Author: a.coates1@btinternet.com

James Silvester

Although authors love having time in isolation to write, lockdown means we can’t enjoy those events and festivals where we can meet up, exchange ideas and just socialise. So I’ve invited some of my author friends to join me for a virtual drink and chat.

It’s a special pleasure to welcome James Silvester to my virtual Cocktail Lounge as he was indirectly responsible for an introduction to Urbane Publications when I reviewed his first thriller The Prague Ultimatum (Prague thrillers)""“>The Prague Ultimatum, and the Lucie Musilova Thrillers: Sealed With A Death – A Lucie Musilova thriller""“>Sealed with a Death (2019).

Hi James how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. I’m onto a winner here as I don’t have to pay for the drinks. What can I get you at the bar?

James: Hello there! It’s a pleasure to be here with you, Anne. Typically, I’d go for a large rum, but as this is a special occasion, I’ll have a mojito, please.

This could be one of those “Oh yes I remember it well” conversations. So where did we first meet in real life?

J: Well, we’d be exchanging pleasantries on the Twitterverse for a while before we met. I think the first time we properly talked would have been at the splendid CrimeFest in Bristol, back in 2016, although I’ve a feeling we met briefly at an Urbane bash a few months earlier.

I knew it! The Urbane party was later in the year at The Phoenix Arts Club. CrimeFest was the first time we met with other Urbane crime writers. First impressions?

J: That you were great company! CrimeFest was my first event, and I was extraordinarily nervous, and felt like a fraud even being there, in the company of writers I seriously respected (and still do). You put me at ease straight away, and helped me relax into company, which, I was initially quite intimidated by.

Really? I was nervous too – CrimeFest was my first as well and my début, Dancers in the Wind, hadn’t even been published then so if anyone felt a fraud it was me. So apart from nervousness, any other similarities?

J: Obviously, we’re both extremely talented and stunningly attractive people. I struggle to say what we have in common, but I think the ease with which we get on speaks for itself. I’m conceited enough to think we have some similarities in our writing, but that’s probably for others to decide.

And we both love the word “perdition,” of course. I had a fabulous time at your London launch for Sealed with a Death, will there be another book soon?

J: No dates at the moment, but I’m writing a new thriller, right now. It’s still in the early stages, but will be another Euro Thriller, in the same style as my other stuff, and will have a focus on EU Citizens in the UK. I think that’s a theme I’ll always return to, in my work. I can tease the title, though: Generation Death.

Well, that’s hooked me. So apart from a book launch, what are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

J: Time alone. I’m in a house full of people who I adore, but I’m someone who thrives on periods of solitude. I’ve always been comfortable in my own company, and not having anywhere to go, without someone else being there is a struggle, I must admit. It’s funny, I was chatting to a friend, the other day, who lives alone, and who can’t wait to be in company when this is all over. It just goes to show how this is affecting everybody.

Is there one thing lockdown has made you think about or want to do?

J: Frankly, mortality. I was quite ill for a time last year, and I’ll admit to being worried about what’s going on at the moment. It’s made me realise I need to take better care of myself, for the sake of the people who depend on me.

I’ll drink to that. Back to book events – what would be your dream panel?

J: Argh!!!! That’s a tough one. I’d absolutely love to share a stage with Bernard Cornwell, Stella Rimington and Hugh Fraser. Bernard is one of the reasons I started writing – he has a brilliant way of writing exciting, impeccably researched thrillers with a basis in history, which is what I originally aspired to. Stella Rimington is a solid spy thriller writer, and, let’s face it, her background in the field is second to none. And Hugh? Well, let’s just say that I’m delighted that someone I grew up admiring, is now a trusted and valued colleague, who I can ring up for honest advice at any time. His “Rina Walker” series is an absolute joy to read. And, of course, I hope you’d be up there with me, too.

You’re such a charmer, James. I’d love to be the moderator on that panel. But as a friend said to me recently when our drinks had run out during a FaceTime chat, the tide is out and our time is up. Thank you so much for being the first to join me in The Cocktail Lounge and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Perdition’s Child

The fourth in the Hannah Weybridge series takes the freelance journalist, now under contract to The News, into new territories and more danger.

Dulwich library is the scene of a suspicious death, followed swiftly by another in Manchester, the victims linked by nothing other than their Australian nationality. Police dismiss the idea of a serial killer, but Hannah isn’t convinced.

