Brian Case

Brian Case has long been acknowledged for his articles on jazz in virtually every music publication of note. His features on hip writers and the exponents of hardboiled crime helped point me in the right direction many years ago. But I was unprepared for this novel, originally published in 1968 and reprinted here for the first time. It's an amazing piece of work; a rich feast of verbiage detailing the unwitting involvement of a group of students in a bizarre series of crimes and misdemeanours in '60s Britain.

There's John Jenkins, reacting Meursault-like to the sudden death of his father; Carol, his unaccommodating girlfriend; Joseph, jazz fan and wannabe hipster. The mysterious Ben Herod blackmails Dr Ostbahn, an abortionist, recruits Joseph, and abducts Carol. Drug addiction, pornographic movie-making and murder are the results. Can John avenge these evils?

The events are set against an accurately portrayed backdrop of the '60s - student demos and all. Brian Case weaves a complex plot, with the beauty as much in the telling as in the tale itself: it's the language that impresses most. In one section, Joseph's brilliant depiction of the life of Henry VII would have done justice to that Hip Aristocrat himself, Lord Richard Buckley: "Henry was broke like he was really hurting for money. He even owed for out of town help in the Bosworth rumble. But now he's King see, so his worries are over. When you've made it it's easy to get some action cash-wise, it's all there. All you've got to do is turn the handle like playing the fruit machines."

It's a funny book; funny and witty and clever. All in all, an excellent read. It's a crime that it has been out-of-print for so long, and a tragedy that no follow-up seems likely. Maybe someone should consider publishing a collection of Case's other writings, including his pieces on crime fiction. But meanwhile The Users is available once more, so enjoy it while you can. Perhaps this time it will gain the recognition and classic status it deserves.… (més)