My Review (5 stars out of 5) Former high-flyer with a Washington law firm, Jack Shepherd has taken a job teaching international finance in Bangkok, where he expects life to roll along with no possibility of excitement or thrills. But when a former colleague calls him out of the blue, it’s a bit of a…
Month: April 2023
‘Did I Ever Tell You This?’ by Sam Neill
My Review (5 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) During 2022, Ireland-born Sam Neill began making a few notes which eventually became a book. This is the story of his life from doing odd jobs on farms to working with the likes of Meryl Streep, Isabel Adjani, Sean Connery, Steven Spielberg and Jane Campion. Sam Neill…
‘Dinner at the Happy Skeleton’ by Chris Chalmers
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Pushing 40, Dan is a gay man in the Noughties, single and promiscuous, and in an odd relationship with two men. When he is sacked from his job with an advertising firm, Dan finds himself with a bit of time and money and no particular desire to hunt…
What’s All This First Draft Nonsense?
Whenever I read blogs or Twitter posts by an author who’s just finished the first draft of their WIP (work in progress), I always wonder if I’m the only person in the world who thinks first drafts are just another way of saying, ‘what I’ve written is crap so I’m going to do it all…
‘A Dutiful Son’ by Kelly Miller
My Review (4 stars out of 5) Struggling to honour his father, Fitzwilliam Darcy is faced with a dilemma when the old man determines that Elizabeth Bennet is not the girl for his son. When Darcy’s sister Georgiana gets chummy with Elizabeth, Darcy hopes his father will recognise her qualities, but love and duty seem…
‘The Vesuvius Club’ by Mark Gatiss
My Review (4 stars out of 5) When several British scientists turn up dead, Edwardian painter and secret agent Lucifer Box sets off across Europe to track down those responsible. Leaving his residence at 9 Downing Street, Box delves into all things seedy and debauched as he follows the clues and the dead bodies to…
‘Killing the Invisible’ by Keith Dixon
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Detective Inspector Walter Watts tries not to let emotions get in the way of his job, but the murder of a young girl lands him with some difficult decisions. Moved to a temporary post with the Porthaven Council, Watts finds himself facing off against some obstinate characters, including…
The Upstanding Writer
I’ve written elsewhere about my habit of standing up to write, but it’s always useful to reconsider ways of working to see if they’re still effective. For the last ten years my day job has been in occupational therapy, a role which involves a bit of driving and a bit of desk work. Long-standing back…
‘Thames Valley Tales’ by Tim Walker
My Review (4 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) This collection of nine short stories is inspired by the author’s experience of living in Thames Valley towns, mixing modern-day themes with tales and legends from the area between London and the heart of rural England. As with all short story collections, there are those which stand…
‘Not Dead Yet’ by Peter James
My Review (5 stars out of 5) When American pop icon Gaia Lafayette is set to star in a movie to be shot in her hometown of Brighton, Roy Grace is put in charge of her security. Meanwhile, a vicious gangster is released from prison and a headless torso is found on a chicken farm.…
Colin Garrow 