tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77041295077635829772024-03-13T22:52:14.527+00:00 Off-the-Shelf Books It's ALL about the books!Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.comBlogger1003125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-7885554848410416572024-03-12T10:24:00.000+00:002024-03-12T10:24:53.792+00:00My exciting book news update!<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I haven't used this blog for several years, and thought it was time I wrote a final post to update it. I don't even know if I still have any followers on here, but if I do - Hello! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I won't be returning to this blog, but I do have some exciting book news that I would love to share with you. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you would like to follow me elsewhere, for book news, reading updates, and more, you can find my Facebook page by clicking </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaGoldmanBooks" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. It would be great to keep in touch. I'm still on Twitter if you click </span><a href="https://twitter.com/VictoriaGoldma2" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, though that's less reliable these days. You can also visit my website by clicking </span><a href="https://vgoldmanbooks.com" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and sign up for my newsletter. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It's time to meet <i>The Redeemer</i> and <i>The Associate</i>, if you haven't done so already.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9bOLmIIIT6xRXKSVSPH9j4qHrobI85tUkH5qW76zY7Qlxy2MI8Ragbo3uD7PiJigyRU0P6VALfW2XDCFbzEhKdeU6fsIP3rCyedm0jxpb8VPa-zJdNrKHN_yzGPDpY9tHveCCjHp0uNCcpQr8QDVdEDFodY60JMOBYyUKqrWniNQZL3zKp8wfxbzDMw/s1600/9CA87FE2-4F20-409C-9D8E-927A1D0240DA_1_102_o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9bOLmIIIT6xRXKSVSPH9j4qHrobI85tUkH5qW76zY7Qlxy2MI8Ragbo3uD7PiJigyRU0P6VALfW2XDCFbzEhKdeU6fsIP3rCyedm0jxpb8VPa-zJdNrKHN_yzGPDpY9tHveCCjHp0uNCcpQr8QDVdEDFodY60JMOBYyUKqrWniNQZL3zKp8wfxbzDMw/s320/9CA87FE2-4F20-409C-9D8E-927A1D0240DA_1_102_o.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>About<i> The Redeemer</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My first crime novel, <i>The Redeemer</i>, was published in July 2022. It was shortlisted for Best Debut Novel of 2022 in the Crime Fiction Lover Awards. A review in the Jewish Journal wrote: 'Faye Kellerman – behold your British counterpart'.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">‘REPENT BEFORE YOU DIE … OR MAY YOU NEVER R.I.P.’</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Threatening fake historic markers, vigilante killings, a Jewish community – what’s the link? The clock is ticking to the next murder.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYuaYmHvFlAUjOv_QVOKXkOIh5IH-PjMMqPdwVqWb2GSptESvOYzJ0SuA8Rndm35C6mdMGhRdOa7JeXtHDKexpU_7aAHQ1zwc6figQYkVt7HZmfQeFHOWH-ix7O-4o8UsMR58OFN09gsiQ2r7qu-GGHPsdEl-1MAXuzNNyJXq3i6J5eC7ySUqOW3UtYo/s1080/02640A23-7266-4CC0-B883-05394C0B980F_1_102_o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYuaYmHvFlAUjOv_QVOKXkOIh5IH-PjMMqPdwVqWb2GSptESvOYzJ0SuA8Rndm35C6mdMGhRdOa7JeXtHDKexpU_7aAHQ1zwc6figQYkVt7HZmfQeFHOWH-ix7O-4o8UsMR58OFN09gsiQ2r7qu-GGHPsdEl-1MAXuzNNyJXq3i6J5eC7ySUqOW3UtYo/s320/02640A23-7266-4CC0-B883-05394C0B980F_1_102_o.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Amazon link for the Kindle ebook and paperback: <a href="http://mybook.to/TheRedeemer" target="_blank">http://mybook.to/TheRedeemer</a></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You can also order the paperback from Waterstones, Barnes & Noble and other book retailers. You can also order it into UK libraries. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>About <i>The Associate</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My second novel, <i>The Associate</i>, was published in July 2023. It was Editor's Choice Winner of Best Indie Novel of 2023 in the Crime Fiction Lover Awards.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Even the safest sanctuaries can hide the darkest secrets… </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A missing architect. An interfaith charity project. Vandalism and online threats. Can racist slogans lead to kidnap – or even murder?</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpChdYcB7pbD2KSWNqI7Azd_i_ryR3p0Z8zitFwscDsxkRK_wMD2njlC0ZDqjqyN2Rv5DGwjTDIyP1nfpE3MY34aZpgDTYE27G_9vlPgV_MA5vg-lAwOhmgTs-pNSQniBg1z3Hm_men6hAe6MlgSw4DexXchAvHx4PjDxjhae4mRJ2PdyBKvSW_1YZcs/s1080/679F0393-66CD-4CCE-960C-10B98354945F_1_102_o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpChdYcB7pbD2KSWNqI7Azd_i_ryR3p0Z8zitFwscDsxkRK_wMD2njlC0ZDqjqyN2Rv5DGwjTDIyP1nfpE3MY34aZpgDTYE27G_9vlPgV_MA5vg-lAwOhmgTs-pNSQniBg1z3Hm_men6hAe6MlgSw4DexXchAvHx4PjDxjhae4mRJ2PdyBKvSW_1YZcs/s320/679F0393-66CD-4CCE-960C-10B98354945F_1_102_o.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Amazon link for the Kindle ebook and paperback: </span><a href="https://mybook.to/TheAssociate" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">https://mybook.to/TheAssociate</span></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You can also order the paperback from Waterstones, Barnes & Noble and other book retailers. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">You can also order it into UK libraries.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMD7jouUeb7Qvwfk-KsKTwuTkWRqAfEWrgGzk2DeDuAQlq_XR6q9yplF2Ed8TjuQtc-AgFjibvb3jDznAoTd5916n_0lypTcRi6E9OKeQoVDmv0ZFt435cwKQLr158VQg5xj9DFJV-UzECURdrh5SAhHQC0k6f8UPKI0Uz3U6huSElzv7FjlqlJ3pDqRs/s1800/9894F507-5252-4484-928A-6A924C5FEB49.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMD7jouUeb7Qvwfk-KsKTwuTkWRqAfEWrgGzk2DeDuAQlq_XR6q9yplF2Ed8TjuQtc-AgFjibvb3jDznAoTd5916n_0lypTcRi6E9OKeQoVDmv0ZFt435cwKQLr158VQg5xj9DFJV-UzECURdrh5SAhHQC0k6f8UPKI0Uz3U6huSElzv7FjlqlJ3pDqRs/s320/9894F507-5252-4484-928A-6A924C5FEB49.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">That's all from me. But please do find me on my Facebook page if you would like to keep up-to-date. I'm also dipping in and out of Twitter, but that's less reliable these days. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">PS... I also crochet little people. Here's a recent book club reading group for World Book Day! The good news is that Marilyn, Dolly, Sherlock, Woolliam(!) and Mozart really enjoyed my books.</span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmNLOVh0rCmU9mz6roHymtEPTvWFMNUKPk5unGMgf1jAB00X3Stuq59Vt9hMy4LRuOMQqOdO3Qpew5WYfvtQqHhKzAvLwUj4uY3dXANyb8hnUw_7zzKto16B55WBxRgKHqadOKARzqQpSsGkZRkUv1QHzSFchIrtYCix9412CxIv6E5s2QIaFN6GWvhA/s4032/A1A62242-E0C8-4AEE-A54E-DCF12DE61041_1_201_a.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmNLOVh0rCmU9mz6roHymtEPTvWFMNUKPk5unGMgf1jAB00X3Stuq59Vt9hMy4LRuOMQqOdO3Qpew5WYfvtQqHhKzAvLwUj4uY3dXANyb8hnUw_7zzKto16B55WBxRgKHqadOKARzqQpSsGkZRkUv1QHzSFchIrtYCix9412CxIv6E5s2QIaFN6GWvhA/s320/A1A62242-E0C8-4AEE-A54E-DCF12DE61041_1_201_a.heic" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-19743657675146866262020-06-01T09:15:00.000+01:002020-06-01T09:16:42.757+01:00My recent reads - 3I am currently trying to catch up on reviews featuring books I've read over the last few months (some a bit further back than that). So yes, use of the word ‘recent’ may be a little misleading!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Bad Place by M.K. Hill</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>[Review copy]<br />
