Pacy and gritty page turner, 20 Nov 2008
Billie Morgan is a pacy and gritty page-turner about a grown up ex-biker at a turning point in her life. It is big on drugs and social realism, big on explaining why people react with rage, and insightful about manipulators.

It is not great literature and it does not pretend to be. Denby writes reasonably well, but is keen on tying up all the loose ends.

The book has a straightforward structure and a straightforward story. Some of the points and character descriptions are rather hammered home; Denby is not too big on subtlety, but she does write about people who are normally ignored, with insight and knowledge, she writes accessibly and vividly. 4 stars is probably a bit generous, but if you want a page turner then you could definitely do worse.


This book takes me back a few years., 16 Sep 2007
Its over, Billie Morgan is finished.

I have finished reading this book and I am breathless with wonder, the author delivers as promised. I really felt strapped to the back of a bikers rig.

I read this book in a flash. I was hooked from the first sentence. Joolz Denby has created a wonderful character in Billie Morgan, she is like some I knew from my youth, though none were as extreme. It is a carefully crafted work that brings that time and place back to life. I lived in Bradford a few years ago and Miss Denby has caught the interpersonal relationships well. I enjoyed my time there and this book takes me back, the sights, the sounds and the smells. The plot twists are subtle and yet not so and the writing style gentle but graphic. The characters in this book are mostly lost souls, damaged in some way, which makes them very interesting. It is a real roller coaster of a ride, I laughed and I cried along the way but most of all I cared. I cared about Billie, poor misunderstood Billie, this happens infrequently to me. Why did I care? Because the writing and literation were/are top notch. I am amazed that Joolz Denby is another of Britains best kept secrets.

I have bought this book several times as gifts for my friends and they are just as blown away by it as I am. I heartilly recommend this book to any arm chair adrenaline junky, just like me. Enjoy.

gripping, terrifying and brilliant, 16 Oct 2006
This is my favourite of Joolz's books so far; it's just amazing. One has real problems putting down one of Joolz's books, although I often find I am practically reading through the slits between my fingers that i have put up over my face to hide behind. Plot's great, characterisation's great, relentless engery's great. It's break-neck and brilliant.



Bradford's muse hits the spot, 25 Oct 2005
Joolz Denby is a poet and speaker and this shines through her gorgeous prose. Her descriptions of Bradford are both beautiful and real, she evokes the city so well, in all its grimy reality. Indeed the city itself is almost a character in the book. Knowing Bradford fairly well it felt like she was describing a relative who can be sometimes embarrassing but occasionally brilliant.

Although the book has been put into the Crime genre it is so much more than that. The voice of the book is Billie Morgan, named for Billie Holiday by her father. Billie grows up in Bradford in the 70s and gets involved with a Biker Gang. This leads to a murder. The novel is told as a confessional leading the reader slowly to understand how the murder happened and why. Joolz' descriptions of the intricacies of family relationships are superb. You really feel that you can get under the skin of the characters - all of which have huge but loveable flaws. The overriding feeling I had when reading this novel was that this really happened and that the characters really do live in Bradford. It is shocking, devastating, fragile and real. I don't often re-read books but this is one I could read again.

Here's a taste of the prose to whet your appetite (on Bradford):

"Oh sure, it's a poor place; when the textile trade all but died poverty crept in on naked, rotting feet and soured things; clabbered the milk in babies' mouths and put a blighted fury in our young men's hearts that leads them to rash and brutal acts...But it's not grey; it's not dull - it's as fiery and drenched with colour as a Turner painting. It's a stone maze; a trap for the unwary - I'm not surprised poor old Londoners get culture shock..."

Great book, 24 Jul 2005
This really is a very well worked book. It really is very emotional at times but it is just that power that makes the book so great. If you like your books rather dark but very real you will enjoy this.
Buy it and if you haven't tried it Stone Baby is excellent too.

Pacy and gritty page turner, 20 Nov 2008
Billie Morgan is a pacy and gritty page-turner about a grown up ex-biker at a turning point in her life. It is big on drugs and social realism, big on explaining why people react with rage, and insightful about manipulators.

It is not great literature and it does not pretend to be. Denby writes reasonably well, but is keen on tying up all the loose ends.

