail, books of the time (Pan Horror, of which I still have a few), the blakeys on boots and shoes…..(I can hear that tap shoe click in my mind) and the huge range of music….punk, ska, reggae etc….and the fashion that went with it….
A time when Camden Market was real and ‘unique’..
A brilliant social commentary with the horror of a werewolf in London…brutal and thoroughly entertaining…..I hope there’s a follow up!
“There was a monster sat in Downing Street intent on tearing the country apart and eating it’s beating heart”
Thank you to The Author and The Pigeonhole for a free ecopy of Moonstomp. This is my honest and unbiased review.
June 23, 2019
Moonstomp is a fast paced novel about Joe, a skinhead who also happens to be a werewolf. The setting is London in the late seventies, the heyday of the skins, and the writing is steeped in that time and space. Everything is spot on - the clothes, the music, the politics, the language and the attitude.
No stranger to the occasional ruck, Joe is starting to get troubled by waking up in the morning with blood on his shirt and no memory of the night before. And then there are the brutal and vicious murders...
It's a cracking read, with a deliberately pulpy feel. If ever a book needed a playlist, it's this one. Thanks to Pigeonhole for the free copy.
No stranger to the occasional ruck, Joe is starting to get troubled by waking up in the morning with blood on his shirt and no memory of the night before. And then there are the brutal and vicious murders...
It's a cracking read, with a deliberately pulpy feel. If ever a book needed a playlist, it's this one. Thanks to Pigeonhole for the free copy.
June 26, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up. This is the tale of Joe, a skinhead in London who, after being bitten by none other than Lene Lovitch at a gig, turns into a werewolf. And when vicious and bloody murders start happening throughout the capital, the police start to wonder just who is responsible.
A short book, very much in the style of the old Richard Allan ones, but written a heck of a lot better. Almost too well actually, when Joe started spouting poetry I found it difficult to really believe that a skinhead of that time would be that literate, but maybe this book was aiming to make people change their preconceptions of the skinhead myth. I had friends who were skins back in the 80s though - and they didn’t know a line of poetry!
The book is an incredibly evocative reminder of 1970s London, which I loved, the descriptions of clothes, music, violence and pubs were all so vivid. I also enjoyed the werewolf parts, which I was a bit sceptical about when I began, but it’s written so well into the story that it was easy to suspend belief. And that cover, wow, so eye catching.
*SPOILER ALERT*
My only criticism and the reason my rating was lower was down to the very abrupt ending, it left so many unanswered questions, the main one being WHAT was going to happen to Joe???? What an infuriating ending, it felt as though the author couldn’t be bothered to wrap any more of it up, so just left it. Very annoying.
Thanks to The Pigeonhole for an ARC of this book.
A short book, very much in the style of the old Richard Allan ones, but written a heck of a lot better. Almost too well actually, when Joe started spouting poetry I found it difficult to really believe that a skinhead of that time would be that literate, but maybe this book was aiming to make people change their preconceptions of the skinhead myth. I had friends who were skins back in the 80s though - and they didn’t know a line of poetry!
The book is an incredibly evocative reminder of 1970s London, which I loved, the descriptions of clothes, music, violence and pubs were all so vivid. I also enjoyed the werewolf parts, which I was a bit sceptical about when I began, but it’s written so well into the story that it was easy to suspend belief. And that cover, wow, so eye catching.
*SPOILER ALERT*
My only criticism and the reason my rating was lower was down to the very abrupt ending, it left so many unanswered questions, the main one being WHAT was going to happen to Joe???? What an infuriating ending, it felt as though the author couldn’t be bothered to wrap any more of it up, so just left it. Very annoying.
