Black Moss by David Nolan
Published by Fahrenheit Press
Publication Date: 27th September 2018
Genre: Crime/Mystery &Thrillers
My thanks to Fahrenheit Press and Kelly Lacey at Love Books Group for the opportunity to read and review Black Moss as part of the blog tour - a new author for me, and yet another to add to my ever-growing list of authors to look out for.
Book Description:
In April 1990, as rioters took over Strangeways prison in Manchester, someone killed a little boy at Black Moss.
And no one cared.
No one except Danny Johnston, an inexperienced radio reporter trying to make a name for himself.
More than a quarter of a century later, Danny returns to his home city to revisit the murder that's always haunted him.
If Danny can find out what really happened to the boy, maybe he can cure the emptiness he's felt inside since he too was a child.
But finding out the truth might just be the worst idea Danny Johnston has ever had.
And no one cared.
No one except Danny Johnston, an inexperienced radio reporter trying to make a name for himself.
More than a quarter of a century later, Danny returns to his home city to revisit the murder that's always haunted him.
If Danny can find out what really happened to the boy, maybe he can cure the emptiness he's felt inside since he too was a child.
But finding out the truth might just be the worst idea Danny Johnston has ever had.
My Review:
If you are of a sensitive disposition then to be honest this may not be the book for you as it is touches on some issues which make for uncomfortable reading at times. Subjects such as alcohol dependency, child neglect and abuse are the tip of the iceberg so be warned that this is a very straight talking author who is not afraid to bring hard-hitting issues to the fore.
The book switches between two time zones, 1990 when Danny is starting out as a radio journalist who feels extremely insignificant in the pecking order at Manchester Radio while the Strangeways riots rage and 2016 where Danny has made his way in his chosen career but ghosts from the past and a dependence on the demon drink have burst his bubble and brought the whole house of cards tumbling down.
The first half of the book is a bit of a slow burner but ticks steadily along to give us vital background to our characters. As the pace of the Strangeways riots builds to a crescendo in 1990, the 21st century chapters also step up and the answers to the questions Danny is seeking just seem to keep eluding him, in fact leave him more uncomfortable and with even more loose ends than he started with. Back in the day, Danny is sent to report on a bleak discovery at the edge of a reservoir - a young unidentified child has been abused and killed, dumped on the sand at the edge of the water. The scene affects Danny deeply, especially as he struggles to get the incident in the public domain - his reports are glossed over by the radio station staff who would rather seek the glory of a Strangeways scoop to further their careers than feature a 'nobody' in their news reports. More doors are metaphorically slammed in his face as he tries to seek answers from the local constabulary. It doesn't sit right in Danny's mind or heart.
With Danny's own fall from grace in 2016, the case is still giving Danny sleepless nights and he decides that in order to move on with his own life he needs to revisit his past. His return opens old wounds and despite social media and the freedom of information making people much easier to track down than back in the day, some people don't want him poking around in old cases. Danny is nothing if not determined to find out the identity of the boy at Black Moss and is shocked when the pieces finally fall into place.
The amount of research and the personal investment the author has put into this book comes across strongly, and having read David Nolan's own background I can see how much this book must mean to him to get his message across. There have been far too many children lost in the 'system' over the years and it is truly shocking and upsetting to consider how their lives must have panned out once they crossed over into the so-called 'care system'. I have so much respect for people like David who are raising their profile, and giving these lost children a voice.
The book switches between two time zones, 1990 when Danny is starting out as a radio journalist who feels extremely insignificant in the pecking order at Manchester Radio while the Strangeways riots rage and 2016 where Danny has made his way in his chosen career but ghosts from the past and a dependence on the demon drink have burst his bubble and brought the whole house of cards tumbling down.
The first half of the book is a bit of a slow burner but ticks steadily along to give us vital background to our characters. As the pace of the Strangeways riots builds to a crescendo in 1990, the 21st century chapters also step up and the answers to the questions Danny is seeking just seem to keep eluding him, in fact leave him more uncomfortable and with even more loose ends than he started with. Back in the day, Danny is sent to report on a bleak discovery at the edge of a reservoir - a young unidentified child has been abused and killed, dumped on the sand at the edge of the water. The scene affects Danny deeply, especially as he struggles to get the incident in the public domain - his reports are glossed over by the radio station staff who would rather seek the glory of a Strangeways scoop to further their careers than feature a 'nobody' in their news reports. More doors are metaphorically slammed in his face as he tries to seek answers from the local constabulary. It doesn't sit right in Danny's mind or heart.
With Danny's own fall from grace in 2016, the case is still giving Danny sleepless nights and he decides that in order to move on with his own life he needs to revisit his past. His return opens old wounds and despite social media and the freedom of information making people much easier to track down than back in the day, some people don't want him poking around in old cases. Danny is nothing if not determined to find out the identity of the boy at Black Moss and is shocked when the pieces finally fall into place.
The amount of research and the personal investment the author has put into this book comes across strongly, and having read David Nolan's own background I can see how much this book must mean to him to get his message across. There have been far too many children lost in the 'system' over the years and it is truly shocking and upsetting to consider how their lives must have panned out once they crossed over into the so-called 'care system'. I have so much respect for people like David who are raising their profile, and giving these lost children a voice.
Buy your copy here:
Kindle Link - https://fahrenheit-press.myshopify.com/products/david-nolan-black-moss-ebook-kindle-version
Epub Link - https://fahrenheit-press.myshopify.com/products/david-nolan-black-moss-ebook-epub-version
About the Author:
David is a multi-award-winning author, television producer and crime reporter. He has written a dozen books including Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil, the true story of the largest historic abuse case ever mounted by Greater Manchester Police. He presented a BBC Radio 4 documentary based on the book called The Abuse Trial. It won both the Rose D’Or and the New York International radio awards in 2016. Officers involved in the case helped David with the police procedures featured in Black Moss, particularly the way the system deals with missing children.
