***** At the trial of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady in 1966, David Smith acted as chief prosecution witness. But his evidence did him no favours. Due in part to the insistence by Hindley and Brady that Smith took part in the murders, he was reviled and vilified by the press for years afterwards—even after…
Category: murder
‘The Mile End Murder’ by Sinclair McKay
***** (Audiobook) When wealthy and eccentric widow Mary Emsley is found dead at her home on 17th August 1860, the resulting murder inquiry grips the nation. Faced with several suspects, the police home in on two individuals, finally narrowing it down to one man – James Mullins. Convicted and hanged for the killing, the Mullins…
‘The Trouble with Trouble’ by Joy Mutter
***** Set in a Sheffield police station, this is a powerful erotic thriller following on from ‘The Trouble with Liam’. With the invention of a new sexual arousal cream called Trouble, DCI Cosgrove and his sex-addict liaison officer, Kate, find themselves in a bizarre situation. In the hands of a lustful security guard and his…
Author Interview – Lex Lander
Creator of the Andrew Warner Manhunter series, author Lex Lander talk about characters, place and Brigitte Bardot… Thinking back to when you started writing, is there anything you would do differently in terms of the writing, or in getting your books to market? I started at…
‘Spanish Rock’ by Lex Lander
***** In a bid to retire from his murderous day job, hitman Andre Warner plans to buy a bar in Spain. However, while in London, he’s invited to a posh party where he agrees to look up the wayward daughter of an American acquaintance. Back in Spain, he…
‘Bad Debts’ by Peter Temple
(Five Stars) Occasional lawyer and part-time sleuth, Jack Irish is used to trouble. Taking work as a debt-collector he idles away his spare time at the racetrack or helping out in a cabinetmaker’s shop. But when a former client leaves a message on Jack’s…
Writing the Fifties
NB This piece first appeared on B for Bookreview, as part of the ‘Blood on the Tyne: Body Parts’ Blog Tour. Beginning a new murder/mystery series is always fun, but sometimes it can throw up a few additional challenges, so how did the first book in the Rosie Robson series get…
‘Miscreants, Murderers, and Thieves’ by Samuel W Reed
Miscreants, Murderers, and Thieves This collection of stories from independent authors is edited by Samuel W Reed, who also contributes one of his own tales. Authors include Don Bapst, David Beeler, Shawn D. Brink, Dori Ann Dupre, Gabriel DiDomenico, Dane G. Kroll, Ethel Lung, Casey…
‘They All Love Jack’ by Bruce Robinson
They All Love Jack (Audiobook) Ever since a mysterious figure ripped his way through the East End of London in the late 1880s, writers and filmmakers have focused on the identity of the perpetrator. The mystery of Jack the Ripper still exudes a fascination to…
‘I May Kill You’ by Keith Dixon
My Review (5 stars out of 5) When a series of mysterious, threatening notes are sent out to hundreds of apparently unconnected people, ex-cop Ben Buckland is shocked to learn his teenage daughter has also been targeted. Though no longer on the ‘force’ Ben seeks help from former colleague and old flame Serena, triggering bad…
Colin Garrow 