An excellent start to a new series by M.K. Hill. It was a welcome change to meet a female 'middle-aged' protagonist in a police procedural. DI Sasha Dawson is juggling a demanding family life (interfering mother, stroppy teenagers and depressed husband - known as living in the 'sandwich generation'!) with a hectic career and workload. The plot explores a kidnapping twenty years ago, with questions remaining about what happened to the five teenagers who eventually escaped to safety from 'The Bad Place' - and why the sixth ended up dead. This is linked to the present-day kidnapping of a teenage girl, the author expertly weaving the two stories together while also revealing details of the teenagers (now adults) involved. Looking forward to the next book in the series and seeing how the character of DI Dawson develops.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">After the End by Clare Mackintosh</span></b><br />
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[Review copy]<br />
I read this several months ago and never wrote a review. I am fascinated by the 'sliding doors' concept - the 'what ifs' of life, which path to choose ... and how great it would be if you knew all of the outcomes before making any decisions. But sadly life can't be like that. <i>After the End</i> does give that opportunity to readers though - following the lives of Max and Pip after they have to make a tough decision regarding their young son's health, looking at the outcome of both main options. This book explores the heartbreaking decisions that so many people have to make about themselves or family members - guided by their instinct, love and grief along with often-conflicting medical science. The narrative is split between Max, Pip and the doctor involved in their son's care, filling the pages with their thoughts and emotions. When the parents can't make a decision, it's left to the courts to decide. The thought-provoking book made me cry, but it also gave me hope. It is very different from Clare Mackintosh's other books so far, proving her versatility as an author.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cruel Acts by Jane Casey</b></span><br />
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[Review copies]<br />
I am reviewing <i>Cruel Acts</i> and <i>The Cutting Place</i> together; while these are two very different books in terms of plot, they still feature the same characters that I know and love! I am a huge fan of Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series, following the sparky relationship between Maeve and Derwent, but hadn't managed to catch up on the latest books - until now.<br />
<i>Cruel Acts</i> investigates the conviction of Leo Stone for the murder of two young women and whether he is now responsible for the murder of a third after his release. <i>The Cutting Place </i>covers important contemporary issues, such as white male privilege and domestic violence.<br />
Jane Casey's books are brutal and witty (the dialogue drives the plot), honest and raw. She handles dark themes with sensitivity and care while leading her readers on a twisty path. <i>The Cutting Place</i>, in particular, focuses as much on the main characters' lives as the case they are trying to investigate, with a few shocking scenes and further revelations. Other characters, such as Maeve and Derwent's colleague Georgia Shaw, are also now being thrust more into the limelight.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Wailing Woman by Maria Lewis</b></span><br />
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(Review copy]<br />
A welcome change of genre for me as I was struggling to choose my next crime read. This Romeo-and-Juliet 'urban fantasy' novel features (mainly) banshees, witches and werewolves, with romance, magic, mystery and a touch of action thriller. I read this quickly, enjoying the chance to immerse myself in another world - great escapism at the present time. I haven't read any of the author's previous books, but believe that these feature some of the same characters. This book begins in Australia and ends in London, England. As well as a coming-of-age novel, this read as a 'me too' book, with potentially dangerous women who have been dominated for centuries finally finding their voices - literally, in one case. Great fun.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">That's all for now! </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Back soon with some more recommended reads. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Keep safe and well, everyone!</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-8070437443538924582020-05-19T10:32:00.004+01:002020-05-19T10:32:32.066+01:00My recent reads - 2I am currently trying to catch up on reviews featuring books I've read over the last few months.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Deathly Silence by Jane Isaac</b></span><br />
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While I have read several of Jane Isaac's books, but this was my first introduction to the DCI Helen Lavery series. <i>A Deathly Silence</i> is a gripping police procedural, with a chilling mystery at its heart. I was drawn into the story (and characters) straight away, proving that this book can easily be read as a standalone. I love Jane Isaac's writing - it is so vivid that her descriptions leap out from the page - and her characters always seem very real, with their emotions becoming as important to the plot as the investigations themselves.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Bit of a Stretch: The Diaries of a Prisoner by Chris Atkins</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>[Review copy]<br />
This was a fascinating yet shocking first-hand account of an insider's guide to the prison system. Chris Atkins, a documentary maker, was sentenced to five years after becoming involved in an illegal tax scheme - he spent the first nine months imprisoned at HMP Wandsworth. The book was a real eye-opener into some of the horrors of prison life, from the dilapidated buildings and endless bureaucracy to the mental health issues and addictions affecting prisoners today. I found it heartbreaking yet also entertaining at times, sad yet also enlightening. The book highlights the urgent need for prison reform.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Holdout by Graham Moore</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>[Review copy]<br />
The Holdout had me hooked from the start. A clever premise underlies this legal thriller and whodunnit - definitely one for the big screen. The book features a diverse cast of characters, including a strong female protagonist, all centred around a jury on a murder trial. The main narrative follows present-day events, as a 10-year-old murder case is revisited, with new questions about whether the original suspect was guilty or not guilty. Then there are flashbacks that flesh out the jury characters and explore the decisions they made ten years ago, and why. Lots of twists, turns, shocks and surprises expose the complexities (and pitfalls) of the American legal system.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Warehouse by Rob Hart</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>[Bought]<br />
