I would like to thank Netgalley and Black & White Publishing for an advance copy of Restless Coffins, the third novel to feature Bristol based enquiry agent Joseph "JT" Ellington.

Joseph is shocked when a telegram from his elusive, criminal cousin, Vic, tell him his sister is dead and asks him to return to Barbados to settle her affairs. Little does he know what this entails or how closely Vic is involved but with Vic pulling the strings his trip home involves detours to New York and New Orleans.

I thoroughly enjoyed Restless Coffins which is an unusual mixture of lyrical descriptions, complicated plotting and serious violence with a high body count.

The novel is narrated by Joseph in the first person. There are pros and cons to this approach but on the whole it works well. It makes it easy for the reader to understand and identify with Joseph, a black man in 1960s England and America where racism was alive and accepted as the norm. Mr Wright does an excellent job of describing Joseph's frustration at the accepted assumption of white superiority by white people, especially the harsh realities of American race laws and segregation. I also found an early scene of his experiences in a pub sad but realistic. The downside is that the reader only sees the other characters through Joseph's eyes, especially the fascinating Vic.

I love the descriptions in the novel from the heat of Barbados to poverty of New York. Mr Wright has produced an atmospheric novel where the reader can visualise the settings and Joseph's feelings.

The plot is complicated with the Machiavellian Vic pulling the strings, initially from afar, but latterly in person. I found myself getting lost in some of his machinations, most of which seem unnecessarily convoluted and read as obvious plot devices, but the basic premise of Shakespearian revenge is obvious. The pacing of the novel is good as Joseph learns bit by bit the reasoning behind all his adventures, although misadventures is probably a better word.

The level of violence in the novel is high so it's not for the faint hearted. It is interesting to see the Black Panthers make an appearance and mention of their aim to win equality through violence. There is a certain irony, therefore, in the events that unfold.

Restless Coffins is an absorbing read which I have no hesitation in recommending.