Donnybrook by Frank Bill

This book was a gift from a friend. I'd not heard of Frank Bill and did not know what a donnybrook was. But quite quickly I could see why they had got this for me, as we're both fans of the TV show 'Justified', and this book delivers that kind of gritty, real and dark story that certainly pulls no punches.
Frank Bill (like my favourite author Charles Bukowski) writes characters that have no redeeming features, real scum of the earth type people that you hope in your heart that you never get a chance to meet in real life and yet you can't stop reading about them and actually start routing for them (well not ALL of them, they are some really horrible people that have come out of the twisted mind of Mr Bill!). So, back to the book. The donnybrook is a three day fighting tournament that is happening on a thousand acre plot of private land where they are watched and betted on by a whole host of dangerous people who are drunk, high or sating their blood lust. The story follows an array of characters that are making their way to the donnybrook (whether or not they know that that will be their desination) including a cop and fighter an assassin and meth dealers!

The story is tense, gripping and a pleasure (well, I'm not sure if pleasure is really the right word) to read. Highly recommended, I'll be keeping an eye out for Frank Bill in the future, and so should you!