Breakers by Doug Johnstone

#Blogtour #Bookreview Breakers by Doug Johnstone

My Rating: 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

Pages: 300

Publisher: Orendabooks

Available: 16th May 2019

Genre: fiction / psychological thriller

With thanks to Anne Cater of #Randomthingstours, Karen from Orendabooks and the Author Doug for my copy of the book and spot on the tour. This is certainly one I will remember for a long time!

Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Tyler lives in one of Edinburgh’s most deprived areas. Whilst trying to care for his little sister and his drug-addicted mother, he’s also coerced into robbing rich people’s homes by his bullying older siblings.

One night whilst on a job, his brother Barry stabs a homeowner and leaves her for dead. And that’s just the beginning of their nightmare, because they soon discover the woman is the wife of Edinburgh’s biggest crime lord, Deke Holt.

With the police and the Holts closing in, and his shattered family in terrible danger, Tyler is running out of options, until he meets posh girl Flick in another stranger’s house. Could she be his salvation? Or will he end up dragging her down with him?

My Thoughts:

From start to very end this is a powerfully emotive tale, full of heartbreaking and surprisingly honest scenarios. This is a close look at family ties, crossing social boundaries and classes, and all the complications and trials that go alongside it.

Following Tyler we come to see how one person who is born into a life surrounded by crime and hardship can still have a good heart, how fighting to maintain a stable life for those we love can make us further appreciate the life we have.

Tyler is far from enviable, his position in life leading him to steal from others homes, causing upset to those families. But I found myself not just liking him, but rooting for him entirely. Tyler is who he is as a result of his own position and situation within society.

From the very start it is clear to see that he loves his young sister very much, and is trying to do anything he can to keep her safe, to give her some measure of happiness. He does the things he does because he can’t find another way, but when there appears to be another way he takes it.

The book is a gloriously honest look at how imperfect life is, how imperfect the world we live in. It’s a heart wrenching story that will stay with me for a long time and I don’t doubt other readers will feel the same. The writing style is gripping, with an easy flow that makes you fly through the story even as the emotions aren’t always comfortable.

This was my first time reading a book from Doug, but certainly won’t be the last.

About The Author:

Doug Johnstone is an author, journalist and musician based in Edinburgh.

He’s had nine novels published, most recently Fault Lines. His previous

novel, The Jump, was a finalist for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime

Novel of the Year. Several of his other novels have been award winners and

bestsellers, and he’s had short stories published in numerous anthologies

and literary magazines. His work has been praised by the likes of Ian Rankin,

Val McDermid and Irvine Welsh. Several of his novels have been optioned

for film and television. Doug is also a Royal Literary Fund Consultant Fellow.

He’s worked as an RLF Fellow at Queen Margaret University, taught creative

writing at Strathclyde University and William Purves Funeral Directors.

He mentors and assesses manuscripts for The Literary Consultancy and

regularly tutors at Moniack Mhor writing retreat. Doug has released seven albums in various bands, and is drummer, vocalist and occasional guitarist for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He also reviews books for The Big Issue magazine, is player-manager for Scotland Writers Football Club and has a PhD in nuclear physics.