Thanks to The Pigeonhole for an ARC of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2019
This is a short book, very, very short and before you know it you are at the end. Well, the book ends but that's the problem it just stops. There is no resolution, no grand reveal and old Bovshover still has no clue what's going on - in all honesty we, the reader, are only surmising as well. This is such a shame as the writing is great, the setting wonderfully rich and evocative, peopled with slightly drawn characters who are brought to life by their environs. Honestly, this was heading for a 5 Star read all the way and then it just stopped as brutally as a Doc Marten to the face would stop you. Can you tell I left the book feeling mighty disappointed?
Set on the cusp of the 1980's and focusing around a volatile music scene - punk is yet to mutate in to the New Romantics (how that happened I still can't quite fathom and I lived through it), Two Tone is bringing a mix of SKA and Reggae to a mainstream audience. Politically it is the Winter of Discontent, Labour are on the outs and Margaret Thatcher is poised to become the first Female Prime Minister. Unemployment is about to sky rocket and for the young it is all about the weekend down the pub, finishing off a work week in the only way you know how - at the bottom of a glass and maybe with a fight or two thrown in for good measure.
Joe Bovshover may be a stereotypical skinhead, with decidedly strong views on the nastiness of the National Front, but he has a decent printing job and a real passion for Punk and Reggae so the weekend for him is about the gigs he can get to and the records he can buy. The author brings him to life on the page and there is a real sense of occasion in getting ready for those nights out, and a healthy dose of rose tinted nostalgia too. When people start turning up dead in brutal fashion all over London during nights of the Full Moon it doesn't look good, especially for Joe.
A great blend of the resilience of youth and a little supernatural undertone to the murders and it is a joyous ride. The werewolf element is given a light touch with little nods here and there to the potential for the murderer to be this mythic creature but it is not overt and it is never resolved. Everything points to the identity of the killer and his transformation but it is not resolved - for the reader or the Lycanthrope in question.
It is a very fun read but expect it to be over before it really gets in to high gear.
THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK SUPPLIED VIA THE PIGEONHOLE.
Set on the cusp of the 1980's and focusing around a volatile music scene - punk is yet to mutate in to the New Romantics (how that happened I still can't quite fathom and I lived through it), Two Tone is bringing a mix of SKA and Reggae to a mainstream audience. Politically it is the Winter of Discontent, Labour are on the outs and Margaret Thatcher is poised to become the first Female Prime Minister. Unemployment is about to sky rocket and for the young it is all about the weekend down the pub, finishing off a work week in the only way you know how - at the bottom of a glass and maybe with a fight or two thrown in for good measure.
Joe Bovshover may be a stereotypical skinhead, with decidedly strong views on the nastiness of the National Front, but he has a decent printing job and a real passion for Punk and Reggae so the weekend for him is about the gigs he can get to and the records he can buy. The author brings him to life on the page and there is a real sense of occasion in getting ready for those nights out, and a healthy dose of rose tinted nostalgia too. When people start turning up dead in brutal fashion all over London during nights of the Full Moon it doesn't look good, especially for Joe.
A great blend of the resilience of youth and a little supernatural undertone to the murders and it is a joyous ride. The werewolf element is given a light touch with little nods here and there to the potential for the murderer to be this mythic creature but it is not overt and it is never resolved. Everything points to the identity of the killer and his transformation but it is not resolved - for the reader or the Lycanthrope in question.
It is a very fun read but expect it to be over before it really gets in to high gear.
THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK SUPPLIED VIA THE PIGEONHOLE.
August 8, 2019
I bought this book on the power of its book cover and seeing updates of it been close to completion on Facebook. The book is about a young skinhead called Joe who becomes a werewolf after been bitten by Lene Lovich at a concert (!) and the chaos that happens soon after. Its a bit like "This is England" meets "An American werewolf in London". it's packed full of cockney slang, punk/skinhead nostalgia but my only complaint it is way too short, as I finished it quite disappointedly in 2 days of purchasing it and the story was just about to get more interesting. Tim tweeted to tell me a follow up is in the works, so we might have to see what happens next...
July 22, 2019
More a novella than a novel, but more an idea than a novella. Really fun, though far from fully realised.
