By: V.H. Folland
ASIN: B0051BU0B2
Published May 14, 2011 by Ragged Angel Ltd
Available Format: ebook
My Rating: ★★★★☆
The Docks is a short crime novella about Harry, a recently released convict who is struggling to stay on the straight and narrow. When Harry agrees to a small act of arson, he quickly learns there’s more to the plan than he was told. When he takes drastic measures to rescue innocent lives, taking one not-so-innocent life in the process, he finds himself neck deep in trouble. He has to confess to burglary and acting in self-defense but is trying to avoid murder and terrorism charges. Harry quickly must learn who is on his side and who might still be out to get him before he finds himself behind bars once again.
I really enjoyed this quick read. Despite his sordid past, Harry is a truly likable character. He obviously has some heart, saving the ship’s crew like he did and putting himself at risk of returning to prison. So he has to skirt the truth a bit to maintain his freedom and start rebuilding his good name—can you really blame him?
Folland’s writing style is easy to follow, and I completely felt I was part of the action throughout the whole story. You know I’ve said it before, this sort of crime drama is not really my thing, but I’m finding I enjoy it just fine every now and then, especially when it is written as well as this. For such a short book, it is really fleshed out like a full novel, which obviously takes some writing skill!
I definitely recommend The Docks for a fast, entertaining read! How else can you get a glimpse into a life of crime without ever having to pay a lawyer or wear an orange jumpsuit?
