Book Review: The Dying Minutes by Martin O’Brien
The Dying Minutes by Martin O’Brien, set around the azure coastline of Marseilles, is the seventh in the detective novel series featuring the very likable, Chief Inspector Daniel Jacquot. It begins with a gold bullion convoy being hijacked in 1972, of which part of the heist mysteriously disappears and becomes an unsolved case. Twenty seven years on, Chief Inspector Jacquot is recovering from gunshot wounds from a previous case (Blood Counts, book six in the series) and is on sick leave when he inherits a boat from an old fisherman who once knew his father. Jacquot is seduced by the elegant boat and life on the water, and it’s not long before his inquisitive mind begins to wonder about its history and that of its ex-owner.
While Jacquot is discovering his sea legs and persuading his pregnant partner to keep the boat, his old flame Chief Inspector Isabelle Cassier, walks back into his life during the investigation of some brutal murders. The murders point to the missing gold and the involvement of two of the most feared gangland families on the coast. Isabelle seeks Jacquot’s help with the investigation and he finds himself once again in close confinement with Isabelle as they work on the case together.
The Dying Minutes is beautifully written with a strong sense of place and atmosphere, transporting you right there to the South of France. It’s a pure joy to read. The words create a realistic feel for life on the boat and in the harbour and villages around Marseilles, and you can almost taste the salt in the air, the exquisite wines and delicious food.
There are a lot of characters in this novel, which I found a little difficult to keep track of at first, but the chapters are short and introduce the well-defined players quickly so it wasn’t long before they all slotted into place. The pace of the novel is steady and doesn’t race along the pages but it’s woven with mystery and an underlying sense of foreboding and is all together an exciting and unpredictable read.
I really liked the characters and how they interacted, especially Chief Inspector Jacquot. Above all, it’s beautifully written, with a plot and characters that have been well thought out and delivered with a perfectly timed pace. I highly recommend this book, and now have an impatient need to check out the rest of the series.
This copy was given to me by Random House.
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Book Review: Headhunters by Jo Nesbø
Headhunters by Jo Nesbø is a standalone thriller and very different to the Harry Hole detective series. Written from the main character’s point of view, Headhunters is the story of Roger Brown, a highly successful head hunter specialising in the appointment of executive directors for top companies. He is one of the best in his field and not at all modest about it. In order to maintain the affluent life style he and his art dealer wife, Diana, have become accustomed to, Roger has a side line set up in art theft – specialising in particular works that bring in large sums of money for a single heist. Think The Thomas Crown Affair.
The first part of the book is a steady, interesting character portrayal of Roger Brown, written in the first person with a dark humour and an insight into the mind of this professional and likeable criminal.
Then Roger meets Clas Greve, ex CEO of one of the biggest GPS technology companies in Europe, who would be a perfect placement for one of his clients. Not only that, Greve is also known to possess a rare piece of artwork that could make Roger rich beyond his wildest dreams and solve all of his problems. But what Roger is also about to discover is that he has met his match in Greve.
The second part of the novel takes an entirely different direction where we find Roger Brown’s life turned completely upside down as he battles wills against Clas Greve.
The narrative captures your attention with the inner-most thoughts and psyche of the main character. The plot is intricate, if not slightly far-fetched in the second part, but totally credible and entertaining in the first part. Headhunters is perfectly translated from Norwegian to English by the excellent Don Bartlett – you’d never guess it was a translation.
In all, a highly entertaining and gripping thriller.
Purchased from Amazon for Kindle
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The Spaniel’s A Year Old!
Carlie, our dear Cocker Spaniel, is a year old this month. I don’t know the exact date but it would be somewhere between last week and this week – she was roughly six weeks old when she was given to us on 19th March. How our lives did change the moment she entered our home. And she continues to give us endless pleasure today, although I think she finds us just as amusing as we find her.
Happy Birthday, Dear Carlie xx
To see more of Carlie’s photo click here to go to her diary
Book Review: Writing a Novel with Scrivener by David Hewson
I have been using Scrivener for Windows for nearly a year now. I first heard of the beta program through David Hewson’s blog and joined straight away to discover the best ever tool for writing. Up until a few days ago, I thought I had a fairly good grasp of how the basics worked – well, enough to have completed the first draft of my novel anyway.
However, a few days ago I bought and read David Hewson’s Writing a Novel with Scrivener and discovered that I didn’t really know much at all. So I took some time out from the second draft to implement some of David’s suggestions, and in a matter of days I fundamentally changed the way I work with Scrivener and, in effect, the way I plan, write and edit.
