Deadfolk (The Mangel Series)

The head bouncer at Hopper's Wine Bar is the king of Mangel, a dead end town somewhere in the north of England. In the first of a cracking series of books.
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Return to Book Page. Preview — Deadfolk by Charlie Williams. He drives a Ford Capri 2. To make matters worse, the violent Munton brothers are after him, and the thought of ending up in the back of their bloody Meat Wagon is almost too much to bear. Following advice from his best mate, Legsy, Blake embarks on a plan to re-establish his reputation as a hard man, ensure his appeal to the women of Mangel, and seal his future with the new owner of Hoppers.

The logic of the plan is sound: Paperback , pages. Published May 10th by AmazonEncore first published September 1st To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Deadfolk , please sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Apr 16, Lea rated it really liked it Shelves: If there's such a thing as "Brit Noir" -- noir, but with a distinctly British flair -- this book is IT.

It doesn't take long before folks in line at the door are mouthing off to him, and even little kids are giving him a hard time. Without his reputation, Blake doesn't have much else, so he embarks on a m If there's such a thing as "Brit Noir" -- noir, but with a distinctly British flair -- this book is IT.

Without his reputation, Blake doesn't have much else, so he embarks on a misguided plan to set things right again. There are so many things I loved about this book -- the characters are wonderful and real, the writing is spectacular, and there is a real tension about how things will turn out and Charlie Williams turns the heat up almost immediately. Blake is one of my favourite characters, maybe ever, and I kept hoping he would manage to find his way out of danger without too much trouble.

I shared Blake's dread whenever the Munstons' infamous "Meat Wagon" turned up -- the Munstons, in general, were pretty frightening. I had to keep reminding myself that Blake was narrating previous events so obviously he was okay, right? For some reason, I kept expecting this to have a supernatural element to it it doesn't , which was reinforced throughout the story by Blake's repeated assertion that "nobody leaves Mangel".

I guess I thought it was going to turn out that Mangel was hell or something? It isn't -- at least not officially. Even though I do tend to favour the bizarre in my reading choices, I wouldn't say I was disappointed by the lack of a supernatural twist -- the book as it is was compelling enough that I read it straight through without sleeping. Any quibbles I have would be minor ones. I tend to dislike characters who can't seem to get their shit together, especially when they frantically blunder from one disastrous scenario to the next, and there was a fair bit of that here.

In this case, Blake's confusion and ineffectiveness were set up well, so it didn't put me completely off the character -- although there were certainly moments when all I could do was shake my head and wonder at his sheer stupidity. I also felt that the ending -- particularly the fates of Blake's friends Fin and Legs -- wasn't as clear as I would have liked, although I might have just been too tired at that point to catch all the details.

I was so excited to see that this is actually a series -- I can't wait to see what Blake gets up to next. View all 4 comments. May 29, Rosie Crawford rated it did not like it. This is the worst book I have ever read. It is written in English vernacular, making it hard to get into in the first place, and then has a very unsympathetic main character who is basically a serial murderer.

Blake has spent his whole life in Mangel, Britain's crappiest town; and it's rare that any of the locals ever leaves. He has a few friends that he hangs with, and he and his mates have a general loyalty to one another. On the other end of the spectrum are the Munton family who are almost like Mangel's underworld and with whom Blake has frequent confrontations.

Blake, a decidedly lower class individual, is proud of his job; so when he backs down in an encounter with one of the Muntons, word gets out that he has lost his "bottle", i. The reality is that Blake believes this to be true and needs to get his bottle back. He's been sloppy about taking care of himself for the past few years, lost some of his heft, muscles gone to mush. You see, he's been in a bit of a funk after the death of his wife, who he was accused of murdering.

But in an effort to regain his courage and reputation, he gets himself into another whole level of trouble after killing one of the Munton brothers. From there, things deteriorate, and Blake's problems escalate, with several more dead bodies being sent to the local cemetery along the way. The earlier part of the book is completely hilarious.

Blake's view of himself is completely at odds with the person that he really is. Early on, his weapon of choice is his head. Straight, sidewinder, piledriver—you name it, I'd swung it. The secret, right, is to keep your neck relaxed and picture your swede like a demolition ball. Mark your target—nose or cheekbone is best—then swing that ball. As the book progresses, however, Blake starts to lose any semblance of control he had over his own behavior. He goes around in a fog killing people without really registering what he is doing.