I bought this from Goldsboro Books on the recommendation of a friend who said it was definitely worth reading. At times, this near-future thriller felt a bit too real in the current no-high-street or limited-high-street situation and the reliance on online sales. It focuses on 'Cloud' - an online store that is determined to make the world a better place in a harsh political and economic environment ravaged by climate change. It's a satirical, but also worrying, exploration of the rise of consumerism. I was left with a few unanswered questions, but the world building was thorough and believable. Pure escapism - though maybe a little too close for comfort right now!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">That's all for now! </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Back soon with some more recommended reads. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Keep safe and well everyone!</span></b></div>
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<br />Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-33561595724124396062020-05-18T07:59:00.000+01:002020-05-18T07:59:50.859+01:00The Priest and the Lily - a guest post by Sanjida O'Connell<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today, I am delighted to welcome Sanjida O'Connell to Off-the-Shelf Books to talk about the background to her novel, </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Priest and the Lily</i>.</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>By Sanjida O'Connell</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many of our most common and beautiful garden plants have come from far-flung locations throughout the world, brought to us by intrepid explorers who have literally risked life and limb in their search for the rare and exotic. Our gladioli originally came from South Africa, rhododendrons from the Himalayas, the monkey puzzle tree is indigenous to Chile, the regal lily was discovered in China and many of our most exquisite orchids originate in the Amazon. The stories of some of these men - for they were mostly men - who travelled the world in search of flowers, and got themselves into scrapes - attacked by bandits, gored by a bull, capsized from a canoe, fell off a cliff - inspired my story, <i>The Priest and the Lily</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Set in 1865, just after Charles Darwin published <i>The Origin of Species</i>, on his radical theory of evolution, <i>The Priest and the Lily </i>is about a Jesuit priest, Joseph Jacobs, who sets sail from Bristol for Outer Mongolia. Joseph, passionate, idealistic and driven, wants to discover rare plants and animals and make a name for himself in scientific circles back in Britain. The young priest is accompanied by a Buddhist monk and a horseman; as they travel across the steppes, he hears stories of an astonishingly beautiful white lily. Finding this lily becomes his dream. But to discover where it grows, he will encounter many dangers, for he will have to face the savagery of the White Warlord, a Chinese General intent on seizing power in Mongolia, as well as the far more powerful Yolros lama, the living incarnation of the Buddha. And in his quest for the lily, Joseph will meet a woman who will show him something far more precious than a flower. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I spent years researching my story - and travelled to Outer Mongolia, where I had my own mini adventure. We were due to spend three weeks travelling by jeep and horseback in order to meet the tribe I was going to write about in my novel. Unfortunately, my luggage ended up in Russia, and I had to set off in just the clothes I was wearing! Thankfully I was wearing my walking boots!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mongolia is stunning: it is a country of seemingly endless skies and steppes, with incredibly hospitable people. At the time of writing this blog, we’re in the grip of COVID-19, and everyone in the UK as well as many other countries, is currently in lockdown at home. I hope that my novel can, in some small way, help take our minds off this situation, transporting us to a country and a time far from our own immediate experience, and perhaps, too, allow us to appreciate what Joseph comes to realise - that it is love, which is more important than anything else on this earth. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>About Sanjida O'Connell</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sanjida O’Connell is a novelist. She writes psychological thrillers under the pseudonym, Sanjida Kay.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Find Sanjida on her <a href="https://www.sanjida.co.uk/">website</a> and on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/SanjidaKay">@SanjidaKay</a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>About The Priest and the Lily</b></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-AU"><b>The Priest and the Lily</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><b>By Sanjida O'Connell</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>Description</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">In 1865, Joseph, a young Jesuit priest and plant-hunter, sets out on a dangerous journey through Outer Mongolia, a land virtually unknown to the Western world. Charles Darwin’s radical theory of evolution has just been published, and Joseph is driven by his passion for science and his love of God. As he crosses the Mongolia Steppes with a Buddhist monk and a local horseman, he hears rumours of a rare and beautiful white lily. He believes that if he finds this flower, his fame and fortune will be assured. </span><span lang="EN-US"><br /><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">But then Joseph meets Namuunaa, a shaman and the chief of her tribe. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">And it is Namuunaa who will teach him the true meaning of his desire… </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">'You will journey far beyond the boundaries of your imagination. You will meet and seize your heart’s desire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">It will be the death of your soul.'</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">An epic journey, a story of East meeting West, and of a love that transcends culture, faith and ultimately tragedy.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Priest and the Lily</i> is available to buy from Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Priest-Lily-Sanjida-OConnell-ebook/dp/B086XC6T57">here</a></span></b></div>