I restructured the Manuscript Binder, created some Collections and added various Keywords, and now I can’t believe how logically easier my work flow has become. It has enabled me to look at the novel in a totally different light.
Writing a Novel with Scrivener contains all sorts of valuable advice to help not only the newbie or inexperienced Scrivener user, but also the aspiring novelist and even the self-publisher on Kindle – and it’s all based on Hewson’s vast and practical experience of trialling different technologies to simplify his writing life.
So if you’re thinking of using Scrivener, have been using it, or are looking for a writing tool to optimise your writing techniques – then Writing a Novel with Scrivener by David Hewson is an absolute must-read and worth every penny for the tips alone.
Highly recommended!
Available from Amazon for Kindle
Also see:
David Hewson’s website: http://www.davidhewson.com/
and blog http://www.davidhewson.com/blog/
Scrivener Website: http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php
Scrivener Free Trial Download: http://www.literatureandlatte.com/trial.php
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February 5th 1942 – 70th Anniversary
(re-posted from February 5th 2011 to mark the 70th anniversary of the fall of Singapore on 15th February)
Today, February 5th, is the anniversary of the day in 1942 when a convoy of ships, the BN-12, came under attack from Japanese bomber planes, as they sailed towards Kepple Harbour, Singapore on a mission to reinforce British troops and supplies, and evacuate civilians.
February 5th 1942 is also the day my father turned 29 years old, and saved the lives of two officers on board the FÉLIX ROUSSEL, part of the BN-12 convoy, by pulling them from fires that broke out on ship as a result of the bombing.
February 5th also happened to be the day in 1999 when my father turned 86 and sadly passed away.
During World War 2 on 5th February 1942, a convoy of 5 ships carrying reinforcements and supplies for the British troops in Singapore, was close to its destination when it came under attack by 27 Japanese bomber planes.
The BM-12 convoy of ships – carrying troops, equipment and supplies – consisted of the EMPRESS OF ASIA, CITY OF CANTERBURY, PLANCIUS, DEVONSHIRE and the FÉLIX ROUSSEL, a ship requisitioned from the Free French Navy by the British in 1940 to assist with the Allied war effort.
The Félix Roussel
The FÉLIX ROUSSEL, normally a supply vessel, was carrying troops from the 9th Battalion Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. During the attack from the Japanese planes, 3 bombs hit the ship causing fatalities and fires broke out on the bridge and decks destroying the officer’s mess. The only British officers on board the FÉLIX ROUSSEL were the ship’s captain, Captain Snowling, and the Senior Second Officer, William Carruthers. Other officers and crew members included many from the Free French Navy – one of them my father.
Despite the loss of the Empress of Asia during the heavy bombing, the convoy went on to dock in Kepple Harbour, Singapore and set down nearly 4,000 troops – many of who walked straight into enemy hands. The four remaining ships CITY OF CANTERBURY, PLANCIUS, DEVONSHIRE and the FÉLIX ROUSSEL were the last troopships to dock in Singapore before it fell to the Japanese on February 15th 1942.
Before the fall these ships, among many others, left Singapore carrying thousands of evacuees. The FÉLIX ROUSSEL alone evacuated 1100 people to safety in Bombay, including many British woman and children.
For their courage, ten crew members of the FÉLIX ROUSSEL, including the Senior Second Officer William Carutthers and my father, were awarded the French medal of honour, La Croix De Guerre. The ship itself was also awarded La Croix De Guerre and Captain Snowling received another bar for his Distinguished Service Order.
La Croix de Guerre
My father was presented the Croix De Guerre personally by General Charles de Gaulle during an awards ceremony honouring gallantry in action, on Bastille Day at Wellington Barracks in London.
This blog post is in honour of all those brave men and women involved in the evacuation of Singapore and to those who were not lucky enough to make it. We salute you!
Happy Publication Day, Chris Nickson!
July, 1732. On a hot summer morning, Richard Nottingham, Constable of Leeds, is called out when a young woman is found stabbed to death among the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, just outside the city. In her pocket is a carefully folded love note: “Soon we’ll be together and our hearts can sing loud, my love, W.” Her pale skin and smooth hands speak of money, but no one comes to claim her body.
When the victim’s husband eventually appears, his evidence throws up more questions than answers. What happened to the maid who accompanied her mistress on her final, fatal journey? Who is the mysterious ‘W’ who signed the note? And why does the victim’s father seem so indifferent to her death? Nottingham has to delve into the dark secrets of the rich and influential to uncover the truth.
