11 June 2021

Benched! Meghan’s woeful paean to mediocrity

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FAME is a wonderful thing; it overrides ability in so many fields of endeavour. But nowhere more so than in the world of publishing. There the principle is simple: names sell. Celebrity is everything. Much to the chagrin of authors who have spent years honing their craft. Facebook “likes”, Instagram followers, Twitter retweets; these are… Continue Reading

11 June 2021

Benched! Meghan’s woeful paean to mediocrity

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FAME is a wonderful thing; it overrides ability in so many fields of endeavour. But nowhere more so than in the world of publishing. There the principle is simple: names sell. Celebrity is everything. Much to the chagrin of authors who have spent years honing their craft. Facebook “likes”, Instagram followers, Twitter retweets; these are… Continue Reading

8 June 2021

Relentless slow burn to a love story’s climax

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IN the words of advice so often given, it was time to “get out more”; extend my horizons. Not physically, but in more mentally stimulating terms. Specifically, to broaden the reading experience, to redress the balance of genres ingested in my reading time. A glance at my bookshelves provided ample proof; without going into great… Continue Reading

2 June 2021

Vera does high tension without blood and gore

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COMPARISONS are inevitable when books are transported from page to screen. Especially between the leading characters as they are read and as they are seen. An author’s descriptions enable us to build our personal bank of images as we move through the chapters. Fleshing out the bare bones we are given at the start until… Continue Reading

29 May 2021

Back stories reveal spooks’ messy histories

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CONSIDERING his prolific output and the frequency of publication, crime writer supreme Mick Herron remained off my radar for an inexplicably long time. Years, in fact. During which time he published numerous much-praised books and won several prestigious awards. How I managed to miss him – or perhaps simply ignore him – I have no… Continue Reading

22 May 2021

Red herrings for dinner and beyond

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BOOK covers sometimes go overboard in trying to entice readers to buy. The Dinner Guest by BP Walter is an excellent example. It should carry a “spoiler alert“ sticker. Before opening a single page we are told “four people walked into the dining room that night, one would never leave”. Synopsis complete. Not much more… Continue Reading

2 June 2020

Coming soon preview: Crossing the Line

Our sleuth is called back to head office to be sent on a dangerous mission to face a ruthless foe in deepest rural England. Continue Reading

18 May 2020

Bromo, book six – an extract

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‘Morning, can I help you?’ The receptionist smiled her greeting. ‘I hope so. At least you look as if you want to.’ A clumsy compliment, Bromo chided himself. But well meant. ‘Makes a refreshing change to where I come from,’ he hurried to explain. ‘Tyllmouth must do strange things to people. So relaxed and slow-going.’… Continue Reading

15 August 2019

Celtic Skeletons

The illustrated sequel to From Paupers to iPads sees an Englishman unearth hitherto unknown close ties to Wales, Scotland and Cornwall, where he now lives. Continue Reading

4 April 2019

Death Comes By Drone

Old foes return; what seem like small-time local crimes bring Bromo into murderous conflict with former enemies from afar. Continue Reading

4 April 2019

Twisted Trees

Family ties can kill, as Bromo discovers when he has to dig deep into a respected businessman’s hidden past. Continue Reading

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