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-69482093774196109412020-05-13T09:47:00.000+01:002020-05-13T09:47:56.364+01:00BEST OF CRIME with Bevan Frank<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today I'm delighted to welcome </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>BEVAN FRANK</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share his</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are several authors competing for my top spot but I would say it has to go to <b>Dan Brown</b>, who was catapulted to fame with <i>The Da Vinci Code</i>. All of his books are gripping and draw the reader inward. Brown’s ability to create suspense and cleverly merge the boundaries between fiction and reality is inspirational. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... FILMS/MOVIES</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Martin Scorsese’s <b>The Departed</b><i> </i>– I am drawn to it and find myself watching it again and again. It has an excellent script and a great cast. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If I look back on my early (earlier) years, <b>Magnum P.I.</b><i> </i>with Tom Selleck was brilliant. Even today I still enjoy watching episodes again of Magnum and his friends solving crimes, so much so that I’ve always wanted to name my house ‘Robin’s Nest’ after the Hawaiian estate where Magnum lived, but my wife won’t hear of it. (As she constantly points out, my name is not Robin!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If I am to consider ‘modern times’, then the best crime drama is a tie between</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Sopranos</b></span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">and</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Money Heist</b></span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">(narrowly edging out</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Better Call Saul</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">). They are all nothing short of brilliant, with characters and plots that linger long after I’ve switched off the remote control.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white;"><b>Keyser Söze</b> f</span><span lang="EN-US">rom Christopher McQuarrie’s <i>The Usual Suspects</i>. It’s a well-crafted story and I love the fact that the killer could be just another regular guy in the room with us. Someone you least suspect but someone who is calling the shots, someone with a brilliant mind able to hide himself from scrutiny while terrorising all who cross his path. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white;">Keyser Söze</span><span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US">is the perfect villain.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES </b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While not a formal detective, <b>Robert Langdon</b> from Dan Brown’s books is a super-sleuth of note, trying to make sense of whatever is thrown his way as he gets to the bottom of deciphering clues, solving problems and saving the day.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What still stands out for me is Michael Crichton’s <i>Prey</i>, where the villain creates nanobots (made of nanoparticles) which evolve into clouds of autonomous intelligent swarms and become a lethal killing machine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Without wanting to give anything away, a major death scene in Stieg Larsson’s <i>The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo </i>springs to mind. Here the person is fleeing in a car and crashes into a fuel tanker. After being stuck underneath it, the tanker then explodes. It took me by surprise!</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t have a specific website for writing or research. I do, however, recommend the book <i>Immediate Fiction </i>by Jerry Cleaver. It gives great tips on setting scenes, creating memorable characters and writing books generally. It also gives ways to overcome writer’s block (or ‘writer’s stuckness’ as I was once told to rather call it!) The book was an invaluable resource which helped me get to the finish line when writing my thriller.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Write for 10 minutes every day, even if you’re just writing rubbish! The premise is that this eventually becomes an ingrained habit. Everyone has 10 minutes in their day to follow their dreams. I used the ‘10 minutes a day’ concept to write <i>The Mind of God</i>. Some days if I was in the flow the 10 minutes became 20 minutes or 30 minutes etc. After one year I had a substantial nucleus on which to build. You’ll be surprised at how much you can do in these little gaps. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before my stroke, tea. Since my stroke, coffee. And always salted caramel ice-cream and lots of chocolate. And a bottle of whiskey on stand-by!</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About BEVAN FRANK</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bevan Frank has a BA degree in English and Political Studies as well as a postgraduate LLB law degree, both from the University of Cape Town. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After qualifying as an attorney Bevan decided to follow his passion and opted down the path of writing and editing. He has worked as a business magazine editor, journalist, writer, plain language practitioner and communications consultant. His articles have been published in numerous publications locally and globally. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bevan lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and children. <i>The Mind of God </i>is his award-winning debut novel. He is currently recovering from a stroke and hopes to get going with his second thriller once he emerges from the haze. </span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt"; font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Bevan Frank on his <a href="http://www.bevanfrank.com/">website</a> and on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/justcallmebevan">@justcallmebevan</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About THE MIND OF GOD</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6wSYerGzDsU/XrrqmEATfnI/AAAAAAAAGhE/WF4bPkWi72kQ6mRGCr7luaFtGApuTAHAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Cover%2Bfor%2BThe%2BMind%2Bof%2BGod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6wSYerGzDsU/XrrqmEATfnI/AAAAAAAAGhE/WF4bPkWi72kQ6mRGCr7luaFtGApuTAHAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Cover%2Bfor%2BThe%2BMind%2Bof%2BGod.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A black box. A race against time. No turning back. When Liz Greene discovers that her father is missing, she is unwittingly drawn into a plot that could change the world forever. Before he went missing, Professor Harry Greene had been working on the black box global consciousness project. Now, Liz needs to find both her father, and his groundbreaking research before it's too late. On the same day, President of the United States Daniel Rafferty is in Cape Town to give an address at the Convention Centre. Is it a coincidence that the black box was stolen while Rafferty is in the same city, or is there an even more sinister terrorist plot at play? Follow Liz, as she and her friend, Tim Fletcher, decode one clue after another in a deadly hunt around Cape Town, all the while being pursued by an assassin and a CIA agent.</span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt"; font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><i>The Mind of God </i>is available to buy from Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mind-God-Thriller-Novel-ebook/dp/B0145UEXVC">here</a>.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-25619311070313407582020-04-28T08:54:00.002+01:002020-05-17T10:42:58.583+01:00My recent reads - 1Like many people at the moment, I'm struggling to concentrate on reading, even though this used to be my main form of escapism. I'm also struggling to write reviews in any great detail. But when particular books manage to retain my attention, I do want to recommend them. So I am going to write some short reviews on here.<br />
