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Neil’s 2020 Year in Books

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Neil Walker

Goodreads Author

Born

Belfast

Website

https://www.facebook.com/neilwalkerauthor

Twitter

neilwalkerwrote

Genre

Crime, Thriller, Fiction

Influences

Martina Cole Stieg Larsson Don Winslow Quentin Tarantino ...more

Member Since

April 2017

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From The Irish Post:

Murder, mayhem and a few drugs…

MAL ROGERS speaks to Neil Walker whose controversial bestsellers are set in the drug-dealing underworld of Manchester, Sydney and Belfast in the early 2000s.

NEIL WALKER’S third novel, part three of the series, Drug Gang Takedown: Drug Gang Part III, was published at the end of January, and is already in the bestsellers’ list. The story of the trilogy, firmly in the hard crime fiction genre, is set in Manchester, Belfast and Sydney. The chief protagonist in the series is Belfast-born, morally malleable anti-hero John Kennedy who gets sucked into the murky underworld of the English city’s lucrative drug scene. From there it’s an edge-of-seat roller coaster ride through the dark domain of orga From The Irish Post:

Murder, mayhem and a few drugs…

MAL ROGERS speaks to Neil Walker whose controversial bestsellers are set in the drug-dealing underworld of Manchester, Sydney and Belfast in the early 2000s.

NEIL WALKER’S third novel, part three of the series, Drug Gang Takedown: Drug Gang Part III, was published at the end of January, and is already in the bestsellers’ list. The story of the trilogy, firmly in the hard crime fiction genre, is set in Manchester, Belfast and Sydney. The chief protagonist in the series is Belfast-born, morally malleable anti-hero John Kennedy who gets sucked into the murky underworld of the English city’s lucrative drug scene. From there it’s an edge-of-seat roller coaster ride through the dark domain of organised crime in three countries, played out over three novels.

Belfast-born Neil Walker is aware that the books are probably not to everyone’s taste, in that they deal with drugs and violence. It would also be fair to say with as high a body count as an average Game of Thrones wedding.

“I like to think of the books, the characters and the setting as Breaking Bad meets John Wick,” says Neil.

In case you’re unaware of the plot of these two thrillers: Breaking Bad focuses on a chemistry teacher who puts his science knowledge to a nefarious purpose with less than hilarious results; John Wick is a neo-noir action film. But productions contain many scenes of ultra-violence.

“So yeah, my books are a wee bit violent - and probably not for the faint-hearted. The books are set in Manchester, Belfast and Sydney - places where I’ve spent a lot of time, and spent a lot of time in the club scene. So I felt I could write with some realism. Going back to those days, back around the year 2000, it was easy to see criminality going on because drug use was rampant. So I felt I could write realistically about the whole thing.

The club scene in Belfast was a second home to me for a number of years in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I also got to be part of the club scene in Manchester at that time, as I had a number of friends living in the city in areas such as Rusholme and Moss Side and would go over and stay with them for long periods of time and do a lot of clubbing. They very much knew the ropes of that scene in Manchester and those experiences were useful in writing the novels. Even just living in the areas where my mates lived fed into the knowledge pool for the books, as some of the Manchester action takes place in and around houses in the likes of Moss Side and Rusholme, as well as nightclubs, avenues and alleyways.

In the middle of that time, I travelled around the world and lived in Australia for a year. While Down Under, I made a point of experiencing and understanding the club scene there and ended up being friends with a number of locals who certainly knew the score. One of them was actually involved with the biggest motorcycle gang in Australia, so there were absolutely no flies on him and he was happy to bring me up to speed. No doubt he is living that Sons of Anarchy life now…if he is still alive.”

Neil’s writing heroes include Don Winslow, Martina Cole and Stieg Larsson. He reckons he also enjoys some more formulaic novelists (although doesn’t name names). But his style is different from these fellow masters of the genre, fashioned out of a set of unique circumstances.

In all, it makes Neil Walker’s books vivid and highly readable. With a background in Belfast, a life that has seen club life in England and Australia at close quarters, and a spot of work-discipline courtesy of the Department of Benefits and Pensions, Neil seems well-placed to continue his success in the crime thriller field. ...more

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Average rating: 4.03 · 358 ratings · 65 reviews · 14 distinct works • Similar authors

	Drug Gang (Drug Gang, #1) 3.82 avg rating — 199 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Drug Gang Vengeance (Drug Gang, #2) 4.26 avg rating — 88 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Drug Gang Takedown (Drug Gang, #3) 4.31 avg rating — 64 ratings — published 2019	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The history of Wisbech and the Fens, by N. Walker and T. Craddock 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Drug Gang Vengeance: 2018’s most nail-biting crime thriller with killer twists and turns 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Drug Gang Takedown: A gripping & addictive crime thriller that will have you hooked 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Drug Gang: The most compelling & controversial crime thriller in years 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rich With Gratitude: 9 Vital Mindsets To An Enriching And Wealthy Life 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sixteen Stories Tall: Redwell Writers Norwich UK 2017 by David Viner (Goodreads Author), Alice Bagnall, Bob Goddard (Goodreads Author) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Twilight of Constitutionalism? by Petra Dobner (Editor), Martin Loughlin (Editor), Tanja Börzel (Contributor) 4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2010 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Tarantino References

“Continued remarks about John and Lisa being like Clarence and Alabama in True Romance or Mickey and Mallory in Natural Born Killers had lifted the atmosphere somewhat.”

