"The Swap" Review

by Antony Moore

Delta
Paperback
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Harvey Briscow owns a comic book shop in London. To his lasting regret, 20 years ago he traded a copy of the first issue of the Superman comic books to a childhood friend, Charles "Blleder" Odd, for a worthless toy. That regret has turned to obsession and turned him into something of a shambles of a human being. On a visit to his hometown in Cornwall for his high school reunion, Harvey discovers that Bleeder is enormously successful. To add insult to injury, Bleeder also denies any recollection of the trade. Naturally, this drives Harvey to the edge of sanity and beyond.

Despite the ominous themes, this is a dark comedy about a life gone astray over a trifling. Author Antony Moore gives us a bird's eye view of the life of a somewhat dorky collector whose life has spun out of control in ways that are not entirely his own fault. It's quirky and chilling, all at the same time, but definitely with a light touch. Sterling stuff.