Richmond and Twickenham Times:

The cinematic style of writing used by Greene makes this crime novel a must read. Brighton Rock is a murder thriller and detective story set in 1930's Brighton.

(Spoiler Alert!) It is about a young 17 year old boy who murders Hale, a journalist, in revenge for the murder of Kite, the previous leader of the mob run by Pinkie. Pinkie seduces and marries Rose as she has information which prove he is a criminal. Ida Arnold, the detective figure, follows Hales' steps and detects Pinkie as a criminal.

What did I enjoy about this novel?:

  • Greene jumps straight into action with no prior introduction to a character on the run called Hale. Greene uses the famous line: "Hale knew, before he had been in brighton three hours, that they meant to murder him". This made me continue reading as i was eager to find out the details.
  • The detective figure is a women, which is rare in crime novels, and this was very interesting and unique.
  • The use of the young characters Pinkie and Rose which enable Greene to send a contextual message to the readers - that society shapes the young people within society.

In conclusion, there are many aspects of the novel which I enjoyed, too many to write down! I highly recommend this novel and it is extremely intriguing.