Saturday Night at the Greyhound by John Hampson: A Book Recommendation

Saturday Night at the Greyhound by John Hampson

Saturday Night at the Greyhound by John Hampson is a dark novel about greed, social class, and utter idiocy. Written in the 1930s, this story is all sorts of scandalous. Mistresses, drunks, gambling debts, poison—the list goes on.

Allow me to explain …

The Greyhound, an old pub located in a Derbyshire mining village, has been through fourteen landlords, all unable to keep it afloat. The new owners, Ivy Flack, her brother Tom, and her husband Fred, are facing the same challenge.

Fred has a terrible gambling addiction. His tendency to give away free drinks to customers is cutting into profits. Not to mention the money he spends on his mistress has pushed the pub to the brink of closure.

The trio knows they must make the most of Saturday, the busiest night of the week. It’s the only way to keep the pub open.

But the events that unfold that fateful Saturday night are beyond their imagination. Violence and tragedy escalate, leading to a bizarre and inevitable climax.

*FUN FACT! Saturday Night at the Greyhound was published by Virginia Woolf.

One of the most interesting first novels I have read for some time. Short and dramatic, and written with a fine simplicity. I could not put it down until I knew all that was to happen that Saturday night.

Sunday Times

If you’re giving Saturday Night at the Greyhound as a gift, here are a few things to consider:

The vibes are dark, emotional, and tense with a slow pace.

It’s the perfect book for anyone who loves a tense slow burn in a story, and who finds it very satisfying when terrible people get their just desserts!

Permission to judge a book by its cover!

I have the silhouetted cover which is great for a neutral book aesthetic, but I would love to own a copy with the cover that @thehubble101 shares!

*Saturday Night at the Greyhound fulfilled my POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt for a book by an author with the same initials as me.