Dark Side of the Moon

Scottish author Wood’s outstanding first novel focuses on a bumbling group of petty Glasgow criminals, who undertake the improbable theft of the Dark Side of the Moon, a rare purple diamond worth perhaps £30 million. The brains of the group is Norman Boddice, a man whose territory and reputation are eroding but who can count on a number of lackeys dependent on his goodwill. Each of them gets to tell part of the story. Davie Prentice is one of Boddice’s leg breakers, Gordon Kyle the other; Alistair Boag is a hanger-on who has some skill with electronics and explosives; identical twins Campbell and John Wilson are tattoo artists. Reluctantly, they all buy into Boddice’s grandiose plans for a spectacular theft from the store Trusdale and Needham, where the diamond will be on display for five weeks as part of the City of Jewellery festival. The entertaining journey includes some wonderfully funny interludes, some cruelty that rebounds unexpectedly, and clever surprises. [em](Apr.) [/em]