What do you think?
Rate this book
Black Viking #2
Transference: Love + Hate in Rain City
As clubbers in Manchester’s most notorious club partied hard in the 90s, a girl collapsed, falling from the stage after a bad pill.
Few noticed. Those that did, didn’t care, lost in a hedonistic haze.
John Black, an ex-SAS soldier, who was working security that night, carried her out in his arms.
Now on witness protection for exposing the city’s underworld after the girl’s death, he returns to the city that disowned him. Helping a troubled mother search for answers to her son’s suicide — as eerie recordings tell of increased sexual depravity in the block of flats he jumped from.
Confronting the orchestrator of his pains, he works to solve the case, have vengeance…and reclaim his lost identity.
Few noticed. Those that did, didn’t care, lost in a hedonistic haze.
John Black, an ex-SAS soldier, who was working security that night, carried her out in his arms.
Now on witness protection for exposing the city’s underworld after the girl’s death, he returns to the city that disowned him. Helping a troubled mother search for answers to her son’s suicide — as eerie recordings tell of increased sexual depravity in the block of flats he jumped from.
Confronting the orchestrator of his pains, he works to solve the case, have vengeance…and reclaim his lost identity.
196 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2020
About the author
John Bowie
14 books54 followersJohn Bowie was born in Northumberland, Northern England.
He has published poems, novels and short stories. He studied in Salford, Greater Manchester in the 1990s. He lives in Bristol, U.K.
John is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bristol Noir.
He has published poems, novels and short stories. He studied in Salford, Greater Manchester in the 1990s. He lives in Bristol, U.K.
John is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bristol Noir.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 9, 2020
I always know a great piece of writing by a great author because as a writer myself while I’m reading the damn thing I’m jealous as hell. Transference by John Bowie made me jealous A LOT. So many great lines followed by greater lines. Transference is a bleak, beautiful ode to Manchester.
October 12, 2025
John Bowie never disappoints. This is at least my third book of his to read and I've loved all of them. He's a natural storyteller, especially in this genre. Fitting he called his magazine Bristol Noir. Recommended!
July 12, 2021
Review coming soon
February 8, 2026
I was immediately hit by the bold, brass and brilliance of the writing style in Transference by John Bowie. The text is harsh in the best kind of way, and the no-nonsense dialogue and imagery is brilliantly crafted. The reality of Bowie’s Manchester is grim and brutal, which compliments the story and characters we meet along the way.
John Black fits the mould for this kind of story. He is hard drinking, hard working, and has the determination to resolve the mystery which lies at his door. This brings him back to Manchester from Bristol and into the criminal underworld he tried to escape from. Black is complex in the reasons for wanting to resolve the mystery, but also with his relationship with people like Cherry. I liked the way he approached people and his dialogue choices, and felt that the author really did capture the bleakness and harshness of British cities in the 90s. Black isn’t phased by it all - the drugs, the gangs, the violence - and his attitude towards his task made him a compelling lead.
There is some dark humour which was really engaging, such as the list of banned punters from the pub, each unique and with some interesting word choices to describe them. There is some lyrical brilliance to the text, with quotes such as ‘even the trees look aggressive, bare and ready to stab out’ and ‘hung in the air like the city’s own fart’. The worldbuilding is great, with risk all around, described brilliantly with how people can vanish in the city’s wastelands.
The cases which John is investigating become entwined as he goes deeper into the underworld and the firm catches wind of his presence back in the city. Set to the backdrop of the 1990s music scene, it is partly a satire of drinking culture and nightlife viewed through John’s perspective, leading to some wonderful observations. There are some short side stories too, such as the backstory of Mr Big, which added to the story and the world as a whole, cementing the dark themes and story it holds.
I devoured this book for all the right reasons. It was a perfectly dark, gritty, and brutal story that captures the grimness of criminal life and the urban trials of British cities. I cannot recommend it enough.
John Black fits the mould for this kind of story. He is hard drinking, hard working, and has the determination to resolve the mystery which lies at his door. This brings him back to Manchester from Bristol and into the criminal underworld he tried to escape from. Black is complex in the reasons for wanting to resolve the mystery, but also with his relationship with people like Cherry. I liked the way he approached people and his dialogue choices, and felt that the author really did capture the bleakness and harshness of British cities in the 90s. Black isn’t phased by it all - the drugs, the gangs, the violence - and his attitude towards his task made him a compelling lead.
