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Needless Alley
Birmingham, 1933.
Private enquiry agent William Garrett, a man damaged by a dark childhood spent on Birmingham's canals, specialises in facilitating divorces for the city's male elite. With the help of his best friend -charming, out-of-work actor Ronnie Edgerton - William sets up honey traps. But photographing unsuspecting women in flagrante plagues his conscience and William heaves up his guts with remorse after every job.
However, William's life changes when he accidentally meets the beautiful Clara Morton and falls in love. Little does he know she is the wife of a client - a leading fascist with a dangerous obsession. And what should have been another straightforward job turns into something far more deadly.
Drenched in evocative period atmosphere and starring an unforgettable cast of characters, Needless Alley takes the reader from seedy canal-side pubs, to crumbling Warwickshire manor houses, and into the hidden spaces of Birmingham's queer, bohemian society.
Private enquiry agent William Garrett, a man damaged by a dark childhood spent on Birmingham's canals, specialises in facilitating divorces for the city's male elite. With the help of his best friend -charming, out-of-work actor Ronnie Edgerton - William sets up honey traps. But photographing unsuspecting women in flagrante plagues his conscience and William heaves up his guts with remorse after every job.
However, William's life changes when he accidentally meets the beautiful Clara Morton and falls in love. Little does he know she is the wife of a client - a leading fascist with a dangerous obsession. And what should have been another straightforward job turns into something far more deadly.
Drenched in evocative period atmosphere and starring an unforgettable cast of characters, Needless Alley takes the reader from seedy canal-side pubs, to crumbling Warwickshire manor houses, and into the hidden spaces of Birmingham's queer, bohemian society.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published January 19, 2023
34 people are currently reading
454 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 9, 2022
Natalie Marlow writes a stunning, gritty historical noir debut set in the richly detailed grime of 1930s Birmingham, providing astute insights into British culture, class, politics, poverty and the social norms when it comes to the position of women. Flawed 36 year old private enquiry agent William Garrett has his office and home in Needless Alley, he is a damaged man from the war and his chaotic childhood spent growing up around the canals. Motivated by the need for money, he works for the amoral solicitor Shifty Shirley, facilitating divorces for his wealthy male clients by setting up honey traps for their wives with the help of his close friend, out of work, handsome actor Ronnie Edgerton, with William taking photographs as evidence. He is not proud of what he does, feeling physically sick after every assignment, weighed down by guilt, all too aware of just how hard women have it in comparison to men.
However, William feels the possibility of redemption arise when he comes across the beautiful amateur artist, Clara, and falls for her, unaware she happens to be the wife of a client, the rich and ambitious fascist, Edward Morton, with his political aspirations. As his life falls apart, William embarks on a dangerous inquiry that make him some powerful enemies. He finds himself hospitalised, beaten senseless, encountering the seedy underworld of rich men's desires and obsessions, the drugs, murder, sex and pornography, going to a run down rural manor, meeting corrupt and fascist police officers, and attending the carnage of the Bull Ring black shirt rally where Oswald Mosley is a speaker. William finds himself aided by his past love, friend and Ronnie's sister, Queenie Maggs, residing on a narrowboat and the young, bright and determined Phyllis Hall.
Marlow atmospherically evokes 1930s industrial Birmingham, the canals, the inequalities, the still present trauma and mental scars of war, with its hardmen and its echoes of Peaky Blinders, along with its thriving lively bohemian elements in society. William is a complicated central protagonist, well read, with a strong moral core in his pursuit of some form of justice, surrounded by strong women in the form of Queenie and Phyll. This is a great, vibrant and twisty read, with its social and political commentary of the historical period, a treacherous story of vengeance, fear, bad blood, grudges, sorrow, grief, love and hate. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
However, William feels the possibility of redemption arise when he comes across the beautiful amateur artist, Clara, and falls for her, unaware she happens to be the wife of a client, the rich and ambitious fascist, Edward Morton, with his political aspirations. As his life falls apart, William embarks on a dangerous inquiry that make him some powerful enemies. He finds himself hospitalised, beaten senseless, encountering the seedy underworld of rich men's desires and obsessions, the drugs, murder, sex and pornography, going to a run down rural manor, meeting corrupt and fascist police officers, and attending the carnage of the Bull Ring black shirt rally where Oswald Mosley is a speaker. William finds himself aided by his past love, friend and Ronnie's sister, Queenie Maggs, residing on a narrowboat and the young, bright and determined Phyllis Hall.
Marlow atmospherically evokes 1930s industrial Birmingham, the canals, the inequalities, the still present trauma and mental scars of war, with its hardmen and its echoes of Peaky Blinders, along with its thriving lively bohemian elements in society. William is a complicated central protagonist, well read, with a strong moral core in his pursuit of some form of justice, surrounded by strong women in the form of Queenie and Phyll. This is a great, vibrant and twisty read, with its social and political commentary of the historical period, a treacherous story of vengeance, fear, bad blood, grudges, sorrow, grief, love and hate. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
January 6, 2023
Discover the locations in Needless Street
Well this is good! A very immersive read set in 1930s Birmingham. An investigator who photographs people having affairs for their partners in divorce cases. He is asked to look into one women but when he meets her, he takes a liking to her. Well, that's where the trouble starts ....
