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murder

Book Review – Phosphate Rocks by Fiona Erskine

October 5, 2021 by aaabbott

Phosphate Rocks by Fiona Erskine is a Scottish noir murder mystery set in a chemicals factory

Scottish noir

Years ago, before I threw caution to the winds and became a full time writer, I worked for a company who proclaimed themselves world leaders in phosphorus chemistry. They, too, relied on solidified bird droppings – the “Phosphate Rocks” of the book’s title – as their raw material. Fiona Erskine’s thriller says a great deal about this, and other little-known (but absolutely fascinating) facts about the industry.  A slice of Scottish noir, it begins in true murder mystery fashion with the discovery of a dead body when a chemical works is demolished. Brisk young Detective Inspector Rose Irvine soon homes in on the one man who holds the key to the mystery: John Gibson, the former shift manager.

Literature meets chemistry

As Rose questions John however it becomes clear that “Phosphate Rocks” is much more than a simple police procedural story. The corpse, encased in a crust of phosphate, is surrounded by ten objects. When John identifies each item, pouring out his reminiscences in the process, we receive a sequence of chemistry lessons. Furthermore, John’s memories are a rich seam of social history. He tells Rose about canny men and glamorous women and a manufacturing environment decaying as much as the deliquescent corpse.

Layers of mystery

Although the mystery is solved, it’s a bitter-sweet victory. Too many other questions remain unanswered. Is Rose the orphaned child of good-time girl Polly, who ended up feeding the fishes? What became of the proud workmen thrown on the scrapheap when the factory closed, victims of head office accountants?

This is not a formulaic, stripped down style of book, but it is beautifully written. If you fancy a refreshingly different crime story, “Phosphate Rocks” delivers it.


For a mystery with a difference, read “The Bride’s Trail”, first in my Trail series of British thrillers. When a shy graduate finds herself framed, can she survive long enough to clear her name?


Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: body, book, book review, british, chemistry, detective, factory, murder, mystery, noir, phosphate rocks, psychological thriller, Scottish, the bride's trail, thriller, writer

So What Have Libraries Done for Me? A guest blog by Helen Hollick

February 19, 2021 by aaabbott

Helen Hollick and her new cozy mystery A Mirror Murder in the Library

I know, that heading conjures a mental image of Monty Python and that scene in  Life Of Brian: “What have the Romans ever done for us?”

The aqueduct, sanitation, roads, education… Hmm, can I add libraries? The Romans provided scrolls, kept in dry rooms, for patrons of the public baths to read. The baths were not just a place to go to get clean, they were the equivalent of a leisure centre, a place for exercise and relaxation. Which included the pleasure of reading.

I am sixty-seven this year (2021) but one of my earliest memories is of leaving the library with a book clutched tightly in my hands, thrilled, because it was one I hadn’t read. I say ‘read’ – that, I’m not sure of. I was not yet four years old. Was I reading by then? I don’t remember, on the other hand, I don’t remember not reading. (For those interested, it was a Little Grey Rabbit book by Alison Uttley).

Books rarely let you down

I was a shy, quiet child, with very little self-confidence, heightened because I was extremely short-sighted. I could see, clearly, what was going on in a book. Books didn’t shout at you when you couldn’t see the board at school, or didn’t mind that you couldn’t see well enough to thread a needle in sewing class. Books were friends, not enemies. Books rarely let you down.

I was a regular at South Chingford Library, east London – it helped that my junior school was almost opposite and I had to pass the library to go home. I wonder, was it that compulsion which made my little legs turn into the library to browse the books, the forerunner of not being able to pass a bookshop now, without at least peering into the window?

At the age of nine I discovered the second love of my life. Pony stories.

I received a book for my ninth birthday. I’m ashamed to admit that my first reaction was one of disappointment. A book. It would probably be Noddy, or a school story (I disliked both). I unwrapped it. There, on the cover, was a girl riding a black pony. Jill’s Gymkhana by Ruby Ferguson. I recall nothing else of that party, only the book. I hadn’t realised, until that moment, that there was such a thing as The Pony Story. I desperately wanted a pony, but we were not in the financial position for ponies, although I did ride at the local stables once a fortnight.

