TO NICK A GOOD BODY (1978) ***½
by Barry Norman
This paperback edition published by Brash Books, 2025, 201pp
© Barry Norman, 1978
ISBN: 978-1-9548-4198-7
Blurb: Detective Inspector Nicholas Redford works in the “I” Division, a notoriously understaffed and overworked part of the Metropolitan Police that handles all types of crime in their 100 square mile patch of London, but are lucky, given their lack of resources, if they can solve less than half of their cases. But Redford muddles on, despite troubles with his wife and tempting bribes, with his unique brand of wit and determination through muggings, a flu outbreak, knife fights, flashers, bank robberies, murders and endless paperwork.
Comment: Barry Norman, who passed away in 2017, established his reputation as a witty and fearless movie critic and journalist once he had taken over presenting the BBC’s Film programme in 1972. But what is less well known about him is that he wrote a number of novels between 1967 and 1998. This example, in the crime genre, wears its influences on its sleeve. Originally published in 1978, To Nick a Good Body exploits elements of TV’s The Sweeney (DI Redford and DS Carlen are thinly disguised versions of The Sweeney‘s Regan and Carter) and Z-Cars with the ensemble procedural approach of the 87th Precinct novels by America’s Ed McBain. All are presented with Norman’s distinctively witty prose. I could hear Norman’s wry vocal delivery in my head, making it an immensely pleasurable reading experience. The story is no great shakes, but Norman blends various plot elements into a more satisfying whole, and he creates believable characters through his natural use of dialogue. He also manages to showcase the lack of resources available to the police at the time. Brash Books has taken the mantle to republish Norman’s novels, and they should be thanked for raising awareness of his fictional works. Worth seeking out.
