This is a stunning debut novel. Dark and morally ambiguous, the writing is scalpel-sharp, compulsive and hypnotic with a killer twist.
The evocation of the small, walled border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed is pitch perfect. Northumberland has served as a backdrop to the Vera novels by Ann Cleeves (and the TV series) and the George Gently TV series (although the novels by Alan Hunter are set elsewhere). Geoff Aird has captured the raw essence of Berwick and its people in a tense and scarily intimate way. The characters, most of them misfits, are revealed layer by layer, and the often toxic relationships are all too believable.
A novel not to be missed.

I really enjoyed how well the setting was described. It made me feel like I was right there with the characters. The book uses multiple perspectives and voices which helps the reader get to know each of the characters. The characters themselves are an interesting mix - some very relatable and others kind of cliched. It’s a good story once it hits its stride and would be a great choice for a holiday read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Matador for a review copy of Within the Walls, a crime investigation set in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Maths teacher, Jez Guinness, is returning to his hometown of Berwick-upon-Tweed for the funeral of his friend Kevin Devine who was brutally murdered three weeks before. There he meets Met forensic profiler, Elijah Bootle, who is on holiday to rest and recuperate after a brutal case and they chat casually about Kevin’s murder. Elijah’s professional curiosity is aroused and he jots down an informal profile that he gives to D.C. Gordon “ Goagsie” Mackay.

Within the Walls is a mixed bag and it’s slow to start. The investigation into the murder of Kevin Devine takes a back seat to long descriptions of the town (I imagine that readers who know the town will be able to recognise every scene) and even longer descriptions of his friends, their backgrounds and interactions. The reader gets crowded by all these characters, although their characterisation and attitudes are very authentic. I know that Berwick is in England but the dialogue is very Scottish, in fact very east coast Scottish, so even I, a west coast Scot, didn’t know all the words.

The novel is told mostly from Jez, Elijah and Goagsie’s point of view, with others chipping in as and when required. It gives the novel a slightly disjointed feel, but makes it very sociable as it includes all of Jez and Kevin’s friends.

The normal point of a crime novel is to find and apprehend the killer. This novel takes a different tack. There is no serious investigation, it is more a few guys throwing some ideas around in between drinking and eating. Instead it concentrates on the characters and their reactions. This is well done and deserves applause but it’s not my main interest when reading crime fiction as I like a serious investigation and a strong resolution. The actual resolution was a good twist that I didn’t see coming, but ultimately I found it unsatisfying. The novel didn’t pull me in or hold my attention, because before the last third there isn’t much going on in terms of crime fighting.

I understand that Within the Walls is a debut novel. As such I don’t think that it has the balance quite right, with too much unnecessary detail clogging a clear view of events. On the other hand the plot is clever and has some good disguise and the characterisation is strong.