Drawn into an investigation in which more Australian men are killed as they try to trace their British families, her research reveals past horrors and present sadness, and loss linked to children who went missing after the Second World War. Have those children returned now?

Once again Hannah finds herself embroiled in a deadly mystery, a mystery complicated by the murder of Harry Peters; the brother of Lucy, one of the residents of Cardboard City she had become friendly with. It soon becomes clear Lucy is protecting secrets of her own.

What is Lucy’s link to the murders and can Hannah discover the truth before the killer strikes again?

Perditions Child is available from Amazon in paperback and ebook, the latter is free in Kindle Unlimited.

Home Thoughts from Morecambe & Vice Crime Festival

I was a late addition to the festival line-up and was delighted to be invited to moderate the panel of authors who write crime fiction for children and YA. It was a new departure for me as I normally talk about my own Hannah Weybridge  crime thriller series but it was good to link the work I do on my parenting website to my passion for crime and books.

     I arrived on Friday and booked for the “extra” event  – the Polari Salon organised by the inimitable Paul Burston.  Paul, Lesley Thomson, Derek Farrell and Lilja Sigurörardóttir read from their work. It was obvious from the start that we were in for a treat when Tom Fisher introduced the show and brought such a sense of fun and theatre to the occasion that I knew we would be in good hands for the following two days. It was brilliant way to launch the festival.

     Having experienced a panel with an unprepared moderator, I was determined to give the authors on Let Them Lead The Way – Sharna Jackson, Nicki Thornton and Sarah Todd Taylor – all the attention to detail they deserved. Our slot was second up on the Saturday. As this year’s theme was Bring Me Sunshine each panel was asked to recall their “sunshine moments”. It was no surprise that Sharna, Nicki and Sarah all quoted children’s amazing reactions to their books. Many attendees said how much they enjoyed our discussion, never having considered children’s crime fiction before.

     For a festival that has only reached its third year, Morecambe & Vice had all the panache of one that had been long established. This is attributable to the amazing skills and personalities of Ben Cooper-Muir and Tom Fisher with their team of charming and ever-cheerful volunteers. Even registering was a joy – I loved my author tag.

     The range of panels – from mental health to writing as a couple and everything in between – meant that there was something for everyone and running one timeline meant not having to choose although this may change in the future if the festival gets bigger. One panel, which was pertinent to authors in particular, was the discussion about running a festival with great insights from Bob McDervitt (Bloody Scotland), Dr Jackie Collins (Newcastle Noir), Quentin Bates, (Iceland Noir) and SJ Bradley (Northern Short Story Festival) and moderated by Ben Cooper-Muir.  All of them stressed the importance of paying authors to appear and not charging them for a weekend pass to obtain a place on a panel.

    The atmosphere was relaxed and fun. It was great to meet so many bloggers and crime readers.  Sarah Hardy who runs BooksOnTheBrightSide must be commended for the blog tour she organised for the authors in the run-up to the festival. Waterstones hosted a bookshop and there was time for authors to sign books between panels.

     The festival brochure was Tom and Ben’s labour of love and they produced a work of art. Many of the participating authors found themselves in the centre spread as the subject of a crossword clue – winner to receive £100 voucher for Waterstones.

     Setting the festival in the art deco Midland Hotel – think Poirot – added a sense of occasion to the proceedings although staying there was out of my price range. I left earlier than planned due to the terrible weather but wished I had stayed to the end. Morecambe & Vice is a festival to be cherished and supported. I’ll certainly be there next year, if invited.

Holiday Reading

My thoughts on some of the novels I’ve recently read.

The Summer of Impossible Things

by Rowan Colman (Ebury Press)

A beautifully written, accomplished novel that captivated me from the very first pages. Narrated by Luna who, with her sister, Pia, makes a trip to Brooklyn after their mother’s suicide to sell off the building that had been her home and workplace. There they find their mother had sent them film reels, the first of which reveals she was the victim of a violent rape and that Henry who has brought Lana up, is not her biological father. Coupled with this horrifying revelation is Lana’s discovery that she can slip from her present back to 1977 where she meets her mother pre-rape. Lana is determined to change the course of history, to save her mother even if it means wiping out her own existence. Go with the flow on this one and fall in love with the characters delivered with such beautiful prose and brilliant structure.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

by Gail Honeyman (HarperCollins)

Judging by some readers’ comments, this is every much a Marmite book and fortunately I love Marmite. I bought the book as a treat for myself after Christmas and before it became a prizewinner. I love the narrative style and the quirky protagonist. Although I guessed most of the “surprises”, it didn’t detract from my appreciation as the quality of writing is superlative and the path Eleanor treads is captivating. A superbly accomplished début.

