A.A. Abbott

GREAT CRIME STORY WRITER

detective

Book Review – Vampires of Avonmouth by Tim Kindberg

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A dystopian thriller.

A book review of Vampires of Avonmouth, Tim Kindberg's tense dystopian thriller full of twists

Despite its title, “Vampires of Avonmouth” is a dystopian thriller set in 2087. The villains of this pacy and exciting story are not traditional bloodsuckers. These vampires feed on brainwaves rather than blood.

In the best traditions of detective noir, our hero, David, is cynical and almost exhausted with life. He has good cause. One of the sinister mindsuckers, a vodu, was implanted in his skull when he was abducted by renegades in the African city of Accra. The vodu is neutralised by David’s willpower, but he knows it will escape in the presence of someone he loves. Fearful for his teenage daughter’s safety, David sends her away. He leaves his plum job in Westaf for a humdrum role as an ID cop in the British city of Avonmouth.

Polluted landscapes and polluted minds

The Avonmouth of 2087 is very different from the functional container port you may spy from the M5 in 2021. Built-up, bustling and polluted, it has eclipsed nearby Bristol in size and importance. Like all of the planet outside the free zone of Westaf, it is controlled by a murky multinational network, I&I. While David despises I&I, and in particular the network’s habit of streaming propaganda to the populace via psychic wrist beads, he is effectively tied to his employer for life. However, his boring, loveless existence is turned upside down when travellers from Westaf arrive illegally at the port of Avonmouth. What follows is a thrilling adventure that offers David hope of a better future, while also plunging his life into danger.

Tense, thrilling & full of twists

Tim Kindberg is a fine writer. He has crafted sympathetic characters, a seamlessly flowing story and a believable future world: a hot, polluted planet controlled by Big Data. In addition, he has described them well. Who can read “Above him, wind turbines whumped against the hot white sky,”  and not immediately be transported to David’s side?

I hope that “Vampires of Avonmouth” gains a wider readership than simply dystopian sci-fi fans. They should love it, but so will anyone who enjoys a tense, thrilling tale packed with twists. Author Tim Kindberg is also donating a huge slug of his royalties to foodbank charities, so you’ll be helping the needy when you buy a copy.

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If you like a well-written story packed with twists, tension and characters you’ll love and hate, read psychological thriller “Bright Lies”.  Set in Bristol, Bath and Birmingham, it crackles with “compelling drama”, according to respected American website Readers’ Favorite. Simply click on the cover to start reading.

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Guest Blog – Marie Wright, ex-Police Detective

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Building trust

Please introduce yourself in two sentences (no pressure!).

Hello, I am a retired Detective Superintendent from Avon and Somerset Constabulary, am a French speaker and have a Jack Russell called Lily. 

How does dealing with young victims of abuse differ from the way you would handle cases involving adults?

 Young victims can often be children under the age of 18, who may not understand what is right and wrong . You need to build trust and confidence with them to be able to uncover the abuse, and prioritise their safeguarding at all times. 

Abuse is about power and control

“Bright Lies” portrays the difficulty the police have in dealing with cases of abuse. What would you say are some of the biggest challenges facing the police in these types of cases?

Children are very innocent and if someone makes a fuss of them, buys them presents, makes them feel special, when they have a gap in their family around this issue, they may not want to tell you about the abuse. There is also the power and control element that the offender holds over the child, for example a threat to someone they love, or a secret that they cannot break or something bad will happen.

What are your views on David, who in the book abuses Emily through isolation and extremely controlling behaviour – would you say this pattern of behaviour is typical of abusers?

Yes sadly, in my experience I dealt with men like David who target lonely single women to abuse their children. Mostly, the victims are young girls, but let us not forget that boys are abused in this way too. 

Warning signs

Are there warning signs that we should look out for if we suspect ourselves or someone we know is suffering abuse or domestic violence?

Children who are withdrawn , bed wetting in smaller children, sexualised behaviour with other children – these can all be signs. With Domestic Abuse, injuries that are hidden, long sleeves, polo neck jumpers, also that are explained as falling down stairs, hitting a door and are frequent. Then there is financial and emotional abuse, which are harder to spot. 

As a country we are beginning to pay more attention to domestic violence and abuse, with the UK passing the Domestic Abuse Bill earlier this year, and services such as the Paladin National Stalking Advocacy supporting victims. How do you think this will change how the police and courts deal with abuse cases?

The more  national and media attention these issues get the better. There also need to be courts and juries that understand these issues together. In my opinion, we should be supporting victims more at court, allowing more video evidence so the victim does not see the offender.  People need to understand that abuse happens in homes and relationships, not always the stranger that jumps out from behind a bush!

Breaking the pattern

In the book, Jack comes from a broken home, and has witnessed horrific violence in his own family, which has a huge negative impact on his own behaviour. Would you say this is common for children who have suffered in this way?

Yes, sadly I do agree with this, particularly Domestic Abuse as there are no boundaries or healthy relationships seen as a model. The child knows no other way and thinks it is normal until someone says it is not.

Finally, now you have retired, you are also an avid reader. What kind of books do you like to read? Apart from “Bright Lies”, are there any that you’d like to recommend?

I love reading, mostly away from police dramas as I have dealt with it for 30 years!  I enjoy autobiographies, like Michelle Obama and the prime minister of New Zealand’s new book (I hope to get that for Christmas!) as well as Leanne Moriarty and Jodi Picoult’s fiction.

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If you have concerns about abuse or stalking, here are some useful services who provide help and support in the UK:

Report a stalker or seek advice – https://www.gov.uk/report-stalker

Advice for children – https://www.childline.org.uk/

If you are concerned about a child – https://www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/

Domestic abuse helpline – https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/find-help

Meet Marie Wright at the online launch of psychological thriller “Bright Lies” on Monday, 23rd November.

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Thriller of the Month – The Woodcutter, by Reginald Hill

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“I lived in a fairytale,” Wolf Hadda tells his psychiatrist from his prison cell. As far as he’s concerned, he achieved the impossible and won his fair lady.

Trouble is, they’re no longer together. In fact, Wolf, a former financial whizzkid, is now a convicted paedophile and fraudster. He’s penniless and his youthful good looks are gone, ravaged by an accident during an unsuccessful escape bid. Needless to say, he’s been abandoned by family and friends.

Elf, his psychiatrist, finally achieves the breakthrough that at first seems impossible. Wolf admits the crimes he’s been denying for seven years. He’s released on parole. Elf congratulates herself on a job well done. She visits his remote country cottage and even begins to acknowledge that she feels attracted to this reformed character. Then, as bad things begin to happen to those who have crossed Wolf Hadda, she starts to question her own judgement.

This isn’t so much a fairytale gone wrong as an allegory, especially as it features the shadowy JC, a spymaster with the power to put wrongs right. In a tale with many twists, it’s not always easy to tell who the good guys are, but at least we know by the end.

Reginald Hill sold millions of his Dalziel and Pascoe detective mysteries. The Woodcutter is another type of book altogether. With dodgy Russians, bent coppers, cokeheads and toffs, there are enough crazy characters and action scenes in The Woodcutter to please any thriller fan, but a heart-warming seasoning of humour and romance too.

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Like Reginald Hill, I’m a British crime thriller writer (my most recent book is The Vodka Trail), but I have other strings to my bow too. Get a free e-book of short stories – including crime, horror and romance! – by signing up here for my short and sweet newsletter.