title: The Prodigal
author:  Nicky Black 
description: Nicky Black writes gritty Geordie crime thrillers, set amidst the organised crime underworld of Newcastle. The Prodigal has a love story at its heart - star-crossed lovers whose opposite worlds collide. She joins a new wave of emerging North East crime fiction writers. Reviews: "Gritty and fast-paced, edge of your seat tension." "I do like a gritty crime book, and this is a great example of that." "Full of Geordie grit and humour." "Geordie crime fiction at its best!" "Gritty, warm and engrossing book, which is so much more than a crime novel." "Absolutely Brilliant a gritty true to life book I was hooked from start to finish fantastic everyone must read this book." "Anyone remember "Our Friends in the North"? Well here's another Geordie saga, bleak and fairly unrelenting, of life on a sink estate in Newcastle." "Star-crossed lovers meet on a Council estate in Newcastle. Brilliant, gritty read!" "I was absorbed from the start and found it difficult to put the book down. Gritty, hard hitting but totally believeable. I can't wait for the authors next book." "I thought this book was an excellent read. I am a huge fan of the North-East in general and I enjoyed reading a book which delved into the multi-faceted sides to the region and the interpersonal relationships between characters based around Valley Park in particular. The style of the prose was flowing, easy to read but not facile and the story was strong. Really well done, wish this author every success with future works."
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  Seven Slayers
  
  
    
  
  
    
  [Black  
  
  
    
  [ Red 71  
  
  
    
  [ Parlor Trick  
  
  
    
  [ One, Two, Three  
  
  
    
  [ Murder In Blue  
  
  
    
  [ Pigeon Blood  
  
  
    
  [ Pineapple
  
  
  
  
  
  This page formatted 2004 Blackmask Online.
  
  
  # Seven Slayers
  
  
  ### Paul Cain
  
  
  This page formatted 2004 Blackmask Online.
  
  http://www.blackmask.com  
    
  
  
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  Black
  
  
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  [ Red 71
  
  
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  [ Parlor Trick
  
  
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  [ One, Two, Three
  
  
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  [ Murder In Blue
  
  
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  [ Pigeon Blood
  
  
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  [ Pineapple
  
  
  
  
  
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  ![](images/00002.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Black
  
  
  THE MAN SAID: “McCary.”
  
  “No.” I shook my head and started to push past him, and he said: “McCary,”
  again thickly, and then he crumpled into a heap on the wet sidewalk.
  
  It was dark there, there wasn't anyone on the street—I could have walked away.
  I started to walk away and then the sucker instinct got the best of me and I
  went back and bent over him.
  
  I shook him and said: “Come on, chump—get up out of the puddle.”
  
  A cab came around the