What follows is a deep insight into 1930s Birmingham and the life of a PI, the difference between social classes and the ways of the canals. There is so much to like about this book, the language is fresh and the conversations come alive from the page. The mystery at the core of the novel twists and turns and there are some moments where you will hold your breath and wonder how on earth the PI is going to get out of this.
First in a series I hope. This is magical stuff.
August 31, 2022
thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc!
set in 1930's birmingham, this book centres around the character of william garrett, a private detective who helps to manufacture evidence for divorce for the men of the upper classes. along with his best friend, he sets up traps to catch wives in the act - using his camera as a means of supplying evidence to his clients. the guilt weighs on him until he meets, and, subsequently, falls in love with, clara morton, the young wife of his newest customer. desperate to atone for his sins, william begins to develop a plan to try and save clara but ends up in something far worse than he expected.
i did not expect to enjoy this book as much as i did, the plot was so intriguing and the story itself was incredibly well-written. specifically, the plot twists in this book were very well done in my opinion - i couldn't have guessed them if i'd tried. i really liked william - who was definitely flawed but still kind enough to sympathise with - and how fleshed-out he was as a character. also, i really appreciated the political and social commentary in this book - it was prominent throughout the book but subtle enough that it didn't overpower the rest of the plot or the characters. personally, i would have liked a bit more from the ending - the epilogue, in particular - as i would have liked to see what the aftermath was for william, queenie and phyll but, aside from that, i really enjoyed and recommend this book.
set in 1930's birmingham, this book centres around the character of william garrett, a private detective who helps to manufacture evidence for divorce for the men of the upper classes. along with his best friend, he sets up traps to catch wives in the act - using his camera as a means of supplying evidence to his clients. the guilt weighs on him until he meets, and, subsequently, falls in love with, clara morton, the young wife of his newest customer. desperate to atone for his sins, william begins to develop a plan to try and save clara but ends up in something far worse than he expected.
i did not expect to enjoy this book as much as i did, the plot was so intriguing and the story itself was incredibly well-written. specifically, the plot twists in this book were very well done in my opinion - i couldn't have guessed them if i'd tried. i really liked william - who was definitely flawed but still kind enough to sympathise with - and how fleshed-out he was as a character. also, i really appreciated the political and social commentary in this book - it was prominent throughout the book but subtle enough that it didn't overpower the rest of the plot or the characters. personally, i would have liked a bit more from the ending - the epilogue, in particular - as i would have liked to see what the aftermath was for william, queenie and phyll but, aside from that, i really enjoyed and recommend this book.
February 4, 2023
Needless Alley is a richly detailed historical murder mystery. The intensely thick, suffocating atmosphere and sharp writing makes this a novel that feels extremely authentic to the time period. Marlow has managed to fantastically evoke the industrialized Birmingham of the 1930s in all its glory. The grim back alleys, the filthy, stinking canals, the lasting effects of the war and the injustices felt by all but Birmingham's elite, these are all the minute details that breathe life into this twisted tale of oppression and revenge.
This is one of those crime novels that delves a little deeper into its characters, offering readers more of a lasting glance into their lives, and what an interesting bunch they are. The characters dreamed up by Marlow are so compelling that I found myself wishing the book was just a little longer, so I'd have more time with them.
At times, though, Needless Alley becomes a little muddied, and seems unsure of its own direction. However, the book has enough strengths that this didn't really impact my overall enjoyment of it. It's still a gritty, inventive and wholly entertaining historical crime novel, one that's well worth checking out.
This is one of those crime novels that delves a little deeper into its characters, offering readers more of a lasting glance into their lives, and what an interesting bunch they are. The characters dreamed up by Marlow are so compelling that I found myself wishing the book was just a little longer, so I'd have more time with them.
At times, though, Needless Alley becomes a little muddied, and seems unsure of its own direction. However, the book has enough strengths that this didn't really impact my overall enjoyment of it. It's still a gritty, inventive and wholly entertaining historical crime novel, one that's well worth checking out.
January 1, 2023
Needless Alley is a noir thriller set in 1930s Birmingham, with a private eye investigating the seedy underworld around the canals and dodgy photographic studios of England’s second city. I really enjoyed this book as it was something quite different from my usual Golden Age murder mysteries, but set in the same time period.
Atmospheric and thoroughly enjoyable. I really needed to know what had happened and found the creeping fascism plot scarily echoing in today’s politics. I’d love to read more by this author.
Atmospheric and thoroughly enjoyable. I really needed to know what had happened and found the creeping fascism plot scarily echoing in today’s politics. I’d love to read more by this author.
January 20, 2023
When I think about Uk in the 30s I think about Miss Marple or Peter Wimsey, the Golden Age puzzles classic whodunit.
