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Mangel #2
Fags and Lager
“Writing in a pitch-perfect voice, Charlie Williams has created a stunningly original noir world of his own.”—Jason Starr, author of Tough Luck Still Head Doorman at Hoppers, Mangel’s premier nightspot, and still depressed, Royston Blake seeks solace at the bottom of a glass. And when Doug, the local shopkeeper offers him a bounty of 400 fags (aka cigarettes) and 400 cans of lager (aka beer) to sort out his teenage daughter's undesirable boyfriend, Blake's solace looks to be in the bag for at least a couple of weeks. But things don’t quite go according to plan… Charlie Williams was born in 1971 in Worcester, England, where he lives. This sleepy, tourist town is the inspiration for Mangel, the setting for his exuberant series of novels.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
9 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Charlie Williams
11 books53 followersAuthor of the Mangel series of DEADFOLK, FAGS AND LAGER (US edition BOOZE AND BURN), KING OF THE ROAD, ONE DEAD HEN and MADE OF STONE, all featuring nightclub doorman antihero Royston Blake. Plus standalone STAIRWAY TO HELL and novella GRAVEN IMAGE. English, scatalogical and dark.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 21, 2012
I loved DEADFOLK, the story of Royston Blake’s adventures in the town of Mangle. I loved it so much that I didn’t’ feel able to move on to BOOZE AND BURN for fear it might just not do Blake justice. Now I’ve been there, I realise I needn’t have worried. All I’ve been doing is wasting time.
The other issue that can spoil a follow-up book is the over-doing of the references to the previous work. Charlie Williams kicked that one in to touch early on as Blake addresses the reader and says of Deadfolk.
‘You what? Forget it pal. I ain’t telling you that story no more. I’ve told it enough times already – especially to the cops and I’m sick of it. You want to know about the guns and chainsaws, go ask someone else. Everyone knows around here.”
Perfectly handled.
In Royston Blake, I reckon we have the world’s finest unreliable, first-person narrator. He’s a warts-and-all story-teller who’s neither afraid to embellish or to cut himself to the quick (then again, Royston’s not afraid of anything).
He’s back on the door at Mangles’ premier drinking establishment (Hoppers), throwing his increasing weight around as only he can. It doesn’t take long for the new equilibrium of Mangle to be disturbed when a new face arrives in town. Not only is the guy an outsider, he’s soon to become the owner of Hoppers and the supplier of a new kind of sweet/drug to the young of the town.
One of the gang of young is Mona. She’s had a personality change since being introduced to the new drug and she’s fallen for the supplier. Mona’s father, Doug, employs Blake’s services to sort out the guy, which is the point at which the story explodes.
I’m so impressed by Charlie Williams. He’s created an even more special book in Booze And Burn than he managed in Deadfolk.
Blake’s character is even sharper as are those of the others in the cast. Blake’s a real rogue – the cleanest term I can think of to make sure this doesn’t offend the Amazon boards – but he’s immensely loveable with it, for reasons I don’t entirely understand. Many was the time I wanted to put my arm around the guy (metaphorically, of course, as my arms would need to be twice as long to do the job) and have a whisper in his ear – “You don’t want to be doing that, Blake.” Or “Why don’t you try saying it this way instead?” Not that he’d listen.
The plot here is developed and a perfect pace. It becomes fairly complex, but is always easy to stay with. There are plenty of cliff-hangers to keep a reader interested. The turns of phrase are superb and Williams is a master of the simile – “[I]wanted nothing more than the comfort of clean sheets and a firm mattress, though...the mattress were about fifty year old and as firm as an old man’s tadger.”
Blake’s is also a master when it comes to shoving his boots into his own mouth. Here, he’s trying to make his recently attacked girlfriend feel better about some damage to her face – “ ‘Reckon you won’t be doin’ much more strippin’, I says, giving her a friendly smile. ‘Less you wears a paper bag.” '
All in all, Booze And Burn shines a light onto things we might rather not see, then throws in a magnifying glass to make the focus more unpleasantly clear. Britain at its worst can have a defensive, island mentality, compounded by small-town attitudes, brutally sharp tongues and minds narrower than barges.