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Hopefully once life returns to some form of 'new normal' and my anxiety and concentration levels settle down, my words will flow again. Watch out for this new series of posts, featuring a few books at a time.<br />
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I raced through this fairytale, which is set around the time of WW1. It involved embracing the magical element and immersing myself in the story. I thought it was beautifully written, cleverly plotted and very emotional, about love, war and family relationships. My OH picked it up after me and I don't think I have ever seen him read a book so quickly!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan</span></b><br />
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This is an intriguing, intelligent mystery. I found it difficult to put down, and loved everything about it, from the characters to the setting (a bookstore - how can anyone not love that?) and the compelling plot. It is an easy read (some people may call it 'quiet' crime novel) but also a very twisty (and clever) one, featuring secrets from the past, with a horrific killing and a suicide at the heart of it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Holiday by T.M. Logan</span></b><br />
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I have been meaning to read this book for ages and finally took it off my shelf when the author's next book (The Catch) arrived in the post. It's a psychological thriller (domestic noir) set in blazing sunshine in a Mediterranean paradise - perfect escapism from my current location. This is a gripping read, all about family dynamics, friendships and the hazards of parenting teenagers. It kept me guessing to the end and now I'm looking forward to reading The Catch.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Flower Girls by Alice Clark-Platts</b></span><br />
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This is another book that's been lying around here for a while, and I am glad that I chose to read it now, as it proved to be great escapism. It's a very dark and disturbing story about two children, one convicted of murder and the other given a new identity, following the killing of an even younger child. I found myself trying to analyse the two main characters and their motives and personalities. The book explores the justice system, the nature of 'evil' and childhood trauma, and features a brilliant ending!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">That's all for now! </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Back soon with some more recommended reads. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Keep safe and well, everyone!</span></b></div>
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<br />Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-5428795795152672742020-04-27T09:21:00.000+01:002020-04-27T09:21:15.623+01:00BEST OF CRIME with Jonathan Pinnock <b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share his</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m very much looking forward to whatever <b>Gillian Flynn </b>comes up with next, because <i>Gone Girl </i>was such a wild, mad ride. But in the meantime – and this might be cheating slightly, because they’re strictly speaking spy stories, but then again I don’t have a lot of time for genre boundaries – I’m currently working my way through <b>Mick Herron</b>’s Slough House series, and they are an absolutely marvel. Imagine looking at Le Carré and thinking “Nah, <i>way </i>too upbeat.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If I can be ever so slightly pretentious for a moment, I’d also like to chuck in a third preference vote for <b>Jorge Luis Borges</b>, if only for <i>Death and the Compass</i>, which is possibly the single greatest crime short story ever written. As I’m sure everyone knows, the central conceit was borrowed by Umberto Eco for <i>The Name of the Rose</i>, which is why one of the key characters is called Jorge de Burgos. As slightly fewer people know, I also nicked it for <i>The Truth About Archie and Pye</i>, which is why one of my characters has the name George Burgess.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">OK, OK, I’ll try and keep the answers shorter from now on.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m a massive fan of Raymond Chandler, so it’s got to be <b>The Big Sleep </b>– nothing comes close. But for God’s sake, make sure it’s the original 1946 Howard Hawks version with Bogart and Bacall at the top of their game, not the execrable 1978 Michael Winner remake. I actually paid real money to see this in the cinema when it came out and I’m still angry, over forty years later.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ooh, this is tricky. <b>Giri/Haji </b>and the first series of <b>Killing Eve </b>are strong contenders, but in the end, it’s got to be <b>The Bridge</b>, or <b>Bron | Broen</b>, as we call it in our household, where we now speak fluent Scandinavian. The first two seasons in particular are wonderful, mainly because of the weird chemistry between Saga Norén and Martin Rohde. Oh, and that theme tune by <i>Choir of Young Believers </i>is just perfect.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, I guess Hannibal Lecter is a bit of an obvious choice, so let’s go with Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s <b>Mysterons</b>, mainly because they were so endearingly useless. At the start of every single episode, they would announce that they were going to kill someone or cause some kind of disaster, and every single time they were thwarted by bloody Captain Scarlet. Hopeless.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think it would have to be <b>Louie Knight</b>, from Malcolm Pryce’s Aberystwyth Noir series. On the face of it, he’s a pastiche of Philip Marlowe, but there’s so much more going on there. Pryce’s Aberystwyth is a masterpiece of world-building.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m guessing that someone must have mentioned it before in this series, because it’s just so neat, but there’s Roald Dahl’s <b>frozen leg of lamb </b>that a woman uses to bludgeon her husband before serving it to the investigating detective. I also quite like the serial killer in one of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books, <i>The Visitor</i>, who goes around drowning their victims in their own bathtubs in <b>camouflage paint</b>. Not only is it downright weird, but it’s also preposterously inefficient.