Today also sees the publication of Cold Cruel Winter in Paperback:
Second in the highly acclaimed Richard Nottingham historical mystery series 1732. Richard Nottingham, Constable of the City of Leeds, is grieving the death of his daughter, but he must rouse himself from his lethargy when the body of wealthy wool merchant Samuel Graves is discovered, his throat slit, the skin razed from his back. Why would the killer want Graves’ skin? When Nottingham receives a slim, bound volume entitled The Journal of a Wronged Man he discovers the shocking answer – and it hurls him into a desperate battle for survival against a ruthless killer with old scores to settle.
Good Luck, Chris!
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- Author Interview: Chris Nickson (laydilejur.com)
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Book Review: The Constant Lovers by Chris Nickson
The Constant Lovers is the third in a series of historical crime fiction novels set in 1730s, written by Chris Nickson and featuring Constable Richard Nottingham.
The criminals in Leeds seem to be taking things easy during the very hot and stifling summer of 1732, and the hearty Constable Richard Nottingham is enjoying a moment’s peace. That is, until a young woman’s body is found, just outside of his Leeds’ patch. The victim has been stabbed to death, and responsibility for the investigation falls onto Nottingham and his small team. But nobody comes to claim the body or has reported the woman missing, until after she has been buried.
The mystery moves on as Nottingham and his loyal sidekick, Sedgwick, discover the young woman to be the newly wed wife of the much-older Samual Godlove, and daughter of fallen Baron, Lord Gibton. The maid who has been with her since childhood has also disappeared. The story takes us on a gentle stroll through the investigation as the Constable tries to uncover the truth surrounding the murder of Sarah Godlove and the disappearance of her maid, and the mysterious message found in Sarah’s hidden pocket.
The Constant Lovers is written in much the same style as the first book in the series, The Broken Token. I didn’t find The Constant Lovers as atmospheric as the first book (possibly because it was set in a small village outside of the then vibrant but poverty-stricken town of Leeds) or as gripping as the faster-paced second book Cold Cruel Winter.
That said, The Constant Lovers is still a good read with great characterisation and a steady pace, which takes you back into another century and a completely different and very interesting world of crime and detection.
The Constant Lovers was kindly given to me by the author, Chris Nickson.
Books in the Richard Nottingham series:
The Constant Lover (January 2012)
Cold Cruel Winter (May 2011, Paperback: January 2012)
The Broken Token (May 2010)
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Book Review: Cold Cruel Winter
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Book Review: The Snowman by Jo Nesbø
The Snowman is the first of Jo Nesbø’s book I’ve read and I will definitely be digging into the other books in this series of thrillers, featuring Nordic Detective, Inspector Harry Hole.
Harry works for the Oslo Police Crime Squad and when he begins to investigate the case of a missing wife and mother, it’s not long before he’s looking for similarities to unsolved cases of other missing women throughout Norway, and connecting them to gruesome murders.
The book is set in the beginning of winter, during the first fall of snow. When a woman disappears, a menacing-looking Snowman is left behind. Cleverley woven between the scenes of Harry dealing not only with the investigation, a new partner, the relationship with his ex-wife, but also alcoholism – are the graphic scenes around the circumstances that led to the disappearances, and the psychotic mind behind the serial killer, known as The Snowman.
The Snowman is quite a complex thriller, so you need to keep tabs of the many characters and their names, and it’s written from various viewpoints with characters and locations all well-developed.
I love Jo Nesbo’s style of writing. He skillfully builds up the tension and maintains it throughout the book, and the underlying sense of foreboding is always there. And you’re never allowed to forget the icy cold atmosphere of wintry Oslo or the creepy characters and mysteries surrounding some of the characters lurking in the background. I mustn’t forget to mention the excellent translation by Don Barlett, which is totally unnoticeable to the reader.
There were two problems I had with this book:
One was keeping tabs on the different timelines – but this is a problem I find with a lot of books that jump backwards and forwards with dates (maybe I should keep a notepad next to my Kindle in future, to jot down the dates..). It can be rather confusing and, with a thriller that is already complex in itself such as The Snowman, can make it even more difficult to keep track of.
The second was the cover – I thought the publisher could have done better by selecting a cover depicting more atmosphere.
I still enjoyed The Snowman regardless, and am currently reading one of Jo Nesbø’s earlier books, The Redbreast.