For me, the book takes the Ghost Town of The Specials, the darkness of the Thatcher years, the cultural highs of Clint Eastwood and Minder and uses the energy to create the most wonderful set of characters imaginable. Blake would have no problem wrestling any Spitting Image character to the ground, knocking the hardest from Viz to the ground, out-seducing Lady Chatterley's lover or drinking Homer Simpson under a table. It’s funny, powerful, clever, brutal and a total joy from opening to close.
Royston Blake – Cheers.
The other issue that can spoil a follow-up book is the over-doing of the references to the previous work. Charlie Williams kicked that one in to touch early on as Blake addresses the reader and says of Deadfolk.
‘You what? Forget it pal. I ain’t telling you that story no more. I’ve told it enough times already – especially to the cops and I’m sick of it. You want to know about the guns and chainsaws, go ask someone else. Everyone knows around here.”
Perfectly handled.
In Royston Blake, I reckon we have the world’s finest unreliable, first-person narrator. He’s a warts-and-all story-teller who’s neither afraid to embellish or to cut himself to the quick (then again, Royston’s not afraid of anything).
He’s back on the door at Mangles’ premier drinking establishment (Hoppers), throwing his increasing weight around as only he can. It doesn’t take long for the new equilibrium of Mangle to be disturbed when a new face arrives in town. Not only is the guy an outsider, he’s soon to become the owner of Hoppers and the supplier of a new kind of sweet/drug to the young of the town.
One of the gang of young is Mona. She’s had a personality change since being introduced to the new drug and she’s fallen for the supplier. Mona’s father, Doug, employs Blake’s services to sort out the guy, which is the point at which the story explodes.
I’m so impressed by Charlie Williams. He’s created an even more special book in Booze And Burn than he managed in Deadfolk.
Blake’s character is even sharper as are those of the others in the cast. Blake’s a real rogue – the cleanest term I can think of to make sure this doesn’t offend the Amazon boards – but he’s immensely loveable with it, for reasons I don’t entirely understand. Many was the time I wanted to put my arm around the guy (metaphorically, of course, as my arms would need to be twice as long to do the job) and have a whisper in his ear – “You don’t want to be doing that, Blake.” Or “Why don’t you try saying it this way instead?” Not that he’d listen.
The plot here is developed and a perfect pace. It becomes fairly complex, but is always easy to stay with. There are plenty of cliff-hangers to keep a reader interested. The turns of phrase are superb and Williams is a master of the simile – “[I]wanted nothing more than the comfort of clean sheets and a firm mattress, though...the mattress were about fifty year old and as firm as an old man’s tadger.”
Blake’s is also a master when it comes to shoving his boots into his own mouth. Here, he’s trying to make his recently attacked girlfriend feel better about some damage to her face – “ ‘Reckon you won’t be doin’ much more strippin’, I says, giving her a friendly smile. ‘Less you wears a paper bag.” '
All in all, Booze And Burn shines a light onto things we might rather not see, then throws in a magnifying glass to make the focus more unpleasantly clear. Britain at its worst can have a defensive, island mentality, compounded by small-town attitudes, brutally sharp tongues and minds narrower than barges.
For me, the book takes the Ghost Town of The Specials, the darkness of the Thatcher years, the cultural highs of Clint Eastwood and Minder and uses the energy to create the most wonderful set of characters imaginable. Blake would have no problem wrestling any Spitting Image character to the ground, knocking the hardest from Viz to the ground, out-seducing Lady Chatterley's lover or drinking Homer Simpson under a table. It’s funny, powerful, clever, brutal and a total joy from opening to close.
Royston Blake – Cheers.
June 29, 2013
"Royston Blake don't wipe arses for no fucker. I'm just being meta...you know, meta...I'm just saying like." Fags and Lager has solidified the Mangel Series as some of my favorite books. I spent far too much time away after reading DEADFOLK (read my review here.) But I'm happy to say that FAGS AND LAGER held it's own and I'll be reading the next three books before the year is out. In FAGS AND LAGER, another outsider has arrived in the city of Mangel and kids are causing all kinds of disorderly mess. As Blake says so eloquently, "I'm Royston fucking Blake, and every cunt knows where I stands on outsiders. They don't scare us and I ain't fooled by their ways." The book takes place a couple of years after DEADFOLK, and Williams does a brilliant job making it stand on its own without dumping information about the events in DEADFOLK on the reader. Readers interested in a truly unique voice and a heavy dose of black humor should look no further.
