Stevan Alcock

Why did I wait so long for the price to drop before downloading this? Brilliant! From the Yorkshire dialect of narrator Rick to the evocative descriptions of the late 70s, Stevan Alcock's novel is an entertaining pleasure to read - funny, poignant, and a powerful mix of fact and fiction, set around the Yorkshire Ripper murders. I come from Bradford, so obviously the glottal stops and choice grammar of the narration didn't bother me at all, quickly falling into a natural rhythm that I will actually miss now that I've finished reading and parted company with Rick, but I can see why this might bother other readers (nothing like trying to read Joseph's dialogue in Wuthering Heights, though!)

Rick is a young gay lad with a part time job delivering pop bottles to various communities around Leeds, so when the first victim of the Yorkshire Ripper is found by a milkman on his route, the deaths start to become part of his daily life (each chapter is named after a victim). But this is more Rick's story, living with his family, but also leading a life apart, seeking love and lust in a community which is still darkly homophobic. Neither is Rick the only one in his family keeping secrets.

I just loved every page, keeping my Kindle glued to my fingers all day! Rick is far from a charmer, but he's open and sympathetic and I grew to love his blunt Yorkshire voice. His family are all scarily believable too! Another favourite, worth waiting for.… (mehr)