There is some dark humour which was really engaging, such as the list of banned punters from the pub, each unique and with some interesting word choices to describe them. There is some lyrical brilliance to the text, with quotes such as ‘even the trees look aggressive, bare and ready to stab out’ and ‘hung in the air like the city’s own fart’. The worldbuilding is great, with risk all around, described brilliantly with how people can vanish in the city’s wastelands.
The cases which John is investigating become entwined as he goes deeper into the underworld and the firm catches wind of his presence back in the city. Set to the backdrop of the 1990s music scene, it is partly a satire of drinking culture and nightlife viewed through John’s perspective, leading to some wonderful observations. There are some short side stories too, such as the backstory of Mr Big, which added to the story and the world as a whole, cementing the dark themes and story it holds.
I devoured this book for all the right reasons. It was a perfectly dark, gritty, and brutal story that captures the grimness of criminal life and the urban trials of British cities. I cannot recommend it enough.
April 14, 2026
This British noir tale is about an ex-forces PI / writer who takes on a tragic case in Manchester and is pulled back into his gangland past in the process. There were some flaws in the book, but a lot to like about it too.
It's (mostly) told in first-person, and we get right into the mire of the main character's doom-laden, noirish, introspection. There are some nice bits of writing here, lyrical in places, but the gloomy style can be a bit wearing after a while, and at times it sails close to parody, especially in the dialogue. It's like being trapped in the head of a very depressed (but violent) poet, and everything we see is through that dark lens. Saying that, I always prefer flawed but interesting writing over, say, the stripped back vow-of-poverty prose that makes a lot of modern fiction such a bore. I will say that there were too many little typos and errors in the book, such as missing apostrophes, which got annoying.
The plot is pretty simple, exciting and propulsive, and the lively pace of the book is enhanced by the shortness of the chapters. I found myself reading one more chapter, one more chapter...The action is inventive and brutal at times, though the worst of the violence is reported in a second hand way, rather than being visceral and immediate - it's not torture porn. There was a remarkable amount of vomiting in this book (all sorts of bodily fluids), which added to the general air of seediness.
Manchester itself (and Salford of course) is a main character in the book in a sense, and it's dark underbelly and music scenes are described in vivid, poetic terms. There are many, many subtle and not so subtle references to well known bands and songs of the area (Stone Rose, Oasis, Joy Division, New Order...) and while some of these were a bit shoehorned in, it was fun to recognise them. If the author doesn't have huge affection for that era of music, he certainly did a good job of faking it.
This is a dark and unique book and any fans of UK noir should give it a go.
It's (mostly) told in first-person, and we get right into the mire of the main character's doom-laden, noirish, introspection. There are some nice bits of writing here, lyrical in places, but the gloomy style can be a bit wearing after a while, and at times it sails close to parody, especially in the dialogue. It's like being trapped in the head of a very depressed (but violent) poet, and everything we see is through that dark lens. Saying that, I always prefer flawed but interesting writing over, say, the stripped back vow-of-poverty prose that makes a lot of modern fiction such a bore. I will say that there were too many little typos and errors in the book, such as missing apostrophes, which got annoying.
The plot is pretty simple, exciting and propulsive, and the lively pace of the book is enhanced by the shortness of the chapters. I found myself reading one more chapter, one more chapter...The action is inventive and brutal at times, though the worst of the violence is reported in a second hand way, rather than being visceral and immediate - it's not torture porn. There was a remarkable amount of vomiting in this book (all sorts of bodily fluids), which added to the general air of seediness.
Manchester itself (and Salford of course) is a main character in the book in a sense, and it's dark underbelly and music scenes are described in vivid, poetic terms. There are many, many subtle and not so subtle references to well known bands and songs of the area (Stone Rose, Oasis, Joy Division, New Order...) and while some of these were a bit shoehorned in, it was fun to recognise them. If the author doesn't have huge affection for that era of music, he certainly did a good job of faking it.
This is a dark and unique book and any fans of UK noir should give it a go.
