Having always been an avid reader, it wasn’t until I started publishing my own books that I realised the importance of having them reviewed on sites like Amazon and Smashwords. When I started writing reviews of the books I read, the early ones were either books I’d wanted to read for a while, or those…
Month: May 2023
‘No Easy Answers’ by Robert Crouch
My Review (5 stars out of 5) As the festive season approaches, ex-environmental health officer Kent Fisher has a lot on his mind, and another murder investigation is the last thing he needs. Torn between his new wife Gemma, who has distanced herself from him until he can accept her past (and give up his…
‘A is for Alibi’ by Sue Grafton
My Review (4 stars out of 5) The murder of ruthless divorce attorney Laurence Fife landed his beautiful young wife, Nikki, in jail. But now she’s out on parole and determined to track down the real killer. When PI Kinsey Millhone is hired to dig into the past, it looks like there may be nothing…
Writing the Self
Writers are often asked how much of themselves and their own experiences end up in their writing. For my part, I’d say I’ve found it almost impossible to avoid including my own feelings, experiences, and opinions in what I write. However, while I’ve often used something real as the starting point for a scene or…
‘The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess’ by Andy Marino
My Review (5 stars out of 5) After years of struggling with addiction, Sydney finds herself and her young son in a nice house, with a decent job and a loving partner. But when she unexpectedly encounters a burglar, the sequence of events before her escape to a neighbour’s house, become blurred. While she’s recovering…
Dialogue Tags and Other Irritations
I’m sure most writers work hard at their craft, constantly finding ways to improve their writing, to make their work better, more appealing, and more fun to read. From my very first novel – a children’s adventure titled The Devil’s Porridge Gang – I did my best to make the novel like one I would…
Colin Garrow 