Prey Dancing

Amazon: Prey Dancing by Jonathan Gash

Following hot on the heels of Different Women Dancing, I went through the sequel, Prey Dancing, like a dose of salts. It helped that it was the Easter break, but I do find this series to be real page-turners.

The second novel builds on the first. There are ongoing plot strands running through, but this one has a more clearly self-contained story within it, about gangland violence between rival drug dealers.

What’s good about it? The immersion in the criminal underworld again, with all its associated slang. I like how the violence and reprisals are carefully planned out, so the underworld doesn’t have to be intruded upon by the world of law and order. The violence is generally graphic, but not brutally so.

I don't know whether I'm showing my age, but I wonder whether the characters, pretty much all in their early 20s, sometimes seem a bit too old and well, wise. Maybe that's a reflection of growing up fast on the streets.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed re-reading this. I’ll be straight on to the next book once I’m reunited with my library!

I do have to reiterate a niggle from the first book, though, about the editing. Near the start, Clare Burtonall (the novels are called the “Dr Clare Burtonall" series, and of all the characters I wonder why she gets the lead billing!) has a pillow-talk conversation with Bonn, the goer, and asks about “pollen”: a slang term for drugs. Bonn knows the word but doesn’t let on, and then a short time later we have him asking someone what it means. Come on, Mr Editor! We’re busy authors, help us out here!