Romeo's Tune

Nick Sharman Mystery #2

by Mark Timlin

A reprint of the second Nick Sharman book, from London's answer to Elmore Leonard

When you're an ex-cop and an ex-doper scratching a living as a private investigator in the unromantic streets of south London, you take any work you can get, even a dreary little debt collection job for some toe-rag of a used-car dealer. When Nick Sharman collects the money due on a classic Bentley, he finds himself stepping into another world, a world where a reclusive rock musician in a secluded mansion complete with its own recording studio—and firing range—broods on the royalties stolen from him by a crooked manager—and decides Sharman is just the guy to get them back. Taking the job could be the worst mistake of Sharman's disaster ridden life. And when rock 'n' roll's godfathers take on the Mafia, south London explodes in a maelstrom of violence.

Genres: Crime

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

aka Johnny Angelo, Tony Williams, Jim Ballantyne, Lee Martin.

Mark Timlin lives in east London, has a Rolex and drives flash old American cars.

Reviews

[Ken Finlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Romeo's Tune", second book in the Nick Sharman series sees a more relaxed Nick looking into a case of unpaid royalties owed to an ageing rock star. The company concerned rolls over a bit too easily for Nick's liking and he makes the fateful decision to put it behind him.
After all, he is in love with the Mafia princess Josephine 'Jo' Cass (real name Josephina Cassini). She's fled the family compound in the USA to live a normal life.
Nick is settling down nicely and is completely unprepared for the extreme violence coming his way.
It's a good read until around the halfway mark and then, as the pace escalates, it becomes a great one. It's extremely violent and pulls no punches as Nick, seeking vengeance, gives as good as he gets.
You could argue that the final section is forced but, what the hell, I've always been a fan of attack helicopters!
The author, Mark Timlin, has a healthy disregard for the safety of his characters and, in this book the term 'last man standing' is completely apt.

[Warren Stalley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this second novel of the Nick Sharman series by Mark Timlin we find the tough London private detective trying to recover some unpaid royalties on behalf of reclusive rock star Mark McBain. During the course of the story the narrative builds slowly, allowing Sharman’s character to really shine through before things get complicated, violent and painfully tragic. Timlin writes in a cool sardonic style giving Nick Sharman an air of Philip Marlowe/Mike Hammer about him combined with a gritty British slant. Sharman is an ex-cop, ex-drug addict who likes ladies, classic cars and booze for lunch. This is tough crime noir given a talented and stylish polish by the author. Although It’s not essential to have read the first novel A Good Year for the Roses before this one it does give a greater background to Nick Sharman’s history. To conclude Romeo’s Tune is brutal, shocking and heartbreaking in equal measure and leaves me searching for the next book in the series.

[Chris Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another win from Timlin, but not the best of them that I have read to date. Felt a bit like a Bruce Willis movie, that said if read just for fun was well worth the time and heck there are a ton of Bruce Willis fans out there.

[Yves Lefevre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too violent for my taste, and the plot is too linear.
Colourful characters though.