Now available! The all new
BAD PENNY BLUES
Site last updated: 6/6/2021
London 1959: Police Constable Pete Bradley has done one year in the force and dreams of moving up. His destiny arrives when the body of a young woman is dumped on the banks of the Thames. She’s the first in a series of murders whose naked victims are left in and along the river. Pete’s search for the phantom killer will lead him deep into London’s underbelly as the 1960s start to swing.
Meanwhile Stella Reade, an art student living in bohemian Ladbroke Grove, is woken by terrifying nightmares that echo the last hours of the murdered women – all of whom have been plucked from the streets around her home. Streets where fascists and Teddy boys, migrants and anarchists chase illicit thrills with gangsters and lords.
Bad Penny Blues is inspired by the ‘Jack the Stripper’ case of 1959-65, which sparked the biggest manhunt in Metropolitan Police history but was never solved.
A brand new edition Cathi Unsworth's BAD PENNY BLUES is published by Strange Attractor Press. At the moment SAP is out of stock so it is no longer possible to buy direct – but the book can be ordered from any good bookseller anywhere in the world.
Cathi Unsworth Portrait and Bad Penny Blues jacket design by Etienne Gilfillan
Meanwhile Stella Reade, an art student living in bohemian Ladbroke Grove, is woken by terrifying nightmares that echo the last hours of the murdered women – all of whom have been plucked from the streets around her home. Streets where fascists and Teddy boys, migrants and anarchists chase illicit thrills with gangsters and lords.
Bad Penny Blues is inspired by the ‘Jack the Stripper’ case of 1959-65, which sparked the biggest manhunt in Metropolitan Police history but was never solved.
A brand new edition Cathi Unsworth's BAD PENNY BLUES is published by Strange Attractor Press. At the moment SAP is out of stock so it is no longer possible to buy direct – but the book can be ordered from any good bookseller anywhere in the world.
Cathi Unsworth Portrait and Bad Penny Blues jacket design by Etienne Gilfillan
Listen to Bad Penny Blues – The Transmissions
To get yourself in the mood for Bad Penny Blues, lend an ear to The Transmissions, a sonic meeting between Cathi and electronic composer Pete Woodhead recreating the spookiest sections of the book – the last nights of the victims of Jack the Stripper.
Listen to The Transmissions HERE
Listen to The Transmissions HERE
NEW VISUAL: CATHI IN THREE BOOK FRIDAY WITH ROD REYNOLDS, NICK QUANTRILL
AND NICK TRIPLOW
Cathi and Rod Reynolds Cathi Unsworth join HULL NOIR'S Nick Quantrill and Nick Triplow to choose the three books that have most influenced them as writers and readers and discuss what makes them must-reads. TUNE IN HERE
NEW AUDIO: CATHI ON CRIMETIME FM PODCAST
Cathi chats to Paul Burke about her classic London novel BAD PENNY BLUES just reissued by Strange Attractor Press. This new edition has a introduction on the importance of the novel by Greil Marcus and an illuminating afterword by Cathi.
Cathi tells Paul about her fictional account of the Hammersmith nude murders: eight women were brutally killed between 1959 and 1965. Corruption, incompetence, and lack of care meant the women the were stigmatised as prostitutes – these crimes were never solved.
BAD PENNY BLUES is also a portrayal of London in the early 1960s, the thriving and vibrant life of the city, from the art scene to the music scene. Several of the fictional characters draw on real personalities for their inspiration – Pauline Boty, Joe Meek, Colin McInnes and celebrated spiritualist Winifred Moyes.
As an added treat there's a wonderfully atmospheric dramatic reading from the novel by Cathi taken from the Transmissions series with music by electronic composer Pete Woodhead (co-composer Shaun of the Dead).
Tune in, turn on HERE
Cathi tells Paul about her fictional account of the Hammersmith nude murders: eight women were brutally killed between 1959 and 1965. Corruption, incompetence, and lack of care meant the women the were stigmatised as prostitutes – these crimes were never solved.
