#BlogTour Fade to Grey by John Lincoln

Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Fade to Grey by John Lincoln. It's a legal and crime thriller with a mystery thrown in to boot, which is complicated by the personal issues that seem to follow Gethin around like a bad smell.

About the Author
John Lincoln is the transparent pseudonym of John Williams, the novelist, biographer and crime fiction reviewer for the Mail on Sunday. In his twenties John Williams wrote a book called Into The Badlands, about American crime fiction (‘John Williams' Into the Badlands opened up the world of American crime fiction for me and a generation’ – David Peace).

His true crime account of a notorious miscarriage of justice, Bloody Valentine, is a cult classic, described by Benjamin Zephaniah as his favourite book. Since then he’s written eight more books including the Cardiff Trilogy of novels and biographies of Michael X, Eartha Kitt and Dame Shirley Bassey.

Follow @JohnelWilliams @noexitpress on Twitter, Visit johnlwilliams.co.uk
Buy Fade to Grey

About the book
Gethin Grey is the man you call when there’s nowhere else to turn. His Last Resort Legals team
investigates miscarriages of justice. But Gethin is running out of options himself: his gambling is out of control, his marriage is falling apart and there’s no money left to pay the wages…

Izma M was sent down years ago for the brutal murder of a young woman. In jail he’s written a
bestseller and become a cult hero, and now the charismatic fading-film-star Amelia Laverne wants to
bankroll Gethin to prove Izma's innocence. For Gethin – low on luck and cash – the job is heaven sent.

But is Izma M really as blameless as his fans believe? This seemingly cold case is about to turn very hot indeed…

Review
The Last Resort Legals team has become the team to call when it comes to miscarriages of justice. They are a direct line from the prisoners to the possible door to freedom via a legal defence team. Of course nearly everyone behind bars protests their innocence even when the evidence points directly at them.

Gethin Grey is an odd mixture of a man who wants to be known for his noble endeavours, and yet simultaneously he is driven at heart by his gambling addiction and inner demons. Perhaps he thinks he can use his so-called saintly actions to rescue innocent people from the prison system to cleanse his guilty conscience.

Aside from the gratuitous one-time use of an offensive term referencing a certain sexuality it's an easygoing crime read. Lincoln keeps the violence to a minimum, despite the story being a fast-moving complex plot of red herrings and false identities. All of which becomes doubly complicated by the client who wants Gethin to prove Ismaz is doing the time, but didn't commit the crime.

I have to admit I wasn't feeling Gethin's wife and her justifications or her reactions, possibly because Gethin manages to come off as a sympathetic character. Not sure how, because he has a thirst for lady luck and the propensity to fall into the arms of accommodating women.

It's the type of crime thriller that keeps an authentic feel throughout because a lot of the scenarios border on realism. Gethin has to put his own problems aside to deal with the mystery of whether Izma is guilty or not. Lincoln shows how easily someone can be stereotyped and fall into the clutches of the legal and prison system, despite the lack of any substantial evidence.

It's a legal and crime thriller with a mystery thrown in to boot, which is complicated by the personal issues that seem to follow Gethin around like a bad smell. Oh, and just as a small side note - I was fascinated by the upside down house. I think it might have messed with my head a little.

Buy Fade to Grey at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: No Exit Press; pub date 21 Feb 2019, Buy at No Exit Press