I purchased The Snowman from Amazon on Kindle.
Other Inspector Harry Hole books in the series:
The Bat Man (1997)
The Cockroaches (1998)
The Redbreast (2000)
Nemesis (2002)
The Devil’s Star (2003)
The Redeemer (2005)
The Snowman (2007)
The Leopard (2009)
Phantom (2011) – due to be published in the UK March 2012
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Happy Reading 2012!
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! May it be a very good year for you.
Here are some of the books I’ll be reading in 2012:
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Book Review: After Dark by Phillip Margolin
My first reading experience of Phillip Margolin was Gone But Not Forgotten – a paperback given to me as a present in 1994. It is one which has remained in my mind as an all time favourite ever since and turned me into a firm fan of Phillip Margolin. Margolin writes legal thrillers as good as Michael Connelly writes detective novels.
After Dark, first published in 1995 and now available in the UK on Kindle, is a gritty legal thriller. Abigail Griffin is a famed prosecutor for Multnomah County District Attorney’s. Married to, but separated from, a Supreme Court Justice, she becomes the prime suspect when he is found murdered.
Abbie engages Matthew Reynolds as her defense lawyer to save her from Death Row. The eccentric Reynolds is renowned for his record of preventing clients from receiving the death penalty. Working with Reynolds is Tracy Cavanaugh, fresh out of clerking for a Supreme Court Justice, now in her dream job. Tracy is an ardent defender of justice and is uncomfortable with some of the decisions and revelations in Abbie’s case. She takes it upon herself to look further into it, working with Reynolds’ private investigator, Barry Frame.
The result is a well paced, legal thriller and murder mystery with a touch of romance, full of well-defined and captivating characters that kept me hooked with intrigue. The only downside for me was that in the first part of the book Margolin goes quite deeply into the technicalities of the US legal system. Apart from this, the characterization was brilliant and the plot, although complex, was cleverly put together with surprising twists and turns throughout, until it eventually landed at an unpredictable dénouement.
If you like legal thrillers and murder mysteries, I can highly recommend Phillip Margolin’s books. Most of them are available in paperback in the UK, but the Kindle versions are only just becoming available.
After Dark purchased from Amazon UK for Kindle
Other thrillers by Philip Margolin:
Vanishing Acts (2011)
Supreme Justice (2010)
Fugitive (2009)
Executive Privilege (2008)
Proof Positive (2006)
Lost Lake (2005)
Sleeping Beauty (2004)
Ties That Bind (2003)
he Associate (2002)
Wild Justice (2000)
The Undertaker’s Widow (1998)
The Burning Man (1996)
After Dark (1995)
Gone, But Not Forgotten (1993)
The Last Innocent Man (1981)
Heartstone (1978)
Book Review: Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly
So Detective Harry Bosch goes to Hong Kong to take on the Chinese Triads? I wasn’t sure about this book at first, even though I have loved every thriller of Michael Connolly’s I’ve read so far (and I’ve almost read them all). But Nine Dragons didn’t disappoint.
Harry Bosch is working in Homicide Special, an elite squad of detectives taking on particularly complex cases. While covering for a short-staffed unit in South LA, Bosch and his partner, Ignacio Ferras, attend a liquor store shooting. At first, all seems like a routine homicide, but Bosch soon realises they are involved with the Chinese triads. In the hunt for the killer, the investigation becomes personal and Bosch is forced to go to Hong Kong in an effort to protect his daughter, who lives there with his ex-wife.
The pursuit in and around Hong Kong brought back memories for me. The place descriptions were so vivid and accurate I felt as though I was back in the city myself.
As well as having to deal with some personal challenges and facing up to responsibilities, Nine Dragons sees the loss of two long-term characters from Bosch’s life and the teaming up with David Chu from the Asian Gangs Unit. Bosch doesn’t hit it off with Chu, which works well in the book, but as they become partners in the next book it’s an interesting relationship to follow.
Nine Dragons wasn’t one of the best Harry Bosch books I’ve read, but it was still a good read and didn’t disappoint.
Purchased from Amazon UK, Kindle version
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THE END – If you really want to, you can!
I have just typed those magical, self-satisfying, fulfilling, unbelievable two little words on my manuscript: THE END
Yes, after 35 days of writing, which commenced on November 1st 2011 with the National Novel Writing Month challenge (aka NaNoWriMo) I have written 78,436 words and completed the first draft of my manuscript. 61,682 of those words were written during NaNoWriMo and the remaining 16,754 written in the last few days.