This quite far from the classic historical mystery set in UK as it's the love child of Cornel Woolrich and Dashiel Hammett even if it's set in Birmingham in 1933
I found it gripping, well plotted, and original. The author is a good storyteller and deliver a solid plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
This quite far from the classic historical mystery set in UK as it's the love child of Cornel Woolrich and Dashiel Hammett even if it's set in Birmingham in 1933
I found it gripping, well plotted, and original. The author is a good storyteller and deliver a solid plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
December 8, 2022
This was really not very good at all
December 30, 2022
Reminiscent of Peaky Blinders this novel is set in 1930's Birmingham. An atmospheric, well written tale of love, hate, revenge and grief. Some great characters throughout. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC
October 10, 2024
Setting was really amazing! However, I didn’t like the characters and the story was a bit mid.
October 28, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed 'Needless Alley' from start to finish. With an engaging flawed protagonist driving this murky, period drama/thriller read, you can't help but be pulled into their dark world of crime set in 193os Birmingham - and yes there are Peaky Blinder vibes, which I loved.
Our dubious central protagonist William Garrett drives the plot as he sets up honey traps for rich men with his flamboyant and complex friend best friend providing the lure. Garrett has enough depth and battered emotions to hold your attention and focus; this balances the damage he does.
I loved the historical backdrop and more complex themes including the impact of war, the seediness lurking under the surface of society and the politics underpinning interactions.
I'd highly recommend 'Needless Alley' by Natalie Marlow and can't wait to add a hardback to my book collection in 2023.
Blunt, dissolute and dark - a character driven, inventive historical thriller read with heart.
Our dubious central protagonist William Garrett drives the plot as he sets up honey traps for rich men with his flamboyant and complex friend best friend providing the lure. Garrett has enough depth and battered emotions to hold your attention and focus; this balances the damage he does.
I loved the historical backdrop and more complex themes including the impact of war, the seediness lurking under the surface of society and the politics underpinning interactions.
I'd highly recommend 'Needless Alley' by Natalie Marlow and can't wait to add a hardback to my book collection in 2023.
Blunt, dissolute and dark - a character driven, inventive historical thriller read with heart.
January 19, 2023
"Needless Alley" by Natalie Morrow had a strong start and set up the scene for a Private Investigator well, so well that I started reading it in a film noir style voiceover... I enjoyed the parts with Clara Morton and her relationship with William. However when we were introduced to the more seedy underworld, I wasn't so keen. I was also a bit confused by the ending.
April 27, 2024
Gritty Noir story set in Birmingham in the 30s following a private detective and his associates.
I initially struggled to get into the book, possibly because I’m not a big reader of detective noir stories. I was hooked by halfway through though and couldn’t put the book down.
As a 20 something year Birmingham resident; what stood out the most were the descriptions of the city. It’s so well drawn it almost comes to life and having the connection to the city gave be a bridge between so many places described in the story as they are today.
The plot itself doesn’t hold back - it’s pacey and well written, if a little full on, with a clever twist that, I must admit I saw coming. The characters are flawed, endearing and very human - and certainly lift the book out of the darkness.
I’ll definitely be getting the second in the series!
I initially struggled to get into the book, possibly because I’m not a big reader of detective noir stories. I was hooked by halfway through though and couldn’t put the book down.
As a 20 something year Birmingham resident; what stood out the most were the descriptions of the city. It’s so well drawn it almost comes to life and having the connection to the city gave be a bridge between so many places described in the story as they are today.
The plot itself doesn’t hold back - it’s pacey and well written, if a little full on, with a clever twist that, I must admit I saw coming. The characters are flawed, endearing and very human - and certainly lift the book out of the darkness.
I’ll definitely be getting the second in the series!
March 19, 2024
Imagine Philip Marlowe in Birmingham and we are just about there. Proper gumshoe detective story set between the wars.
April 4, 2025
Too long.
January 10, 2023
Needless Alley is a homage to the golden era of crime fiction encompassing quintessential Englishness married with a touch of the US hard-boiled. Its outlook is more modern though and touches on themes such as the personal damage of war, misogyny, and pornography, not the staples of the novels of the period. This adds a nice dark and seedy touch to the period without getting down to the dregs of society of the Berlin of the period as inhabited by Bernie Gunther. The pornographer is typically a grubby fat man, driven by greed but one who has been an artistic photographer, so his tableaux are tastefully posed.
1930’s Birmingham is convincingly evoked, grimy, dangerous, and unforgiving for the stranger, as good a backdrop for period noir as LA. I particularly liked inclusion of life on the canal basin, as is often quoted Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice, but that is where the similarity ends. Most industrial cities had their slums, with the exploited inhabitants battling for their existence with fortitude and this is brought to life. They were not without humour though and there is a nice vein of dark course humour running through the prose, in keeping with the period and setting.
The novel comprises two parts which might be thought of as realisation and retribution. The first part is quite gentle as we learn about William and Ronnie and their sordid business plan. As it develops William starts to reassess his life and has a blossoming love affair. The second part, without giving too much away, is much darker as William now finds his focus to become a real Private Investigator and with Phyll as an unlikely ally come sidekick, in search of answers and retribution. Here the storyline builds up a momentum of its own with a real sense of urgency, some violence, deceptions, and a couple of surprises.
William is the hero who has an almost Damascene revelation that what he is doing is wrong. Every case he and Ronnie succeed with destroys the reputation and life of the woman involved. This was a time where life was stacked against women (you may argue it still is) with limited rights and divorce laws favouring the husband. He bears the mental scars of war and comes to realise that he will not find happiness and love living the way he is and so becomes a man looking for redemption.
