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Brixton Rock

On sale

15th September 2022

Price: £9.99

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Selected: Paperback / ISBN-13: 9781529428858

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“Pacy; witty; his characters are real and recognisable” LINTON KWESI JOHNSON

“Alex Wheatle is the real deal; he writes with heart and authenticity, books that make you laugh and worry and cry and hold your breath” KIT DE WAAL

“Alex Wheatle writes from a place of honesty and passion” STEVE McQUEEN, director of Small Axe


South London in the 1980s. Sixteen-year-old Brenton Brown is the mixed-race child of a mother he has never met. He’s been living in a children’s home all his life, and when he is unexpectedly reunited with his mother, Cynthia, his whole world seems poised to change.

The best thing happens: Brenton has a family at last.

And then the worst: Brenton falls in love with his beautiful half-sister, Juliet.

As tensions brew in Brixton, Brenton finds himself embroiled in a violent feud with a killer. Vengeance seems like the only option as Brenton hurtles towards an explosive climax which will risk everything.

Brixton Rock is the extraordinary debut of one of the UK’s finest writers, a pitch-perfect depiction of South London life.

“A triumph . . . This is a debut which confirms its author is a pro in prose” The Times

Reviews

The Times
Brixton Rock is a pacey document of teenage angst ... which is why the pockets of humour prove to be such a triumph. This is a debut which confirms its author is a pro in prose
Daily Telegraph
The novel's real strength lies in the dialogue. Wheatle gives us a fascinating snapshot of Black English in the early eighties
Barry Forshaw, Crime Time
Sharp-edged and sardonically funny, Brixton Rock is Graham Greene for the hip-hop generation
Big Issue
A powerful debut ... a real page turner. The mystery and intrigue just keeps on coming as the suspense builds to an explosive ending
New Statesman
Alex Wheatle's Brixton Rock has initiated the debate on how it feels to be a mixed-race Briton
Kit de Waal
Alex Wheatle is the real deal; he writes with heart and authenticity, books that make you laugh and worry and cry and hold your breath. It's a pity there's only one of him.
Kit de Waal
Alex Wheatle is the real deal; he writes with heart and authenticity, books that make you laugh and worry and cry and hold your breath. It's a pity there's only one of him.