Like many great cities, London is not only a shiny tourist attraction, but also a home to gritty tales of the criminal underworld.

Written by Northern Irish screenwriter Niall Leonard, “Crusher” is a thriller detailing the journey of a young man who interacts with some of London’s most dangerous criminals to discover who murdered his father, and why.

The protagonist of the novel is the dyslexic young Finn Macguire, whose life is dramatically changed by his father’s death. Macguire’s life had never been easy, from when his mother left him and his father at a young age, to when he was expelled from school for attempting to start a career in dealing drugs. He lives alone with his father, an ex-TV actor and currently unsuccessful screenwriter, which forces Macguire to take on a dead-end job at the local fast food joint to support himself.

Macquire’s life quickly goes from bad to worse when he arrives home one day to find his father killed in their home by a blow to the head. Further deepening his troubles, the police point to him as the prime suspect for his father’s murder. However, the police don’t have enough evidence to convict him, and as soon as Macquire is released, he begins an adventure into London’s criminal underworld to find out what really happened.

The novel is fast- paced and exciting, and even unpredictable, while also being funny and relatable. The protagonist is an easy character to identify with, being an older teenager himself. The other characters that populate Macquire’s world are just as well developed. The novel remains intelligent, yet is not very to hard to digest, and is very inviting to casual readers.

Overall, “Crusher” is an exhilarating novel that will keep you guessing at every plot twist and turn.