July 2, 2008
Taking up from DEADFOLK (a debut with a punch if there ever was one), FAGS AND LAGER finds out just how far Royston Blake, head doorman at Hoppers and self-confessed hard man of Mangel, will go for free stack of tinnies and fags.
It seems it's a fair way, as long as you don't mind that Blake does everything his own way (even though he's singing the theme tune from Minder - you just can't help thinking a karaoke version of My Way would be better).
Mangel is a grim little town full of grim little individuals and Blake rules (or at least he thinks he does). Until he finds himself ousted from his beloved position of power (head doorman at Mangels) and surrounded by some very oddly behaving young kids around town. So there he is, jobless, moneyless, beaten up, looking for his local shopkeepers young daughter (payment of the aforementioned Fags and Lager) and somebody's actually had a go at his one love - his 2.8i Capri car (gold - no self-respecting hard man would drive a white one).
So whilst Blake is yomping around (his word for walking) trying to sort out a seriously inconvenient situation for himself, Mangel itself is fighting a seriously weird drug situation and the local newspaper is running its own investigations.
Blake's a counter culture hero if there ever was one - unloveable but totally unhateable; messed up from childhood; totally consistent and even, heaven help us, moral within his own terms of reference; he's out to set things right come hell, high water or a seriously good thumping.
FAGS AND LAGER is dark, tense, heavy-handed, sometime unbelievable, over the top, funny, thought-provoking, sometime believable, disturbing, gruesome and weird - all at once. Don't even attempt to read it if you think it's perfectly okay to drive a white 1.3 Capri.
It seems it's a fair way, as long as you don't mind that Blake does everything his own way (even though he's singing the theme tune from Minder - you just can't help thinking a karaoke version of My Way would be better).
Mangel is a grim little town full of grim little individuals and Blake rules (or at least he thinks he does). Until he finds himself ousted from his beloved position of power (head doorman at Mangels) and surrounded by some very oddly behaving young kids around town. So there he is, jobless, moneyless, beaten up, looking for his local shopkeepers young daughter (payment of the aforementioned Fags and Lager) and somebody's actually had a go at his one love - his 2.8i Capri car (gold - no self-respecting hard man would drive a white one).
So whilst Blake is yomping around (his word for walking) trying to sort out a seriously inconvenient situation for himself, Mangel itself is fighting a seriously weird drug situation and the local newspaper is running its own investigations.
Blake's a counter culture hero if there ever was one - unloveable but totally unhateable; messed up from childhood; totally consistent and even, heaven help us, moral within his own terms of reference; he's out to set things right come hell, high water or a seriously good thumping.
FAGS AND LAGER is dark, tense, heavy-handed, sometime unbelievable, over the top, funny, thought-provoking, sometime believable, disturbing, gruesome and weird - all at once. Don't even attempt to read it if you think it's perfectly okay to drive a white 1.3 Capri.
June 24, 2014
I read Charlie Williams’ Booze & Burn pretty much on a whim and found out later that it was the second installment in a series by the author. I’m glad I read it, though, as it coincidentally complimented the last book I read, the Howling Miller by Arto Paasilinna. I should also note that while this book is part of a series it’s a good read on its own. Getting back to the two books I read, though, their plots were similar in that they were both centered on protagonists who couldn’t corral their behavior within the confines of societal norms.
Where the Howling Miller was a fable about a bipolar newcomer struggling to fit into his new community and restrain his own odd behavior, Booze & Burn was about a man who was a fixture in his community and believed that those around him should not only accept but accommodate his amoral and often criminal behavior.
Where Gunnar Huttunen, the protagonist of the Howling Miller, was meant to be perceived as a sympathetic character, Royston Blake was a clear antihero. Gunnar was an intelligent guy with a mental imbalance and his primary faults were in the way he socialized and attempted to acclimate to his new town. Royston was essentially the opposite of that. He’s one of the most oblivious characters you will ever encounter, gullible to boot, and even more mentally imbalanced than Gunnar as his thoughts hint loudly at delusions of grandeur while his actual words reveal an absolute lack of remorse for acts as serious as murder. Overall, Royston Blake’s demeanor stacks up to that of a dull-minded sociopath.
However, it was the unique personalities and mental deficiencies of these two characters that drove the plot of these stories, but in very different ways.