February 10, 2021
John Bowie is best known for Bristol Noir, a terrific site where, in full disclosure, some of my writing has appeared (and I received a review copy of this book in hopes of an honest review). There’s a reason for that: a shared love of noir’s dark crystalline beauty. Transference distills that rich vein of noir and blends it with a pure Manchester poison. Too much can brutalise as his protagonist John Black knows. Like so many noir characters, he reluctantly heads back to the city that slapped him down for a final reckoning with the scars and bars he couldn’t put behind him.
As soon as I entered Manchester. As the smoke of the factories stung at my nose. He was in that band once. Now, he’s in another.
Three women look over his shoulder as he navigates the return to his haunted past. My favourite was his agent: ‘an ex-burlesque dancer, stage name M. Pampelmousse’ but there’s also a cop named Cherry, and emphasising the deep roots of the past, a therapist (there’s all kinds of juice in the book’s title). This is noir: their motivations may not be as clear as John believes, but he desperately needs to have faith in someone.
Fittingly for a book that knows where the border between Salford and Manchester lies, it’s suffused with the pulse of the music and familiar lyrics pop up in the prose and the chapter titles, running the gamut from Dice Man to Some Velvet Morning. This is a book for some whisky and a turntable. You can hear the crackle of needle on every page.
[Reviewed originally at Punk Noir Magazine]
As soon as I entered Manchester. As the smoke of the factories stung at my nose. He was in that band once. Now, he’s in another.
Three women look over his shoulder as he navigates the return to his haunted past. My favourite was his agent: ‘an ex-burlesque dancer, stage name M. Pampelmousse’ but there’s also a cop named Cherry, and emphasising the deep roots of the past, a therapist (there’s all kinds of juice in the book’s title). This is noir: their motivations may not be as clear as John believes, but he desperately needs to have faith in someone.
Fittingly for a book that knows where the border between Salford and Manchester lies, it’s suffused with the pulse of the music and familiar lyrics pop up in the prose and the chapter titles, running the gamut from Dice Man to Some Velvet Morning. This is a book for some whisky and a turntable. You can hear the crackle of needle on every page.
[Reviewed originally at Punk Noir Magazine]
June 13, 2020
What a fabulous book, hard boiled crime meets poetic beauty - prose that is intoxicatingly hard to swallow and a story that has sharp edges, it’s like swallowing a jagged bottle that’s been used to glass you whilst reading.
‘If Bukowski wrote hard boiled crime it would be Transference’ - there are so many great writers that this book brings to mind, you have the dirty realism of Bukowski, Fante and McCarthy and the best noir writing from Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy.
It’s the second book in the Black Viking Thriller series but could also be read as a stand alone book, such is the brilliance of the writing - and with our protagonist and Bowie’s expert and masterful storytelling we have a series and a protagonist that we can enjoy for many outings to come!
A masterful series that has all the power of reincarnated greats of the genre - a must read! (Full review will be appearing in STORGY Magazine soon - then I’ll update this review).
‘If Bukowski wrote hard boiled crime it would be Transference’ - there are so many great writers that this book brings to mind, you have the dirty realism of Bukowski, Fante and McCarthy and the best noir writing from Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy.
It’s the second book in the Black Viking Thriller series but could also be read as a stand alone book, such is the brilliance of the writing - and with our protagonist and Bowie’s expert and masterful storytelling we have a series and a protagonist that we can enjoy for many outings to come!
A masterful series that has all the power of reincarnated greats of the genre - a must read! (Full review will be appearing in STORGY Magazine soon - then I’ll update this review).
October 2, 2021
Power, lies and corruption in the dying days of Mad-chester in the second instalment of John Bowie's dreamy noir series.
John Barrie/Black heads back to Manchester for a new case and to confront his past in a book that takes the author's first hand experiences of Manchester and Salford and throws them into the sometimes triple existence of his protagonist.
Anyone with an interest in British indie music from the 80s and 90s will pick up on many of the references within the prose and the song titles that double as the names of chapters.
It's at once a smashing noir story and a tribute to a moment long passed that lives on in history of the city. This is a blink and miss something type story written in poetic prose that stretches the elastic of noir and gives us a different kind of hero to root for.
John Barrie/Black heads back to Manchester for a new case and to confront his past in a book that takes the author's first hand experiences of Manchester and Salford and throws them into the sometimes triple existence of his protagonist.
Anyone with an interest in British indie music from the 80s and 90s will pick up on many of the references within the prose and the song titles that double as the names of chapters.
