The Bricks That Built The Houses

"The novel opens with a young trio tearing away from London with an ill-gotten suitcase of cash and violence on their heels. Think you know what’s next? The novel that follows doesn’t fit the script. It’s full of crimes, but it’s no thriller; imagine aimlessness, not a chase. It’s a searing portrait of love, crushed dreams, youthful despair and stubborn longing in fast-gentrifying London. As a novel it’s far from perfect, and the meandering plot drove me bonkers. But I didn’t regret a minute I spent with the characters, drawn in agonizingly empathetic detail by a keen-eyed poet."