Ronnie is an attractive man, a little fey and living a bohemian life, like a streetwise Oscar Wilde but with a deep libertine streak. This could be down to the effects of war, but more likely his desire for money without honest toil. The fact he can rub shoulders with canal boatmen and drink in their pubs is beguiling if a little unlikely. At heart he is a damaged man with a nihilistic streak.
Queenie is the strong matronly figure even though she is not the eldest of the three. She’s calm and pragmatic with a survive at all costs attitude which gives her a hard carapace to face the world. Her business dealings include criminal activities but there’s some goodness at heart as she cares for those close to her. A tough woman doing what she needs to survive in a hard man’s world.
The one that caught my imagination was Phyll, who William at first believes is a young boy. He later discovers that she is a bright intelligent young woman with a penchant for men’s clothing and an eye for good tailoring. Another survivor and a bit of a fish out of water with the norms of the day.
Needless Alley is an engrossing historical noir with engaging characters an intense plot and a few surprises for the reader.
Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley, thanks to them the author and publisher.
1930’s Birmingham is convincingly evoked, grimy, dangerous, and unforgiving for the stranger, as good a backdrop for period noir as LA. I particularly liked inclusion of life on the canal basin, as is often quoted Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice, but that is where the similarity ends. Most industrial cities had their slums, with the exploited inhabitants battling for their existence with fortitude and this is brought to life. They were not without humour though and there is a nice vein of dark course humour running through the prose, in keeping with the period and setting.
The novel comprises two parts which might be thought of as realisation and retribution. The first part is quite gentle as we learn about William and Ronnie and their sordid business plan. As it develops William starts to reassess his life and has a blossoming love affair. The second part, without giving too much away, is much darker as William now finds his focus to become a real Private Investigator and with Phyll as an unlikely ally come sidekick, in search of answers and retribution. Here the storyline builds up a momentum of its own with a real sense of urgency, some violence, deceptions, and a couple of surprises.
William is the hero who has an almost Damascene revelation that what he is doing is wrong. Every case he and Ronnie succeed with destroys the reputation and life of the woman involved. This was a time where life was stacked against women (you may argue it still is) with limited rights and divorce laws favouring the husband. He bears the mental scars of war and comes to realise that he will not find happiness and love living the way he is and so becomes a man looking for redemption.
Ronnie is an attractive man, a little fey and living a bohemian life, like a streetwise Oscar Wilde but with a deep libertine streak. This could be down to the effects of war, but more likely his desire for money without honest toil. The fact he can rub shoulders with canal boatmen and drink in their pubs is beguiling if a little unlikely. At heart he is a damaged man with a nihilistic streak.
Queenie is the strong matronly figure even though she is not the eldest of the three. She’s calm and pragmatic with a survive at all costs attitude which gives her a hard carapace to face the world. Her business dealings include criminal activities but there’s some goodness at heart as she cares for those close to her. A tough woman doing what she needs to survive in a hard man’s world.
The one that caught my imagination was Phyll, who William at first believes is a young boy. He later discovers that she is a bright intelligent young woman with a penchant for men’s clothing and an eye for good tailoring. Another survivor and a bit of a fish out of water with the norms of the day.
Needless Alley is an engrossing historical noir with engaging characters an intense plot and a few surprises for the reader.
Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley, thanks to them the author and publisher.
March 2, 2023
I loved this book! It’s not a genre I would typically gravitate towards but preordered it because I know Natalie.
It completely surpassed my expectations; I found it an exciting and absorbing read from cover to cover. I will not be able to visit Brum again without catching a glimpse of Billy, Queenie, Ronnie or Phyll in dark and bygone corners of the city. I particularly enjoyed the homage descriptions of the beautiful midlands countryside and urbanity.
Looking forward to book two!
It completely surpassed my expectations; I found it an exciting and absorbing read from cover to cover. I will not be able to visit Brum again without catching a glimpse of Billy, Queenie, Ronnie or Phyll in dark and bygone corners of the city. I particularly enjoyed the homage descriptions of the beautiful midlands countryside and urbanity.
Looking forward to book two!
March 14, 2023
4.5 stars
I picked this up because way back in 1979 I went to a hairdressers (Monsieur Dureaux, who was actually Polish) in Needless Alley. Interesting that william parked his car in Needless Alley. At the end near my hairdressers, needleshop and the stamp shop coming out on New st I would think it would have blocked the road even if it was an Austin. I was able to get a signed copy from Astley Book Farm.
A very dark story. I'm interested to see what the next one brings.
I picked this up because way back in 1979 I went to a hairdressers (Monsieur Dureaux, who was actually Polish) in Needless Alley. Interesting that william parked his car in Needless Alley. At the end near my hairdressers, needleshop and the stamp shop coming out on New st I would think it would have blocked the road even if it was an Austin. I was able to get a signed copy from Astley Book Farm.
A very dark story. I'm interested to see what the next one brings.
March 2, 2023
A powerful, gritty and extremely well written story. I began expecting a detective story - William Garrett is a man damaged by the First World War, who sets himself up as a private eye, working with his avant garde friend Ronnie. Billy specialises in setting up entrapments for straying wives - Ronnie takes them to a hotel room, and Billy bursts in to get photographic evidence.
