A.A. Abbott

GREAT CRIME STORY WRITER

psychological thriller

Book Review – Phosphate Rocks by Fiona Erskine

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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?

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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Make Your Dreams Come True

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Make Your Dreams Come True by Writing A Book

Make Your Dreams Come True Day

Imagine you had a magic wand that could make all your dreams come true. Wouldn’t that be brilliant? Now, step back from fantasy to reality. There is a way to realise those dreams without magic or megabucks. It’s called setting goals. On Make Your Dreams Come True Day, why not take time out to do it? Even ten minutes can take you closer to achieving your desires.

Realistic Goals

It’s crucial to have realistic goals. That might mean breaking down a task into chunks, or setting less arduous goals as stepping stones. For example, if you want to write a novel but you haven’t even written a short story yet, set yourself the target of producing a short tale first. You’ll feel good when you achieve that first success and you’ll have developed skills that will help you in your ultimate aim.

We can learn from big corporations here. If you’ve ever worked for one, you’ll be used to agreeing SMART objectives with your manager – that is, you’ll agree on tasks which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. Employers do this for a reason. They know that SMART goals are likely to succeed.

A Case Study in SMART Objectives – The Vodka Trail

Looking back at my writing resolutions for 2016, #1 was to write a sequel to my British mystery thriller, The Bride’s Trail. This ticked all the SMART boxes – it was:

Specific – I would write another thriller about glamorous Kat, shy Amy and arrogant Ross.

Measurable – the objective would be met when the book was published.

Achievable – I’d already written and published one thriller a year from 2013 to 2015.

Relevant – I’m a writer, after all.

Time-bound – I announced to the world that I’d do it in 2016, but in my mind, I gave myself 6 months from mid-January.

The Vodka Trail, the twisting tale of Kat’s kidnap by terrorists, was published on 18 July 2016! The rest of the thrilling series – The Grass Trail, The Revenge Trail and The Final Trail – followed in 2017, 2018 and 2019. As with my latest novel, dark psychological thriller Bright Lies, I plotted each book in advance and planned chunks – chapters – before sitting at my laptop to write them.

My Top Tip

My Top Tip is: Share Your Goals! Just as I did when announcing my writing resolutions for 2016, tell others of your plans and they’ll help you to stay accountable for them.

Whether your dream is to change jobs, write that novel or make the world a better place, I wish you the very best of luck!

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Bright Lies, heralded by respected American review site Readers’ Favorite as “5 star compelling drama” had its origin in a dream 30 years ago. In that dark night-time fantasy, Emily emerged fleeing from danger and finding sanctuary with troubled nightclub DJ Jack in his Birmingham squat. It has taken many years to channel that dream into a book, but the great reviews prove it was worth it. Click on the book’s cover here to start reading.

A woman dreaming about psychological thriller BRIGHT LIES

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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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Book Review – Blood Red Rabbit, by Tom Bryson

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Tense psychological thriller about the Troublesblood red rabbit tense psychological thriller northern ireland troubles

British writer Tom Bryson is uniquely qualified to write a psychological thriller about the Troubles in Northern Ireland – he’s a Derry boy who lived through them. “Blood Red Rabbit” begins in the aftermath of a terrible crime: a bomb blast in a busy town centre. Neither side of the sectarian divide claims responsibility, possibly because both are affected by it. Protestants and Catholics alike have lost loved ones, and the survivors are hurting. Guilt gnaws at Tony, who saw a fellow football supporter lose a hand. Teenage student Neil should have a bright future, but is overwhelmed by grief for his dead sister. John wishes he’d died instead of the colleague who swapped shifts as a favour.

Deadly ripples

Deadly ripples spread. Alcoholism, mental illness and revenge stalk the town. There will be further deaths before green shoots of reconciliation emerge. Slowly, they do. From the mourning family who laugh as they speculate whose bomb it was, to the hate crime victim who just wants to move on, to an accidental romance that bridges the divide – hope springs in unexpected places. Ultimately, the greatest gulf is between those who stay damaged by the past, and those who put it behind them.

Should be a bestseller

The characters in this tense thriller are well-drawn: distinct, interesting, not always lovable, but wholly believable. Through them, the historic differences and present-day experiences of Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland are explained and contrasted. The plot is sad, mad and finally, inspiring. Tom Bryson writes with a sure hand equal to any book in the bestseller charts.

“Blood Red Rabbit” is 99p  as an ebook (paperback also available) – an absolute bargain for writing of this quality.

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If you like a tense thriller with its roots in the past, try “The Vodka Trail”. Birmingham businessman Marty Bridges made a fortune when the Soviet Union imploded, but Kat White, daughter of his dead business partner, is convinced he has blood on his hands…

Thriller of the Month – The Tree of Hands, by Ruth Rendell

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When I first began to write grown-up fiction, I went to evening classes in creative writing. My teacher was a glowing fan of Ruth Rendell’s crime stories. Soon, I was addicted to them too, especially the darker thrillers that Ms Rendell wrote using the name Barbara Vine.

Although The Tree of Hands was published under Ms Rendell’s own name, it sits firmly within the genre of dark psychological thrillers. Cosy Inspector Wexford is nowhere to be seen. Instead, we are introduced to Benet, who has written a blockbuster and lives comfortably in Hampstead as the single mother of a toddler. Adulthood has brought about an uneasy truce with Benet’s mother Mopsa, victim to a mental illness that produces sudden episodes of psychosis. Visiting from Spain, Mopsa at last appears to be cured – until, driving through a rather less salubrious area of London, she steals an abandoned child.

I hesitate to say much more because I want you to enjoy all the surprises on offer in The Tree of Hands for yourself! Suffice to say, the aftermath of the crime throws a spotlight on love, loss and nastier aspects of human relationships. Ms Rendell understood too well how rumour and paranoia could turn a whole community against an individual. The tale is also told through an excellent cast of supporting characters: a young carpenter impossibly starry-eyed about his feckless lover, a neurotic conman, a gangster, a kindly doctor.

As always with Ruth Rendell’s work, although the characters may be hard to love, they’re written sympathetically. The reader has access to Benet’s innermost thoughts, as well as gaining insight into other individuals we might not want as neighbours…

Following her sad death a few months ago, Ms Rendell will be sorely missed. If you haven’t read The Tree of Hands, do track it down!

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I also write psychological crime thrillers laced with twists and suspense. If you like Ruth Rendell’s style, I bet you’ll love my latest crime thriller, The Bride’s Trail, too! Take a look at the reviews and peek inside the book on Amazon.