Loss by Tony Black
Gus Dury has undergone a change. He has left the streets of Edinburgh and has returned to his estranged wife, Debs. She has his word that he won’t engage himself in any more suspicious situations that the police are unable or unwilling to solve. Above all else, he has quit drinking. He always carries a half bottle of Scotch in his pocket, but despite the label being completely torn off, he has never even opened it.
Then, Gus’ life starts to fall apart once more when his brother Michael is discovered dead with a bullet in his heart. How can he carry out his vows and still exact revenge for his brother’s killing?
Loss by Tony Black
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Gus Drury has abstained from alcohol for six months after finally coming to his senses.
Even better, he and his wife are once again together, and everything appears to be going well. That is until he is awakened at 2 in the morning by a phone call from the Edinburgh Police informing him that he is wanted in their headquarters immediately and that a car will pick him up. He is asked to identify a murder victim at the station, and to his astonishment, he learns that the deceased is his brother, a prosperous factory owner with no known enemies.
Gus begins to piece together the case once more, as usual being thwarted by red herrings and bent coppers.
As tensions increase, will he refrain from drinking, and will he and his wife remain married?
In a recession-ravaged Edinburgh, Gus looks into the death of his brother Michael, the family’s success story. It never stops with the surprises as he battles the alcohol and fights to maintain Debs in his life while pursuing criminal kingpins and their illegal scamming methods.
Gus is a complex and misunderstood character, a ruthless yet sensitive trailblazer who seeks answers in a fantasy city with a very dark spirit. I think what truly made it for me was how well the author transfers the emotional devastation of sorrow into Gus.
This book is excellent for reading. It depicts the ascent and descent of a man struggling with numerous demons but determined to track down the person or people who tore his heart out. It depicts the bonds of family (mother, brother, etc.) as well as the wounds left by a family’s abusive father. This is a tale of survival, internal struggle, and ultimately, victory. Gus adores and desires his wife, yet he is unable to escape the ghosts of his past. He employs his old skills from his previous work as a journalist to uncover the truth and identify his brother’s killer. Loss isn’t always tangible; it can also be psychological, like losing a pleasant childhood. This book is worthwhile to read.