In the Howling Miller it was simple: Gunnar was a powerful man who was able to control a situation. His problems came from the way he decided to control those situations.
Conversely, in Booze & Burn, Royston was a fairly weak man, mentally and usually physically. He was able to sort out an occasional “punter” as a doorman at Hoppers but not once did he fend off any serious physical opposition like Dean Stone, the 16 year-old giant he called Frankenstein, or even Nobby and Cosh. So his perceptions of himself as a tough doorman and a cunning manager were quickly proven inaccurate. On top of that, he was unable to control a situation as simple as a phone call or a conversation. Normally he told it as if everything was working out as planned but nearly every one of his conversations ended with him saying, “But…” and hearing a dial tone. His lack of control over situations saw him hurdling through a gauntlet laid down by one side of the town, then the other—the sides of course referring to what side of the law they were on. But with the shadiness of citizens like Doug and the corruption of the cops, it was sometimes difficult to see who would be coming at Royston, from which side and how.
The masterful element in the way this story was told was that, from front to back, it was absolutely consistent in describing Royston’s personality and how the town of Mangel perceived him. From page one it seemed Royston Blake was something of a narcissist, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I went on the assumption that he may actually be justified in his opinion of himself. But Charlie Williams chips away at that assumption and his narrator’s objective credibility one chapter at a time. You begin to see that Royston Blake is as touched in the head as the townsfolk say he is and that, specifically, he’s decaying exponentially in terms of morals and mental sharpness, in part due to alcoholism. You take note of his behavior all along but read on because it’s compelling. The sum of it, that he’s actually a sociopath, doesn’t hit you until later on in the book because Williams pulls back the curtain bit by bit and allows it to sink in slowly. By the time you fully catch on you’ve just about lost all sympathy for him but you’re too invested in what happens next to let go.
Of course, both protagonists see consequences for their actions. Royston is threatened and beaten down by thugs like “Frankenstein” and the duo of Nobby and Cosh, then hunted down and caught by the police. Gunnar is threatened by the townspeople after egging them on with his erratic behavior. Soon after, he is pursued and caught by the police and committed to a mental hospital, which he escapes. After this he is relegated to the woods and hunted down by an escalating amount of forces that eventually comes to include the Army.
In the end, the Howling Miller seemed to lean on the fact that it was a fable more than it had earlier in the story and seemed to cop out of a real ending. Booze & Burn did not. It seemed like Royston relied heavily on an almost unrealistic amount of luck to get out of his situation but that’s the beauty of fiction, that sort of thing is allowed as long is it’s fathomable. Where Arto Paasilinna fell from fable to fairytale in the course of his stumbling conclusion, Charlie Williams neatly tied up whatever loose ends happened to be dangling and left it at that.
But, all in all, both stories were fun, frustrating and compelling to read because each protagonist continuously pushed the limits of society, dug themselves in deeper and tossed you a shovel to dig along with them and marvel at their escape. Neither will likely go down as a classic but I found a new personal favorite in Booze & Burn.
Where the Howling Miller was a fable about a bipolar newcomer struggling to fit into his new community and restrain his own odd behavior, Booze & Burn was about a man who was a fixture in his community and believed that those around him should not only accept but accommodate his amoral and often criminal behavior.
Where Gunnar Huttunen, the protagonist of the Howling Miller, was meant to be perceived as a sympathetic character, Royston Blake was a clear antihero. Gunnar was an intelligent guy with a mental imbalance and his primary faults were in the way he socialized and attempted to acclimate to his new town. Royston was essentially the opposite of that. He’s one of the most oblivious characters you will ever encounter, gullible to boot, and even more mentally imbalanced than Gunnar as his thoughts hint loudly at delusions of grandeur while his actual words reveal an absolute lack of remorse for acts as serious as murder. Overall, Royston Blake’s demeanor stacks up to that of a dull-minded sociopath.
However, it was the unique personalities and mental deficiencies of these two characters that drove the plot of these stories, but in very different ways.
In the Howling Miller it was simple: Gunnar was a powerful man who was able to control a situation. His problems came from the way he decided to control those situations.
