Even Flow

by Darragh McManus

Even Flow is an action-packed novel, cinematic, funny, and provocative. It is a fable wrapped inside a thriller, Germaine Greer crossed with Kurt Cobain crossed with Dirty Harry. New York a man hangs upside-down outside a skyscraper. He is being punished by three vigilantes and he is just the first. The 3W Gang are regular guys. They believe society needs balance - enforced karma- through selective, brutal punishment of misogynists and homophobes.

Wilde, Waters, and Whitman are inspired by revolutionaries and feminists, art and irony. They are the grunge vibe made flesh and made cool, witty, sexy...and dangerous. Hunting them is a gay detective, determined to see justice done but getting more morally ambivalent as he's drawn into their world.

It is time for an Even Flow.

216 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 2012

Reviews

[Dolf Patijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darragh McManus is a good storyteller and I enjoyed reading "Even Flow". Darragh McManus writes dialogue in a personable way that draws you in. "Even flow" is an interesting story about vigilantes but I wouldn't call it a thriller as such. There's not enough underlying tension in the book. What it does is raise questions about our society and the way we turn a blind eye to certain behaviour. There are also plenty of references to music. Even the title of the book is also the title of a Pearl Jam song.

Although I do like this book and found it a very enjoyable read, I find "Shiver the whole night through" more convincing. It has more sizzle, pop, zestiness to it, maybe because Darragh McManus is Irish and the story was set in Ireland with very Irish dialogue (I also live in Ireland).

I have the feeling though, that Darragh McManus is only flexing his literary muscles and I'm looking forward to his next book(s).

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even Flow is difficult to categorise - it’s kind of a political, screwball noir. It took me a chapter or so to get into the story, but once it clicked into place the pages just flew-by. The second half of the story is especially strong as the action, dialogue and politics all get ratcheted-up, and it has a very nice noir ending. It helped that the cultural references were of my generation and that the gender and sexual politics of the gang are ones that I share. Interestingly, the text is broken up by photo-dialogue pieces, newspaper articles, emails and art. The characterisation is a little thin, but what makes this a fun and engaging read is the plot and politics. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes their noir to have a deeper message.

[Anette · Rating 5 out of 5]

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