April 24, 2023
Moonstomp is the first title I've read by Tim Wells and I have to say I'm very impressed.
Set in 1979 London, you can tell this is a story lived by the author. Well, the punks and skinheads, fighting, beer, women and music part of the story anyway.
It's all so wonderfully written, punchy as Hell. I could read much more about Joe and his mates going to gigs, living life and surviving in new elected Thatcher's Britain.
The detailing of the music clothing and life as a teenager was a joy. I wasn't born till '72 so I missed out on this exciting moment in time but it was so well written I was there.
Now you throw in a wonderfully underplayed werewolf story and you have nirvana. It's with this additional plotline my only real criticism comes into play. I wasn't enamoured with Lene Lovich's roll in the story. But that aside, the whole thing worked so well. The fact that the lycanthropy isn't the main focus of the story is a fantastic choice.
There is one scene featuring a couple interrupted mid-coitus that Shaun Hutson would be proud of.
Moonstomp is sumptuously pulpy, with flashes of horror and sex, but at its heart is the tale of Joe. A good kid, who just so happens to be a werewolf, trying to get by in a country that's bracing itself for massive change.
Set in 1979 London, you can tell this is a story lived by the author. Well, the punks and skinheads, fighting, beer, women and music part of the story anyway.
It's all so wonderfully written, punchy as Hell. I could read much more about Joe and his mates going to gigs, living life and surviving in new elected Thatcher's Britain.
The detailing of the music clothing and life as a teenager was a joy. I wasn't born till '72 so I missed out on this exciting moment in time but it was so well written I was there.
Now you throw in a wonderfully underplayed werewolf story and you have nirvana. It's with this additional plotline my only real criticism comes into play. I wasn't enamoured with Lene Lovich's roll in the story. But that aside, the whole thing worked so well. The fact that the lycanthropy isn't the main focus of the story is a fantastic choice.
There is one scene featuring a couple interrupted mid-coitus that Shaun Hutson would be proud of.
Moonstomp is sumptuously pulpy, with flashes of horror and sex, but at its heart is the tale of Joe. A good kid, who just so happens to be a werewolf, trying to get by in a country that's bracing itself for massive change.
June 5, 2020
The graves (in Abney Park Cemetery) heave up from the ground like the badly dentisted butblack-haired and winsome girl.’ Gothic scenes and a fearsome wit infect Tim Wells’ Skinwolf in London tale: Moon Stomp. The debut novel begins innocently as protagonist Joe Boshover, prefers suspenders and red gingham to any 'bovver' and lives with his parents in Stoke Newington. Things rapidly build to a head when ‘the’ Lena Lovich infects Joe with a lover’s bite at a heaving punk show and the young printer is soon howling like a wolf through the cobblestoned streets from Hackney to Smithfield’s Market. Moon Stomp is not late night Hammer Horror thriller filler or schlocky 60’s/70’s era kitsch either. "Wotcher," is word on the street in the ‘never quite sure who is behind you’ world of young bovver boys on the town. The mindset is Thatcher-era early 1980’s; punks, rastas, skinheads pack in clusters around Farringdon clubs.
Rest of review here:
https://howyahdoon.blogspot.com/2020/...
Rest of review here:
https://howyahdoon.blogspot.com/2020/...
February 15, 2022
At less than 100 pages it’s barely a book. With almost no plot conclusions it’s not a novel.
The punk rock and skinhead references are fun bit for a book about a werewolf skinhead, you get almost nothing besides some gratuitous sex scenes and some band and brand name name dropping.
Should have waited until the sequel was written and published them together. Sorry, I wanted to like it but it fell flat.
Read “Boot Boys of the Wolf Reich” instead.
The punk rock and skinhead references are fun bit for a book about a werewolf skinhead, you get almost nothing besides some gratuitous sex scenes and some band and brand name name dropping.
Should have waited until the sequel was written and published them together. Sorry, I wanted to like it but it fell flat.