Giving Blake a monkey wrench or a gun is not a good idea. At first, I had a problem with the fact that the book was written in the local Mangel dialect, and it took me quite a while before I was able to get into the character's voice. Once I did, however, I found being in his head to be a riotous yet horrifying trip.

There's no sophistication to Blake, not much intelligence, so he operates pretty much on an "act now, consider later" basis. As he says, "I'd be the first to confess I wouldn't know a bright idea if it did a shite in me pocket. Over the course of the book, Blake disintegrates from a likeable loser who has a certain appealing bravado into a manic killing machine.

I found the latter character hard to take. I preferred the Befuddled Blake to the Beastly Blake. Well plotted, great dialogue, fast paced with touches of tenderness edging around the dark center, DEADFOLK is a book that the reader who prefers noir over nice will certainly appreciate. I know that I will be looking for Williams' future books, as he shows the promise of great things to come.

For those of you who would like to visit Mangel, the crappiest town in Britain, here is The Mangel Informer on the Web: Apr 13, Christopher Irvin rated it it was amazing. The story follows Blake, "Royston Blake, head doorman," as he often states, through his attempt to 'get his bottle back' in the British town of Mangel. The Mangel dialect really threw me for a loop, and it took me fifty pages or so to wrap my head around the slang well enough to keep the reading fluid. BUT, be patient and give it some time. I almost put the book away at a couple points, but I'm glad I continued to slog through, as it was well w Alright, Reader.

I almost put the book away at a couple points, but I'm glad I continued to slog through, as it was well worth it in the end. And it is a slog - the inhabitants of Mangel are an ugly crowd. Blake is a thug who spent his early years robbing houses and hurting innocent people with his two mates, Legs and Fin. The atmosphere is full of lager, spit, blood, fried gut-busting-food, sex and farts.

Williams plants you right in the seedy town. In fact, Mangel holds such a presence throughout the story that it really is a character itself. It's the small town where everyone knows each other hilarious moments when Blake puts on his 'disguise' , no one talks and no one leaves many references to characters being stuck. You get to know Blake's routine food, bar, alcohol, women, doorman, walking, driving the Capri,etc as he wanders from one mess to the next in such haphazard fashion that I had no idea where the story was heading - other than a bad place.

Blake's rough and mundane life is slow but rife with excellent bits of character. And just when the 'everyday' parts suck you in, William's minimalist violence sparks and jabs you in the side with a shot of adrenaline. It is executed very well and kept me turning the pages. Blake's internal struggle is well done but to say anymore would spoil the story. The black humor is also great fun but I don't want to spoil too much of that either Blake's dream near the end and chasing an old man on a moped for example.

It's a monkey wrench to the swede that will leave you wanting more dark and dirty British noir. Not quite my cup of tea mainly because it is written in the 1st person, as it has been pointed out in the other reviews in a "stream of consciousness" kind of way, but also because the slang used here makes it a rather difficult read for anyone who isn't brit or from that particular region the story is situated in.

The book would be very grim if it wasn't for the black humour sprinkled in there. Once I got past the language I was really into it and wanted to know if and how the main character Not quite my cup of tea mainly because it is written in the 1st person, as it has been pointed out in the other reviews in a "stream of consciousness" kind of way, but also because the slang used here makes it a rather difficult read for anyone who isn't brit or from that particular region the story is situated in.

Once I got past the language I was really into it and wanted to know if and how the main character was going to get out of that bloody town. About two thirds in though, I got discouraged, the plot is just one catastrophe after another and I just wanted that sociopathic misogynistic a-hole that is Blake to just sort himself out. I think it lacked structure making it all the less believable. I won't be reading the sequels but I think it could appeal to the right kind of reader. If you are put off by violence, don't even consider it, in places it is very gruesome.

Well, I am really not sure about this one. On the one hand it is an interesting read and is certainly something rather different I believe Brit Noir has been mentioned but on the other Blake is really quite annoying and not particularly likeable in the least. Its also written as the characters speak which does make it feel grittier but it does also take a bit of getting used to. I think on the whole I did enjoy it but it is one of those that does leave you wondering Jun 08, Johnny rated it it was amazing. Royston Blake is not the kind of character that you want to be friends with.

Most of his friends end up dead. Hell, Royston Blake isn't even the kind of character that you want to be in the same room with. But he sure is a hell of a lot of fun to read about. While some readers may be daunted with the slang and vernacular of the first-person narration, if you give it time, it creates a rhythm that really helps to inform the rest of the book. The character, language and setting all come together to Royston Blake is not the kind of character that you want to be friends with. The character, language and setting all come together to create a violent comedy or comedic violence, depending on how you look at it.