The next step is to go back and re-write a few scenes to make the plot hang together. This is because the story developed as I was writing, and it took a few unexpected twists and turns as I went along. After that, the manuscript will need to rest for a while as my mind detaches itself from the story and the characters (and I start preparing for Christmas). This will allow me to look at it again with completely fresh eyes, correct mistakes, see if it still works and hopefully improve on it.
So, for anyone who has always wanted to write a novel but never found the time or motivation to get started, I can thoroughly recommend joining the challenge of NaNoWriMo. For me, the best thing to come out of it (apart from a completed manuscript in such a short time) was the self-discipline of writing everyday (sometimes forcing myself, and lots of times writing rubbish).
It just shows – if you really want to, you can!
Thank you, NaNoWriMo, for helping me to achieve!
Cheers!
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Nearly there…!
On November 1st 2011, I wrote about starting my novel again from scratch and taking up the National Novel Writing Month challenge – where the objective was to write 50,000 words of a new novel in the month of November.
I’m pleased to be able to say that I reached the 50,000 word mark yesterday, and so became an official NaNoWriMo winner! This is a great achievement for me as I’ve been procrastinating BIG time over the last year or so, trying to write my second ever novel (I never got to publish the first one, written many years ago).
Although this one isn’t finished, it’s not far off. So I am going to continue with the challenge until November 30th (although I’ve raised it to 60,000 words) which gives me another five days to get the first draft finished completely.
After that, it will be a process of reviewing what’s been written and hopefully I will still like it, although no doubt I’ll have to change a lot of things. Then it’s onto editing and after that? Well, we’ll have to wait and see what happens after that…
So, nearly there….!
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- And We’re Off…!
Happy Publication Day, Harry Leslie Smith!
Congratulations, Harry Smith, on the publication of the historical account of his life The Barley Hole Chronicles.
“Barley Hole was for my great-grandfather Canaan, the land of milk and honey. For my father, it was paradise lost and for my mother, Barley Hole was a curse. It was a place that haunted her spirit and her soul throughout her life. To me, Barley Hole is a name forever etched on the map of my family’s heart; it is where betrayal and injustice nearly thrust us into oblivion.
The Barley Hole Chronicles are an odyssey of the human spirit that stretch across time and geography to incorporate, diverse personalities, personal hardships, World Wars and the struggle for peace and love, in a society fallen from grace. These Chronicles document one Yorkshire family’s decent into the wilderness of poverty and hunger. It is a personal record of one young man’s struggle to survive the great depression, the Second World War and the hazards and wonders of life in post war Germany. The Barley Hole Chronicles are a summation of two memoirs by Harry Leslie Smith 1923 and Hamburg 1947. The Barley Hole Chronicles are a true account of a time and place when life, full of raw emotion, was never so real. I
t is also a social history of the 20th century at its bloodiest and deadliest time.”
Not only is this a vivid and poignant memoir of Harry Leslie Smith’s life but it forms a very interesting historical account of times after the First World War through to post Second World War.
Good Luck, Harry!
The Barley Hole Chronicles is available on Kindle for only 86p in the UK and $0.99 in USA.
Also available in two separate editions:
1923: A Memoir (click here to read my review)
Hamburg 1947: A Place For The Heart To Kip
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Book Review: Perfect People by Peter James
I’ve been a fan of Peter James ever since reading my first Roy Grace novel and I’ve enjoyed reading them all, but I personally think Peter James excels at the standalone thrillers. Perfect People is the first full length standalone since Faith was published in 2000. Over ten years in the making, Perfect People is well worth the wait.
Scientist Dr John Klaesson and his wife Naomi have never got over the heartbreaking loss of their beloved son to a rare genetic disorder. They consult with a geneticist and discover they are both carriers of the fatal genes and that their chances of ever conceiving a healthy child are practically non-existent. But Dr Leo Dettore offers them hope and despite the controversy surrounding his work, they embark on a program of genetic modification which will practically guarantee their next child does not have to suffer the same fate as their first.
They have, in fact, taken part in designing their own baby. Naomi suffers a difficult pregnancy, but it’s not until after the birth that their nightmares really begin.
Had Perfect People been released the year after Peter James began the project, over ten years ago, as a reader I might have thought some of the storyline to be a bit far-fetched. But in today’s world where the scientific capability to select things like eye colour, height and intelligence in a baby is now an actual reality, this makes Perfect People all the more scary and believable.
