Kip is just about at rock bottom, resigned to the fact that he’ll never write again, when he accidentally prevents a Columbine-like massacre at the college. Suddenly he’s a hero to his pupils and one night after work he is taken to Gun Church. It seems that some of the locals, not just students but some of the workers too, are only too aware of the grimness of life in Brixton County. They meet in secret at a disused military base, and with varying degrees of protection, shoot at each other. The thrill they get from cheating death makes them feel more alive and Kip is invited to join. He is trained by Jim Trimble, his most talented student, and the one most in awe of Kip’s reputation. The early morning runs and practices with Jim, and his nascent affair with another student, the beautiful Renee Svoboda, make Kip feel alive more alive than he’s been in decades. Before long Kip is writing again, using his experiences at Gun Church to fuel a fictional account of a real life Irish killer he met during the Troubles. It’s one of several writing attempts he shelved as his live went down the drain.
Our hero may have ditched the cocaine and the one night stands, but his addictive nature remains and he begins taking bigger and bigger risks at Church. Sensing things are getting out of control, he wants to leave Brixton and return to New York to complete his book and perhaps go back to his ex-wife. But the other members of Church took a risk inviting him into their world and aren’t happy about him leaving.
Gun Church has remarkable depth. It’s not just a riveting thriller, though it is that, but also a meditation on regret, the price of obsession, the difference between infatuation and love, the creative process, and a lament for a lost generation. Kip is one of the most fully-realised characters I have read for a long time. His despair, joy and narcissism are totally convincing, and his weaknesses are laid bare with complete honesty. Despite all the tragedy, the ending offers hope and a kind of salvation for Kip, and feels totally appropriate.
Before reading this, I thought Reed Farrel Coleman’s 2005 novel The James Deans, the third of the Moe Prager Mysteries, would remain a career high for the author. Boy, was I wrong. I was stunned and humbled by this incredible book.
Tyrus Books
Print/Kindle/iBook
£9.04
CFL Rating: 5 Stars