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There was once an inn that sat peacefully on the bank of the Thames at Radcot, a long day’s walk from the source. There were a great many inns along the upper reaches of the Thames at the time of this story … but beyond the usual ale and cider, each one had some … Continue readings
West Camel, first of all what a great name … Now that’s out of my system, Attend, Camel’s debut novel, is yet another fine example of clever publishing by Karen Sullivan’s Orenda Books. Set in Deptford, south London, the book opens with a meeting between Anne, who’s recently returned to the area, and Deborah, … Continue readings
“The fat guy laid his suitcase down and popped the locks, then lifted out two green cylinders from the foam packing. He laid them carefully on the ground and slotted them together before twisting off the end to reveal a red cap. The other man had his suitcase open; he lifted a black … Continue readings
Tags : action thrillers, Alistair MacLean, Connor Montrose, Connor Montrose 3, CWA, Mark Leggatt, Scottish crime writers, The Silk Road
Madras has been his home for twenty years, since 1905 … He was comfortable here. … India had certainly changed since his arrival but, despite rising calls for political independence, Gandhi’s mass civil disobedience campaigns, British India’s obdurate response and his own allegiances being challenged by a growing sympathy for India’s cause, the place … Continue readings
Lily Buckley’s lived through every bride’s ultimate nightmare, as Colleen Coleman’s For Once in My Life opens – being jilted at the alter by a man who not only tells her he doesn’t love her, but professes undying love for someone else. And yet she’s apparently lived to tell the tale. Or not. Three … Continue readings
When Patricia Feinberg Stoner and husband, Patrick, fell in love with a small brown-and-white spaniel, while holidaying at their home in France, little did they envisage the impact it would have on their lives. They spent the next few years living in Morbignan la Crèbe, a small village in Languedoc, encountering all kinds of … Continue readings
‘For everyone, everywhere, who believes in freedom and equality for all’: the dedication to The Word for Freedom, a short story anthology celebrating one hundred years of women’s suffrage, speaks for itself. At the very heart of the collection, edited by Amanda Saint and Rose McGinty, is the fact that ‘we still need words … Continue readings
Tags : abuse, domestic violence, Hestia, hope, inequality, injustice, Retreat West, second sex, slavery, suffrage, suffragettes, the word for freedom, UK says no more, voting matters, women's rights
It’s November and it’s NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, the phenomenon that has people globally putting pen to paper to achieve 50,000 words in one month. Anyone, regardless of experience, age, gender or nationality, can join the virtual international community and support network that helps people find their voice through writing, and what’s better … Continue readings
The second book in Lilja Sigurðardóttir’s excellent Reykjavík Noir Trilogy, Trap opens with Sonja living in the States with her son, Tómas. When ex-husband Adam grabs their son, he forces Sonja to choose between giving up Tómas completely or returning to Iceland and the life she left behind. Enmeshed once again in Iceland’s drug trade, … Continue readings
Tags : Arctic noir, Icelandic noir, Icelandic writers, Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Nordic Noir, Orenda Books, Reyjakvik Noir Trilogy, The Literary Lounge Q&A, Trap, women crime fiction writers
Today, we’re delighted to welcome Icelandic writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir to The Literary Lounge. Her novel, Trap, the second instalment in the Reykjavik Noir Trilogy, is published in the UK by Orenda this month. LS: Lilja, thanks so much for joining us. You’re a playwright as well as a crime-fiction writer: which came … Continue readings
Tags : Arctic noir, drugs Iceland, Icelandic noir, Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Orenda Books 2018, Reyjakvik Noir Trilogy, The Literary Lounge Q&A, Trap
It’s November 1915 and Europe is a battle zone. Americans are flocking to the continent, even though the United States has not formerly entered the war. Christopher Marlowe ‘Kit’ Cobb, reporter and part-time spy, is among them, as Robert Olen Butler’s elegant new thriller opens, the Nieuports weaving their patterns in the skies up … Continue readings
It’s a huge pleasure to have finally read Louise Voss’s The Old You. Like many, I’d heard about the book, read reviews and even had a copy on my shelves, beckoning to me over the last months – yet I didn’t read it as I didn’t have the time. Then, as luck would have … Continue readings
Crime-fiction writers love seaside settings – the myriad ways to kill people perhaps – so, it’s surely not that surprising that Hastings should have its moment in the sun in the Dr Jocasta Hughes’ series. The Literary Shed catches up with writer Candy Denman at one of her protagonist’s favourite bars. ‘This is … Continue readings
Tags : British crime fiction, Candy Denman, crime fiction, Hastings, interviews, Jo Hughes, Jocasta Hughes, NHS, procedural crime fiction, reading on location, seaside crime fiction, The Bill
Today, we’re delighted to welcome writer TOM COX to The Literary Lounge. The author of nine non-fiction books – and friend to many felines, including the beautiful The Bear – Tom makes his fictional debut this month with the short story collection Help the Witch, published by Unbound. Tom, thanks so much for joining … Continue readings
Tags : 21st Century Yokel, Help the Witch, Help the Witch Blog Tour, Ramblings Clare Balding, Random Things Tours, Short stories, short story collections, The Bear, Tom Cox, Tom Cox journalist, Unbound, Witch
‘Palm Beach Finland…’ he began and hadn’t managed to formulate the rest of the question before the woman replied. ‘The name is new, the place is old,’ said Koski and glanced behind her. ‘The new owner painted a few walls, put up a sign and renamed the place. He wants to give it an … Continue readings