The characters of John and Naomi are well-developed and come across as a likable couple so you can empathise with them as they go through some horrendous experiences as parents. The pace of the novel is steady to begin with and there’s lots of interesting information about the science and ethics behind designer babies but it’s all threaded really well into the storyline, totally comprehensible and not at all out-of-place in this perfect of thrillers.
Perfect People is written in true Peter James style with short, tense chapters that leave the reader hanging on a cliff wanting to know more, so it’ll be no surprise when you look up and find you’ve been reading for hours without realising.
The tension steps up even more in the second half of the book as John and Naomi’s fears are driven in a completely different direction and one I was not expecting. As I read the last quarter of the book I did wonder how it was all going to end and was taken aback when I got there. It totally surprised me but I thought it was very cleverly done and afterwards, I was left with the impression that it was the only really satisfying way it could have ended.
A brilliant novel that informs, thrills, delights and leaves you wondering…
Perfect People was purchased from Amazon UK
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11.11.11.11.11 In Remembrance of all Our Heroes
The 11th second of the 11th minute, past the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th year in the 2nd millennium:
In remembrance of all our heroes everywhere….
Clovelly, North Devon
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, first president of the republic of Turkey, wrote a tribute to all the foreign soldiers killed in the battle of Gallipoli in 1915, on the straits of the Dardanelles in Turkey:
“Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives…You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours… you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land. They have become our sons as well.”
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Beautiful Things….
One of my regrets has always been that I never got to meet my mother-in-law, a fine and admirable lady. Married at a young age, she had a wonderful marriage and held such pride in every one of her eight children. She was a very caring mother, an amazing cook and a talented needleworker and knitter amongst other things.
Sadly, she died in her forties through illness, when her youngest child was not quite sixteen. Not only did she leave behind some treasured memories for her family but she also left some sentimental pieces of craftwork. Here are just three samples of her amazing skill, which must be at least sixty years old and yet still look as fresh as the day they were completed – even though they’ve been used on a daily basis.
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And We’re Off…!
So, this is it – I’m restarting my novel again from scratch and have joined in with hundreds of thousands of aspiring writers all over the world to participate in National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo.
The aim is to produce the first draft of a 50,000 word novel between 1st and 30th November 2011 and I’m tracking my progress in the cartoon on the right hand side (as well as my current mood).
The novel is called Placeholder (for now, as I couldn’t think of a name) and this is the outline:
Bon Richards inevitably falls for the gorgeous Anna Carter. What he doesn’t realise though, is that he’s being set up to become the main suspect for fraud and murder. Will he realise before it’s too late, that Anna is also a victim and not the enemy?
So, here I go….
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Happy Publication Day, Bill Kitson!
Congratulations to Bill Kitson and his lovely wife, Val (who assists with the editing and proofing processes for all of his books!)
Today is a double whammy UK publication day:
- Back-Slash, the 5th and latest book in the Mike Nash detective series, is out in hardback today
- Depth of Despair, the 1st in the Mike Nash series originally published in hardback in 2009, is released in e-book format.
Back-Slash
“What is the secret of the forester living a hermit-like existence in the remotest part of the Wingate Estate? Is he a callous murderer? Is he now taking a terrible revenge on those who wronged him? Or, does the truth lie elsewhere? A ruthless killer is on the rampage, one with a distinctive trademark. With resources decimated by a flu epidemic, Mike Nash is forced to use unorthodox tactics to expose a web of corruption and deceit spanning the years. Evidence all seems to point to an inevitable conclusion, but will Mike be able to uncover the truth, and can he do so before it is too late for all concerned – be they innocent or guilty? “
Depth of Despair
“When two skeletons are discovered from Lamentation Tarn, talented detective Mike Nash and his team have little evidence with which to work, until a surprising discovery prompts them to contact law enforcement agencies in Eastern Europe. A joint taskforce is formed to uncover a criminal network involved in prostitution, drugs and human trafficking, but Nash’s preoccupation with internal politics, as well as with an attractive Russian detective, proves to be a distraction. Finally, a young victim escapes the gang’s clutches, providing Nash with much-needed evidence. A search of the neighbouring tarn yields further corpses and reveals an even more heinous crime. Two more bloody encounters must occur before the criminals are brought to bitter justice.“
Good Luck, Bill!
Other books in the DI Mike Nash series:
Depth of Despair (August 2009)
Chosen (January 2010)
Minds That Hate (May 2010)
Altered Egos (March 2011)