He is approached by a wealthy, Fascist businessman to find out if his wife is unfaithful, and a series of events comes into play that will change everything for them all. The story involves love - of a man, a woman, a child - and revenge.
Very gritty, no punches are spared and the reader will need fortitude to get through the maelstrom of violence and anger that is unleashed. Very well, written, true to its setting and gripping to the very end.
Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
He is approached by a wealthy, Fascist businessman to find out if his wife is unfaithful, and a series of events comes into play that will change everything for them all. The story involves love - of a man, a woman, a child - and revenge.
Very gritty, no punches are spared and the reader will need fortitude to get through the maelstrom of violence and anger that is unleashed. Very well, written, true to its setting and gripping to the very end.
Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2022
What a fabulous story! While at heart a detective novel, it is also in many ways a story of love in its myriad forms.
William Garrett is a refreshing protagonist. Shaped by a chaotic upbringing and his experiences of war he is a man who knows himself - a flawed but ultimately moral. A man before his time, his opinion of women and sexual identities and practices are much more accepting than would have been the norm. He is partnered by his close friend Ronnie who brings some spice and humour to the story.
Some great female voices in the story too were made even more interesting by the historic 1930’s setting. After all it was a time where women were very much the property of their husbands and subject to their rules and whims.
The book has obviously been meticulously researched and it includes cameo appearances from real historical figures such as Oswald Mosely as William finds himself negotiating the seedy side of politics and the rise of fascism.
The writing and scene setting in this book was absolutely brilliant. I could see the scenes so clearly I could have been watching on a screen . The setting of 1930s industrial Birmingham will evidently draw Peaky Blinders comparisons but it is not a city I see in books often so I enjoyed the fresh perspective.
Needless Alley is a fabulous, fast paced story with unexpected twists and fully formed believable characters - a compelling read. I look forward to more from this author.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and John Murray for the chance to read an advance copy
William Garrett is a refreshing protagonist. Shaped by a chaotic upbringing and his experiences of war he is a man who knows himself - a flawed but ultimately moral. A man before his time, his opinion of women and sexual identities and practices are much more accepting than would have been the norm. He is partnered by his close friend Ronnie who brings some spice and humour to the story.
Some great female voices in the story too were made even more interesting by the historic 1930’s setting. After all it was a time where women were very much the property of their husbands and subject to their rules and whims.
The book has obviously been meticulously researched and it includes cameo appearances from real historical figures such as Oswald Mosely as William finds himself negotiating the seedy side of politics and the rise of fascism.
The writing and scene setting in this book was absolutely brilliant. I could see the scenes so clearly I could have been watching on a screen . The setting of 1930s industrial Birmingham will evidently draw Peaky Blinders comparisons but it is not a city I see in books often so I enjoyed the fresh perspective.
Needless Alley is a fabulous, fast paced story with unexpected twists and fully formed believable characters - a compelling read. I look forward to more from this author.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and John Murray for the chance to read an advance copy
November 6, 2023
Private Investigator William Garrett spends his days setting up traps to phtograph unsuspecting women in compromising positions to support their husband's divorce cases.
But when a job leads him to meet Clara Morton, wife of a leading facist, he is led into a seedy underworld of obsession, sex, pornography, drugs and murder. As Garrett is pulled further into the mystery, he is faced with police corruption and facist rallys, coming face to face with Oswald Mosely himself.
The novel has a vibrant cast of characters with Garrett supported by his friend and out-of-work actor Ronnie Edgerton, Ronnie's sister and doyenne of the streets and canals, Queenie Maggs, as well as bright young Phyllis Hall.
The plot is twisty, taking the reader from the rich and bohemian of pre-war Birmingham to dark back alleys and grimy canals. The case provides an astute social commentary on Britain in this period and the lasting effects of the First World War on Birmingham's working classes.
In Needless Alley, Marlow evokes a gritty atmosphere of 1930s Birmingham, perfect for fans of Peaky Blinders. It's a much darker tale than most Golden Age crime fiction but it is well balanced with lighthearted banter and heartwarming exchanges between our protagonists.
Needless Alley is a great debut and set up for a compelling detective series.
But when a job leads him to meet Clara Morton, wife of a leading facist, he is led into a seedy underworld of obsession, sex, pornography, drugs and murder. As Garrett is pulled further into the mystery, he is faced with police corruption and facist rallys, coming face to face with Oswald Mosely himself.
The novel has a vibrant cast of characters with Garrett supported by his friend and out-of-work actor Ronnie Edgerton, Ronnie's sister and doyenne of the streets and canals, Queenie Maggs, as well as bright young Phyllis Hall.
The plot is twisty, taking the reader from the rich and bohemian of pre-war Birmingham to dark back alleys and grimy canals. The case provides an astute social commentary on Britain in this period and the lasting effects of the First World War on Birmingham's working classes.
In Needless Alley, Marlow evokes a gritty atmosphere of 1930s Birmingham, perfect for fans of Peaky Blinders. It's a much darker tale than most Golden Age crime fiction but it is well balanced with lighthearted banter and heartwarming exchanges between our protagonists.