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Might need to put a mild spoiler alert on this – and possibly a Lionel Shriver alert too – but the conclusion of <i>We Need to Talk About Kevin</i><b> </b>shocked me much more than I was expecting it to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m afraid that I’m not a particularly faithful web surfer, and if I’m about to do any research I tend to just start with Google and see where it leads me. My search history can make for interesting reading in itself.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of all, I’d recommend that you avoid taking advice from strangers on the internet. But if you insist, read widely and outside your genre, make sure all your characters have agency and for God’s sake, listen to how people talk.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I share my life with someone who, if given a two-finger Kit-Kat, will break it in two, eat one finger and carefully re-wrap the remaining one to keep for some future occasion. Maybe next week, or some time the other side of Christmas. I, on the other hand, see a packet of chocolate digestives as an atomic entity, intended to be eaten all in one go if I think I can get away with it. So what I’m basically saying is that I don’t do snacks while writing. They’re far too dangerous.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About JONATHAN PINNOCK</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jonathan Pinnock first came to notoriety as the author of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Mrs Darcy Versus the Aliens</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, of which he should probably be more ashamed than he actually is. He is also the author of two collections of short stories, a slim volume of poetry and an uncategorisable (and – frankly – largely unsaleable) musical memoir. More recently, he is the author of Farrago Books’ Mathematical Mystery series, the third of which, <i>The Riddle of the Fractal Monks</i>, </span>was<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>published<span style="font-family: inherit;"> on 16 April 2020.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Jonathan Pinnock on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/jonpinnock">@jonpinnock</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About THE RIDDLE OF THE FRACTAL MONKS</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-US">A mystery lands – literally – at Tom Winscombe’s feet, and another riotous mathematical adventure begins…</span></strong><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tom Winscombe and Dorothy Chan haven’t managed to go on a date for some time, so it’s a shame that their outing to a Promenade Concert is cut short when a mysterious cowled figure plummets from the gallery to the floor of the arena close to where they are standing. But when they find out who he was, all thoughts of romance fly out of the window.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Just who are the Fractal Monks, and what does Isaac, last of the Vavasors and custodian of the papers of famed dead mathematical geniuses Archie and Pye, want with them? How will other figures from the past also demand a slice of the action? And what other mysteries are there lurking at the bottom of the sea and at the top of mountains? The answers lie in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em>The Riddle of Fractal Monks</em>.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-47279832476982197042020-04-20T08:21:00.000+01:002020-04-20T08:21:13.966+01:00BEST OF CRIME with Amy McLellan<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today I'm delighted to welcome </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>AMY McLELLAN</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share her</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My all-time favourite is <b>Graham Greene</b>, master of noir, shabby spies, tortured souls and ruthless criminals. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A Few Good Men</b>. First date with my husband, fellow author Adam Hamdy. We loved a good conspiracy thriller even back then. No, <i>you </i>can’t handle the truth.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Bosch</b> on Amazon Prime, starring Titus Welliver. Gripping story-telling that gets better and better with every season.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So many greats to pick from but I’d like to share the love for <b>Elliot Rook QC</b>, a criminal barrister with a secret past. He’s the wonderfully drawn main character in Gary Bell’s debut <i>Beyond Reasonable Doubt, </i>which feels so authentic you wonder to what degree Mr Rook is actually auto-biographical …</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s a scene in Alison Belsham’s dark and gripping <i>The Tattoo Thief </i>which stayed with me. The clue is in the title…</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Coffee. Lots of coffee. And gum, to stop me eating ALL the chocolate. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About AMY McLELLAN</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amy McLellan is a freelance journalist and copywriter. She lives in Shropshire with her husband and three children. Remember Me is her debut novel. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Amy McLellan on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/AmyMcLellan2">@AmyMcLellan2</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About REMEMBER ME</span></b><br />
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<b>Publisher's description</b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sarah witnesses her sister’s murder but she can’t identify the perpetrator because she has prosopagnosia - she can't recognise faces. The police think she did it and if she doesn't find the man who did it, she’s going to be found guilty of murder…but who do you trust when people may not be who they say they are?</span></span></div>
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<b><i>Remember Me </i>is published by Orion.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-70985047434914393382020-03-25T09:56:00.002+00:002020-03-25T09:56:47.767+00:00BEST OF CRIME with Emily Koch<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today I'm delighted to welcome </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>EMILY KOCH</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share her</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t often read lots of books by the same author, I have to admit – so it’s difficult to pick a favourite. But when I read the literary thriller <i>Little Fires Everywhere</i> by <b>Celeste Ng</b> I immediately went and bought her debut, <i>Everything I Never Told You</i>. I love both, and have re-read them since. They are such fantastic character studies, such subtle mysteries, and such brilliant explorations of family life.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... FILMS/MOVIES</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I watched <b>Thelma and Louise</b> for the first time the other week and I loved it so much. What a fantastic pair! I loved the way this story develops, and how it’s not your usual crime story – the way you are following the criminals rather than the detectives and see them before their crime, too. And the ending. Oh my God, that ending! I thought it was perfect.