In the London underworld， a funny and vicious hoodlum dreams of being a clubland impresario. Harry Starks is a feared gangster in 1960s London， a rival of the Kray twins and every bit as ruthless. He is menacing and yet compelling. He has an expensive flat in Chelsea full of scrapbooks showing him with Judy Garland， Johnnie Ray， Sonny Liston， Ruby Ryder， and other celebrities who appear at or frequent his club. He likes to hobnob with fighters and performers， even with a member of Parliament. Harry collects them， as if proximity will give him legitimacy. He is like a performer himself， a strange mix of honor and evil. "Show business is in my blood，" he boasts， chillingly. Five narrators tell the story of Harry s rise， fall， and surprising resurrection in Jake Arnott s vividly imagined portrait of the sleazy London mobs ("firms") at the end of an era. The Long Firm is being made into a five-part BBC miniseries. The gun just goes click. Poxy automatic gone and jammed again. Click. Like a joke gun. Half expect a little flag with bang on it to come out of the barrel. Heavy-lidded eyes glaring at me. The boys have stopped dancing. People standing around stock-still like time has stopped. No joke. Look at fat Ron. Ugly lips flatten out like he s about to say something."Do him!" Ron hisses.