No-one leaves Mangel ? at least not alive they don?t. Royston Blake is the Head Doorman of Hoppers Wine Bar & Bistro. He drives a Capri 2.8i and can walk down the street in Mangel knowing he?s respected by folks. But now there?s a rumour out that Blake?s lost his bottle. Even Sal?s heard the rumour. What?s more, the Muntons are after him and the thought of ending up in the back of their Meat Wagon is almost too much to bear. Something?s got to give. Determined to prove he hasn?t lost his nerve, Blake embarks on a plan designed to re-establish his reputation as a hard man, ensure his everlasting appeal to women and seal his future with the new owner of Hoppers, even if he is an outsider. Murder, mayhem and a chainsaw called Susan intertwine in this astonishing debut which marks the appearance of a fresh, funny and brutal new voice in British crime fiction. ?Cross James Ellroy?s unblinking eye for vicious gangland enforcement with Bill James?s gut-feeling for Britain?s meaner streets and you would end up in a trashcan alley somewhere near Mangel? I can?t wait for the next instalment? 5-star review, Western Daily Press ?Demented, hilarious, and near impossible to put down? Jason Starr, author of Tough Luck ?There is a dark heart to England, a claustrophobic core of oddity and violence. Deadfolk comes straight from this English heart, and even through all of its offbeat humour, there is no mistaking the earnestness of a writer who has something to say.? Nicholas Blincoe ?Plenty of memorably grim moments along the way? Big Issue in the North ?Carnage, chaos and a chainsaw called Susan add to his remarkable debut, which marks the appearance of a totally new voice in British fiction? Buzz ?Charlie Williams has come up trumps? the more politically correct among you can read this as social comment, the rest can just enjoy the ride? Guardian ?Imagine if you will the comparatively genteel Midsomer Murders transplanted to darkest Somerset and given a delight in excess worthy of Tarantino, the whole dripping with pitch black comedy and panache... this is compelling and highly enjoyable? The Third Alternative

Plenty of memorably grim moments along the way * Big Issue *
It's a completely original work, well-plotted, great dialogue, fast paced with touches of tenderness edging around a dark centre. Deadfolk is a book that the reader who prefers noir over nice will certainly appreciate * I Love A Mystery *
If you value a strong voice, keen sense of place, and fully fleshed-out characters, then Deadfolk by Charlie Williams is for you. Go buy it now * Crime Spree *
Brutal violence in small market towns is largely uncharted territory in the world of fiction and Williams manages to find his own unusual way of dealing with it * New Books Mag *

Charlie Williams was born in 1971 in Worcester. He read English at Swansea University. During a brief visit to Worcester he was arrested for fighting a bouncer and bound over to keep the peace for six months. He moved to London but couldn't resist the lure of his hometown and moved back to Worcester in 2003. His first novel, Deadfolk, was published in 2004. 45