BAD PENNY BLUES is also a portrayal of London in the early 1960s, the thriving and vibrant life of the city, from the art scene to the music scene. Several of the fictional characters draw on real personalities for their inspiration – Pauline Boty, Joe Meek, Colin McInnes and celebrated spiritualist Winifred Moyes.
As an added treat there's a wonderfully atmospheric dramatic reading from the novel by Cathi taken from the Transmissions series with music by electronic composer Pete Woodhead (co-composer Shaun of the Dead).
Tune in, turn on HERE
NICK TRIPLOW ON
BAD PENNY BLUES
AT CRIMESQUAD
Says the acclaimed author of Getting Carter: Ted Lewis and the Birth of Brit Noir: "More than a decade since its first publication, Bad Penny Blues retains the power to make us all face our darker angels. In showing what the crime novel, particularly one so committed to the truth, is capable of, it lays bare the hierarchy of exploitation that maintains one life is worth less than another because of breeding, poverty, race, or sex. It exposes the cynicism underpinning that golden-hazed half decade when the 1960s became the ‘swinging 60s’. It’s a classic London noir and it refuses to go away."
Read the full review HERE
Read the full review HERE
BAD PENNY BLUES ON CRIMEFICTIONLOVER
"Bad Penny Blues is a devastating read, at times terrifying and heart rending, certainly powerful and thought provoking, asking, as it does, why we put up with the mistreatment of women the way we do. Is there a more critical theme in crime fiction?" says Paul Burke on Crimefictionlover.com Read the full review HERE
WATCH HULL NOIR AGAIN!
If you were not able to attend HULL NOIR on 20 March, all the panels and interviews, including Cathi talking about Bad Penny Blues and historical crime fiction with Ian McGuire, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and chair Rhiannon Ward are now up on their You Tube Channel HERE
Take a walk on the Humber side…
Take a walk on the Humber side…
BAD PENNY BLUES LAUNCH: CATHI TALKS TO TRAVIS ELBOROUGH
If you couldn't make the launch on 3 March you can listen again to Cathi talking about the book with author, broadcaster and Sohemian pal Travis Elborough HERE
And listen to the full Bad Penny tracklist HERE
Every song is a chapter/section title and a time tunnel back to 'our Napoli'.
And listen to the full Bad Penny tracklist HERE
Every song is a chapter/section title and a time tunnel back to 'our Napoli'.
NEW AUDIO:
CATHI TALKS GOTH
ON FLIPSIDE
RADIO LONDON
Cathi talks with host AIDAN McMANUS about the eighties youth culture that dripped blood for his regular Portobello Radio show. Take a rocket from the crypt HERE
NEW AUDIO: CATHI IN WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE PODCAST
Deaf in one ear, shy, bisexual, sensitive – are these the reasons Johnnie Ray isn't worshipped as the Father of Rock and Roll? Katie, Tom and author Cathi Unsworth joins hosts Katie Puckrick and Tom Fordyce to explore the world of the man who gave way to Elvis, the Beatles, Morrissey. It's a journey which will take them from a small farm in Oregon to African-American clubs in Detroit, and finally to hidden corners in smokey clubs where London's 1950s subcultures could be found. Tune in HERE
WATCH AGAIN
CATHI, SYD MOORE AND MICK FINDLAY TALK WITCHES AND MURDER
AT CAMBRIDGE FESTIVAL
Cathi joins fellow crime writers Syd Moore and Mick Finlay to talk about some of the events in history that have inspired their books. Cathi will be talking about the Hagley Woods 'Bella in the Wych Elm' mysery that informed That Old Black Magic. Syd is an expert on the history of witches in Essex and author of the Essex Witch Museum mysteries. Mick (Associate Professor in Social Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University), is author of the Arrowood crime series set in Victorian London. After each author's talk there will be a Q&A.