Thank goodness for the library. I devoured everything pony-related that they had. The Pullein-Thompson sisters, Monica Edwards, Pat Smythe, Joanna Cannon, Elizabeth Beresford… And then there was the non-fiction section. How to groom a pony, feed a pony, keep a pony… But there was more than books and reading, more that I discovered because of libraries. I started to write. From the age of about eleven, I scribbled (not very good, I suspect) stories about, well, yes, ponies.

Come school leaving age at sixteen in 1969, I was steered towards working in the library – that same, South Chingford Library in fact. It was heaven, especially when I realised that, as a member of staff, I could take out more than four books at a time!

The secret life of a librarian

Come school leaving age at sixteen in 1969, I was steered towards working in the library – that same, South Chingford Library in fact. It was heaven, especially when I realised that, as a member of staff, I could take out more than four books at a time!

I was still writing, scribbling away – although I had moved on to fantasy and science fiction. Then I came across King Arthur. Mary Stewart’s The Hollow Hills and The Crystal Cave. Fabulous stories, but what triggered my interest, and imagination, was her author’s note where she explained that if Arthur had existed (a very doubtful if, now) it would have been during that period between the Romans (them again!) and the coming of the Anglo Saxons. I was intrigued. I had never much liked the traditional Arthurian tales, the Medieval knights in armour … but a Dark Age warlord? Now that I did like! I pounced on the non-fiction section of the library, re-discovered the beautiful poetic narrative of the brilliant Rosemary Sutcliff, studied Roman Britain, and came across too many novels that just didn’t fill what I was looking for: a realistic man, with faults as well as strengths. No post-Norman nonsense, but a man who fought hard to win his kingdom, and fought even harder to keep it. And as for Guinevere… sorry, I just didn’t see her as a fragile wimp drooling over a Lancelot figure. So there was nothing for it. I decided to write my own novel, where there would be no Merlin, no Lancelot, and Gwenhwyfar would know how to wield a sword. (And there would be horses. I still loved horses – had one of my own by then!)

I wrote whenever I could, and penned quite a few chapters in the library office when I was there on my own, supposedly writing out overdue cards…

It’s murder in that library

As for my latest release,  A Mirror Murder, a ‘cosy mystery’ which I based on my years of working in the library, I plan to alternate between one story set in and around the library, and one in a different location, so book two (A Mystery of Murder) will be set in Devon over Christmas 1971, book three (no title yet!) will be back in the library – again based on my years there. Jan Christopher has been asked to take over one of the Book Delivery Service rounds, selecting and taking books out to the housebound. Of course, one day she finds… well, you’ll have to wait until I’ve written it. Sorry. I wrote A Mirror Murder because I finally realised that the years I had spent as a library assistant ought to be put to good use. All those anecdotes, all those hilarious moments, all those members of the public and the quirky events that happened  –  from the main door that was so heavy it bruised your heels, to the slice of raw bacon used as a bookmark…

It took me well over ten years to write a final version of what eventually became my Arthurian  Pendragon’s Banner trilogy, originally published in 1994 by William Heinemann. The books are still in print, although via different publishers now. Oh and that book that I received for my ninth birthday? I’ve still got it.

So what did my library do for me?

It gave me a love of books, of reading. Library books nurtured my imagination, expanded my existence. My library took me to places in other countries and other worlds. The books kept me company when I was lonely, cheered me when I was sad. The characters within were my friends.

My library helped to show me that I could write, that I could fulfil an ambition – to become a real author.

What have libraries done for you, I wonder?

HELEN HOLLICK – A MIRROR MURDER

Amazon Author Page (Universal Link) http://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

“I settled down with A Mirror Murder and pretty much read it in one sitting, thoroughly enjoyed it.”

The first in a new series of cosy mysteries set in the 1970s… Will romance blossom between library assistant Jan Christopher and DC Laurie Walker – or will a brutal murder intervene?

Eighteen-year-old library assistant Jan Christopher’s life is to change on a rainy Friday evening in July 1971, when her legal guardian and uncle, DCI Toby Christopher, gives her a lift home after work. Driving the car, is her uncle’s new Detective Constable, Laurie Walker – and it is love at first sight for the young couple.

But romance is soon to take a back seat when a baby boy is taken from his pram,  a naked man is scaring young ladies in nearby Epping Forest, and an elderly lady is found, brutally murdered… Are the events related? How will they affect the staff and public of the local library where Jan works – and will a blossoming romance survive a police investigation into  murder?