Needless Alley is a great debut and set up for a compelling detective series.
November 19, 2023
Very disappointing. I was hoping for a good Birmingham novel, but instead got a derivative pastiche (echoes of Peaky Blinders), with far too much contrived description.
I felt no emotional investment in any of the characters and the plot was twisty without being ingenious. It all felt very pedestrian.
Much better novels, even detective fiction, fail to get agents and publishing deals. I’ve no idea how this one managed it.
I felt no emotional investment in any of the characters and the plot was twisty without being ingenious. It all felt very pedestrian.
Much better novels, even detective fiction, fail to get agents and publishing deals. I’ve no idea how this one managed it.
February 19, 2023
Fabulous Midlands Historical Fiction
Set in 1930's Birmingham, this is a great read which kept me guessing throughout.
William is a likeable private detective who lays honey traps for unsuspecting wives whose husbands want to divorce them.
When he falls for one of the wives, it sets off a terrible chain of events.
I've had the pleasure of meeting Natalie Marlow and look forward to the next instalment in early 2024.
Set in 1930's Birmingham, this is a great read which kept me guessing throughout.
William is a likeable private detective who lays honey traps for unsuspecting wives whose husbands want to divorce them.
When he falls for one of the wives, it sets off a terrible chain of events.
I've had the pleasure of meeting Natalie Marlow and look forward to the next instalment in early 2024.
October 12, 2022
Needless Alley gives us a rich and earthy insight into underbelly of mid-war Birmingham. I know the city well and I do love an early 20th century setting, so this was a good choice for me.
There were some very challenging themes, including the tragic impact of WW1 on the young men who had fought and those left behind and bereaved, the sex and drugs industry, the rise of the British fascism movement and the effects of poverty running through it all. I was impressed with the authors knowledge and research that was obvious to the reader.
The characters were really well written and I had no difficulty in envisaging them and feeling for them. William was a really good and believable main character.
The book is basically a historical thriller. The plot has reveals and twists that kept me turning the pages into the night. It was very well done.
It is hard to avoid some of the parallels with Peaky Blinders, but that didn't put me off, as I was a big fan.
The book is the author's debut and I will certainly be looking out for her in the future.
Five stars from me and definitely one I will be recommending.
There were some very challenging themes, including the tragic impact of WW1 on the young men who had fought and those left behind and bereaved, the sex and drugs industry, the rise of the British fascism movement and the effects of poverty running through it all. I was impressed with the authors knowledge and research that was obvious to the reader.
The characters were really well written and I had no difficulty in envisaging them and feeling for them. William was a really good and believable main character.
The book is basically a historical thriller. The plot has reveals and twists that kept me turning the pages into the night. It was very well done.
It is hard to avoid some of the parallels with Peaky Blinders, but that didn't put me off, as I was a big fan.
The book is the author's debut and I will certainly be looking out for her in the future.
Five stars from me and definitely one I will be recommending.
December 7, 2022
What an engaging journey back in time! The characters are interesting and complex which makes Needless Alley unputdownable.
I love how we get to see many facets of the characters such as with main character,William. He comes across as a detective with a heart who is willing to do what it takes to get an answer and justice.
Mystery, love, betrayal and bygone Birmingham's seedy underbelly. What more could you ask for?
Superb!
I love how we get to see many facets of the characters such as with main character,William. He comes across as a detective with a heart who is willing to do what it takes to get an answer and justice.
Mystery, love, betrayal and bygone Birmingham's seedy underbelly. What more could you ask for?
Superb!
December 28, 2022
Just the book for a wet and miserable Christmas holiday when you’ve got a stinking cold!
A fantastic plot, well written with loads of twists and turns, I couldn’t put this book down.
There aren’t many (or any?) books that describe 1930s Birmingham in such gorgeous detail. I loved that and the canals, which wend their way through the plot so beautifully.
A fantastic plot, well written with loads of twists and turns, I couldn’t put this book down.
There aren’t many (or any?) books that describe 1930s Birmingham in such gorgeous detail. I loved that and the canals, which wend their way through the plot so beautifully.
January 23, 2023
Needless Alley is an original story told by a highly original and skilled voice. The plot is brilliant, the prose absolutely exquisite, and the sense of time and place highly evocative. I was gripped from the start by the main character and how he wrestles morally with the job he has chosen to do, and by the almost tangible setting.
December 23, 2022
An excellent gritty detective story. I enjoyed this much more than I had expected (not my usual genre). I know Birmingham well and could imagine those places as I read this very atmospheric historical story.