If you were unable to attend or access the link on Saturday you can see the event again by following the link HERE
If you enjoy and want further reading, top indie retailer Nottingham Books is offering a three-for-two deal on our books HERE
If you were unable to attend or access the link on Saturday you can see the event again by following the link HERE
If you enjoy and want further reading, top indie retailer Nottingham Books is offering a three-for-two deal on our books HERE
INTO THE GROVE:
CATHI ON WEST 11 AND THE L-SHAPED ROOM
Two films set in the very time and place of Bad Penny Blues, Michael Winner's WEST 11 (1963) and Bryan Forbes' THE L-SHAPED ROOM (1962) based on novels by Ladbroke Grove's resident beatnik Laura Del Rivo's 1961 The Furnished Room and pioneer Lynne Reid Banks 1960 debut, which was modelled on the very house in Pembridge Villas where Laura lived with Colin Wilson in the days of The New Existentialism.
This text – published by DVDClassik in English and French – was originally given as two screen talks at the Duke of York's Picture House for the 2014 Brighton Film Festival.
Read it HERE
This text – published by DVDClassik in English and French – was originally given as two screen talks at the Duke of York's Picture House for the 2014 Brighton Film Festival.
Read it HERE
OH THE HORROR!
CATHI AND JENNY HVAL ON THE MIT PODCAST
The role of 'despised women' – be they covens of witches, working girls or teeange gangs – is one of the subjects discussed by Cathi and Norwegian musician, artist and author Jenny as they talk to each other about Bad Penny Blues and Jenny's new novel Girls Against God. Also on the agenda: the power of music to shape narrative and travel through time, the phenomena of Black Metal and the spooky world of Joe Meek. Tune in HERE
BAD PENNY BLUES REVIEWED ON 3AM
"This book reminds us that, where pretension abounds, there is much to be revealed and those without a voice should have a chance to be heard" says Nicky Charlish. Read the full review HERE
CATHI ON THE LYDIAN SPIN PODCAST
Cathi talks to Lydia and Tim about Bad Penny Blues ahead of its forthcoming reissue this autumn by Strange Attractor Press. This fictionalized investigation into the Jack the Stripper murders – 1960s London’s biggest unsolved case – comes with a new Introduction from Greil Marcus and an afterword in which the author details just how haunting the process of recreating the book’s milieu became. LISTEN HERE
Cathi with Jordan
"IF YOU'VE NEVER READ A BOOK ABOUT PUNK, THIS IS THE ONLY ONE YOU'LL EVER NEED"
– Julie Burchill, The New Statesman
With her white beehive and Mondrian make up, Jordan’s look helped shape a revolution and forged a pop culture icon. In Defying Gravity, she and key faces of punk including Vivienne Westwood, Paul Cook, Marco Pirroni, Holly Johnson and Michael Collins – Jordan’s partner behind the SEX counter – reveal the true story of a life at the eye of punk’s storm. How did a ballet mad girl from sleepy Sussex make her way – via the gay clubs of Brighton and London – to 430 King’s Road? Jordan finally reveals her outrageous life story, sharing her adventures with McLaren and Westwood, The Sex Pistols, Adam and The Ants, Derek Jarman and Andy Warhol. Complete with specially commissioned cover art by Graham Humphreys, Defying Gravity also features a wealth of previously unseen images from Simon Barker, Sheila Rock and Harri Peccinotti .
See more on our DEFYING GRAVITY page
– Julie Burchill, The New Statesman
With her white beehive and Mondrian make up, Jordan’s look helped shape a revolution and forged a pop culture icon. In Defying Gravity, she and key faces of punk including Vivienne Westwood, Paul Cook, Marco Pirroni, Holly Johnson and Michael Collins – Jordan’s partner behind the SEX counter – reveal the true story of a life at the eye of punk’s storm. How did a ballet mad girl from sleepy Sussex make her way – via the gay clubs of Brighton and London – to 430 King’s Road? Jordan finally reveals her outrageous life story, sharing her adventures with McLaren and Westwood, The Sex Pistols, Adam and The Ants, Derek Jarman and Andy Warhol. Complete with specially commissioned cover art by Graham Humphreys, Defying Gravity also features a wealth of previously unseen images from Simon Barker, Sheila Rock and Harri Peccinotti .