It's at once a smashing noir story and a tribute to a moment long passed that lives on in history of the city. This is a blink and miss something type story written in poetic prose that stretches the elastic of noir and gives us a different kind of hero to root for.
April 30, 2021
John Bowie’s Transference is the follow up to his dark and moody debut novel, Untethered. Similarly soaked in booze and bad decisions, Transference follows its ex- SAS protagonist John B to Manchester where he investigates a young man’s apparent suicide, as well is digging up the dirt that most of the city would prefer to keep buried.
Transference is atmospheric and violent, a supernaturally tinged noir tale that casts a bloodshot and bleary eye over Manchester and its criminal fraternity. Brit Grit meets magic-realism.
You can order Transference from Red Dog Press, and you really should.
Transference is atmospheric and violent, a supernaturally tinged noir tale that casts a bloodshot and bleary eye over Manchester and its criminal fraternity. Brit Grit meets magic-realism.
You can order Transference from Red Dog Press, and you really should.
August 3, 2020
This book is the three D’s, dark - deep and dirty! It’s not for the faint hearted yet somehow manages to balance lyrical and poetic beauty with hard realism and violence which sometimes can make you uncomfortable. The book takes you on an underworld journey with the protagonist- every step of the sometimes ethereal way. I haven’t read another book like it and look forward to the next instalment!
August 12, 2022
A fantastic follow up to Untethered. Bowie’s writing is noir at it’s very finest and I was instantly absorbed into the backdrop of Madchester’s criminal underbelly. Transference leaves some of it’s predecessor’s dark humour behind and replaces this with 90’s indie nostalgia. I found the references to the music scene incredibly engaging so much so that it felt like saying goodbye to an old friend when I finished the novel. Fortunately I already have my hands on Division…
January 30, 2026
Transference has a unique tone and unfolds effortlessly and naturally. As the story developed, I was pulled into the underworld of crime, where John Black has the mafia on his back and must solve a crime. The scenes are unapologetically visceral, and the characters’ dialogue is vivid, immersive, and authentic. This novel is filled with vivid images of gangster violence, which should appeal to fans of the genre.
July 8, 2021
Transference is the follow up to Untethered by John Bowie and the 2nd book in the Black Viking Thriller series featuring John Black.
John Black as the title of the first book suggests is a man untethered from what you would consider society to be. He’s almost lost on his dark journey.
Ex SAS, and under witness protection, Black leaves that life in Bristol and returns to the City that shunned him, that broke him, the City he ran from - Manchester - to confront the demons that chased him away, the death of a young girl at a club and his part in the perpetrators being caught.
Facing the Big Guns of Manchester’s criminal underworld, Black descends into the darkest depths of himself as he faces his tormentors and indeed his own anguish.
John Bowie has written another mesmerising read that draws you in and leaves you feeling dirty and almost out of breath as he pens this brutal, lyrical, visceral tale.
The writing is quite stunning yet the tale is grim, stark and bleak.
Angry, Brooding, Dark and Gritty it’s pure Havoc, It’s Noir at its very best, written by one of the best.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
John Black as the title of the first book suggests is a man untethered from what you would consider society to be. He’s almost lost on his dark journey.
Ex SAS, and under witness protection, Black leaves that life in Bristol and returns to the City that shunned him, that broke him, the City he ran from - Manchester - to confront the demons that chased him away, the death of a young girl at a club and his part in the perpetrators being caught.
Facing the Big Guns of Manchester’s criminal underworld, Black descends into the darkest depths of himself as he faces his tormentors and indeed his own anguish.
John Bowie has written another mesmerising read that draws you in and leaves you feeling dirty and almost out of breath as he pens this brutal, lyrical, visceral tale.
The writing is quite stunning yet the tale is grim, stark and bleak.
Angry, Brooding, Dark and Gritty it’s pure Havoc, It’s Noir at its very best, written by one of the best.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
January 21, 2022
A boozy, dreamlike followup to 'Untethered', John Bowie once again takes readers on a stuttering and haphazard investigation through grimy bars and a moody urban underbelly. There's something intoxicating about Bowie's prose and the hazy journey of the narrator, and the auto-fiction element of this series is fascinating. A quick and disorientating read, and a lovely slice of gritty noir.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews