We don’t see enough of the Scottish-born English resident Ray Banks on this side of the pond. Not that his neo-noir writing output lags, but rather — like that of his cohort, Allan Guthrie — it often takes an infuriatingly long time for his work to find its way to us via the good graces of an American publisher. So the announcement of the publication here of NO MORE HEROES, the third and latest in his Cal Innes series, is reason enough to sit up and take notice. And celebrate!

Callum Innes may still have the authorization and skills to be a private investigator, but he’s finding it increasingly tough to make a living at it, and it doesn’t help that his back pain and related past injuries are increasing his addiction to painkillers. As this latest work opens, we find him making money by evicting tenants on behalf of Donald Plummer, a slumlord in Manchester, England. It’s risky work that requires Cal to show up with the aid of a baseball bat and his oversized, but dimwitted friend, Francis (or Daft Frank, as he’s privately known), as backup muscle.
 

One day, Cal discovers one of Plummer’s houses engulfed in flames. He fears there might be still be people inside, so he dashes inside and, sure enough, finds and rescues a young immigrant boy from death. The local press publishes the story, and suddenly, Cal finds himself something he never thought he’d ever be: a hero. The fame earns him a job offer from his old friend and former boss, Paulo, as well as office space in the back of Paulo’s gym that Cal can use to revive his P.I. business and quit his evicting duties.
 
But, as it turns out, Plummer is the first of Cal’s clients, hiring him to find out who set fire to the house. Plummer fears that members of the neo-Nazi English National Socialist (ENS) group deliberately firebombed his property out of their hatred for Plummer and his renting to immigrants. And they may take it a step further and actually kill Plummer. Cal reluctantly takes the assignment, not out of any allegiance to Plummer, but more because he needs the cash and is himself curious to know who is responsible.
 
As Cal meets and interviews both suspected members of the ENS and other former Plummer tenants, he soon uncovers something less than obvious and far more threatening about the fire and why it was set. Things heat up, both literally and figuratively, and a planned protest march by the ENS is certain to erupt into a riot, as Cal rushes to gather evidence to reveal the arsonists’ identity.

Banks’ first-person narration as Cal is a joy to read, steeped in strong, convincing nuances. While American readers, especially those new to Banks, may find some of the British slang and pop-culture references occasionally hard to follow, its well worth the effort. Along the way to resolving the mystery, the author makes several strong statements about the double-edged nature of racism and other forms of prejudice, as well as the responsibilities of being a hero these days — something our Cal is ill-equipped to handle.
 
Banks is among those talented writers taking the best traditions of hard-boiled crime fiction and retranslating them to contemporary settings, while creating a unique and assured voice as well. So if you haven’t made the acquaintance of Cal Innes before, NO MORE HEROES is a fine place to start. But be warned: If you love neo-noir, you’ll likely to find yourself wondering why you can’t find more of Banks at your local retailer.
 
Welcome to the club. —Alan Cranis

Buy it at Amazon.