Review: ‘Dodge & Twist’ - The first Kindle Novel from #1 New York Times Best-Selling Writer Tony Lee
For all those who have ever read a book, gone to a movie, or seen a play and wondered “but what happens next?” this is your new best friend. Tony Lee’s highly anticipated first novel picks up the tale of Oliver Twist. Having lost his fortune nursing the dying Mr. Brownlow, our now adult Oliver finds himself back in London trying to contest the will for his inheritance. Having bumped into his old friend the Artful Dodger, he soon finds himself catapulted back into a world of thieves and villains. If you’re expecting a musical arrangement of rose sellers and dancing milkmaids then you are very wrong – this is the cruel reality of London – thugs, warts and all.
What is most accomplished about this work is the fact that the characters remain so true to the ones we already know and love, albeit with a bit of a genius twist! Oliver still manages to maintain a sense of innocence but he has now grown into a man, who understandably has a darker, more dangerous side. Dealing with his own personal guilt from the deaths of Nancy and Fagin, and coming to terms with the circumstances of his birth, Tony Lee has managed to bring a complexity and depth to a character that we never saw before.
The Dodger too is still the crafty, scheming rogue we always loved, but he now has both Fagin and Bill Sikes’ boots to fill. Carving his own way in the world, he sheds his childhood persona, claiming, “The Artful Dodger died in Australia” having been deported for his crimes. Again Lee gives us another twist in the tale by having him see and speak to the ghost of Fagin. It seems old habits die hard, and even friendships amongst thieves can stand in the face of death.
There is a real sense of nostalgia when reading this. Old familiar characters creep out of the London fog like phantoms from the past. Lee’s writing captures a great sense of London history – not only geographical knowledge, but there is a real atmosphere (both in his evocative descriptions and use of language) that stays true to Dickens’ original. His writing style clearly shows influence from the graphic novel but there is a certain cinematic feel to his work. He holds a great talent in being able to weave the story together in your head – his little side comments feed vital bits of information into your subconscious and you soon find yourself constructing these vivid pictures as though watching a film.
This novel should appeal to wide number of readers. It runs with a wild sense of adventure but maintains the dark, violent threat of the London underworld. Described as “Ocean’s Eleven if written by Charles Dickens” what’s not to love?
Available now for £2.16 download on Amazon Kindle (also available with Kindle apps for iPhone/iPad/Mac users)
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