Conversely, in Booze & Burn, Royston was a fairly weak man, mentally and usually physically. He was able to sort out an occasional “punter” as a doorman at Hoppers but not once did he fend off any serious physical opposition like Dean Stone, the 16 year-old giant he called Frankenstein, or even Nobby and Cosh. So his perceptions of himself as a tough doorman and a cunning manager were quickly proven inaccurate. On top of that, he was unable to control a situation as simple as a phone call or a conversation. Normally he told it as if everything was working out as planned but nearly every one of his conversations ended with him saying, “But…” and hearing a dial tone. His lack of control over situations saw him hurdling through a gauntlet laid down by one side of the town, then the other—the sides of course referring to what side of the law they were on. But with the shadiness of citizens like Doug and the corruption of the cops, it was sometimes difficult to see who would be coming at Royston, from which side and how.
The masterful element in the way this story was told was that, from front to back, it was absolutely consistent in describing Royston’s personality and how the town of Mangel perceived him. From page one it seemed Royston Blake was something of a narcissist, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I went on the assumption that he may actually be justified in his opinion of himself. But Charlie Williams chips away at that assumption and his narrator’s objective credibility one chapter at a time. You begin to see that Royston Blake is as touched in the head as the townsfolk say he is and that, specifically, he’s decaying exponentially in terms of morals and mental sharpness, in part due to alcoholism. You take note of his behavior all along but read on because it’s compelling. The sum of it, that he’s actually a sociopath, doesn’t hit you until later on in the book because Williams pulls back the curtain bit by bit and allows it to sink in slowly. By the time you fully catch on you’ve just about lost all sympathy for him but you’re too invested in what happens next to let go.
Of course, both protagonists see consequences for their actions. Royston is threatened and beaten down by thugs like “Frankenstein” and the duo of Nobby and Cosh, then hunted down and caught by the police. Gunnar is threatened by the townspeople after egging them on with his erratic behavior. Soon after, he is pursued and caught by the police and committed to a mental hospital, which he escapes. After this he is relegated to the woods and hunted down by an escalating amount of forces that eventually comes to include the Army.
In the end, the Howling Miller seemed to lean on the fact that it was a fable more than it had earlier in the story and seemed to cop out of a real ending. Booze & Burn did not. It seemed like Royston relied heavily on an almost unrealistic amount of luck to get out of his situation but that’s the beauty of fiction, that sort of thing is allowed as long is it’s fathomable. Where Arto Paasilinna fell from fable to fairytale in the course of his stumbling conclusion, Charlie Williams neatly tied up whatever loose ends happened to be dangling and left it at that.
But, all in all, both stories were fun, frustrating and compelling to read because each protagonist continuously pushed the limits of society, dug themselves in deeper and tossed you a shovel to dig along with them and marvel at their escape. Neither will likely go down as a classic but I found a new personal favorite in Booze & Burn.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2022
One of the most fun reads I've ever come across. Funny. Intense. Crazy.
Read
December 10, 2022After not finishing the first book (Deadfolk) - hated it - I haven't read any of the others.
March 29, 2015
RATING: 3.75
PROTAGONIST: Royston Blake
OCCUPATION: Head Doorman of Hoppers
SETTING: Mangel, the crappiest town in England
SERIES: #2 of 3
You'd think that having the prestigious job of Head Doorman at Hoppers would mean you had the world on a string. As much as Royston Blake has felt that way in the past, he sees that something is changing at the most popular bar in Mangel, the crappiest town in England. Before, the beer was flowing and the atmosphere kinetic; now, the patrons are younger, blissed out and not even quaffing a pint or two or five. Unbeknownst to Blake, Hoppers has a new owner. In fact, Royston is soon replaced by a man he refers to as "Frankenstein" who doesn't have a clue about what it takes to be a top-notch doorman.
But Blake always has things going on, and now is no exception. Doug the shopkeeper offers him a bounty of 400 fags (cigarettes) and 400 cans of lager if he will find his wayward daughter, Mona, and bring her home. That sounds easy enough until Blake finds out what kind of people Mona is involved with. Soon things are totally out of control; various people are mauled, beaten, drugged, killed and trodden upon. Just another day in the neighborhood. In the meantime, the new owner of Hoppers has asked Blake to be his "minder". The mind boggles at the thought of trusting Royston to do a job like that well.
Royston is a fellow who deludes himself completely about his skills and talent. The reader can see that he is a man who has a lot of "challenges". A lot of humor arises out of Blake's erroneous opinion of himself and his justifications when he is facing danger and scared spitless. He reminds me a lot of Eva Wylie, the female wrestler, in the series by Liza Cody, but with a harder edge. In both cases, the characters are tragicomic.