See more on our DEFYING GRAVITY page
CATHI "TOO GOOD NOT TO BE CRAZY FAMOUS"
Cathi joins a list of 12 noir writers from around the globe who are considered by Criminal Element's GREG LEVIN: "Too good not to be crazy famous." You can read the whole story – and pick up some more top tips for your noir reading pleasure HERE
WATCH OUR TED TALK WITH DAVID PEACE, MARTYN WAITES, NICK TRIPLOW AND CATHI HERE
Cathi joined David Peace, Martyn Waites and Ted Lewis' biographer Nick Triplow to pay tribute to the life and influence of Ted Lewis in this Crowdcast event from No Exit Press and Crime Time UK. You can see it HERE
CATHI SAYS:
I LOVE LIBRARIES!
WESTMINSTER LIBRARIES – my local group of libraries in Ladbroke Grove, Paddington and West End Central – asked me to make a short video explaining how libraries have helped inspire and inform me my whole life. You can watch the video HERE via Facebook and HERE via Twitter. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
A TRIBUTE TO TIM SMITH
A mighty oak crashed down in the magic musical kingdom of my life with the passing of Tim Smith. Some years ago 3AM let me write about Cardiacs when The Leader of the Starry Skies album came out. My thanks to Andrew Stevens for restoring the feature with new links to some of Tim's most incredible songs that mean the most to me. I would also just like to send love and deepest sympathy to the entire Cardiacs family: Jim, Billiam Dee, Kavus, Sarah, Dominic, Tim Quy, Alan James, Bic Haynes and Jo Spratley who helped me so much with this feature. Everything I want to say is written HERE
NEW AUDIO: CATHI ON THE ORIGINS OF GOTH AT THE BUREAU
OF LOST CULTURE
WITH STEPHEN COATES
Cathi joined musician and cultural curator STEPHEN COATES at his Bureau of Lost Culture show on Soho Radio to talk about the origins of Gothic music and spin some sounds from The Banshees, The Cramps, The Sisters, Shock-Headed Peters, The Cult and The Bunnymen… TUNE INTO THE PODCAST HERE
THE SINGER MAKES THE INDEPENDENT'S TOP 25 CRIME NOVELS TO READ DURING LOCKDOWN
The Independent's Sarah Hughes has put The Singer in her 25 lesser-known crime titles to read during Lockdown, in a fantastic list that begins with Alexander Baron's King Dido. Get the full SP HERE
WEIRDO NAMED IN
THE TIMES TOP TEN
CRIME NOVELS OF
THE PAST DECADE!
Many thanks to MARK SANDERSON for elevating Weirdo to the upper echelons of the past decade's crime novels in this Saturday's Times. For those not able to get behind the paywall, his review reads:
Cathi Unsworth is a brilliant writer who would be far better known were it not for her refusal to repeat herself. Her fourth and best novel is set in a seaside town not unlike her native Great Yarmouth. Swinging between the Eighties and the Noughties, it is essentially a game of cat-and-mouse between a private eye and a retired cop responsible for more than one miscarriage of justie. Teenage angst, police corruption and witchcraft combine in a full-blooded neo- noir.
The other writers in the Top Ten are Peter Temple (Truth), Ruth Rendell (The Vault), Ruth Dudley Edwards (Killing The Emperors), Karin Slaughter (Cop Town), Ian Rankin (Even Dogs In The Wild), Fred Vargas (A Climate of Fear), Denise Mina (The Long Drop), George Pelecanos (The Man Who Came Down) and Jo Nesbo (Knife) – so the little oddball is in good company!
Cathi Unsworth is a brilliant writer who would be far better known were it not for her refusal to repeat herself. Her fourth and best novel is set in a seaside town not unlike her native Great Yarmouth. Swinging between the Eighties and the Noughties, it is essentially a game of cat-and-mouse between a private eye and a retired cop responsible for more than one miscarriage of justie. Teenage angst, police corruption and witchcraft combine in a full-blooded neo- noir.
The other writers in the Top Ten are Peter Temple (Truth), Ruth Rendell (The Vault), Ruth Dudley Edwards (Killing The Emperors), Karin Slaughter (Cop Town), Ian Rankin (Even Dogs In The Wild), Fred Vargas (A Climate of Fear), Denise Mina (The Long Drop), George Pelecanos (The Man Who Came Down) and Jo Nesbo (Knife) – so the little oddball is in good company!
