Given the wealth of material published on the infamous Kray twins and the many TV and movie adaptations built on their legend, there hardly seems to be a gap in the market for yet another repcounting of the story. The promise of an “explosive” story begs the question of just why John Dickson has waited 50 years to cash in on his association.
The issue with so many of these true crime accounts is the difficulty of separating the truth from the myth and working out what is simply inflated storytelling to lure interest. Given this is Dickson’s story alone and not an overview by an objective journalist, the reader must therefore be sceptical about the veracity from outset.
The First Impression likewise does not inspire and reads like a dry, factual summary of events, conveying little of the characters and real people behind the action. Capturing the magnetism and power of the Krays and understanding their appeal is surely an essential piece of the jigsaw puzzle and this book seems designed to fit the Xmas present gap for a true crime story for the senior citizens who lived through the era.
The issue with so many of these true crime accounts is the difficulty of separating the truth from the myth and working out what is simply inflated storytelling to lure interest. Given this is Dickson’s story alone and not an overview by an objective journalist, the reader must therefore be sceptical about the veracity from outset.
The First Impression likewise does not inspire and reads like a dry, factual summary of events, conveying little of the characters and real people behind the action. Capturing the magnetism and power of the Krays and understanding their appeal is surely an essential piece of the jigsaw puzzle and this book seems designed to fit the Xmas present gap for a true crime story for the senior citizens who lived through the era.