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Breaking Bad</b> spin-off <b>Better Call Saul</b> on Netflix is a firm favourite in our house. The only thing that could knock it off the top of our list would be a series about another character, the delightfully paradoxical softie hitman Mike. Come on, Netflix! More Mike Ehrmantraut!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... FICTIONAL KILLERS</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Tom Ripley</b>. I only read The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith recently but boy, what a novel. What an amazing, amoral, anti-hero. How the hell does she make you like a murderer? I love books that make me think like this – as a writer I love to try and solve the puzzle of exactly how another author has achieved something bold like this. It shouldn’t work, but it does.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES </b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love <b>Captain Sam Wyndham</b> in Abir Mukherjee’s crime series. He’s an ex-Scotland Yard detective and veteran of the First World War who has been scarred by his experiences and finds himself in Calcutta looking for a fresh start. He and his quick-witted Indian Sergeant, Surrender-not Banerjee, make a great team and I love the historical (1920s) setting of this series.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... MURDER WEAPONS</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A compass point through the jugular and a set square through the heart are two of the murder weapons in Jonathan Pinnock’s very entertaining mathematical mystery The Truth about Archie and Pye. It’s a crime novel that will make you laugh out loud – which is refreshing in this genre! There are two more in the series (the third, The Riddle of the Fractal Monks, comes out in April).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... DEATH SCENES</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s a heart-in-the-mouth, devastating scene in Jane Shemilt’s latest offering, Little Friends, where a lifeless child is discovered. I have a child of a similar age so it really got to me. She builds up to this scene so expertly. It’s a fantastic novel with a great premise – while the adults are misbehaving, what are the children getting up to?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love using 16personalities.com to put my characters through rigorous personality tests and understand more about them beyond what I already know. The helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com blog (and podcast) is really helpful when I’m starting to write a book, I find it reading a few posts there helps get my brain into the right gear. And… Facebook! For research, I often ask friends for contacts or advice on there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... WRITING TIPS</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You know the phrase: dance like nobody’s watching? Well, I think sometimes it’s worth writing like nobody is reading. What I mean by that is it sometimes helps to just write for yourself. What book do <i>you</i>want to write? What fun things would you do with your writing if you weren’t worried about how it would be received or judged? Give yourself the freedom to experiment and see what happens – you can always rein yourself in later, but maybe you’ll come up with a brilliant idea when you’re playing around! And while you’re at it, write a few pages every now and then longhand with a colourful felt tip pen. It makes the whole task feel less serious, I find, and less like it matters. You need to feel that sometimes, as a writer – it’s liberating.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... WRITING SNACKS</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon bun when I’m working at my local café. Oh yes.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About EMILY KOCH</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Emily Koch is an award-winning journalist and writer living in Bristol with her family. Her second novel <i>Keep Him Close</i> came out in March 2020. Her debut, <i>If I Die Before I Wake</i>, was shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award, longlisted for Authors' Club Best First Novel Award, and selected as a Waterstones Thriller of the Month.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Emily Koch on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/EmilyKoch">@EmilyKoch</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About KEEP HIM CLOSE</span></b><br />
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<b>Publisher's description</b></div>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><i>Her head was bowed, and the hands braced on the chair arms were not like hands at all, but the dry dark claws of a bird ... </i></b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">The MacNamara sisters hadn’t been seen for months before anyone noticed. It was Father Timoney who finally broke down the door, who saw what had become of them. Berenice was sitting in her armchair, surrounded by religious tracts. Rosaleen had crawled under her own bed, her face frozen in terror. Both had starved themselves to death. Francesca MacNamara returns to Dublin after decades in the US, to find her family in ruins. Meanwhile, Detectives Vincent Swan and Gina Considine are convinced that there is more to the deaths than suicide. Because what little evidence there is, shows that someone was watching the sisters die ...</span><br />
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<b><i>Keep Him Close </i>was published by Harvill Secker on 19 March 2020.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">FRIDAY NIGHT BOOK PARTY WITH EMILY KOCH</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Friday Night Book Party with Emily Koch – starts on 27th March. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every Friday evening while we are all social distancing, Emily will be hosting a fun evening of book chat, games, giveaways, guest authors and even a book disco. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Visit <a href="http://facebook.com/emilykochwriter">facebook.com/emilykochwriter</a> for more details.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-27201751461953943872020-03-22T09:05:00.001+00:002020-03-22T09:05:38.431+00:00Deep Dark Night by Steph Broadribb<b>Deep Dark Night </b><br />
<b>By Steph Broadribb</b><br />
<b>Published by Orenda Books (5 March 2020)</b><br />
<b>I received an advance reader copy from the publisher </b><br />
