My new murder mystery novel, Death at Delphi, is now available to pre-order on Amazon for just 99c. You can also preview the first three chapters on Wattpad. Set in England and Greece, Death at Delphi is a classic British whodunnit in the style of Agatha Christie. Featuring intrigue, adventure and romance, it's in the … Continue reading Death at Delphi: pre-order for 99c
Cameras on Carolyn by Irene Byers
I managed to obtain a second-hand copy of Cameras on Carolyn at some considerable expense. While I enjoyed it, I'd recommend reading it for free via a deposit library rather than investing in it yourself (unless you can find it for a couple of quid in a second-hand shop). The story picks up from "Stage … Continue reading Cameras on Carolyn by Irene Byers
Murder on the Strike of Five by M P Peacock
Murder on the Strike of Five: Russia 1917 is a highly atmospheric murder mystery, with wonderful twists and turns. There are distinct echoes of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express in M P Peacock's Murder on the Strike of Five, set on a train journey through freezing Siberia during the early 20th century. When a … Continue reading Murder on the Strike of Five by M P Peacock
Reported Missing by Diane Harding
Reported Missing is a real page turner, the action never stops. What starts as a nagging feeling of unease becomes a spiralling horror as the narrator and her husband try to keep their daughter and grandchildren safe. The sense of being at a loss for what to do was moving: the protagonists are quiet, respectable … Continue reading Reported Missing by Diane Harding
The Stage Under the Cedars by Irene Byers
I managed to get a second hand copy of this rare work (you'll find it in the British Library of course, and other legal deposit libraries) and read it with some interest. It seems to be a vintage "young adult" novel: aimed perhaps at older teenagers and university students. The plot hinges around the interestingly … Continue reading The Stage Under the Cedars by Irene Byers
How to Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman
How to Be a Victorian is a fascinating read that takes one into a past era. It also gives the reader great perspective on our own era: I frequently found myself wondering what Victorians would think of sheer abundance of food and products available in the western world today. The author has spent extensive periods … Continue reading How to Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman
The Adventure of the Floating Flat by Irene Byers
A vintage children's story with great charm. I picked up this novel in a second hand shop, never having heard of the author Irene Byers before. I've since been astonished to discover that she wrote over forty novels, mainly for children, yet barely anything is known of her. Out of curiosity I have ordered several … Continue reading The Adventure of the Floating Flat by Irene Byers
Red Inks: Flash Fiction by Sharon Livingstone
Like a box of jewels: a treasury of short stories in every sense, the flash fiction in Red Ink ranges from longer tales to tiny vignettes. All of them beautifully written with exquisite detail: sometimes fascinating, sometimes funny, sometimes sad. Some of these stories leave you wanting more because the glimpse of a world they … Continue reading Red Inks: Flash Fiction by Sharon Livingstone
The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie
The Pale Horse has long been one of my favourites. It's wonderfully macabre and atmospheric, and very, very clever. The book even saved someone's life, because a reader recognised the murder mechanism being used on a real person and contacted the police. In another case, an already-completed murder was discovered through the same symptoms. If … Continue reading The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie
Dubai by Robin Moore
This book is supposedly banned in Dubai but it’s relatively easy to find a second-hand (or third/fourth/fifth hand) copy there, pretty much every long-term expat has read it. “Fitz Lodd” usually raises a chuckle, and there are many who claim to know who he was based on as well as other characters in the book. … Continue reading Dubai by Robin Moore
Edward Turbeville 