'MOLLS LIKE IT HOT: a Tangled Maze of Bonds and Betrayal'

My Review: Five Stars

Last month, I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of Darren Dash’s surprise new Christmas release, Molls Like It Hot, and boy did it take me on one hell of a ride. I found myself immersed in the dark underbelly of London, a world where bad things happen to good people and good people are far and few between. Our guide, Eyrie Brown, is a smooth operator; tough as nails, but human where it counts. I have to say, I enjoyed him immensely. Our female lead, Toni Curtis – yes, you heard me right – is equally as engaging, and the two bounce off each other in many interesting ways. Two hard heads clashing; sometimes with spice, but always witty banter galore.


Dash’s voice is dark and gritty, with a confidence that you know can lead you down whichever twisty garden path he chooses to lead you. Straight off the bat he sucks you into conversations with a colourful cast of characters who jump off the page at you, the dialogue peppered with dark humour and old pop culture references, sprinkled throughout with fond reminiscence. The premise is tense and exciting, and early on, I found myself imagining early on all the ways in which things could possibly go wrong. I was not disappointed.


Molls Like It Hot is a tangled maze of bonds and betrayal. A bloody masterpiece of murder and mayhem. The breakneck twist midway through kicked things straight into sixth gear, and as I sit, wondering if this is what it feels like to have whiplash, I realise that Dash is not messing around. Who’s the god guy? Who’s the bad guy? It’s not so black and white. The small tender moments amid a churning storm were an unexpected treat. The final revelation is one that you think you’ve seen coming. But once you’ve followed the breadcrumbs to the end of the trail, you quickly realise that you’re standing right where Dash wanted you to be.


Overall, Molls Like It Hot is the kind of book that I would read again. I say this, knowing that I do not reread books, and that my list of exceptions to this rule is ridiculously small. For this reason, anything less than five stars would be a crime.
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