Gumshoe Blues
Table of Contents
Gumshoe Blues
Gumshoe Blues is a set of four stories from author Paul D. Brazill. These stories follow Peter Ord, a private investigator in Seatown, England.
One of the things I love about short stories is that I can read them before bed, and still get enough sleep. If you’ve ever played the “just one more chapter” game, then you know exactly what I’m talking about! Stories like this are perfect for a bedtime read.
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About Gumshoe Blues
Following the breakdown of his marriage, in a booze-addled flash of inspiration, Peter Ord decides to become a private investigator. Dark farce and tragicomedy soon ensue. Peter must tackle many challenging cases, and when he comes under the radar of a local crime lord, he may have bitten off more than he can chew. With sidekicks, like boozy hack, Bryn Laden, failure is not an option – it’s compulsory.
Thoughts on Gumshoe Blues
Gumshoe Blues would be the longest book in this series of four. The stories are Gumshoe Blues, Mr. Kiss and Tell, Who Killed Skippy, and The Lady and the Gimp.
What I found interesting about these books is that they all build on each other, and as it reads, it makes more and more sense. I found I enjoyed Paul Brazill’s writing style.
Originally when I first started reading the book, I thought I was reading something from New York City in 1940, and the tale of an old school mobster. It has that feel to it. Yet it is more modern, like the story comes with a facelift. It details the shadier side of life that most of us don’t see.
Meet Peter Ord
Peter Ord is a former school teacher turned private investigator who dabbles in some organized crime work and always gets the job done. There is nothing he will not do for the right paycheck. All that really matters is who is buying the next round of drinks.
This was a book that I had trouble getting started and really didn’t expect to enjoy. But as I read it, my attention was definitely captured until the end. Until this book, I had never heard of Paul D. Brazill. But after reading Gumshoe Blues, I am looking forward to reading more of his books because I enjoyed his writing style. He has another one coming out soon called Seatown Blues, a sequel to Gumshoe Blues.
Short but excellent story
The book is short, being only one hundred pages. Yet the character development is excellent. The characters are easy to follow, and even relatable. In a crime series, I wasn’t expecting relatable characters. That was certainly a pleasant surprise. Gumshoe Blues is a tale of life most of us will never see or experience.
I would recommend this book if you are looking for a dark yet funny short crime novel. It is a great quick read for those who don’t have a ton of spare time. Yet it is worth every minute spent reading!
I called this a 5 star read, because it was so unexpectedly great to read. I love it when a story blows my expectations out of the water like that.
Discussion
Have you read Gumshoe Blues, or any others from Paul Brazill? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Like my book reviews? Read more here.
Purchasing
For the paperback version, click here.
For the Kindle version, click here.
If you are in the market for a new Kindle, here is my personal favorite.
About The Author
Paul D. Brazill’s books include Last Year’s Man, Guns Of Brixton, Too Many Crooks, A Case Of Noir, and Kill Me Quick! He was born in England and lives in Poland. His writing has been translated into Italian, Finnish, Polish, German and Slovene. He has had writing published in various magazines and anthologies, including The Mammoth Books of Best British Crime.
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12 Comments
Scott DeNicola
I love a good organized crime story. This may have to be a book that I check out especially being on the short side with my limited attention span. I’m always looking for a good new author. I’ll look into Paul Brazil and his other books.
Kelly Martin
I don’t usually read crime novels but this series by Paul D. Brazil sounds good. I’ll keep an eye out for these books next time I’m looking for something to read.
Lene
Oooh, this looks great! Thanks for the tip (actually went and got the book before I left this comment. because I need a good distraction).
Daphne Takahashi
I really like crime style books! i always try to act like a detective and try to solve to cases before reaching the end of the book! lol Found really interesting this book! Thanks for sharing!
Alexandra
I have actually never heard of him before. I find myself curious as to why you didn’t expect that you would like it. However, I’m glad you did. And it’s great that the character development is excellent. I don’t get much time to read but If I do, I would tend to shy away from such short length books only because I really like to feel like I’m a part of the story and, frankly, when that happens it’s so much fun! If I knew it only had about 100 pages and didn’t read your review I would think it really wouldn’t be worth the time.
Ivana Mearns
Thanks for the review, I was just thinking what to read next, this book sounds amazing.
Britt
I love when I find myself pleasantly surprised by a book – it has happened a handful of times, and each time it brought a big smile to my face! With the short length of this, I might just have to grab it as the perfect ‘road trip read’ while my husband is driving. We take the 6-7 hour trip up to visit family each year, so plenty of time to get through it!
Jessica Collazo
I love crime novels. They get me in suspense all the way to the end. I will check this one out.
Thuy
I used to love crime novels as a kid, this sounds like a great one to read. I’ve never read anything by this author so I’m glad you made this review
Lyosha
Looks like a lovely book! I have just finished a book series I pretty much into so I am even more curious to start with something I will like. It looks like a hit to me.
Lyanna Soria
I’ve never heard of this book before but after reading your review it sounds quite interesting. I will have to check this out sometime.
Luna S
Usually I am a fan of fantasy books but this sounds pretty interesting! Thanks for sharing it.