Loss

Gus Dury #3

by Tony Black

Gus Dury is a changed man. He is off the Edinburgh streets and back with estranged wife, Debs. He has promised her that he won't get involved in any more dodgy cases which the police can't or won't solve. And above all, he's off the drink. In his pocket at all times is a half bottle of Scotch, but although the label is worn to shreds, he has never so much as loosened the cap.

Then his brother Michael is found dead with a bullet in his heart and Gus' life begins to unravel all over again. How can he keep the promises he has made and still avenge his brother's murder?

Loss , Tony Black's third novel about washed-up hack turned private investigator Gus Dury, is absolutely gripping - a labyrinth of violence, secrets and emotion. A true rollercoaster of a read.

Genres: Crime

277 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Tony Black is the author of more than 20 books, most recently Her Cold Eyes. He has been nominated for eight CWA Daggers and was runner up in The Guardian's Not the Booker prize for The Last Tiger.

He has written three crime series, a number of crime novellas and two collections of short stories. His acclaimed author interviews series was collected under the title, Hard Truths.

His novella, The Ringer, was adapted for the stage and the Ayr Gaiety performance can be found on YouTube.

A former Young Journalist of the Year, he still writes for the press regularly.

For more information, and the latest news visit his website at: www.tonyblack.net or his blog: www.pulppusher.blogspot.com or find him on Facebook, Twitter or Linked-In.

Reviews

[Keith Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cracker in the Gus Dury series. At the moment I'm reading nothing but Tony Black. His writing is sharp, gritty and fast paced. Loss is no exception. For me the mark of a great book is one I can't put down but don't want to finish. I polished off Loss far faster than I would have liked but I couldn't help myself! Thankfully I had another waiting in the wings...The characterisation is excellent, I really shouldn't like Gus or his friends, who are as messy, tough and uncompromising as he is, but I do. The language is down to earth, with just the right amount of local slang and dialect to bring you right into Gus's world. Following Gus is like watching a car crash in slow motion, waiting for the inevitable crunch and wincing when it does. Even so, the ending caught me by surprise, I didn't anticipate it at all.

If you like your books to smack you in the mouth Loss will loosen a few teeth for you.

[Nick Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere in the region of Stuart MacBride and Stuart Neville, Tony Black's grim Scottish crime noir seems to have flashes of bitter humour, but a little too much in the way of unlikeable bastards being unspeakably violent to other unlikeable bastards. This novel - essentially the story of a grizzled Edinburgh ex-hack taking revenge on those who killed his brother - mainly worked and was mainly an absorbing read, but sometimes just went too far into the realms of silliness. With hindsight it was slightly formulaic and all a bit simplistic in a 'swear, fight, regret, struggle with demons, dead body, swear, fight.. lather rinse repeat' manner, but I may read Tony Black again - potentially only to confirm he sits a little way down my list of favourite Scottish crime authors.

[Fiona Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is most definitely a series that I am now wll and truly hooked into. I love Gus the central flawed character who despite his best efforts gets hooked up in an investigation. Just hope he keeps that bottle of whisky in his pocket...temptation is always near! Brilliant!

[Warren Stalley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re unfamiliar with author Tony Black then Loss is the third novel in the Gus Dury series and to get the best out of this book you really should read the previous books Paying for It and Gutted first. When ex-journalist Gus Dury receives the shocking news that his brother Michael has been murdered, this sets Gus off on a destructive path to find the truth behind the killing. As Gus begins to investigate his brother’s business affairs, he upsets some very unpleasant people. His determined search also tears into the fragile relationship that he’s only recently re-established with his ex-wife Debs. Once again author Tony Black manages to develop a powerful emotional core to this novel by showing the inner demons which torment Gus. Loss becomes so much more than just another gritty crime story, we see the psychological scars from Gus’s childhood - the memories of his now deceased brother Michael and the long dark shadow of his father Canis. The novel builds to a dramatic downbeat ending with Gus going off the deep end. To conclude if you haven’t read any of Tony Black’s work then I would highly recommend trying the Gus Dury series starting with the first novel Paying for It.

[Cams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun to read

[Claire Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark, but strangely keeps you hooked!

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a hopeless quality to LOSS, one that breads and multiplies through Gus Dury’s quest for vengeance over his brother’s untimely death. Author Tony Black has delivered one of the most emotional evocative noirs I’ve had the pleasure of reading – it’s tense, brutal, unforgiving, and entirely depressing. If a book could be described as a colour, LOSS would be grey. Every pages oozes noir, each chapter a nail in the coffin for hopes of a happy ending. Quality and completely endearing storytelling.

Gus, for his part, continues to grow as a strong minded character trying to make the best from a situation where the cards are constantly staked against him. He’s managed to dodge the drink, is back with his missus (at least temporarily), and has given up the PI gig. A visit to the local station at the request of Fitz soon turns all of that around and before long Gus is knee deep in the caper, indulging in illicit drugs and seeking a shrink to save his relationship with Debs.

The twists and hidden agendas provide the smoke and mirrors to keep you guessing while Gus and his accomplices trudge through the past in order to solve the present day mystery. More heart than previous instalments and more personal than other semi-PI related novels I’ve read, LOSS comes across as both a great piece of fiction, and an all too easy slice of reality. One could easily see how the actions of Gus could transpire into a real world situation. This isn’t all about guns, glory and babes. It’s guts, determination and loss.

As common as it is to say, LOSS is a real page turner. It’s like that car crash you cant look away from. No hope lies herein – pain is commonplace and Gus is just about ready to jump back on the Jack Taylor-like wagon to self made oblivion. Safe to say, LONG TIME DEAD has jumped a few places in my TBR. I can’t wait to read more of Gus Dury.

In a word – exceptional.

This review also appears on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gus Dury - still a train wreck, a sober one in this book. Finally trying to straighten out his life, quitting drinking, back with his ex-wife, sold the pub, and is seeing a psychiatrist. You would think he was heading down a good road and toward a better life.

Right off the bat, he gets a phone call in the middle of the night that nobody wants to get - no details given, he just has to get his butt to the police station ASAP.

Everything goes to hell and back from there.

Good story line about Russian and Polish immigrants and the shadier sides of the docks and factories.

Finally getting a grasp of the Scottish slang and lingo - not a bad read.

[Rory Costello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tony Black does something difficult here: he keeps a series fresh and interesting. His troubled hero, Gus Dury, gets a new set of difficulties to face. We also get more of the back story about the childhood that shaped Gus. But the main thing with a Gus Dury story is the way he sinks his teeth into a case and just will not let go, no matter what the disastrous consequences may be. There's a lot of cracking slangy dialogue with his buddies Hod and Mac, and the mystery turns out to pack a good surprise.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear. I certainly did Tony Black no favours by reading him straight after Colum NcCann; it was, to use the sort of metaphor he so liberally scattered throughout this, like comparing barbed wire to Baileys; a scatter gun of puns and slang and a hectic-paced tale which verged on the incoherent.
Probably a fine example of that particular slant of the genre but missed the target for me this time.

[Brandon Nagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner. Definitely one of my favorite series of books out there. Tony Black is one of, if not the best in the genre. If you have not read him, start at the beginning of this amazing series of books and prepare for an emotional roller coaster thrill ride. I didn't think it was possible, but he gets better and better with each book. Read it.

[Tim]

Very good book, would recommend

[Joanne Parkington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good read ... what a cliffhanger .. I await my copy of Long Time Dead with baited breath.