A fitting conclusion to a remarkable series

What did you like most about Nineteen Eighty Three: Red Riding Quartet?

The final episode of David Peace's Red Riding Quartet was not disappointing. The pace of the evolving and, at the same time, untangling of the various plot lines from the previous three books kept me enthralled. In fact I was surprised that so many elements of the plot were resolved. I think I expected the horror and corruption to continue unchecked. Of course we do not find out if there is ever any justice or retribution for all of the damaged lives, death and miscarriages of justice. Will the owl restore justice to West Yorkshire? I doubt it.

What does Saul Reichlin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I found these books by following the marvellous Saul Reichlin through Audible. After hearing home narrate 'The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo' I thought I'd try another book narrated by him. I think that David Peace's poetic language and use of repetition make for fantastic audio books.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I've spent over 50 hours on my daily walk  to and from Leeds station stepping back in time to the Leeds of my teenage years, listening along-side revelations in the news about Jimmy Saville, his social involvement with West Yorkshire police and charitable works to further his evil motives. Over the same period Margaret Thatcher has died and that horrendous clip of her reciting the prayer of St Francis of Assissi, which I remember being horrified by in 1979, and heard chillingly used in this final volume, has been repeated on the TV and radio. Meanwhile there are continuing investigations of police corruption after Hillsborough. David Peace's chilling novels are amazingly prescient.

Any additional comments?

Now that I have 'read' the books I'm planning to watch the award winning TV films based on the first, third and final book. I'm particularly keen to see how BJ is portrayed.

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49 Wasted hours

Well the series started off badly, went downhill slightly in the middle and finished in a messy heap on the floor. With wings obviously.

Extremely difficult to make sense of, disjointed and generally quite annoying. And if the author hadn't repeated everything over and over and over again he could've fitted the whole story (story?) into one book and saved me a lot of time.

However, excellent narration by Saul Reichlin. Doesn't help much though.

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