Blog Archives

New book - on its way!

1/31/2018

Well, blow me down. I seem to have written a Young Adult novel. That's odd, since I wrote it for the entertainment of an old adult - myself! I think when the three main characters are aged between twelve and sixteen throughout two thirds of the book, it necessarily becomes a Young Adult story.

The three young people, Sylvie, her brother Gregor and their cousin Erik need to think and speak in an age-appropriate manner. That doesn't mean that I, as the author, talk down to them. They came up with some surprisingly adult concepts.

Don't you think there's something mystical about trees? No? Just me, then? They are the biggest living thing that most of us come across in our daily lives. Don't you wonder what's going on in there? Together with the three children, trees are the stars of this story. I'm still in the polishing stage but soon I'll be able to tell you more, and maybe even share the title and cover with you.

0 Comments

Blog Tour - Crossed Out by Malcolm Hollingdrake

1/26/2018

0 Comments

What's the book about?

DCI Bennett and his team are back and called to a house in Ripon that has collapsed into a sinkhole where a body is discovered.
Soon old weathered Remembrance Crosses are found dug up. Each one numbered.
DC April Richmond is assigned to help the team due to her impressive biblical knowledge and soon makes a startling discovery.
Meanwhile, Gideon Fletcher is walking around the streets of Harrogate distributing religious texts. Is there a link between Gideon and the crosses? Do the crosses have anything to do with the body in the house?
Bennett and the team find themselves wondering if the killer is exacting revenge or punishment and whatever the answer, they soon realise the clock is ticking.

My review -

When a book starts with missing persons, acid attacks, drugs and bodies, you know you’re in for a tangled tale. Cyril, his team augmented this time by a new girl, April, have their work cut out. April, as Cyril advises, occasionally goes with her gut. He is happy to follow it. His own past is further explored, and his relationship with Dr Pritchett deepens. Altogether, there’s a huge lot going on in here.

I really enjoyed this story. When you think you know what’s going on you’re thrown a curve-ball. The whole thing was tied together with biblical quotes as there’s a character who has taken on the task of correcting sinners. This was a complex piece of story-telling with a lot of characters but it all worked for me. A very enjoyable read.

The Author

You could say that the writing was clearly written on the wall for anyone born in a library that they might aspire to be an author but to get to that point Malcolm Hollingdrake has travelled a circuitous route. Malcolm worked in education for many years, even teaching for a period in Cairo before he started writing, a challenge he had longed to tackle for more years than he cares to remember. Malcolm has written a number of successful short stories and has seven books now available as well as Only The Dead and Hell's Gate also being available in Audio.
Presently he is concentrating on a series of crime novels set in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
Born in Bradford and spending three years in Ripon, Malcolm has never lost his love for his home county, a passion that is reflected in the settings for all three novels. Malcolm has enjoyed many hobbies including collecting works by Northern artists; the art auctions offer a degree of excitement when both buying and certainly when selling. It’s a hobby he has bestowed on DCI Cyril Bennett, the main character in his latest novel.

You can find this, and all Malcolm's books, here on his Amazon page, or here if you're in the USA.

0 Comments

New Book - on its way!

1/25/2018

0 Comments

Well, blow me down. I seem to have written a Young Adult novel. That's odd, since I wrote it primarily for the entertainment of an Old Adult - myself!

I think that when three of the main characters are aged from twelve to sixteen throughout two thirds of the book, it necessarily takes on this genre. They need to be interested in the doings of, and speak in the voice of, people of that age. Their thoughts and speech must be age appropriate, which doesn't mean that you talk down to them. They sometimes surprise you with their concerns.

Don't you think there's something almost mystical about trees? No? It's just me, then? They are the largest living things you will come aross in your daily life. What's going on in there?

As well as the three young people, Sylvie, her brother Gregor and their cousin Erik, trees are the main stars of the show in this book. I've very much enjoyed writing it. I'll tell you more soon, and maybe show you the cover.

0 Comments

Blog Tour - Disposal by David Evans

1/16/2018

0 Comments

What's the book about?

August 1976 and it seems as though the long hot summer will never end. Early morning at Clacton on the north Essex coast, a light aircraft takes off from the airstrip but struggles for height and crashes into the sea. First on the scene, Sergeant Cyril Claydon pulls the pilot’s body from the wreckage. But something else catches his eye. A bulky package wrapped in black plastic is on the passenger seat. Returning to investigate, he makes a grim discovery – another body. And so begins a series of events that puts him and others in danger as he is drawn into the investigation, having to work alongside DI ‘Dick’ Barton, a man with totally alien attitudes. Can they work together?

My review -

Police Sergeant Cyril Claydon sees a small plane crash into the sea. When it’s investigated, there’s a suspicious package next to the pilot – a plastic-wrapped body. It seems someone had been using this method to get rid of the bodies of murdered people. The local DI, John ‘Dick’ Barton is a man down after his detective sergeant had an accident, so Cyril is seconded into the group – with a horribly abrasive new boss in DI Barton.

I very much enjoyed the relationship between Barton and Cyril Claydon, especially the way it developed over the course of the book. For me, it was more interesting than the crime mystery, as I found that with such a large number of characters, some only briefly encountered, I kept losing track and mixing people up. I like to get to know each character, good and bad, and feel I have a grip on who is who. Some of them slipped passed as I blinked. Nevertheless, the story is well written and many of the relationships as they unfolded, bode well for the future. It's a jolly good read.

About the Author

David Evans is a Scots-born writer who found his true love as well as his inspiration for his detective series, set primarily in Wakefield. Having written all his life, in 2012 he decided to go for it – successfully as the next year, in 2013, he was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger Award.
The Wakefield Series became an International Bestseller in June 2017 with success in Canada and Australia as well as the UK. But now, whilst the Wakefield Series awaits the next instalment, David Evans has written Disposal, the first in the Tendring Series, a completely new detective series set in north Essex in the 1970s.

Disposal is available here in the UK and here in the US.

David's website is here.

0 Comments

New book - on its way!

Blog Tour - Crossed Out by Malcolm Hollingdrake

New Book - on its way!

Blog Tour - Disposal by David Evans

Author

Archives

Categories