Royston Blake was introduced in the first book in this series, DEADFOLK. That book was such a totally original work that I fell in love with it completely. FAGS AND LAGER lost a little bit of its edge because of the familiarity with the setting, dialogue and characters that were introduced in DEADFOLK. Blake was a bit sweeter in the first book as well; in F&L, I don't recall that he was ever nice to anyone on purpose. The one addition in this book that I loved was the introductory chapter pieces that were excerpted from various reporting pieces from the local paper. Some of them were laugh-out-loud funny.
I think the blurb for the book provided by Mark Billingham says it all: Royston Blake is a truly original anti-hero, and reading this latest misadventure is like being smashed in the funny bone by a lump hammer. You'll find yourself laughing, but you'll also find yourself cringing—FAGS AND LAGER features an unlikeable protagonist who you find yourself liking while shuddering at every violent action that takes place and every uncaring word that is spoken.
PROTAGONIST: Royston Blake
OCCUPATION: Head Doorman of Hoppers
SETTING: Mangel, the crappiest town in England
SERIES: #2 of 3
You'd think that having the prestigious job of Head Doorman at Hoppers would mean you had the world on a string. As much as Royston Blake has felt that way in the past, he sees that something is changing at the most popular bar in Mangel, the crappiest town in England. Before, the beer was flowing and the atmosphere kinetic; now, the patrons are younger, blissed out and not even quaffing a pint or two or five. Unbeknownst to Blake, Hoppers has a new owner. In fact, Royston is soon replaced by a man he refers to as "Frankenstein" who doesn't have a clue about what it takes to be a top-notch doorman.
But Blake always has things going on, and now is no exception. Doug the shopkeeper offers him a bounty of 400 fags (cigarettes) and 400 cans of lager if he will find his wayward daughter, Mona, and bring her home. That sounds easy enough until Blake finds out what kind of people Mona is involved with. Soon things are totally out of control; various people are mauled, beaten, drugged, killed and trodden upon. Just another day in the neighborhood. In the meantime, the new owner of Hoppers has asked Blake to be his "minder". The mind boggles at the thought of trusting Royston to do a job like that well.
Royston is a fellow who deludes himself completely about his skills and talent. The reader can see that he is a man who has a lot of "challenges". A lot of humor arises out of Blake's erroneous opinion of himself and his justifications when he is facing danger and scared spitless. He reminds me a lot of Eva Wylie, the female wrestler, in the series by Liza Cody, but with a harder edge. In both cases, the characters are tragicomic.
Royston Blake was introduced in the first book in this series, DEADFOLK. That book was such a totally original work that I fell in love with it completely. FAGS AND LAGER lost a little bit of its edge because of the familiarity with the setting, dialogue and characters that were introduced in DEADFOLK. Blake was a bit sweeter in the first book as well; in F&L, I don't recall that he was ever nice to anyone on purpose. The one addition in this book that I loved was the introductory chapter pieces that were excerpted from various reporting pieces from the local paper. Some of them were laugh-out-loud funny.
I think the blurb for the book provided by Mark Billingham says it all: Royston Blake is a truly original anti-hero, and reading this latest misadventure is like being smashed in the funny bone by a lump hammer. You'll find yourself laughing, but you'll also find yourself cringing—FAGS AND LAGER features an unlikeable protagonist who you find yourself liking while shuddering at every violent action that takes place and every uncaring word that is spoken.
April 24, 2014
Royston Blake, head doorman at local dive Hoppers lives a simple life with simple needs, his slight embellishment of the truth throughout the narration of FAGS AND LAGER exemplifies this and provides the reader a jaded if not jagged source of what’s true and proper – the trials and tribulations, if you will, of being a top doorman and all that.
Murder, violence, booze, drugs, and fags dominate the theme of Charlie Williams’ second novel set in the town of Mangel, and much like DEADFOLK before it FAGS AND LAGER is just as colourful and entertaining - if not more-so.
Readers easily offended by cuss words and sewer dialogue need give FAGS AND LAGER a miss as our Royston Blake uses it in spades. The profanity does stand to reason and adds a little bit of uniqueness to the narrative. It added, rather than distracted.
