Book: Vinnie Got Blown Away
Author: Jeremy Cameron
Publisher: Hope Road Publishing
Price: £7.99
Review by Catrina Walters
Set in Walthamstow, north east London, Vinnie Got Blown Away is a brilliant and humorous crime murder mystery about Nicky Burkett, a nineties cheeky chappy and wide-boy who has been in and out of prison for theft and various misdemeanours.
The novel opens with Nicky finding his best friend Vinnie dead at the bottom of the estate with his feet missing. Although Nicky doesn’t have the stomach for violence he is set on avenging his friend’s murder.
Through first person narrative, the story alternates between Nicky writing from prison, though the reason he is behind bars is only revealed later on in the novel, and an account of his quest to avenge his friend’s murder.
A fresh take on the British crime genre, the book’s pacing and colourful crime world is reminiscent of Guy Ritchie’s film Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.
The stories of Nicky’s time on the inside focuses on how he makes life easier for himself to the point where I wondered if he actually enjoyed prison life. He passes the time by attending the counselling service, visiting the chaplain and joining any football team for the simple pleasure of receiving oranges at half time, along with the showers and extra food.
Broken Britain is an underlying theme, particularly the presence of dysfunctional families, single parents, race and prison life, all wrapped up in a dark comedy which brings life and colour to the East End.
Some of the tales highlighting Nicky’s life made me laugh out loud, especially when, as part of his community service, he is taught how to cook Caribbean food by Mrs Shillingford, a blind 87 year old Dominican. While talking to his parole officer, Nicky shares his enjoyment of mastering the art of cooking yam and sweet potatoes during his weekly visit.
Nicky’s first person narrative and East End colloquialism brings the story alive with high comedy value as he juggles between being a hard man and a loveable rogue. Even the police officers he comes across have a soft spot for him.
Writer Jeremy Cameron takes us on a journey where we get to experience Nicky firsthand. We meet him as part of the underclass, a generational curse where nobody amounts to much or they aren’t motivated to do anything different.
The more you learn about Nicky’s life, the more complex he becomes. He is street savvy with a flair for speaking French. He is a highly adaptable individual and knows how to survive in the complex world that is his life, when in and out of prison. Nicky achieves this through conforming to his environment and his skill in being able to communicate with gangsters, hoodlums and dodgy police officers.
Originally published in 1995, it’s intriguing to learn that this book is just one in a series featuring the character of Nicky Burkett.
Vinnie Got Blown Away is a book to share widely with your friends, particularly men, as it is short, punchy, engaging and relatable.