The Poker Club by Ed Gorman - Book Review

Many of us have thought about what would happen if a burglar broke in while we were in the house. The Poker Club opens in this way. Aaron Tyler and his three friends are quietly playing poker in the attic when they hear breaking glass.
There has been increasing trouble in the neighbourhood. The boys know it from past experience and rush downstairs to confront the intruder. A ferocious fight ensues that ends in the burglar's bloody death. It's happened before elsewhere and it will surely happen again. You'd call the police, right?
But wait a minute. The burglar is covered with bruises and bumps. He is dead for goodness sake, and the force that consigned him from this world was overwhelming and excessive. Just who would the police start investigating when they turned up in numbers? Four on to one was hardly fair odds, but what is fair about a burglar invading one's home? Has the pendulum swung too far in favour of the transgressor?
Against Aaron's better judgment he lets the others persuade him that the better option would be to dump the body. Big mistake. From there on in their lives spiral downwards, but there is no going back.
Ed Gorman has written a decent thriller here. It is easy to get into and is a real page turner. All the action is sandwiched into a period of not much more than a week. It is easy to imagine it as a Hollywood movie, may be that is where its true roots lie.
I do have one minor gripe. There seemed to be far too many typos and spelling mistakes in the manuscripts. No doubt this is not Mister Gorman's fault, but if I were him I would be having a word with my publisher. It did become irritating and after a while I was looking out for the next one, rather than concentrating on the story.
That apart, I liked it a lot and would read more of Mister Gorman's work. If you like Lee Child's stuff I think you would enjoy this one too. Recommended.
David Carter's new novel "The Fish Catcher" tells the story of a group of children evacuated from London during World War II to escape the blitz bombing. It turns into a murder mystery and has been well reviewed. You can check out the first chapter on David's website at http://www.davidcarter.euThe book is available in hard copy or by instant download, and can be ordered in any bookshop quoting ISBN 978 - 1847539304