WIP

Work in Progress

Although I frequently decide to concentrate only on one book at a time, I inevitably find myself with more ideas than I need, so end up with several works in progress. At the moment, I’m mainly working on Hellraiser – book 3 in the Finlay MacBeth Thriller series.

Excerpt…

Standing on the corner opposite Wood Brothers Butchers, the man in the racoon coat adjusts his trilby. He steps back into the shelter of the pub doorway and takes a moment to light another cigarette. Drawing in the smoke, he holds it in his lungs for a moment, then blows it out in a long plume. On Newington Road, office and factory workers hurry home, heads down against the chill wind. Cars and delivery vans trundle past, slowing to allow a tram to make the turn into Salisbury Place. A second tram continues along Minto Street, heading away from the city towards the outlying areas.

It’s still early but the night is cold and the man in the racoon coat signals to his associates waiting in the Austin Seven thirty yards down the road. He turns his attention to the shop next door to Wood Brothers—the brightly lit tobacconists that’s still known by its original name of Matlock and Webb. From where he stands, he can see someone inside, moving around, serving a customer. He studies the display in the window, notes the shop’s relatively small size in comparison to the meat merchant next door, but acknowledges that tobacco is a growing commodity, which means the shop will always be in profit, despite its narrow frontage.

Checking his pocket watch, the observer allows himself a smile. Five o’clock. Any minute now. Taking care to stay in the shadows, he shifts his focus, studying the faces of passersby on Minto Street. It’s too dark to make out any detail, but it’s impossible to miss the two burly men approaching the crossroads.

Almost time to make a move.