The book has a straightforward structure and a straightforward story. Some of the points and character descriptions are rather hammered home; Denby is not too big on subtlety, but she does write about people who are normally ignored, with insight and knowledge, she writes accessibly and vividly. 4 stars is probably a bit generous, but if you want a page turner then you could definitely do worse.


This book takes me back a few years., 16 Sep 2007
Its over, Billie Morgan is finished.

I have finished reading this book and I am breathless with wonder, the author delivers as promised. I really felt strapped to the back of a bikers rig.

I read this book in a flash. I was hooked from the first sentence. Joolz Denby has created a wonderful character in Billie Morgan, she is like some I knew from my youth, though none were as extreme. It is a carefully crafted work that brings that time and place back to life. I lived in Bradford a few years ago and Miss Denby has caught the interpersonal relationships well. I enjoyed my time there and this book takes me back, the sights, the sounds and the smells. The plot twists are subtle and yet not so and the writing style gentle but graphic. The characters in this book are mostly lost souls, damaged in some way, which makes them very interesting. It is a real roller coaster of a ride, I laughed and I cried along the way but most of all I cared. I cared about Billie, poor misunderstood Billie, this happens infrequently to me. Why did I care? Because the writing and literation were/are top notch. I am amazed that Joolz Denby is another of Britains best kept secrets.

I have bought this book several times as gifts for my friends and they are just as blown away by it as I am. I heartilly recommend this book to any arm chair adrenaline junky, just like me. Enjoy.

gripping, terrifying and brilliant, 16 Oct 2006
This is my favourite of Joolz's books so far; it's just amazing. One has real problems putting down one of Joolz's books, although I often find I am practically reading through the slits between my fingers that i have put up over my face to hide behind. Plot's great, characterisation's great, relentless engery's great. It's break-neck and brilliant.



Bradford's muse hits the spot, 25 Oct 2005
Joolz Denby is a poet and speaker and this shines through her gorgeous prose. Her descriptions of Bradford are both beautiful and real, she evokes the city so well, in all its grimy reality. Indeed the city itself is almost a character in the book. Knowing Bradford fairly well it felt like she was describing a relative who can be sometimes embarrassing but occasionally brilliant.

Although the book has been put into the Crime genre it is so much more than that. The voice of the book is Billie Morgan, named for Billie Holiday by her father. Billie grows up in Bradford in the 70s and gets involved with a Biker Gang. This leads to a murder. The novel is told as a confessional leading the reader slowly to understand how the murder happened and why. Joolz' descriptions of the intricacies of family relationships are superb. You really feel that you can get under the skin of the characters - all of which have huge but loveable flaws. The overriding feeling I had when reading this novel was that this really happened and that the characters really do live in Bradford. It is shocking, devastating, fragile and real. I don't often re-read books but this is one I could read again.

Here's a taste of the prose to whet your appetite (on Bradford):

"Oh sure, it's a poor place; when the textile trade all but died poverty crept in on naked, rotting feet and soured things; clabbered the milk in babies' mouths and put a blighted fury in our young men's hearts that leads them to rash and brutal acts...But it's not grey; it's not dull - it's as fiery and drenched with colour as a Turner painting. It's a stone maze; a trap for the unwary - I'm not surprised poor old Londoners get culture shock..."

Great book, 24 Jul 2005
This really is a very well worked book. It really is very emotional at times but it is just that power that makes the book so great. If you like your books rather dark but very real you will enjoy this.
Buy it and if you haven't tried it Stone Baby is excellent too.

Better than Cornish clotted cream, 25 Apr 2006
This is a gem of a yarn about a Cornish community divided by prejudice and secrets, all in the name of friendship and familial duty. Once you pick it up you won't be able to put it down again. And if you love Cornwall you'll love this - it captures the transient nature of seasonal life really well. It's not every day a book like this comes along, read it today!

Pacy and gritty page turner, 20 Nov 2008
Billie Morgan is a pacy and gritty page-turner about a grown up ex-biker at a turning point in her life. It is big on drugs and social realism, big on explaining why people react with rage, and insightful about manipulators.

It is not great literature and it does not pretend to be. Denby writes reasonably well, but is keen on tying up all the loose ends.

The book has a straightforward structure and a straightforward story. Some of the points and character descriptions are rather hammered home; Denby is not too big on subtlety, but she does write about people who are normally ignored, with insight and knowledge, she writes accessibly and vividly. 4 stars is probably a bit generous, but if you want a page turner then you could definitely do worse.


