Scotland Yard’s First Cases In 1842 Scotland Yard set up the first detective branch. With very little to help in their pursuit of villains, the group was faced with a difficult task. Fingerprinting and DNA didn’t exist and there was no efficient means of communicating between one officer and another – let alone between different…
Month: March 2018
Standing with Hemingway
What’s that you say – you wanna stand up to write? Some years ago, I hosted a writing course called Stand Up and Write. I forget why I worded it that way, since the course was certainly not about standing up to write, however, this post is about that very activity. Ernest Hemingway apparently had…
‘A Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ by Jules Verne
A Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Audiobook) One of the earliest works of science fiction, Jules Verne creates a fantastical subterranean world in this classic adventure. Along with his nephew Axel and Danish eiderdown hunter, Hans, eccentric Professor Lidenbrock, charts a course to the planet’s core, with only the occasional clue left by…
‘Lair’ by James Herbert
Lair After the Outbreak in London, the mutant white rat has grown and mated, creating offspring that, like itself, crave human flesh. But the city is too dangerous for them now, so the vermin need a new place to hide. When the creatures are sighted in Epping Forest, ratcatcher Pender is sent to assess the…
‘The Michigan Murders’ by Edward Keyes
The Michigan Murders In 1967, a 19-year-old EMU student was last seen walking home to her apartment in Ypsilanti, Michigan. A few weeks later, her violated, naked body was found on an abandoned farm. Over the next few years, six more bodies were discovered, leading the police into a murder investigation that would taunt them…
‘The Invisible Man’ by HG Wells
The Invisible Man (Audiobook) An impetuous scientist manages to make himself invisible by interfering with his body’s refractive index. However, on discovering the impossibility of reversing the process, he begins to consider how this new characteristic might have unexpected benefits. Turning to crime, he becomes obsessed with making the most of his invisibility and gradually…
Book Reviews, Books, Cozy, Crime, detective, eBooks, Historical, History, Indie Authors, murder, mystery, Political, Thriller
‘A Ticket to Tewkesbury’ by Neal James
A Ticket to Tewkesbury On discovering a fifty-year-old love letter, Julie Martin uncovers a series of events leading back to Nazi Germany. Secret files from MI5 and the mysterious ‘Organisation’, brings to light documents that have remained hidden for half a century. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and the premise…
‘The Magic Vodka Wardrobe’ by Sheila Patel
The Magic Vodka Wardrobe Sisters Shaz and Trace work in the family corner shop by day but spend their nights glugging vodka and disco-dancing with Aunt Sheila in a magical wardrobe. With characters including Tattoo Tony and Dammit Janet, this is a surreal story that could rival any TV soap-opera, apart from the lack of…
Books, Characters, Fantasy, Historical, History, Horror, mystery, Occult, Paranormal, Storytelling, Supernatural, Thriller
‘Northman’ by JD Hughes
Northman Twelve hundred years in the past, Vikings raid an Anglo-Saxon village, beginning a sinister series of events. When archaeologists Kate and Doctor Weatherall uncover an ancient but puzzling burial site, strange things start to happen. By the time she meets film director Michael, Kate is already the target of an outlandish and terrifying force.…
‘Pictures of Deceit’ by SC Richmond
Pictures of Deceit Celebrated art dealer Michael Masters comes home to stage a long-awaited exhibition, but when he disappears, local journalist Alexandra Price turns out to be the last person to have seen him alive. As the mystery deepens and a body is washed up, Alex wonders if she is the victim of a set-up.…
Colin Garrow 