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Find out more about Helen Hollick on her website and find her on Twitter and Facebook. If her book, A Mirror Murder, tempts you to read more stories about librarians, look no further than The Bride’s Trail. First in my Trail series of thrillers, it features real-life librarian Jackie Molloy saving a saintly cancer researcher from a killer!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: books, bride's trail, chingford, cozy mystery, helen hollick, jackie molloy, killer, librarian, libraries, library, mirror murder, murder, mystery, pony stories, thrillers, trail series

Book Review – Death Strikes Back, by Carolyn Stubbs

September 26, 2020 by aaabbott

Short and slick suspense thriller

Carolyn Stubbs suspense thriller novella begins in an English monastery.

The Victorians loved a touch of Gothic in their stories – a creeping sense of menace to send an enjoyable chill down the reader’s spine. Although Carolyn Stubbs’ debut story is set firmly in the 21st century, it retains a Gothic feeling of unease on each page. The mystery begins when a stranger arrives at an English monastery at midnight. Georgio Stefano has made bad choices in his life. Even now, when he unburdens himself to the holy men who give him succour, he doesn’t realise exactly how much trouble he is in.

This is a novella, so every word has to count. There is a lot going on in the book’s 46 pages, including a scary diversion into the paranormal. Thriller fans will enjoy the twists emerging once Georgio decides he must atone for his sins.

Murder, mystery and horror

Although a suspense thriller, the tale segues into murder, mystery and horror. It should therefore appeal to readers of those genres too. Most of all, it reminds me of 19th century favourites like MR James’ “Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come To You My Lad”, Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Carmilla” – all of which I read on a beach as a teenager during one hot summer. (I admit this is strange behaviour.) Tightly written and imaginative, “Death Strikes Back” is a real page turner. Although I loved the ending, I was sad to finish the book.

The paperback is well-priced

My only gripe – a minor one – is that the publishers are clearly angling for print sales. The paperback version is well-priced; the ebook less so. Having said that, the prices are competitive with MR James books of a similar length.

Read it!

Carolyn Stubbs is an exciting new talent and this slice of 21st century Gothic is well worth reading.

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If you like a bite-sized read, try my free short stories here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: assassin, bram stoker, carmilla, carolyn stubbs, crime, death, Dracula, gothic, horror, monastery, mr james, murder, mystery, novella, paranormal, sheridan le fanu, suspense, thriller, twist, victorians

Book Review – The Babysitter, by Phoebe Morgan

September 18, 2020 by aaabbott

The Babysitter by Phoebe Morgan is a gripping psychological thriller. When a celeb's lover is murdered, where is the baby she was caring for?

A murder mystery packed with twists

Wine, sunshine and good company – the ingredients for a perfect holiday. Siobhan jets off with high hopes to join her sister, Maria, in a French villa. Family life has been stressful for Siobhan. Perhaps now she can rebuild her relationships with her cheating husband, Calum, and teenage daughter, Emma.

Siobhan is starting to relax when the French police bring news that Calum’s lover has been murdered back home in Suffolk. Even more horrifying, the little girl she was babysitting has disappeared.

For Siobhan, it’s the beginning of a nightmare. TV celeb Calum is the prime suspect. He’s shipped back to England for questioning by the local police. Meanwhile, the women hide out from the media circus in the family home.

Suffolk police are under pressure to solve the murder mystery and find Baby Eve, but progress is slow. Phoebe Morgan cleverly uses flashbacks and switches point of view so that the reader – and indeed the police – are never quite sure who did it. The final revelation is a satisfying twist.

Domestic noir

If the story has a central message, it’s that you can’t truly know and trust those closest to you. Siobhan has comes to (uneasy) terms with Calum’s philandering, but is he capable of murder? Is Maria more than a supportive sister and aunt? Are there cracks in Baby Eve’s parents’ perfect marriage? Did Calum’s lover steal the baby for herself before her untimely death? This searing slice of domestic noir peels away the happy façade of each household to reveal raw pain beneath. As in real life, the end of the story is all about moving on rather than living happily ever after.

The Babysitter is available on Amazon and in all good bookshops.

