If Guthrie had an American equivalent, it would be the incomparable James Ellroy. His world is dark, action-filled, rough and ready and his new novel SLAMMER is another walk on the wild side, as a young prison officer takes flak from all quarters and is obliged to assist a group of cons in a job that can only lead to more trouble. You can almost visualise the movie already.
Young prison officer Nicholas Glass is finding the stresses of the job increasingly hard to handle. Bullied and abused by inmates and colleagues alike, every day is getting longer than the one before. When a group of cons use outside help to threaten his wife and daughter, Glass agrees to help them out with a 'favour'. But, as their threats escalate, and one favour leads to another, Glass grows ever closer to breaking point. And when glass breaks, it shatters...
