Dead Money — Ray Banks

Double-glazing salesman Alan Slater is in trouble. He hasn't had a good sales lead in months. His wife rightly suspects him of playing around. His best mate Les Beale has turned into a bigoted, boozed-up headcase. And that's the least of it. When a rigged poker game has fatal consequences, Alan finds himself not only responsible for the clean-up, but also for Beale's escalating debt to a man who won't take "broke" for an answer. As Beale's life spirals out of control, he becomes ever more desperately reliant on Alan to save his skin. But Alan isn't about to be dragged into the gutter by anyone, least of all his bad-beat, dead money former mate. After all, there's no such thing as a compassionate double-glazing salesman. "Memorable characterisation, Manchester at night and at its most sinister, lives flooding down the plughole - this is British noir in all its sordid splendour by a writer who has taken more than just an excursion to the dark side." - The Guardian"A pitch perfect novel" - Crime Fiction Lover"Brimming with pitch-black humour and written with a claustrophobic mania to rival the finest noir exponents, it's compelling and finely honed stuff." - The Big Issue"Dark, nasty, funny, and painfully human" - Spinetingler Magazine"A tight and pacy read, the prose stripped to the bone and the dialogue pitch-perfect. Fans of Colin Bateman and Elmore Leonard will find it hits their sweet spot. Cohen brother lovers; one for you too." - Loitering With Intent"A great story. It's tight as hell and it's so deliberate that it's a complete joy to read. I loved Dead Money"- Dead End Follies"An intensive masterclass in how to write." - Helen FitzGerald "Banks writes in a clean style, looped with inky black humor, and the plot goes at a lightning pace, heaping dread upon dread." - On The Book Beat"Dead Money is a quick read and a thoroughly enjoyable one, a Guy Ritchie film in prose, minus a lot of the showing off." - Kate of Mind"Ray Banks writes with harshness, humour and