When The Music's Over : Aidan Thorn

When The Music's Over : Aidan Thorn

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When Benny Gower murders his business partner few people doubt his good reasons for doing so. Unlike Benny, it’s not as if Harry Weir was popular. But he was the heir to Birmingham’s most violent and dangerous criminal organisation.

For Wynn McDonald, dragged out of retirement for the sake of his old gangland accomplices, motive doesn’t matter. All he cares about is tracking down the nightclub manager turned killer. But before Wynn can extract necessary vengeance he’ll need to turn over every stone on his way to finding answers. And not everybody’s going to be happy with the truths that come crawling out.

When the Music’s Over is a classic crime story of winners and losers among the music, drugs and nightclubs of Britain’s second city. 

"A revenge filled romp into the underbelly of noir."  -Just a Guy That Likes to Read

"Moves along at a good pace, but the well-developed characters (Wynn in particular) make you savour, rather than gulp the pages down. It is a story filled with sub plots and depth, with equal parts menace and melancholy, beautifully written to a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended."  -Robert Cowan (author of The Search for Ethan)

"I don’t think the Birmingham tourist bureau is going to be clapping Thorn on the back any time soon, but he brings the city to vivid (albeit criminal) life. Thorn captures the hungry band on the edge of success so well. Even the aged and jaded hired gun finds himself captivated by the secrets of the past — and the brutal payoffs they set in motion."  -Graham Wynd (author of Extricate)

"When the Music’s Over by Aidan Thorn is a hell of a hit of noir. Everything about it feels right; great characters, perfect plotting, great economy of words, and most importantly, it is a satisfying read that hooks you from the beginning and leaves you no choice but to read it to its blistering end."  -Regular Guy Reading Noir

"A lethal cocktail of hardboiled crime fiction as well as a touching study of regret and disappointment. The action is brutal, the characters are vividly drawn, the pacing is gripping. Aidan Thorn’s When the Music's Over is a powerful slice of Brit Grit crime fiction that is highly recommended."  -Paul D Brazill (author of Guns of Brixton and Cold London Blues)

"The ingredients of the story work well, the ending is very satisfying. The characters are well-drawn and the setting is nicely created. Overall, a fun and rewarding visit into dark territories. Definitely one for the list for fans of things Brit Grit."  -Nigel Bird (author of Southsiders)

"The author knows his roots and it comes across better because of it. The story flows smoothly and the imagery the author created was effective and compelling. A thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining short read that was told from a refreshing perspective."  - Darren Sant (author of The Bank Manager and the Bum and Tales of the Longcroft)

"Aidan Thorn writes about the terror and awe of modern life with a clear eye and a courage that is so refreshing, it's nothing less than miraculous. In a literary landscape too often given over to the ephemeral, the commercial and the unashamedly vapid, Aidan writes tales so authentic, so imbued with a true power they could be chiselled on the damn mountains."  -Gareth Spark (author of Black Rain, Rain in a Dry Land and Snake Farm)

"Rounded, realist stories that are gritty, but believable, inhabited by people you feel you know even after a few pages. A writer to watch."  -Robert Cowan (author of The Search for Ethan)

"Thugs, gangsters, desperadoes, and the odd good egg... Thorn writes about characters formed on estates, who want to do good, but have had the joy beaten out of them by circumstances. Thorn gets under your skin."  -Jason Beech (author of Over the Shoulder and Bullets, Teeth and Fists)


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