A newspaper report about the suspicious death of a British intelligence officer, whose remains were found in his London flat, provided the idea for ‘How Not to Kill a Spy’. The circumstances, if one believes anything the mainstream media have said about the incident, were bizarre.
What if…is the starting point for countless novels and this was no exception.
There is no copyright when it comes to ideas, so aside from the peculiarities of the event, the characters and the rest of it are imaginary.
Septimus Brass, senior investigator of the National Crime Agency, is back for the second book in the series, only feeling his age and struggling with physical ailments not uncommon to ageing males. He’s also acquired a companion in the form of a border collie, Trooper.
My Beta readers have made it abundantly clear to me that I can kill off any number of my human characters in any way I please, cleanly or messily, but I must not kill the dog.
I took that lesson on board, Beta readers please note!
Trooper lives.
Bridie Connor, head of counterintelligence at the Secret Intelligence Service, is also back, but faces both professional and domestic turmoil, from a failing marriage and addiction to the apparent disappearance of three intelligence officers on her watch.
The novel is on pre-order, which means it’s cheaper to order now as a paperback or ebook rather than wait for the release date on December 5 when prices of both are likely to increase.
If you’d like to review it, please let me know and I’ll arrange to send you an advance review copy in one form or another.
Glesga Punch
That’s the provisional title of the next novel and as it suggests, it’s a thriller set in Glasgow, possibly the start of a series.
Unlike my previous efforts, this will be planned and won’t simply be what some people call a ‘pantser’ - written without any synopsis or plan. Usually I begin with a situation and a character and let it roll from there. Not this time; I have the primary character and the location, but the rest, especially the plot, is going to be organised in advance. Will it work any better? I really don’t know. Yet.
Recommended reading:
Tokyo Time, by Dawn Farnham
Beside the Syrian Sea, by James Wolff
Old God’s Time, by Sebastian Barry
Trust, by Hernan Diaz
Reviews
If you’ve enjoyed any book of mine, please leave a rating and review. Amazon, Goodreads, Waterstones - wherever you can. It really does make a big difference.
Thank you!
September 2024
Comments