As far as the plot goes it’s very much along the lines of a detective novel, one where payment is booze and lager rather than coin, notoriety, or reward for a just deed. A local shop owner wants Blake to return his 14yr old daughter to him and run-off her older (much older) boyfriend (the suspected bad influence). Blake soon discovers that the quarry is well known for being a tad promiscuous and loose with her morals and doesn’t mind a bit of illegal stimulus, hardly a damsel in distress.
Digging deep into the Mangel underworld and the rotten drug trade spreading its poison to the local youth, Blake uncovers far more than what he’d bargained for. His hurt – our enjoyment.
FAGS AND LAGER is a diverse and uniquely placed noir that tickles the senses and smacks the funny bone.
Review first published on Just A Guy That Likes To Read: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
Murder, violence, booze, drugs, and fags dominate the theme of Charlie Williams’ second novel set in the town of Mangel, and much like DEADFOLK before it FAGS AND LAGER is just as colourful and entertaining - if not more-so.
Readers easily offended by cuss words and sewer dialogue need give FAGS AND LAGER a miss as our Royston Blake uses it in spades. The profanity does stand to reason and adds a little bit of uniqueness to the narrative. It added, rather than distracted.
As far as the plot goes it’s very much along the lines of a detective novel, one where payment is booze and lager rather than coin, notoriety, or reward for a just deed. A local shop owner wants Blake to return his 14yr old daughter to him and run-off her older (much older) boyfriend (the suspected bad influence). Blake soon discovers that the quarry is well known for being a tad promiscuous and loose with her morals and doesn’t mind a bit of illegal stimulus, hardly a damsel in distress.
Digging deep into the Mangel underworld and the rotten drug trade spreading its poison to the local youth, Blake uncovers far more than what he’d bargained for. His hurt – our enjoyment.
FAGS AND LAGER is a diverse and uniquely placed noir that tickles the senses and smacks the funny bone.
Review first published on Just A Guy That Likes To Read: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
October 9, 2013
(Published in the US as Booze and Burn)
This is the second in a series set in the imaginary small town of Mangel, England, that began with Deadfolk. Two things about Mangel: the people speak a unique local dialect and no one ever gets away.
The narrator is Royston Blake, head doorman (read bouncer) at a wine bar (read dive). He has a strong, original voice and personality, not to mention interesting delusions of his own prowess and importance. I really enjoy a good dialect well rendered (though I know not everyone feels the same way), and Charlie Williams is a master. It feels like Blakey's standing there telling you the story, which moves along at a good clip.
Blakey's out of the mental hospital and back on the door at Hoppers, where's it's struck him the youth of Mangel seem curiously lifeless. Then a local shopkeeper offers to pay him to "sort out" his daughter's boyfriend--pay him in fags and lager. Things just sort of go on from there. Colourful characters, a twisty plot and violence as required (though to my relief Susan from Deadfolk does not make a comeback) add up to a good, fast read. It's also very funny.
As the Guardian says, "the more politically correct among you can read this as social comment, the rest can just enjoy the ride."
Check out the author's Web site. If you're lucky, you may be able to listen to him read an excerpt from the next in the series, King of the Road.
This is the second in a series set in the imaginary small town of Mangel, England, that began with Deadfolk. Two things about Mangel: the people speak a unique local dialect and no one ever gets away.
The narrator is Royston Blake, head doorman (read bouncer) at a wine bar (read dive). He has a strong, original voice and personality, not to mention interesting delusions of his own prowess and importance. I really enjoy a good dialect well rendered (though I know not everyone feels the same way), and Charlie Williams is a master. It feels like Blakey's standing there telling you the story, which moves along at a good clip.
Blakey's out of the mental hospital and back on the door at Hoppers, where's it's struck him the youth of Mangel seem curiously lifeless. Then a local shopkeeper offers to pay him to "sort out" his daughter's boyfriend--pay him in fags and lager. Things just sort of go on from there. Colourful characters, a twisty plot and violence as required (though to my relief Susan from Deadfolk does not make a comeback) add up to a good, fast read. It's also very funny.
As the Guardian says, "the more politically correct among you can read this as social comment, the rest can just enjoy the ride."
Check out the author's Web site. If you're lucky, you may be able to listen to him read an excerpt from the next in the series, King of the Road.
