Old Bones Lie

 

Old Bones Lie - the Sixth book in the DI Clare Mackay series -
out July 7th by Canelo Crime

Marion Todd has established herself in the last four years as a writer of great intellect, delicate plotting and wonderful characters based around the central figure of DI Clare Mackay who attempts to navigate the tricky neighbourhood of St. Andrews that has a murder rate to match Midsomer.

In six books to date, Todd has created the Mackay-verse with her band of characters handling criminal cases with swiftness and professionalism as crimes surround them. In this novel, proceedings begin innocently enough with a Saturday night takeaway which turns nasty as armed men come into the home of two prison officers with their wives, they kidnap all four people and the case begins.

What follows is a convoluted case involving a jail break, a jewellery heist gone wrong and the murder of a lady who is attempting blackmail on the owner of the jewellery shop. Keep up please it is a lot to take in.

As a reader of all of Todd's books to date, for whatever reason (perhaps mine) I found the first half of the book to be a bit complicated to follow but once the kidnapped women turn up this prompts the book to ratchet up a few gears quickening the pace to the benefit of the book and the enjoyment of this reader.

The plot is so well handled as always by Todd that you are left in no doubt that you are in the hands of a talented writer who takes great care over the narrative and loves her creations. The ending again shows Mackay at a crossroads of sorts both professionally and personally; yet you know she cannot alter her position too much.

Like her contemporary, MJ Lee from the same publishing house, this reader looks forward to the new St. Andrews suspense tome. As ever, the next one cannot come soon enough.

Old Bones Lie is out 7th July from Canelo Crime

Colliison Course - Paul Gascoigne and Gary Charles

Following on from a tweet received from a friend on my timeline, the request came about stating your favourite footballing photo. A rush of memories came through my head from Pele and Bobby Moore embracing in 1970 after Brazil defeated England 1-0 in a World Cup group game, Maradona facing down five Belgian midfielders at once, Terry Butcher's face awash with crimson and flimsy bandages.

However, after a few moments thought, and when on social media you should give yourself a moment before replying, I struck upon the image below:

The image I selected was of the tackle in the 13th minute of the 1991 FA Cup Final when Paul Gascoigne recklessly tackled Nottingham Forest right back Gary Charles as he was moving across the Spurs penalty area.

In this moment of collision, impact and action - is one of the most famously bad attempts at a tackle in the late 20th century, but it also symbolises the moment the first half of an illustrious career came crashing to a shuddering halt.

Oddly, both the people in this image have strangely lived parallel lives despite being from different ends of the country, different positions, different races - both had amazing technical gifts, capped by England and yet have had to both fight their demons, both have had much documented battles with alcoholism, with one cutting short his career through this abuse and the other suffering time in prison due to drink driving.

In the build up to the game on 18th May 1991, much had been made about this being a battle between two people. Two huge characters of the game at that time, one played on the pitch the other was on the sideline - this was a battle between the clown, Paul Gascoigne and the mercurial, Brian Clough seeking to obtain the one major trophy he has never won as a manager in his prestigious career. Clough would be denied again and within three years, he would resign from the City Ground club ending his long association with football and retreat into retirement.

Gascoigne had seemingly single-handedly pushed Tottenham Hotspur to the final, winning games by the sheer abundance of his talent bringing Spurs from deficits to amazing victories against teams in rounds three to six, before one of his greatest moments versus Arsenal in the first FA Cup semi-final to be played at Wembley Stadium in the month before. His fourth minute wonder free-kick gave Spurs a lead they never relinquished to take the white half of North London to their first FA Cup Final since 1987, and deny the eventual League Champions - Arsenal - a chance at a domestic double.

Gary Charles was born in East London, played for Clapton and was then signed by Nottingham Forest. Belovingly nicknamed the Brazilian due to his skills he made his debut in 1987 at the age of 17, a player of immense promise he was playing in a showpiece final at the age of 21. He would be capped by England twice. He was a forerunner for eventual attacking right backs such as Kyle Walker and Cafu, marauding down the right flank at a pace rarely seen while still showing great defensive capabilities when called upon. As Clough said himself, "When Charles plays a one-two, he goes like a gazelle. It's so effortless - at first it looks as if he's not moving, yet he's 40 yards up the field."

The funny thing is that the foul on Gary Charles, was not the worst tackle committed by Gascoigne on that day. Lore and myth has established that with Paul Gascoigne attempting to overcome minor injuries to be fit for the biggest game of his career - sports hernia, hamstring and lack of match fitness - Gazza effectively wound himself up in the build up the game so much so that he was not in control of his actions. In an attempt to put his stamp on the game, he was slow to a ball in a fifty-fifty with midfielder Garry Parker, and promptly embedded his studs firmly in Parker's mid-riff. A challenge which albeit in the first minute, went unpunished by referee Roger Milford - seemingly, the first minute get one for free adage coming to fruition, and Parker getting to his feet swiftly helped with Milford's decision making. Yet Gascoigne was clearly off the pace of the game typified by the last action he made in a Tottenham shirt, the lunge at Gary Charles - another tackle that evaded administrative action by Milford.

The tackle signifies this unenviable coming together of two parties at the crossroads of their careers. A talismanic individual seemingly wanting to self-destruct his career - the injury sustained in the challenge by Gascoigne would sideline him for one year and delay his proposed move to Italian club, Lazio for one season eventually debuting for them in September 1992. 

After a long delay from Gascoigne's treatment and eventual leaving the field on a stretcher, Stuart Pearce scored from the resulting free-kick to give Forest a one-nil lead which was the score at half-time. Tottenham would equalise in the second half from Paul Stewart (another individual who battled demons all his life) forcing the game to go into extra-time. Tottenham would win their record setting 8th FA Cup (and their last) thanks to an own goal scored by Des Walker to give Tottenham a 2-1 victory; and give their captain Gary Mabbutt the glory and redemption following his own own goal four years previously versus Coventry, as he lifted the Cup.

Gary Charles would have his own battles, overcoming alcohol abuse and depression and moving from Forest to Derby in 1993, then Aston Villa in 1995 before coming closer to his hometown of Newham by signing with West Ham in 1999 but constant injuries meant he only made eight appearances in three seasons for the East End London club. His drink driving charges came in 2004 and now he acts as an advocate with a business providing care and support for those experiencing depression and battling alcohol and drug dependency.

In one moment, two lives cross paths, they might be of different backgrounds but this contact together means more than people realise at the times and the impact on themselves and each other is more powerful than people would realise.