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Do you love a gripping psychological thriller? Subscribe for my short and interesting monthly newsletter to hear about my next book. It’s out in November 2020 and it has tension and twists to die for.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: babysitter, death, domestic noir, murder, mystery, phoebe morgan, psychological, thriller, TV, twists

Book Review – Death on the Suez, by David Wake

August 4, 2019 by aaabbott

Agatha Christie meets Terry Pratchettsphinx-like murderers and magic carpets in this agatha christie meets terry pratchett mystery

Agatha Christie’s “Death on the Nile” is splendidly parodied by David Wake in this locked room murder mystery set aboard the Victorian paddle steamer SS Karnak. Yes, folks, the protagonists appear to travel on the very boat Hercule Poirot chose for his rather too exciting holiday in Egypt. This time, the ship sails down the Suez Canal with an assorted cast of characters including a libidinous Frenchman, an Indian mystic, two archaeologists and a couple of stiff upper lip British army men. They are accompanied by the Derring-Do Club, three plucky young women whose parents have forbidden them to do any adventuring, ever. A murder investigation doesn’t count as an adventure, however, so middle sister Georgina is roped in as investigating officer when one of the archaeologists takes a fatal bullet. With humour worthy of Terry Pratchett, David Wake leads Georgina and her sisters on a merry dance through the desert, in which they nearly (but of course, not quite) die before the case is cracked.

Locked room murder mystery

There are at least nine suspects, all with alibis and no apparent means of shooting a man whose corpse has been found in a room locked from the inside. The method, when Georgina finally deduces it, is a twist worthy of the Queen of the Crime herself.

Magic carpets, romance & adventure

“Death on the Suez” is so much more than a murder mystery, however. It’s a rip-roaring adventure  featuring mummies, guns, magic carpets, a marvellous calculating machine, ancient gods and temples. There’s also dash of romance, running like a thread throughout the narrative and beautifully tied at the end. Throughout, David Wake writes well, his gentle British humour lampooning Victorian mores. He never puts a foot wrong, and the pages just keep turning.

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Like David Wake, I’m a British writer, and my stories are fast-paced page turners. The Trail series of crime thrillers begins with a mystery when fake bride Kat White goes missing. Take a look at The Bride’s Trail here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: agatha, agatha christie, bride's trail, british, david wake, death, hercule poirot, humour, karnak, locked room, murder, mystery, nile, paddle steamer, page turner, parodied, parody, pastiche, pratchett, suez, terry pratchett, writer

Book Review – Absolution, by Paul E Hardisty

April 8, 2019 by aaabbott

Framed for murder…a book review absolution by paule hardisty is a gripping thriller

Paul E Hardisty’s Absolution takes us back to 1997, when hero Clay Straker has just testified about the horrors of South African apartheid to Mandela’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In doing so, he’s made enemies who want him dead.

He’s not the only one, it seems. Clay’s former girlfriend, Rania, is devastated by the deaths of her husband and small son. Even worse, someone has framed her for their murders.

Travelling to Egypt to try to discover the truth, she asks Clay for help. He really wants to oblige, but assassins lurk at every port and airstrip as he crosses Africa to join her. Clay needs all his cash, firepower and cunning to survive.

This crime mystery shifts swiftly into an action thriller

Although beginning as a crime mystery with the disappearance and killing of Rania’s family, Absolution is an action thriller above all. Each conflict and slaughter is described in gory, bone-crushing detail. Every weapon is itemised. Clay is a man’s man: a connoisseur of guns, hard-nosed and heavy-drinking, not afraid of a scrap. Despite the scars of war, he is amazingly attractive to women. Here, Hardisty misses a trick: we never find out what it is about this tough mercenary that appeals so much to the opposite sex. Perhaps it’s simply Clay’s steadfastness. He stands by his friends, male or female, when all around are swayed by money. In a tale of government and corporate corruption, Clay is one of the few who cannot be bought.

Suspense

The story moves at a fair clip, with plenty of suspense as the action switches between Rania’s investigations in murky Cairo and Clay’s desperate journey to reach her. Although no travelogue, the places through which Clay passes are well described: the heat, dust and dangers of African warzones and the cramped, polluted metropolis of Cairo. The desert dénouement presents a picturesque, as well as a tragic, scene. Hardisty writes very well and holds attention throughout. Satisfyingly, the book ends on an ambivalent note. Will Clay’s adventures continue?

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If you love a fast-paced story with a sense of place, try The Vodka Trail. When glamorous Kat White travels to the former Soviet Union in an attempt to recover her family vodka business, she doesn’t realise her oldest enemy will hold her life in his hands…

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: absolution, action, africa, clay straker, crime, egypt, murder, mystery, paul e hardisty, rania, sense of place, suspense, thriller, vodka

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