Read “Boot Boys of the Wolf Reich” instead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2021
Anyone who recognises my picture will know I'd want to like this, but the best thing I can say is it's a very short book, and it's quickly over.
If you took Skinhead out of it, it would be poor. With Skinhead in it, it's also poor but with Skinhead in it.
Richard Allen's books weren't great, but were original for the time even if they jumped on the bandwagon. This is just embarrasing.
If you took Skinhead out of it, it would be poor. With Skinhead in it, it's also poor but with Skinhead in it.
Richard Allen's books weren't great, but were original for the time even if they jumped on the bandwagon. This is just embarrasing.
January 23, 2023
Looking forward to this as Tim is a talented poet. However the whole Werewolf subtext was a bit nuts , although the narratives about skinhead culture and music were more compelling. Felt Tim should have written an updated and deeper Joe Hawkins novel, as he is talented. But Werewolves?
September 24, 2020
Loved it, loved everything about it, its great.
February 2, 2021
Written like the writer's had a brain injury - totally inaccurate
December 17, 2023
Skinhead reggae meets werewolves in London 1979! Brilliant!!
July 8, 2019
...the monster in him fought to live, and this monster lived to kill.
I found the vivid descriptions of its era very engaging (I'm from a different country and was a 90's youth so these are all new and intriguing to me).
I also really liked those scenes where the central character was shifting and wreaking havoc - I felt that. Because when the story wanted me in the scene, it really got me into the scene. There were, however, instances when I felt held at a distance, just observing things and people at arm's length. I wish there had been more dialogues, to have smoothened out the intimidating blocks of text and made some of the interactions feel more dynamic.
Oh, but that final stave was pretty explosive~! I loved that. The story was finally getting into the thick of things, my full attention at its heels. But then it suddenly concluded and left me here head-screaming, Noooooo!!!!
I understand that this is how the story ends (with all the gaps left for the mind to fill in), but I also would have really loved to see more , especially of the friendship between Mark and Joe. I liked what Mark said about the possibility of the soul taking on diverse forms. And it made me wonder if Joe wearing that scarf for Kessler to see was somehow motivated by the wolf operating from Joe's subconscious. Because everything following that has seriously worked to his favor (sneaky!).
Thank you The Pigeonhole and Tim Wells for the opportunity to read this story and get a taste of how's it's like moonstomping in 1979 London. ^-^
July 9, 2019
To start, this was not really my cup of tea. I thought it would be because of the description (skinheads, punk and werewolves in England - thought it would be a bit like "A werewolf in Paris"), but alas.
The story moves from a slow introduction to a fast paced and chaotic climax - sort of fitting the punk and skinhead style, really. The werewolf element creates even more chaos in the world of the protagonist who simply tries to enjoy the live of a young punk, with love, sex and punk all thrown in the mix.
While the book wasn't my thing, this may be quite the read for those who enjoy Arthouse horror, remember the old-school punk scene or are nostalgic for 1979 England. The writing is befitting the themes discussed and the scene descriptions are lively with a certain charm I have yet to place.
The story moves from a slow introduction to a fast paced and chaotic climax - sort of fitting the punk and skinhead style, really. The werewolf element creates even more chaos in the world of the protagonist who simply tries to enjoy the live of a young punk, with love, sex and punk all thrown in the mix.
While the book wasn't my thing, this may be quite the read for those who enjoy Arthouse horror, remember the old-school punk scene or are nostalgic for 1979 England. The writing is befitting the themes discussed and the scene descriptions are lively with a certain charm I have yet to place.
February 12, 2020
Near perfect; beautiful, brutal with a mouth of teeth and reggae ringing in your kicked in ears. I loved it and am going to read more of his work.
July 2, 2019
Excellent skinhead werewolf novel. And you don't get many of those. Pulp in the best way. A highly enjoyable quick read.
Read
July 3, 2019Not really my sort of thing. Far grittier than I expected, and it stops when things just get going.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews