Irvine Welsh (2024) Resolution

Resolution is the No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller. For most authors that would be a life-changing event. But Irvine Welsh is not like most authors. Or, rather, he is, in that he puts down words on a page, creates characters, such as former Detective Ray Lennox. Gives the the boy from a Leith housing scheme a girlfriend with a name that would have him smacking his lips and wanting a bite of Carmel, but still want her pudding. I know, terrible joke. Not politically correct. But Ray Lennox never is, he’s the clichéd, old school.

There’s something he needs to sort, or plot. I know, I’m getting the author mixed up with his protagonist. What I was trying to say is Irvine Welsh is like Andy Warhol. Such is his level of fame, he could sell prints of a coke tin. Not that he takes coke now. I’m talking about Ray Lennox here. He admits to an addictive personality. But he’s channelled it into kickboxing lessons with a former marine and ex-British champion and long runs with Carmel. His cash is tied up in property. This is in Eastbourne. Where Irvine Welsh/Ray Lennox stays.

There’s something rotten in Paradise. Give me the child and I’ll give you the man. That old Jesuit truism. Ray has brought his trouble with him. He was raped as a kid, Chapter 1. Tunnel Dreams.    

‘You cannot move.’

Like me, Irvine Welsh grew up in the seventies of Bay City Roller mania. One of the most successful bands of that era. Having Number 1 hit albums in Britain and America. Manager, Tam Paton, diddled the band of around £200 million, old money. Not just figuratively. He raped the lead singer, Les McKeown, and the other band members were unfair game. Paton lived outside Edinburgh in Gogarburn. A mansion with a big wall. He feasted on a staple diet of young boys from poor families that were put into Care and were invited to his extravagant parties.   

My mate, Laughing Boy is from Leith. His brother, Kevin, was in Care. No, he wasn’t raped. But like Jimmy Saville, the kids knew. The authorities knew, but aided and abetted those with money and therefore power. Outstanding citizens like Tam Paton got off Scot free.

Resolution is about righting old wrongs. To paraphrase Abraham Maslow: ‘When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nonce’.

 But we know in the real world that doesn’t happen. Read on.

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