Wolf Tickets by Ray Banks

This review was written before I acquired my Kindle and the book was read using the iPad Kindle App. It is published by the new e-publishing company Blasted Heath and is a mighty fine read.

Wolf Tickets by Ray Banks. 2012. Blasted Heath. Epub £1.99. 187 pages ISBN 978-1-908688-18-7.

Another hard boiled stonker from the very talented Ray Banks, WOLF TICKETS features the antics of 2 former army mates; one, Farrell, who is Irish and one, Cobb, a Geordie, that have parted ways in recent years, mostly due to women, but are brought together again when Nora, one of these aforementioned women, and the love of Farrell’s life, does a runner, with a large wad of his cash and his precious leather jacket. Farrell, a thieving, all-round rascal, wants his money back, and knows exactly where to find it, as there is also a very large stash of money hidden somewhere in the North of England and his gut feeling is that Nora, also a money grabbing ne’er-do-well, is on her way to grab that too.

Both lads are hard-core trouble makers and are not afraid to use violence to get what they want. Cobb’s particular favourite is the old sock with batteries in the toe that he carries in his pocket and uses to slug people that get in his way. His other party tricks are shop-lifting, from charity shops, and fire raising – using the cans of paint stripper he has stashed in the boot of his car.

So, Farrell and Cobb set out to find Nora and get the money back but, being the kind of lads that they are, meet a whole load of trouble on the way.

Ray Banks has this talent for being able to smack you with hard core noir fiction and leave you exhausted and disturbed but, strangely, still smiling and reaching out for more. The short length of this latest shocker means you can read it in a few hours and enjoy the full impact all at once – in fact, you will lose the tension if you put it down, so just save it for an afternoon off!!

Banks and Blasted Heath together are changing my opinion of ebooks, since I get so engrossed in these nasty wee tales that I forget I am holding a Kindle and the format ceases to matter!