September 18, 2013
I'm guessing the first book in this series, DEADFOLK, was to set us up in the town of Mangel, have us meet Royston Blake, Doorman, and get us familiar with the way things go down in his town. The Capri 2.8i is still one of the characters, being Blake's adored vehicle, even beaten up as it is. There's Finney, his best mate; Rachel, barmaid and coworker; Sal, his old girlfriend, who he neglects.
I wonder if we'll ever get a full explanation of Blake's berserker blackout sessions, during which someone always dies... Royston Blake is his home town's favorite whipping boy. By the end of the book, he's bruised, bones are broken, teeth are missing; he's stumbling about, confused by events, both past and present; and usually in trouble with the coppers. Though his pride is always intact.
And I just love his "disguises"! They certainly add to the black comedy. Well, the disguises and his unfailing self love do as well. It's funny to hear him describe himself and then read his description in the local news rag or hear how the local Mangel denizens describe him.
And I still don't know what war is going on in the world at large (shown in background scenes on the Telly.)
Fun stuff. I keep wondering why I give these books 5 stars, but the enjoyment alone deserves the rating!
I wonder if we'll ever get a full explanation of Blake's berserker blackout sessions, during which someone always dies... Royston Blake is his home town's favorite whipping boy. By the end of the book, he's bruised, bones are broken, teeth are missing; he's stumbling about, confused by events, both past and present; and usually in trouble with the coppers. Though his pride is always intact.
And I just love his "disguises"! They certainly add to the black comedy. Well, the disguises and his unfailing self love do as well. It's funny to hear him describe himself and then read his description in the local news rag or hear how the local Mangel denizens describe him.
And I still don't know what war is going on in the world at large (shown in background scenes on the Telly.)
Fun stuff. I keep wondering why I give these books 5 stars, but the enjoyment alone deserves the rating!
March 18, 2012
"Booze and Burn" was the first book I read by Charlie Williams, and I am now a big fan. It took me a couple of pages to figure out and get used to the dialect, but that and Royston Blake's quirks quickly grew on me. This book was just so much fun. Royston is head bouncer at Hoppers, the best bar in Mangel, and he doesn't take any shite off anyone. Mr. Williams's use of the first person POV really brought this character to life, in full living detail I won't soon forget; he expertly crafted Blake's thoughts so that the actions, and disgust, of the other characters came through crystal clear. Royston just keeps getting in deeper, no matter what he tries. This book is funny as hell, but with a cool plot that is anything but predictable.
July 15, 2013
Strange. The Blake from the first book has definitely become more delusional. I'm really impressed with the story telling, there are actually 2 books here. One is how Blake sees the world and the other is how Mangel really is. I don't really see Mangel as being part of the supernatural, I think it is more about Blake and the fact that he is completely cuckoo for cocoa puffs. But I do still wonder what this war is that is on T.V. all the time. And the ideology that no one can leave Mangel because they are all leaves from a tree and if they leave they will all whither and die. Great story, definitely interesting.
June 9, 2012
What a great book! A step on from Deadfolk, thoroughly enjoyed the story in which Royston Blake finds his voice (Iin Deadfolk he sometimes drifted back into everyday language). The characters are strong and as usual there are some difficult subjects hidden just below the surface (which Royston is largely oblivious to, in his own way). I'd rate this 4.25. I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series.
June 18, 2010
I requested this book from the library after reading this interesting article, but had to give up after four chapters. It's in the first person, and wading through the narrator's dialect kept throwing me out of the story. It's not badly written, just not for me.
July 13, 2011
Well, I liked the first in this series a lot more. This one was good, but I really just enjoyed the heck out of Deadfolk. The character had some arc for me in Deadfolk, in Booze and Burn he seems more one-dimensional caricature.
The book is still funny and enjoyable, and I'll read the next, because I'm a bit hooked on Roylston Blake.
The book is still funny and enjoyable, and I'll read the next, because I'm a bit hooked on Roylston Blake.
August 3, 2014
Royston Blake e' lo splendido anti eroe di questa avvincente e sarcastica storia...da leggere anche se purtroppo quella che e' la trilogia di Mangel risulta incompleta perche' il terzo libro non e' stato tradotto
June 10, 2013
Grimmer than DEADFOLK but just as compelling. Royston Blake can't seem to do anything right this time around.
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