Goose Flesh, the second Slim Gunter novel, is a story of a dead man and his grieving mother. Barnaby “Goose” Chase died in a crummy bedsit, apparently of drink-related injuries. His mother Prudence isn’t convinced by the coroner’s bland verdict and turns to London investigator Slim Gunter. Slim, aided by his live-out girlfriend Lady, academic Barclay Lloyd and big Eddie Scarborough, scours some of the dirtier pavements in London, looking for answers.
The places to look include grim pubs, park benches and some of the darker passages of the Bible. Slim’s efforts are hampered by an anonymous assailant, an ill-tempered policemen, a go-go dancer and a religious zealot, all of whom have something to hide. As the secrets start to emerge Slim’s own dubious past re-appears, threatening to ruin him for ever.
Goose Flesh (PB)
Matthew Loukes has worked in theatres, removals, music venues. tattoo shops and bars. He’s also spent far too much time in offices, wearing a suit to a shine. Married for more than ten years he tries to move around. Mostly he’s in London. He’s the one wearing a hat, wishing he could still smoke and trying to attract the attention of the bar staff.
Matthew was born in Eastbourne, next to the stony beach, on the South Coast of England where he learned to swim, comb his hair into a quiff and lie still while having his ribcage tattooed. His parents were both actors.
In 1988, he moved to London and spent ten years living with a Heavy Rock band, a philosophy professor and a collection of transients moving from the seaside to city.
Matthew graduated from the inaugural London University MA creative writing programme in 2005. Before that, he was short-listed for the Sunday Times New Crime Writers award and had some sports journalism published in books, national newspapers and magazines.
He writes in an office amid the silent calm of empty desks. If you are looking for influences you could find some in Tex Avery, Raymond Chandler or better still, just by walking the streets between Kings Cross and Chancery Lane stations. There you’ll find some old bars, graveyards and the murmured memories of afternoons spent cutting the dust and hiding out. The themes are there, in the cracked flagstones, full ashtrays and broken promises.
Soul Bay Press have published Matthew’s first two novels ‘Estrella Damn’ and ‘Goose Flesh’. A hardback version of Goose Flesh was published by SBP in November 2013. Matthew also contributed a Slim Gunter short story ‘Our Lady’ to the SBP compilation ’13’.
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