They are two different books, but the tradition carries on. If I have any gripe, it is that the story ends a little abruptly with what feels like a few loose ends. This story is about pace and character, and it wouldn't work if it weren't a little rough around the edges.

Jun 17, Devon Harper rated it liked it. I should start this review by saying I bought this when the kindle edition was very cheap in June I've started it many times before but never reached beyond the first few chapters because the language made it quite difficult to get into. I was pleasantly surprised when I finally committed to finishing it this time around.

The main character is a very simple man who likes to essentially regard himself as the thug of the city, while r I should start this review by saying I bought this when the kindle edition was very cheap in June The main character is a very simple man who likes to essentially regard himself as the thug of the city, while remaining terrified of the thug family who run the town in terms of crime etc. While I wouldn't say I loved the story there was enough to keep it going and keep me interested and once I became used to the character's dialect and slang I found it significantly easier to read.

I liked reading about his antics and found the portrayal of a serial murderer as a fairly normal bloke, and certainly not an evil man, to be interesting. A nice read but I don't think i'll be picking up the others in the future. Aug 27, Meran rated it really liked it Shelves: A bit of a rough read from the start as its written in some sort of a British Isles or Irish brogue. Even that sentence has the dialect structure ;. It IS written by a Brit And I don't know the different accents well enough to be able to plac them other than that.

However, I did get used to the vernacular pretty quickly --there was an easy cadence to it, and after a few pages, it gave me no grief. This first book in a series, is written, and told in, first person vernacular by this unrelia A bit of a rough read from the start as its written in some sort of a British Isles or Irish brogue. This first book in a series, is written, and told in, first person vernacular by this unreliable narrator; this one knew she was missing most of the story. But I think that was intended.

There are FOUR more after this one; I believe each will reveal enough so we'll know what's really going on! Sorry for the following rather disjointed review, but the book lent itself to it, I swear!

Royston Blake is our guy. He's NOT straight up, drinks a lot, smokes a lot, misses his dead wife dreadfully, is dragging his arse about town, especially after its become known small town, ya know that the Muntons, who've "done him wrong", have not been brought to rights. He's "lost his bottle", lost his reputation, and the citizens of Mangel are like sharks when blood is in the water.

They can't help themselves; it's in their nature. Finally, he decides to do something about it. In the background, the citizens listen to "the War" on the telly, or we hear it as they flip through channels. This is kep very vague, low key. But it seems to involve the killing, or gathering? The story meanders around a lot; we get to hear every stray thought that one's through Blake's "swede", as it hits every little bump in his Ego or Id -- his fears are flung about, he does a deed or two, daily wanking in front of the telly; he DOES love his car!

Blake ends up walking more than driving, or bumming rides He IS a very casual killer or maybe not , a criminal surely, and a thief. But he didn't kill his wife. Something is wrong with Blake. Heck, something's wrong with the TOWN "no one ever leaves They can come in from outside, but no one from here ever leaves But Blake is still some special kind of wrong, even so. Sometimes, this series is described as Funny Noir.

Deadfolk (Mangel, book 1) by Charlie Williams

I'd have to agree. I also am not sure why I gave it 4 stars ; It deserves the rating though.

by Williams, Charlie

I kept wondering when something other than piddley stuff was going to happen Surely, the story background has been laid by halfway through th book! Jul 23, April Hamilton rated it really liked it. Deadfolk, by Charlie Williams, is not a conventional crime story. The protagonist, Royston Blake, is a simple man with simple needs: Blake's a strong man who can take a beating and come back for more, but he's far from being any kind of criminal mastermind. Blake only intends to confront the man who's taken him down a peg and get some of his own Deadfolk, by Charlie Williams, is not a conventional crime story.

Blake only intends to confront the man who's taken him down a peg and get some of his own back, but you know what they say about the best laid plans. He soon finds himself sucked into the thieving schemes of his enemy's brothers, and learns that among his friends and the townsfolk, he's completely miscalculated where allegiances lie.