Reservoir 13

by Jon McGregor (Fourth Estate)

Another book I bought as a treat – and I knew nothing about the author or the premise of the book which, it transpired, is how the disappearance of a teenage girl on holiday in the area affects that community over a number of years. Each chapter begins with New Years Eve and the celebrations – or lack of them. Each year the inhabitants of the small village reveal a little more of their lives and how they have been changed. I found the writing spellbinding, reminiscent of Dylan Thomas.

Her Secret

by Kelly Florentia (Urbane Publications)

Although this is the sequel to No Way Back, which I haven’t read, I felt it read well as a standalone and there is plenty of backstory interwoven into the narrative to inform the reader. The protagonist, Audrey Fox, is newly married and enjoying life until she is told a secret that has enormous repercussions on her life and marriage. Lies are revealed and lives are shattered. Not my usual genre but perfect if you prefer mature (in age) heroines.

Whistle in the Wind

by Emma Healey (Viking Books)

Initially I found Emma Healey’s second novel difficult to get in to – it was a slow start for me. It deals with the disappearance then reappearance of a teenage girl on a painting holiday with her mother. Lana, aged 15, has been severely depressed and her mother, Jen, is at her wits end but determined to do or try anything to find out what happened to her daughter during the days she was missing. Lana gives up on school, her friends and sleeps with her light on. I didn’t particularly empathise with the mother whose actions and reactions irritated me at times. By far the most sympathetic character is the father. However it was the quality of the writing which kept me reading – and (no spoilers) the climax of the novel makes it all worthwhile.

Wayland’s Revenge

by Lesley Lodge (Matador)

Historical fiction isn’t my usual read and I wasn’t sure what to expect with Wayland’s Revenge. However, I needn’t have worried as after the first chapter or so I was totally engrossed. The narrative is fast moving and the characters sympathetically portrayed especially the bereaved Wayland and his traumatised son. Teaming up with his friend, Alun, a Welsh Baker, Wayland and his son set off on a quest to find his dead wife’s murderer only to end up trapped in the Siege of Colchester where their own lives are threatened.

The Kindness of Strangers

by Julie Newman (Urbane Publications)

If you look at the front cover of this book, you’ll see I rather enjoyed it! “An intricate portrayal of love and loss, redemption and revenge which will stay with you long after the final page.” This is another book for those who like characters who are mature and come from a variety of backgrounds. Be prepared for a narrative that will shock and surprise you.

 

Come And Find Me by Sarah Hilary

There are very few certainties in life, but one, for me, is opening a new Marnie Rome novel by Sarah Hilary and knowing that I am in for a literary treat.

Come And Find Me begins with a brutal prison riot in which a prisoner escapes and others lie injured in hospital, two in the mortuary. The thoughts of one of these, written in the first person, are interspersed throughout the investigation in which DI Marnie Rome and DS Noah Jake are trying to find Michael Vokey, the dangerous and manipulative escaped prisoner who may try and contact the two women who have been writing to him in prison… Or the young single mother who survived his last attack.

The investigation is complicated by the fact that Marnie’s adopted brother who had murdered her parents is one of the injured in hospital and Noah’s parents are not talking to him as their younger Sol is on remand. Noah had arrested and charged him for importing class C drugs. But prison was the last place he needed to be. The back stories of Marnie and Noah are expertly interwoven into the narrative which is fast paced with many heart-in-mouth moments.

As usual Sarah Hilary writes with precision and emotional intelligence. No word is superfluous. The characterisation and plotting are faultless. The narrative totally compelling.

Come And Find Me is the fifth in Sarah Hilary’s police procedurals set in London. Although it can be read as a stand-alone, I’d recommend starting with the first book, Someone Else’s Skin and progress through this fascinating and absorbing series.

I received an advance reading copy from the publisher.

Published by Headline, the hardback and Kindle editions are released on 22 March, paperback 4 October, 2018.

Devil’s Dice by Roz Watkins

Devil’s Dice by Roz Watkins is a great début novel with an interesting protagonist who doesn’t always follow the rules. Initially, it was a bit of a slow burner for me. The first couple of chapters didn’t grip me. But that might just have been my mood as  a few more chapters in and I was totally engrossed by the plot and characters…

Detective Inspector Meg Dalton has returned to her home ground in the Peak District and has something to prove to her colleagues but most of all to herself. When a man’s body is found in a cave – a well-known suicide spot – the facts don’t add up. And local people talk of a curse connected to the dead man’s house while secrets abound within his family and circle of close friends.

