Being a native of The Black Pool I can hand on heart say that this is one of the best crime novels I have read in years. It is as true to life as it can be and at times poetically laments the story of a city and its troubles with passion and heart while staying true to what the books core is all about. I really enjoyed the story because as the gang grows so does this story, Robert certainly knows his hometown and the greater workings of the drug trade and how these criminal gangs operate. Throughout the book he captures the different criminal era's in time so, so well with a knowledge and honesty that brings the book to life. This is by no means a crime novel that looks to glamourise or show the criminals in good light, quite the opposite. I highly recommend this book.

I am 64 year old Nan who loves a good gritty crime novel and this hit the spot. Got The Black Pool as a present and was not sure what it was all about but as I got stuck in I just could not put it down. A crime novel with lots of twists and turns, murder, drugs, a boat or two and plenty of swearing, l love it. The story does cover many social issues and the author I must admit brings them out in the open and handles them nicely but in a way that keeps in line with the book. What I mean is the book is not glossing over anything and for me calls it as it was. I will not give anything away but it is a great book, so I will leave it at that. Margaret

I loved the historical element of this book added to the rise of a criminal gang that takes you on a fascinating page turner of a book. It's great to read a book that is not a generic publication of crime, love and punishment but a book that takes you deep into the dark underworld of the criminal mindset. The Black Pool is certainly a 5 star thumb up for me.