Editorial Reviews

It seems brutality, dishonesty and avarice lurk just beneath the surface of everyone he knows. As the double-crosses and bodies pile up, Blake's physical and mental state deteriorate right along with the possibility of any neat exit from the grave he seems to be digging for himself. Reviews for the book have been mixed and Deadfolk may be challenging, particularly to American sensibilities, for a few reasons, but don't let that deter you from this at times savage, at times savagely funny, tale. The book is written from antihero Blake's point of view, and Blake thinks and speaks entirely in British slang.

Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention royston blake charlie williams lost his bottle main character head doorman town of mangel munton brothers hoppers wine bar and bistro wine bar dark humor british slang ford capri get it back english town fun read british town bottle courage long time doorman bouncer. There was a problem filtering reviews right now.

Please try again later. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. The story follows Blake, "Royston Blake, head doorman," as he often states, through his attempt to 'get his bottle back' in the British town of Mangel. The Mangel dialect really threw me for a loop, and it took me fifty pages or so to wrap my head around the slang well enough to keep the reading fluid. BUT, be patient and give it some time. I almost put the book away at a couple points, but I'm glad I continued to slog through, as it was well worth it in the end.

And it is a slog - the inhabitants of Mangel are an ugly crowd. Blake is a thug who spent his early years robbing houses and hurting innocent people with his two mates, Legs and Fin. The atmosphere is full of lager, spit, blood, fried gut-busting-food, sex and farts. Williams plants you right in the seedy town. In fact, Mangel holds such a presence throughout the story that it really is a character itself.

It's the small town where everyone knows each other hilarious moments when Blake puts on his 'disguise' , no one talks and no one leaves many references to characters being stuck. You get to know Blake's routine food, bar, alcohol, women, doorman, walking, driving the Capri,etc as he wanders from one mess to the next in such haphazard fashion that I had no idea where the story was heading - other than a bad place.

Blake's rough and mundane life is slow but rife with excellent bits of character. And just when the 'everyday' parts suck you in, William's minimalist violence sparks and jabs you in the side with a shot of adrenaline. It is executed very well and kept me turning the pages.

Where can I get my book appraised?

Blake's internal struggle is well done but to say anymore would spoil the story. The black humor is also great fun but I don't want to spoil too much of that either Blake's dream near the end and chasing an old man on a moped for example. It's a monkey wrench to the swede that will leave you wanting more dark and dirty British noir. One person found this helpful. Quite the Smashing Read, Innit? If you cannot handle the small challenge of reading some low-brow British slang, if you cannot glean the meaning of the words from the subject matter and figure out what it going on, then you are just not going to get it, are ya?

How I loved the ending. Hit me where I least expected it! Should have seen it coming, but I didn't did I? I laughed out loud! This is a good 'in! Got it on me Amazon Kindle, didn't I? So happy, I be goin' back for more just to see what old Charlie has got in store for me. I can take it-whatever he dishes out-with a smile. He's a sly one, that Charlie is And so many books, so affordable for a Summer read on me Kindle! I picked this up a long time ago when it first hit paperback. And I was skeptical. But after being hit in the face with Royston Blake's voice page after page, I was in awe.

This is a trailblazer of neo-noir. Dirty characters doing dirty things, and still you're right there with them, transfixed. What's next, what's next? While the lingo takes a bit of getting used to, once you've got it, it's propulsive. It's like being a voyeur on the doings of the people of Mangel.


  • Deadfolk by Charlie Williams?
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Seriously, it's a harsh and darkly funny read. And I'm glad to see the whole series is getting a reboot this summer.

Mangel Series

Great read, bit like a working class version of clockwork orange in a way, the language and narrative that is. Looking forward to reading t he next one. After reading this first installment of the hilarious adventures of the world's best doorman, Royston Blake I bought the next four books in the series. Mangel is a strange place and Blake is a strange man, but they make for a fun read. I find my self thinking in a Mangel accent after reading these.

Some may be put off by the rough language and violence, but the Mangel series is a great collection of dark humor. While it was an enjoyable read I wasn't put off by any of the darkness or humor in the novel , it wasn't a compelling one. I had no problem stopping wherever I was in the book and picking it up later. One of the best books I've read this year - hands down. The characters are gritty, the language is coarse and the violence is barbaric but the story and characters are sublime.

This book is so well written and so well developed - I found myself totally entranced and immersed immediately and had trouble putting it down. I will definitely be reading more of Charlie Williams. If you like this genre of books, try Charlie Huston. The language in the book was hard to read as well as hard to follow. The majority of the book was boring although it did get more interesting toward the end. However, the ending left you hanging. See all 52 reviews.

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