To add to her problems, Meg is worried about her mother and  grandmother and struggles not to let the personal impose on the professional. I love the way Roz Watkins interweaves hints of the tragedy within Meg’s own family with that of the case she’s investigating.

The way Ms Watkins handles her characters and their dilemmas is impressive. This is her first novel and it is executed with assurance and confidence, creating a powerful sense of foreboding – and supernatural – within the setting. The action (after those first few chapters) is fast paced and unrelenting as more than once Meg has to fight for her life as she strives to save others.

Devil’s Dice is a  really good police procedural with pitch perfect plotting that includes a dash of the supernatural. Highly recommended and I look forward to reading more from Roz Watkins.

Published by HQ in hardback and ebook, paperback due 6 September, 2018.

 

 

Standstill by J.A. Marley (Bloodhound Books)

It is always with some trepidation that I open a book by someone I know and like.  More usually with a début (but not always) I’m terrified that I won’t enjoy it, worried that it’s mediocre or I won’t be interested by the plot or feeling murderous that it is so good!

Standstill fits into the last category. The narrative grabs you from the opening paragraph and doesn’t let you go until its – literally – explosive dénouement.

I always try to avoid synopses in reviews and hate spoilers so suffice it to say that if you enjoy action-packed, hard-hitting crime fiction, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with Standstill.

Set in London the action revolves around Flying Squad officer Chance who is grappling with the heartbreaking situation of watching her young daughter dying of cancer; Harkness one of the nastiest characters you’d never want to cross; and Danny the engaging and accomplished thief who finds himself caught up in a scam that will take every ounce of his ingenuity to escape. Other characters are well drawn and complement the action.

Standstill is perfectly plotted throughout the narrative aided by dialogue, which is realistic and never superfluous. There is no spare fat in this novel.

J.A. Marley has produced an excellent opener for what I hope with be the first in a long series.

Highly recommended.

Going to Audible

Today is a very special day for me as it is the first time I have heard my début crime novel, Dancers in the Wind, and the sequel, Death’s Silent Judgement, read aloud by someone else – namely Joan Walker on Audible.

Joan has a long track record as an actress and voice artist on radio TV and audiobooks and you can learn more about her here.

I was thrilled when I heard from Matthew Smith, Publishing Director of Urbane Publications, that Audible was going to publish my Hannah Weybridge crime novels and to have them available now as I am in the throes of writing the third in the series is an enormous boost.

If you have already bought the ebooks you can buy the Audible version for a few pounds more. Alternatively you can enjoy Dancers in the Wind and Death’s Silent Judgement as part of the free month’s Audible trial.

However to celebrate the launch today, I am offering two sets of voucher codes to buy both audiobooks.

All you have to do to enter the competition is follow this website and send me your email address via the contact form. The winners will be selected at random after 2pm on Thursday 5 October, 2017.

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Naming Characters

In a recent interview with bestselling author Jane Davis (pictured left) for her Virtual Book Club series, one of the questions was about how I choose names for characters and I mentioned checking out the popular names for the year the character was born.

For Death’s Silent Judgement I went to a website that gave Somali names as well. A friend also wanted to be a character in the book and he fit the bill for one of them but sadly hasn’t made it to book three. That’s the trouble with crime novels – characters die.

In the third Hannah Weybridge thriller to be published by Urbane Publications next year, I have some Asian characters and am name-checking with my Asian friends as well as websites.

Currently I am completing the first draft which is basically a wobbly skeleton of the novel but have got to the point when I can’t keep putting XX or a question mark for the name of a character. Even I am getting confused!

So today’s job is to go through the manuscript naming names. Some characters have made it through from Dancers in the Wind and Death’s Silent Judgement so their names are set in stone. Others I can think about what suits them, their culture and age.

The novel opens with the discovery of a body in Peckham Rye lake – the Pond – by two young boys and I had their names early on: Jace and Ollie. These two local boys from a nearby estate are up to no good and I loved writing their (possibly only) scene!

So now I am off to read through the manuscript to find all those XXs and question marks to insert some names and add them to the little blue book that I keep for name checks, physical characteristics, ages, roles …