THE LATE SCHOLAR by Jill Paton Walsh
ISBN 978 1 444 76087 3 Paperback £8.99 I have always been a huge fan of the classic crime stories. When I was very young I devoured Sherlock Holmes, whose only failing was, so far as I could see, that he didn’t have more adventures. While I have read some continuation stories by other writers, … Continue reading
THE BEAST IN THE JUNGLE – Louis Bayard
ISBN 978 1 84854 234 1 Published by John Murray This is a very difficult book to review. It is filled with suspense like a strong psychological thriller, but it’s also rather historical in feel, and is a crime story in many ways, too. The basic plot is simple enough: in 1914 the former US President, Theodore … Continue reading
The Templar’s Penance
There are times when I put up a video on my YouTube channel and soon get a series of questions that I hadn’t thought of at the time. So, if you want to see the original video, you can find it here – and thanks to Hans van der Boom for his questions. Apologies for not speaking … Continue reading
Refreshing old stories
Today I have the joy of starting to write one book I first thought up ten years ago, while also looking at an edit of a book I wrote at about the same time. I have been a writer for an appalling twenty years now. It’s shocking to think of all those years having … Continue reading
Review: The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson
ISBN: 9781444775433 This is a nice change for me. It feels as though I’ve become a modernist, reading this. I’ve been transported from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. This book is the winner of the 2014 CWA Historical Dagger Award, I’m told. Tom Hawkins, the wayward son of a country curate has been living … Continue reading
Review of A LOVE LIKE BLOOD By Marcus Sedgewick
Published by Mulholland Books Paperback ISBN 9781444751925 price at £7.99 It is rare to pick up a book by an author one hasn’t read or heard of before, and to be so entirely blown away by the quality of the writing and the plot. I was sent this book in a pile of books to … Continue reading
Review of THE VANISHING WITCH By Karen Maitland
Published by Headline Review in paperback, trade paperback and hardback. Hardback ISBN: 9781472215000 I am very glad to be able to say that Karen Maitland is a good friend. Still, this is not a log-rolling exercise. I have a very simple policy when it comes to books. I do not like to give positive … Continue reading
Interview!
For those who haven’t quite had enough of Jecks this week, there’s an interview up here on a great blog site – hopefully it’ll bring out something new even for readers who know me quite well!
I’m Back!
Okay, I’m sorry not to have warned folks that I was taking some time off, but that’s why I’ve been quiet and not responding to emails and comments. I’ve been away. The first two-week holiday my family’s ever had, and it was wonderful. I have had the ambition of travelling to France for a long … Continue reading
Another Folk Festival Gone
It’s a serious shock when you sit down and realise another year’s gone. Only a little while ago I was sitting down and thinking this year I’ll take the boy onto the moors, sleep over under the stars, have a decent walk. Then again, he was determined to get me fit once more, so his … Continue reading
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