I spent a delightful few hours reading Bartram’s latest release, The Comedy Club Mystery.
Firstly, do not judge this book by its very slim price tag… This is a quality offering, from a talented writer that has honed his craft. Even the stiffest upper lips will be won over by lead Colin Crampton. Unflappable under fire, never short of quick-witted repartee and a good-natured wisecrack… he’s the clever underdog (a fox terrier) many have made the mistake of betting against. Continue reading >>
THE SCHOLAR by Dervla McTiernan (Cormac Reilly #2), Book Review
From the author of the critically acclaimed bestseller The Ruin, Dervla McTiernan comes a compulsive new crime thriller featuring DS Cormac Reilly.
Despite hearing wonderful things about The Ruin, like so many other great debuts it never did find its way to my reading pile. So when the opportunity arose to read this title, I jumped at it.
Early on, I found myself wondering what all the fuss was about. The writing was simple, the scenes felt disjointed, and where was Reilly? This crime novel is definitely a slow burn and some of the decisions made with regard to policing seem questionable. But as a bigger picture coalesced and McTiernan’s series lead entered focus, I came to appreciate the storytelling approach more. Continue reading >>
Amra Pajaclic on the inspiration behind Things Nobody Knows But Me
I have been writing this book most of my life in different incarnations. I first began it when I was 20 and studying a writing course. I began a memoir in my non-fiction subject and titled it Sins of the Mother about being the daughter of a Bi Polar sufferer and about the hardship that my mother endured being from a Non-English Speaking Background while suffering from a mental illness. I was very judgemental about the decisions my mother made and the way these had impacted me. I completed enough chapters to submit for the subject, received a mediocre grade, and hid it in my (metaphorical) bottom drawer. I turned away from non-fiction—it demanded an honesty and rawness I wasn’t ready to bring.Continue reading >>
