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Neil Crossıs head must be a scary place to be in. Dreams, memories, revenge, whatıs real, what people tell you and whatıs been buried float through Holloway Falls in a cinematic landscape. Itıs a dark book -- not quite noir, more grey, and youıll need a strong stomach for the ending. And itıs not a book you can categorise. Whose story is it? Is it that of screwed-up detective William Holloway, a man with many secrets? Or that of Andrew Taylor, the Bristol schoolteacher haunted by scary premonitions? Or is it a murder hunt into the death of prostitute Joanne Chapman? Whichever, the action has a filmic, dreamlike quality, as the charactersı stories move in and out of focus. Cross has a large and compelling cast, which he generally handles with panache. But in places this slickness becomes problematic, as it mitigates against much in the way of character depth or motivation. There are one or two throwaway comments that seem significant but which are never revisited. The book is self-consciously cinematic, with its constant references to Itıs A Wonderful Life. At one point a couple of the characters discuss whoıd play them in the film -- Holloway wants David Caruso to play him, whilst they reckon Bette Midler should get the nod to play big, shambling Andrew. Donıt believe what the cover blurb says, though, as youıll be looking hard for any resemblance to Get Carter, The Sweeney and Brighton Rock -- Cross is his own man. This is a definite page-turner of a book, as the action crosscuts from Bristol to London to France to New Zealand. The final showdown is breathtaking, but does tie things up a tad too neatly to be convincing in Crossıs topsy-turvy world. But on this form heıs a writer of vivid imagination and one to watch.
Reviewed by Sharon Wheeler, January 2027
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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