Drug Gang Takedown by Neil Walker

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Drug Gang Trilogy
by Neil Walker

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Published on January 16, 2021 10:44 • Tags: characters, crime, crime-fiction, film, funny, gangster, humor, movies, quentin-tarantino, true-romance

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Jan 03, 2021 11:14AM

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Neil Walker wrote a new blog post Tarantino References “Continued remarks about John and Lisa being like Clarence and Alabama in True Romance or Mickey and Mallory in Natural Born Killers had lifted the at Read more of this blog post »
Jan 16, 2021 10:44AM · like
Neil Walker liked a quote “Continued remarks about John and Lisa being like Clarence and Alabama in True Romance or Mickey and Mallory in Natural Born Killers had lifted the atmosphere somewhat.” Neil Walker
Jan 16, 2021 10:30AM · like · more quotes by Neil Walker
Neil Walker shared a quote “We can bring in all the guns and drugs we need and bring out all the bodies of people we don’t.” Neil Walker
Jan 15, 2021 09:23AM · like · more quotes by Neil Walker
Neil Walker rated a book it was amazing The Brains of the Operation (The Max Book 2) by Jason Palmer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 03, 2021 11:35AM · 4 likes · like
Neil Walker and 1 other person liked Mary jobling's review of Drug Gang Vengeance (Drug Gang, #2): "Brilliant Once again I have lived with these characters I can almost see John and Lisa's faces so pleased Simon got what he deserved. This was an accidental purchase but one of the best I have made can't wait to read what's next." Read more of this review »
Dec 30, 2020 11:56AM · see review
Neil Walker and 1 other person liked Mary jobling's review of Drug Gang (Drug Gang, #1): "Fantastic Absolutely brilliant believable characters and scenarios even though they seem far fetched but I can tell you I felt every blow and every bit of pain as if I was there. Can't wait to read the next book."
Dec 30, 2020 11:54AM · see review
Neil Walker and 1 other person liked pol's review of Drug Gang Vengeance (Drug Gang, #2): "Fast paced Gave this 5 Stars because I could not put the 1st book or this book in the trilogy down. I read all types of books some more enjoyable than others. I engaged with the characters and the plot was good to follow. Whatever will the next book h" Read more of this review »
Nov 22, 2020 01:03PM · see review

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Quotes by Neil Walker

“If you make your own rules in life, rather than going by those laid down by others, you find that it becomes a lot more enjoyable.”
― Neil Walker, Drug Gang

tags: ambition, drug, freedom, gang, inspirational, life, neil, philosophy, walker, wisdom

17 likes

“As long as you show that you’re willing to take it further than them, they’ll tend to back off, whoever they may be.”
― Neil Walker, Drug Gang

tags: crime, drug, gang, neil, power, psychology, respect, society, strength, walker

16 likes

“Why waste yourself doing something pointless, when you can spend your life being productive in your own eyes?”
― Neil Walker, Drug Gang

tags: ambition, drug, freedom, gang, inspirational, life, neil, philosophy, walker, wisdom

15 likes

See all Neil Walker's quotes »

Neil’s Quotes

“Black and white, good and evil, is just a way to simplify life and make it easier for people to deal with. People love it too; that’s why so many people go to church on a Sunday.”
― Neil Walker, Drug Gang Vengeance

tags: atheism, drug, gang, morality, neil, psychology, religion, society, vengeance, walker

9 likes

“How can you escape from your own conscience, the reality of your own actions?”
― Neil Walker, Drug Gang

tags: depression, drug, gang, mistakes, morality, neil, regret, sad, suffering, walker

8 likes

“Self-loathing was on the agenda for the foreseeable future and he found it hard to imagine a way past it.”
― Neil Walker, Drug Gang

tags: depression, drug, gang, life, mistakes, neil, regret, sad, suffering, walker

7 likes

“Strength, confidence and invincibility had to exude from him at all times. Any vacuum in power could lead to injury, betrayal or death.”
― Neil Walker, Drug Gang Vengeance

tags: drug, gang, neil, power, psychology, respect, society, strength, vengeance, walker

7 likes

“Don’t get me wrong, we’re not the fucking Partridge family or anything. We don’t all go on picnics and hold hands.”
― Neil Walker, Drug Gang

tags: crime, drug, family, funny, gang, humour, life, neil, partridge, walker

6 likes

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