A harsh novel portraying the colourful lives of three complex characters and their families, lovers and colleagues in the brutal surroundings of the Cardiff docks.

Nofel arw yn portreadu bywydau lliwgar tri chymeriad cymhleth, eu teuluoedd, cariadon a'u cydweithwyr yn ardal greulon dociau Caerdydd.

Fresh, compelling and immensely readable, this collection of short tales of Cardiff and the occasionally intertwining lives of a select few of its inhabitants, is an absolute joy to behold; especially to anyone with an adequate knowledge of Wales’s premier city. Full of contemporary cultural references, well-known settings and pinpoint descriptive prose, Williams treats the reader to a fresh snatch of criminal culture, inner sexual depravity and a magnified insight into a myriad of colourful characters.

Skipping briefly through each independent story, although occasionally overdoing the dramatic twists, there is never a bland moment in this text. The author sheds light on the inner workings, desires and deviancies of day-to-day people you may well bump into in any big city, and it is this overwhelming sense of familiarity that adds the real sparkle to this book. From Mikey, the cheeky shoplifter who dreams of so much more, to Deryck, the inverted copper whose position of moral power belies his real desires.

Genuinely funny in parts and dramatically worrying in others, this book is sure to open the eyes of any reader to the countercultures that exist in our own backyard. Voyeuristic to the extreme, this is for all those who find themselves wondering exactly what is going on with that stranger over the other side of the road. Read this and perhaps you’ll find out!

Jack Clothier

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgement should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.

Gellir defnyddio’r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatad Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.