This book takes me back a few years., 16 Sep 2007
Its over, Billie Morgan is finished.

I have finished reading this book and I am breathless with wonder, the author delivers as promised. I really felt strapped to the back of a bikers rig.

I read this book in a flash. I was hooked from the first sentence. Joolz Denby has created a wonderful character in Billie Morgan, she is like some I knew from my youth, though none were as extreme. It is a carefully crafted work that brings that time and place back to life. I lived in Bradford a few years ago and Miss Denby has caught the interpersonal relationships well. I enjoyed my time there and this book takes me back, the sights, the sounds and the smells. The plot twists are subtle and yet not so and the writing style gentle but graphic. The characters in this book are mostly lost souls, damaged in some way, which makes them very interesting. It is a real roller coaster of a ride, I laughed and I cried along the way but most of all I cared. I cared about Billie, poor misunderstood Billie, this happens infrequently to me. Why did I care? Because the writing and literation were/are top notch. I am amazed that Joolz Denby is another of Britains best kept secrets.

I have bought this book several times as gifts for my friends and they are just as blown away by it as I am. I heartilly recommend this book to any arm chair adrenaline junky, just like me. Enjoy.

gripping, terrifying and brilliant, 16 Oct 2006
This is my favourite of Joolz's books so far; it's just amazing. One has real problems putting down one of Joolz's books, although I often find I am practically reading through the slits between my fingers that i have put up over my face to hide behind. Plot's great, characterisation's great, relentless engery's great. It's break-neck and brilliant.



Bradford's muse hits the spot, 25 Oct 2005
Joolz Denby is a poet and speaker and this shines through her gorgeous prose. Her descriptions of Bradford are both beautiful and real, she evokes the city so well, in all its grimy reality. Indeed the city itself is almost a character in the book. Knowing Bradford fairly well it felt like she was describing a relative who can be sometimes embarrassing but occasionally brilliant.

Although the book has been put into the Crime genre it is so much more than that. The voice of the book is Billie Morgan, named for Billie Holiday by her father. Billie grows up in Bradford in the 70s and gets involved with a Biker Gang. This leads to a murder. The novel is told as a confessional leading the reader slowly to understand how the murder happened and why. Joolz' descriptions of the intricacies of family relationships are superb. You really feel that you can get under the skin of the characters - all of which have huge but loveable flaws. The overriding feeling I had when reading this novel was that this really happened and that the characters really do live in Bradford. It is shocking, devastating, fragile and real. I don't often re-read books but this is one I could read again.

Here's a taste of the prose to whet your appetite (on Bradford):

"Oh sure, it's a poor place; when the textile trade all but died poverty crept in on naked, rotting feet and soured things; clabbered the milk in babies' mouths and put a blighted fury in our young men's hearts that leads them to rash and brutal acts...But it's not grey; it's not dull - it's as fiery and drenched with colour as a Turner painting. It's a stone maze; a trap for the unwary - I'm not surprised poor old Londoners get culture shock..."

Great book, 24 Jul 2005
This really is a very well worked book. It really is very emotional at times but it is just that power that makes the book so great. If you like your books rather dark but very real you will enjoy this.
Buy it and if you haven't tried it Stone Baby is excellent too.

Better than Cornish clotted cream, 25 Apr 2006
This is a gem of a yarn about a Cornish community divided by prejudice and secrets, all in the name of friendship and familial duty. Once you pick it up you won't be able to put it down again. And if you love Cornwall you'll love this - it captures the transient nature of seasonal life really well. It's not every day a book like this comes along, read it today!

Truly a dream collection, 02 Nov 2008
Reading this anthology was like drifting off into a magical dream world. A world where the distinctive voices of the contributing poets effortlessly blend, providing the reader with an experience that lingers long after the final page. Just as with the most powerful and vivid of dreams, I found myself having flashbacks for days after. Haunted by the exquisite verse of Helen Ivory and Chris Tutton, provoked by the observations of Nii Ayikwei Parkes and laughing out loud at the humour of Marvin Cheeseman. I found that this is a collection with something for everyone and captured the mystical essence of the dream world beautifully. But perhaps the best thing about this anthology is that unlike any other dream you are able to keep going back for more, and so, rather than fade with time, the thoughts, emotions and images become all the more powerful.