First published back in February of 1991, Guy N Smith’s novel ‘The Black Fedora’ formed the first novel within the author’s ‘Black Fedora’ series, featuring the principal character of Sergeant John Mayo.
The ‘Black Fedora’ series spawned three full-length novels, as well as the short story ‘The Grim Reaper’ which was originally published in the May 1997 edition of ‘Phantoms’ magazine and then rereleased within the collections ‘Science Fiction & Horror Shorts: 1st Collection’ (2000), ‘Horror Shorts - 2nd Collection’ (2001), and finally within ‘Graveyard Rendezvous: Issue 41’ (2012).
DLS Synopsis:
The cathedral city of Lichfield was preparing itself for an event that was sure to be like no other. Not only was there the spectacle of the Festival Week planned, during which the cathedral would be showcasing the priceless Lichfield Gospels, but the city would controversially also be hosting the Polish Premier Kosminksi – the ambassador for communism, with links to war crimes including being instrumental in the Gdansk shootings.
The news that Kosminski was to attend for the Festival had unsurprisingly been met with a large amount of public outcry. The tabloids had even run with a story that the Pole was supposedly a descendant of Jack the Ripper. Furthermore, the Bishop himself had prophesised that the Antichrist was going to make his return to Earth during the Festival. Some people were now linking the two, all within the hotbed of activity in Lichfield.
Of course, the police were on full alert. Preparations were being made to sweep and secure the area to protect the foreign dignitary, no matter how unpopular his political stance. Chief Superintendent Clive Gardener had been assigned the dual task of protecting the foreign dignity as well as the Litchfield Gospels. The former was under threat of assassination, the latter from potentially being defaced or stolen by animal rights activists.
Furthermore, a raggle-taggle convoy of travellers calling themselves the supposed ‘Peace Convoy’ had just arrived along the Cannock Chase. Unfortunately, the police have neither the manpower nor the authority to evict them straight off. Although with the travellers being prime suspects for the animal rights threat, Gardener planned to keep a very close eye on the group, with raids and searches of their community to be frequent occurrence whilst they remained within the vicinity.
However, for the potential planned assassination, Scotland Yard had other ideas. Their prime suspect was The Wolf, who was already wanted for various attempted assassinations. Although precisely where the attack might come from, no one really knew for sure. All they knew was there were multiple threats and the likelihood of one coming to fruition was inevitable.
Although, among the travellers, one lone man stood out from the pack. His eyes, constantly watching everything. A man in a black fedora, whose confidence and piercing stare unnerved even the toughest of the travelling community. Even for the Polish Premier, a mere glimpse of the figure in the fedora was enough to send cold shivers running down his spine.
There was something decidedly unnerving about the lonesome figure known only as Haggard. The man whose presence unnerved all those around him. The man dressed from head to toe in black, wearing a black fedora…
Guy N Smith is of course best known for his over-the-top pulp horror novels. However, his literary output didn’t end there. Over the course of over forty years of professional writing, Smith penned a number of novels outside of the horror genre. Here we have the first book within a series of thrillers which are a prime example of the author’s non-horror output.
That said, there’s still a hint of an occultist angle within the tale. From early on the Bishop prophesising the return of the Antichrist which would occur during the festival period. However, for the main part, the brunt of the novel deals with the twin threats of a potential political assassination, and the potential defacing of the Litchfield Gospels by animal rights activists.
For the controversial political visit (which leads to the associated threat of assassination), the tale takes on a similar vibe to that of Smith’s earlier novel ‘Fiend’ (1988). Here we see Smith taking further swipes at communism and the oppressive Soviet rule, whilst bringing the pompous and cliché characters from such foreign offices to the very forefront of the drama and action.
Interestingly, Smith has set all of this within the small Cathedral City of Litchfield, in Staffordshire, which incidentally was where Smith himself went to school as a young lad. Of course, this quaint parish setting affords plenty of opportunity for an unprepared and woefully ill-equipped response to the perfect storm of threats culminating within this incredibly small locale.
Essentially, it’s the quantum of wild plot threads that have been thrown into the mix at the same time, which makes the novel such a pulpish treat. We have a hated polish dignitary whose part in the atrocities during the last war have obviously not been forgotten.
If that’s not enough, let’s also make him a potential descendent of Jack the Ripper! Furthermore, is this man actually the Antichrist as well, or maybe it’s his assassin who’s the Antichrist?! The elusive ‘Wolf’ who’s thought to be the living personification of the epitome of evil. Is he in fact, the son of the Devil?
But that’s not all, we then have the travellers who’ve rocked up to the party, of which many are hardcore animal rights activists. Alongside these hippies we have some who like to dabble in a bit of occultist behaviour (including all night orgies), with suggestions of Satanic undertones! Of this bunch we have Benjamin – the leader of the Animal Liberation Movement – who casts a formidable figure at over 6ft tall with a wild read beard and muscular frame. Good ole Benjamin has his own plans for the weekend. Plans which he’s waited a long time to enact.
But then we have this fedora wearing fella, quietly watching them all from the sidelines. From the outset of the novel, Smith paints an air of intrigue and mystery about the guy. His quiet, calculated observation. The danger that seems to emit from him. The irresistible draw he has to Benjamin’s own partner – Penny.
With so much going on, Smith escalates it further by having it all during a big festival. On top of this, the festival is due to conclude with a spectacular finale involving a mock siege of the cathedral by the Roundheads. Of course, enacting this we have a bunch of actors racing around with muskets and cannons firing at the city’s historic cathedral. Oh yes, there’s plenty going on for the big finale, and plenty of opportunity for even more mayhem!
Along with the sheer number of threats presenting absolute chaos in Litchfield, the whole mystery element in respect of ‘who’, ‘where’ and ‘when’ all of this will happen adds further to the gripping thrill of the book. Much of the response to this feels somewhat dated now, with just one or two police personnel spared to protect priceless gospels on show. And when dead bodies start cropping up in the run-up to the festival finale, you’d expect a bit more police presence than a couple more bobbies put on patrol.
That said, suspending disbelief and just going with it all allows you to simply sit back and enjoy this wild, elaborate and utterly unpredictable flow of the tale as it weaves a maniacal course through the story.
Always desperately trying to stay at the forefront of all this unfolding madness is our protagonist Chief Superintendent Clive Gardener, as well as the additional resource he’s sent from Scotland Yard in the form of Detective Inspector Tim Walkers. Although of course, we know there’s also this other man too, who always seems to be amongst every incident, every twist and every turn. The man who goes by the name of Haggard. The man in the black fedora!
The dramatic ending to the tale is a strange mishmash of colliding threads culminating into an explosive final sequence. Although you’ll have seen certain aspects of this coming from a long way off, I bet you won’t predict how it all goes down. Again, utterly gripping and pure Guy N Smith in its wonderful unpredictability. Honestly, this is a tale that’ll keep you enthralled throughout.
The novel runs for a total of 236 pages.
© DLS Reviews
Other ‘Black Fedora’ instalments:
- ‘The Black Febora’ (1991)
- ‘The Knighton Vampires’ (1993)
