Title: Layer Cake
Author: J.J. Connolly
Rating:
4.5 stars out of 5Publisher: Black Cat
Copyright: 2000
Pages: 309
Keywords: fiction
Reading period: 11–14 August, 2009
The unnamed narrator—My name? If I told you that you'd be as clever as me—is an up-and-coming London drug dealer who wants to retire by his thirtieth birthday.
He's professional, low-key, and a little bit cocky, and he has every chance of pulling it off.
He reluctantly does a favor for the crime boss Jimmy Price and
suddenly his plans are derailed.
Double-crosses, snitches, betrayals, murders, hold ups, and stings ensue.
There's little honor among thieves, save for our hero's immediate circle.
It's easy to see why Layer Cake was made into a movie.
It's very funny and quite serious—our hero learns some hard lessons.
Connolly has an excellent ear for dialog, particularly Cockney dialog,
and perhaps a soft spot for London villains.
Recommended.