Under the Eye of God (The Isaac Sidel Novels)

Jerome Charyn's `Isaac' books are one of crime writings great series. Charyn, in Mike Wolf's words, `exploded the genre'. Charyn is little known as a crime writer particularly in the UK (he is, of course feted in France) but for Michael Chabon, amongst others, Charyn is `one of the most important writers in American literature'. Maybe, like Denis Johnson, he is finally due some recognition for the great writer he is.For Charyn's crime fiction to is a `vehicle to explore the profound and profane'. Isaac's attempt to make sense of a world that has lost its bearings is set against a background of an all too familiar Presidential Election. Like Mario Puzo's `The Godfather' the higher you go the worse it gets. This is a world with no moral centre. You have to hang on to what you believe is right. The book begins with the Hobbs quote- the one about life being nasty brutish and short, a war of man against man, terrible because there is no commerce and industry, no knowledge, art or society. Isaac, as usual, stands alone in trying to `solve' the crime and do what is right - or at least what he can - there are no easy options or simple solutions.If this doesn't do it for you then with `Under the Eye of God', Isaac's 11th outing, Charyn has lost none of his ability to dazzle and amaze. His writing is dazzling and funny. For those of you familiar with the series (and if you aren't treat yourself) then the book takes up where `Citizen Sidel' left off. Isaac has to make sense of his past whilst dodging the usual the array of mad and bad- not to mention a President with a tendency to try to murder his opponents (and Isaac's past features the ghost of Arnold Rothstein currently doing a stint in `Boardwalk Empire' and come to think of it there is more than a little Nucky Thompson in Isaac).Charyn recently said "In `Pulp Fiction', anything can happen next - something I try to achieve in my novels'. The series started with `Blue Eyes' published in 1974 (still for my money one of the best crime books). `Blue Eyes' prefigures the multi layered narratives such as `Hill St Blues'. The whole series, with its focus on the breakdown of society, has the intensity and presence of `The Wire' (and in `Maria's Girls' for example the same issues - the failures of the education system in this case). Charyn clearly hasn't lost any of his magic. I'm getting my `Vote for Isaac' badge on.Twitter @peter515018