The Treatment by Michael Nath

Eldine Matthews, a black teenager, is stabbed to death at a bus stop by a racist gang. Twenty years later, his killers appear to be above the law and beyond prosecution. But the crime is not forgotten, certainly not by a cynical former reporter, Carl Hyatt, and a cast of oddballs who all coalesce around a desire to see justice.

This is a novel that is firmly inspired by true events. The Eldine Matthews murder is obviously inspired by that of Stephen Lawrence, the perpetrators and their ability to thumb their noses at the judicial system, inspired by the killers of Stephen. The plot also mirrors true events and the author has clearly done his research. In the novel, police corruption, gangsterism, and the killer’s relationship with organised crime figures who are able to bribe police, plays a large part in their ability to evade being called to account. There is much evidence that this is how Stephen’s killers were able to usurp the system.  

As someone with a huge interest in the Stephen Lawrence case, police corruption and organised crime, and someone who’s extensively read around the subject of the Lawrence murder and the corruption that plagued London’s Metropolitan Police in the 1990’s, I really wanted to enjoy this book. But I’m afraid that for all The Treatment’s brilliance - and there is brilliance here: beautiful writing, intriguing characterisation - this novel is just a little too rambling. Personally, I felt that there were a few too many digressions and the plot needed to be a little tighter. 

As I say, this is a book that I really wanted to love. I really enjoy novels like this - James Elroy’s reimagining of the Kennedy Assassination in his American Underworld trilogy, David Peace’s books on the Yorkshire Ripper & Miner’s strike (and a quote from Peace praising the novel appears on the front cover) - books that look back at an important and controversial event and through the prism of fiction reveal the dirty truths, the corruption, the venality, and the injustice. This book does all of that, but my personal thoughts are that it would have been more effective if it had been a bit more focused.

3 out of 5 stars