January 12, 2023
Being a Private Detective mostly means taking pictures of wives or husbands in flagrente, often a set-up. Easy money – unless someone dies, of course. In 1930s Birmingham, William (Billy) Garret does this sort of work, although he despises it. In fact he despises his whole life, trawling around in the underbelly of the city, Le Demi-monde, a place where the elite (usually rich men) keep company with and exploit prostitutes (usually female but males always feature). Born into poverty among the bargees who work the city’s canal system, he had been conscripted into the army at the start of the Great War, and developed skill as a trench raider, i.e. someone who crept covertly into enemy trenches for ‘clearance’ purposes, a task that required a strong will. Not a very useful skill in civvy street, but the will power meant he was less damaged mentally than many of his cohorts. Unlike Ronnie, his childhood friend and wartime comrade, for whom Billy maintains an avuncular interest. Ronnie is a tall, elegant, theatrical, Ivor Novello like, dipsomaniac, and Billy pays him to act as seducer in the honey-traps he sometimes needs to engineer. In this case Morton, a rich manufacturer and rising star in Oswald Mosley’s “Britain First” fascist movement, has been receiving letters accusing his wife of being involved in a range of depravities. To find out if there is any truth in this he hires Billy to follow her. When he can find no evidence to present to his employer, Billy sets up a honey-trap, using Ronnie in his usual role. But then the bodies start piling up, and Billy discovers that the Birmingham demi-monde is much worse than Dumas ever envisaged that of Paris.
This is best described as an historical murder mystery and its style does feel fairly authentic to the period, and not a pastiche. It isn’t particularly like any British author of the period (who tended to go in for aristocratic detectives) although Edgar Wallace might fit the bill even though he died the year before this book is set. In some ways its closer to Dashiell Hammett. The initial chapters are fairly flat and, apart from a slight twist, more or less boringly routine. When the first big twist comes along it will catch most readers unawares (I spotted it coming but only when almost on top of it). The pace then picks up considerably as Billy tries to unravel the contradictions that keep wrongfooting him. A bizarre collection of other characters are whisked through, steeped in local colour, mostly motivated by money rather than malice. The contemporary detail feels authentic and is worked into the mix rather than being overlaid like a history lesson. None of the characters are likeable (except Phyl), but in the world of this book that is hardly surprising. The dénouement involves another couple of major twists, which are not difficult to work out if you pay attention to the background of the main characters but are satisfyingly revealed. Overall, it felt like a plot I’d read before.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
This is best described as an historical murder mystery and its style does feel fairly authentic to the period, and not a pastiche. It isn’t particularly like any British author of the period (who tended to go in for aristocratic detectives) although Edgar Wallace might fit the bill even though he died the year before this book is set. In some ways its closer to Dashiell Hammett. The initial chapters are fairly flat and, apart from a slight twist, more or less boringly routine. When the first big twist comes along it will catch most readers unawares (I spotted it coming but only when almost on top of it). The pace then picks up considerably as Billy tries to unravel the contradictions that keep wrongfooting him. A bizarre collection of other characters are whisked through, steeped in local colour, mostly motivated by money rather than malice. The contemporary detail feels authentic and is worked into the mix rather than being overlaid like a history lesson. None of the characters are likeable (except Phyl), but in the world of this book that is hardly surprising. The dénouement involves another couple of major twists, which are not difficult to work out if you pay attention to the background of the main characters but are satisfyingly revealed. Overall, it felt like a plot I’d read before.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
January 21, 2023
'This was Savile Row smut, nicely tailored and nothing vulgar. Smut for gentlemen rather than players. Smut for the officer class, no doubt of that...'
Set in the early 30s Birmingham, Needless Alley explores the contradictions of that city - the powerful and wealthy with their country houses and vast incomes from manufacturing, and the demimonde. The bridge between the two is William Garrett - Billy - a private detective whose trade is to facilitate divorces for husbands who wish to be shot of their wives.
William is a complex character, a man who's reinvented himself. Marlow (what a name for a writer of noir!) explicitly pitches him as that man who is not himself mean, but who walks those mean streets. William though has his flaws. He confesses to being drawn by money. he is in a dirty trade, operating honeytraps to obtain compromising photos of those inconvenient wives so they can be divorced. Most of all, to the modern eye perhaps, he's distanced from his origins. Not physically, because the canals where he grew up are only a few hundred yards from his office on Needless Alley, but emotionally and socially. William has smoothed away his Brummie accent and there's some bad blood (never explained) between him and the barge people, bad blood that gets him a kicking at one point in the novel. It feels as though he's shut the door to where he came from
Still, it's his old friend Queenie that William turns to when he gets into trouble, his accent slipping - I loved the way that Marlow played with the characters' speech, you can hear them all clearly in your mind as you read the book - and we then learn a bit of what binds him to her and to his other friend Ronnie. Ronnie plays the honey in William's traps, and he's also another who has a foot in different worlds, more so than even William realises.
This book takes us to those worlds - to clandestine Queer bars, to haunts of artists and sex workers, to the tenements of the poor and to the locations of seamy photoshoots, where powerful men pay to watch the models pose, to closed factories and far-right politics, to the struggles of desperate people to stay one step away from destitution. A perfect noir setting, Marlow's Birmingham is a city whose residents are still struggling with the legacy of war - William clearly suffering form what now we'd call PSTD - and, as I said, struggling to get by, but one where every new opportunity (and every willing victim) is being exploited.
William finds himself a refuge from all this for a while, an unexpected refuge, but in doing so he brings more trouble on himself than he could have imagined. When reputations are threatened, his hard-won status will count for little except to identify him as someone who doesn't know their place and who can therefore take the blame for whatever is really going on.
