Joan Fleming (1) (1908–1980)

I found Young Man, I Think You’re Dying by Joan Fleming a fascinating crime story that contrasts the lives and choices of two young men. Both grew up in London working class families, but where one family bestowed a good upstanding morality, the other did not. Joe works in a pizza house and dreams of one day owing his own restaurant. Winston grew up to be a psychopath, he lives a life of crime, loyal to no one but himself.

Joe was not perfect, he was still involved with his friends in a group they called The Wotchas. The purpose of this group was to be the side man and driver for Winston. Joe realizes that Winston is going to go too far one day and wants to get out, but at the same time, the money he makes is being banked towards his future. One night Winston comes for Joe to get him to drive him to his crime site, and this is the night that Winston goes too far and kills an elderly lady. While Joe ponders whether he is going to the police or not, he meets a young runaway girl called Francis who has her own beef with Winston.

Young Man, I Think You’re Dying won the British Crime Writers Association’s Gold Dagger Award for best crime novel of 1970. As the author explores the minds of both the young psychopath and the ambitious dreamer an intriguing story emerges, one that is well crafted and unusual.… (meer)

This is the first of Fleming's crime novels that I've read, and while I finished it over a week ago I still haven't been able to get my head around how I feel about it. This book is very dark and more than a little bitter with few likable characters or hopeful plot lines. That edge gives a color to the pretty pedestrian mystery that makes the book very readable, but also a little off-putting. I'll need to mull this one over a little bit more, but if I run across any more Fleming bargains in the basement of a book store, I'd definitely scoop them up.… (meer)