From the first page with it's hint of eroticism, to the final chapters that literally kept me up until 2.30am, this is one beautifully crafted, spell-binding piece of writing by Howard Linskey. I have to admit to being a bit biased - I love Newcastle. Like many cities there is the glamour and the glee, but like Liverpool, Birmingham, Glasgow and London, there's a much darker side to it; the side that lies beyond the glare of the shopping masses. Linskey accurately captures both halves of this city to create a rich, culturally astute and contemporary backdrop against which his chief characters stride - malevolently, often brutally. Without wanting to spoil the story - the death of a gangster and the loss of money (the Drop), sends Davey Blake on a hunt that drags him right into the criminal underbelly of the city - drugs, extortion, bent police and scandal, tempered with some tenderness and emotional attachment that constitutes a mini-fatal attraction sub-plot - mean that all of the ingredients are there for a gripping read. If your definition of a good crime novel is Dan Brown, then read THE DROP and think again. Whilst Brown is obviously very talented, Linskey's characters are raw, English and working class through and through and, for me, that gives him the edge. Culturally, it's like comparing Meatloaf to the Arctic Monkeys; Quincey to the Sweeney; and Bernstein and Sondheim to Alan Bleasdale. Well done Mr Linskey. Can't wait for THE DAMAGE in 2012!