Needless Alley is a beautifully written novel, a very material book. Natalie Marlow dwells on the physicality of her city - the heat of the Summer, the stink of the canals, the Birmingham brass of a bullet casing, the new steel handcuffs chosen for that modelling session. And always the cigarette smoke, the drink, the noise, a cacophony that lets up only briefly when William finds... well, that would be a spoiler.
I loved this book. I loved William. I loved Phyll, his unlikely ally in the spiral of blood and deception he enters and his guide in some of the hidden places he needs to walk. I loved spotting familiar locations transformed. I loved its engagement with the toxic mess that is British class. Most of all I loved its exploration of a vibrant, jostling city - and of the darkness just beneath the surface. A glorious read.
(CW that the book does deal with themes of rape and abuse and there is one fairly gruesome description of a murder scene).
Set in the early 30s Birmingham, Needless Alley explores the contradictions of that city - the powerful and wealthy with their country houses and vast incomes from manufacturing, and the demimonde. The bridge between the two is William Garrett - Billy - a private detective whose trade is to facilitate divorces for husbands who wish to be shot of their wives.
William is a complex character, a man who's reinvented himself. Marlow (what a name for a writer of noir!) explicitly pitches him as that man who is not himself mean, but who walks those mean streets. William though has his flaws. He confesses to being drawn by money. he is in a dirty trade, operating honeytraps to obtain compromising photos of those inconvenient wives so they can be divorced. Most of all, to the modern eye perhaps, he's distanced from his origins. Not physically, because the canals where he grew up are only a few hundred yards from his office on Needless Alley, but emotionally and socially. William has smoothed away his Brummie accent and there's some bad blood (never explained) between him and the barge people, bad blood that gets him a kicking at one point in the novel. It feels as though he's shut the door to where he came from
Still, it's his old friend Queenie that William turns to when he gets into trouble, his accent slipping - I loved the way that Marlow played with the characters' speech, you can hear them all clearly in your mind as you read the book - and we then learn a bit of what binds him to her and to his other friend Ronnie. Ronnie plays the honey in William's traps, and he's also another who has a foot in different worlds, more so than even William realises.
This book takes us to those worlds - to clandestine Queer bars, to haunts of artists and sex workers, to the tenements of the poor and to the locations of seamy photoshoots, where powerful men pay to watch the models pose, to closed factories and far-right politics, to the struggles of desperate people to stay one step away from destitution. A perfect noir setting, Marlow's Birmingham is a city whose residents are still struggling with the legacy of war - William clearly suffering form what now we'd call PSTD - and, as I said, struggling to get by, but one where every new opportunity (and every willing victim) is being exploited.
William finds himself a refuge from all this for a while, an unexpected refuge, but in doing so he brings more trouble on himself than he could have imagined. When reputations are threatened, his hard-won status will count for little except to identify him as someone who doesn't know their place and who can therefore take the blame for whatever is really going on.
Needless Alley is a beautifully written novel, a very material book. Natalie Marlow dwells on the physicality of her city - the heat of the Summer, the stink of the canals, the Birmingham brass of a bullet casing, the new steel handcuffs chosen for that modelling session. And always the cigarette smoke, the drink, the noise, a cacophony that lets up only briefly when William finds... well, that would be a spoiler.
I loved this book. I loved William. I loved Phyll, his unlikely ally in the spiral of blood and deception he enters and his guide in some of the hidden places he needs to walk. I loved spotting familiar locations transformed. I loved its engagement with the toxic mess that is British class. Most of all I loved its exploration of a vibrant, jostling city - and of the darkness just beneath the surface. A glorious read.
(CW that the book does deal with themes of rape and abuse and there is one fairly gruesome description of a murder scene).
February 4, 2024
Not my usual sort of book, got bought it for Christmas because of personal links to good old Brum; and it's always good to see a new writer appear on the scene. I enjoyed it, but it was not without faults. I could not really get to grips with the MC, there was a weakness about him - and his internal organs made such alarming noises and lurches throughout the book it was as if he were suffering from a case of bad plumbing. And the sweats. Lord, how he and everyone else seems to sweat! Worse than that - spoiler alert - the MC was willing to let his beloved Clara stand alone in a divorce court and take the rap for adultery, when he could have shared her humiliation as co-respondent, but didn't because, "I'm happier, more content, when I have some control... I need to have predictability to feel calm." Bless him. Meaning that, in order to supply evidence of faithlessness, Clara would have to provide semi-naked photographs of herself with a strange man and allow her name to be blackened, alone, in the witness box. This just smelt of a plot device to me. Why didn't the pair just run off and live together? Clara had no children and, seemingly, no friends or family. She wanted absolutely nothing from her husband. Her protests that he would keep her prisoner if he suspected her affair doesn't wash, because he was rarely home and she was free to roam the countryside with her paintbrushes, or go into Birmingham whenever she wished. This kind of loose plotting pulled me out of the story more than once. A shame, I would have liked to have given the writer a higher score and more encouragement - but I don't blame her. A new writer tends to get carried away and wants to throw everything they can into their book. That enthusiasm can be very exciting. It is up to a good copy editor to rein them in when it all gets too much and say, "Now, just hang on here a minute..."
However, I did like Phyll - and the team of William and Phyll working together bodes well for future books.
However, I did like Phyll - and the team of William and Phyll working together bodes well for future books.
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