The Long Firm. Jake Arnott

by Jake Arnott

Book Overview

Harry Starks, club owner, racketeer and porn king, is trying to jump the queue into legitimacy. This swinging sixties novel reveals the seedier side of London where the low life met the high life in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0340748788
• ISBN13: 9780340748787
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Sceptre
• Length: 343 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An Offer You Can't Refuse

The Long Firm is a gripping novel of the 1960s London crime syndicate headed by gay mobster Harry Starks. Arnott's juxtaposition of the two elements (the mob & homosexuality) provide a truly uncommon combination and tension that's utterly fascinating. The atmospheric work is amazing as well. The underground scene vividly comes to life, is driven by a solid plot, peopled with excellent characters (especially Harry himself), and given great period touches...and it even includes a guest appearance by Judy Garland. The Long Firm is a bold and successful literary undertaking that really delivers on it's promise...and makes the reader an offer he/she can't refuse. Seedy, sensational, and a truly unique gay historical/cultural treat.

4 hours, 5 coffees, and 9 cigarettes

I couldn't put it down. The characters and locations seemed very real (They should, many were real.). Jack The Hat's chapter was the most engaging, but each narrator gave a different, and interesting view of Harry.I disagree with the reviewer who didn't find redeeming qualities in Harry. Perhaps I've fallen for the same mythic appeal of the outlaw as the characters in the book, but I found Harry to be quite likeable.(I'd also like to say that the author's understanding of mod/skinhead culture was surprisingly accurate. This element doesn't take up much of the book, but is frequently misrepresented in fiction, so it seems noteworthy when someone gets it right. The author obviously took great pains to make his characters as genuine as possible.)

Original Slant

I thoroughly enjoyed the original slant Arnott put on this book. While dealing with the same character throughout the book, he manages to use different views to keep the story fresh and the reader uneasy. It is truly a page turner that exceeds the reader's expectations.

The great story of a minor villain

THE LONG FIRM is an excellent crime novel with an unconventional approach. It tells the story of London crime boss Mad Harry Starks from the first-person viewpoints of several of his associates through the 1960s and 70s: his rent-boy turned house-boy Terry; closeted politician Lord Thursby; aging freelance villain Jack the Hat; failed sex-symbol and minor actress Ruby Ryder; and finally, socialist criminologist Lenny. Arnott's description of scams such as 'the long firm', demurrage, airport rackets and pornography smuggling is fascinating, and so detailed that it feels almost autobiographical. He has also done a superb job of capturing the seedy side of London in the '60s.When we first meet Harry, he is singing "there's no business like show business" while heating up a poker to torture a former lover, and despite his charm and his attempts to seem respectable, we never forget how dangerous Harry really is. The plot mostly concerns Harry's attempt to build up his own empire in the shadow of the Kray twins, with some assistance from a corrupt vice squad detective who wants to see all of London's porn business run by one firm. Occasional touches of humour lighten the sleaziness, but can't dispell it, and the book never becomes a comedy. Even if you're not normally a fan of crime fiction, but are looking for a well-written character-driven novel, THE LONG FIRM is well worth reading.

Extraordinary story and extraordinary characters.

Jake Arnott has broken the mold. Crime sories will now be compared to The Long Firm. I knew the BBC was doing a 5 part mini-series of this novel, and , after reading it, I can see there are some people at the BBC who still enjoy a great read. If you enjoy mysteries, this book is a must.