Warriors & Outlaws

In his third novel, Gordon continues to explore the diversity of gay life in London, and specifically that of black gay men. Jazz, an aspiring politico and leader of the Panther Posse, shoots a cop. He seeks refuge with black drag queen Carly, a neighbour he has up to now ignored. Racism and homophobia complicate their relationship: Jazz's followers must deal with the fact that the man they look up to, idolise, in fact, is suddenly gay, Carly's friend Molly is threatened by the politicisation Jazz inspires in Carly. Gordon is adept at constructing a fast-paced, character-driven story that thrives on incident and debate. The shifting first person narrative makes for a deceptively easy read, and one comes away with a sense of having read about some complex issues almost by accident.