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<b>Publisher's description</b><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A city in darkness. A building in lockdown. A score that can only be settled in blood…<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Working off the books for FBI Special Agent Alex Monroe, Florida bounty-hunter Lori Anderson and her partner, JT, head to Chicago. Their mission: to entrap the head of the Cabressa crime family. The bait: a priceless chess set that Cabressa is determined to add to his collection.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An exclusive high-stakes poker game is arranged in the penthouse suite of one of the city’s tallest buildings, with Lori holding the cards in an agreed arrangement to hand over the pieces, one by one. But, as night falls and the game plays out, stakes rise and tempers flare.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When a power failure plunges the city into darkness, the building goes into lockdown. But this isn’t an ordinary blackout, and the men around the poker table aren’t all who they say they are. Hostages are taken, old scores resurface and the players start to die.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b>My verdict</b><br />
It feels very apt to publish this book review on Off-the-Shelf Books on Mother's Day in the UK, because Lori Anderson, the protagonist of <i>Deep Dark Night</i>, is very much a devoted mother. She also happens to be a kickass bounty hunter who get herself into various precarious scenarios. And the scenario in <i>Deep Dark Night</i> certainly seems to be her most dangerous one yet.<br />
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Lori and her partner JT have taken on a high-stakes case that involves not just gambling for money but gambling for their lives. And while everything falls apart around her, all Lori can really think about is getting back safely to her daughter.<br />
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<i>Deep Dark Night</i> is 'Die Hard on speed', with constant action through skyscraper blackouts, riots in the city and a locked-room mystery. The book sizzles with electricity, taking the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions, yet also has an intense claustrophobic feel to it. It's a brilliant fun one-sitting read that will push your adrenaline levels sky high.<br />
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Another reason I love this book is that due to its structure JT finally has 'a voice' as we follow his endeavours to keep himself safe, after he and Lori are forced to go their separate ways. Thanks to plenty of cliffhangers followed by a switch in viewpoint, this book constantly left me feeling on edge.<br />
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This series keeps on getting better and better, with Steph Broadribb expertly creating three-dimensional characters and plots that continue to shock, thrill and entertain. Looking forward to the next one.<br />
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<br />Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-22492663831111801942020-03-19T08:47:00.002+00:002020-03-19T08:47:31.925+00:00BEST OF CRIME with Trevor Wood<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>TREVOR WOOD</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share his</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Obviously there are loads I love but the well-known ones don’t need any help from me so I’d like to give a shout out to the next big thing, <b>Dominic Nolan</b>. His debut novel <i>Past Life</i> blew me away. Featuring battered cop Abigail Boone, who suffers from total retrograde amnesia after a savage beating and a fall, it’s dark and desperate but beautifully written and deeply moving. The sequel <i>After Dark</i> is even better. If there’s any justice it’ll be a huge hit. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love Dennis Lehane’s books and the movie made from one of them, <b>Gone Baby Gone</b><i> </i>is nigh on perfect. It provides all the thrills and twists the genre demands but at the heart of it is a moral dilemma that is utterly heartbreaking. The final scene, I’d suggest, is one of the best in crime movie history. It would be much better known if it hadn’t been shelved for a couple of years due to the kidnapped young girl bearing a startling resemblance to Madeleine McCann.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Line of Duty</b> has been consistently brilliant from the start so that has to get a mention but surely everyone’s seen it now so I’ll throw <b>Spotless</b><i> </i>out there. It’s a little-known Netflix series about a man who runs a crime scene clean-up crew. Funny, dark with a very scary bad guy. I love it.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Maurice Swift</b> in John Boyne’s <i>A Ladder to the Sky</i>. He’s a bit like Ripley but with the extra twist that he’s a writer who will do anything to get to the top. Great book as well.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back to Dennis Lehane for this one. <b>Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro</b><i> </i>are a fantastic pairing of old-school private detectives and their on-off romance is beautifully judged. I read most of the series back to back and it flew by. Start with <i>A Drink Before The War </i>and go from there.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Carl Hiaasen is the master of bizarre murder weapons. On the grounds of taste I’m going to skip swiftly past the sexually-deviant dolphin in <i>Native Tongue </i>and opt for the stuffed blue marlin head that is used to impale an intruder in <i>Skin Tight</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love the scene in Final Destination 5 where a man is on an acupuncture table with umpteen needles sticking out of his face, torso and legs when an aromatic candle breaks apart and sets fire to some paper. In struggling to escape he flips over the table and falls face first on the floor, driving the needles in and knocking over a bottle of flammable liquid. Somehow he struggles up but the liquid catches fire and the whole room is now ablaze. Again he avoids death by throwing himself to the floor in the one bit of the room not on fire. Then a shelf above him collapses and a large statue of Buddha falls off, crushing his skull. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was going to say <i>Agent Hunter</i>, which I found invaluable when looking for an agent. It was a comprehensive list of Agencies and Agents with a search facility that enabled you to find the right agent, i.e. one who liked the kind of thing you were writing. It also included links to interviews they’d given which was very useful in deciding who to submit to and what to put in your submission letter. You could also pay a small amount for a trial period which is all you really needed. However, in writing this, I looked it up and found it’s been taken over and is now called Agent Match and you have to pay £30 for a month. It’s still worth it, I think, so my only reservation is that I haven’t tried the new site so can’t recommend it from personal experience. I’m sure it’s still great but it’s probably best to ask around before trying. You can find it here <b style="color: purple;"><a href="https://jerichowriters.com/agentmatch/" style="color: purple;">https://jerichowriters.com/agentmatch/</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The most on-point advice I ever heard was that you should ‘put your character up a tree and throw rocks at him.’ It’s been attributed to Nabokov but that seems highly unlikely to me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My top tip would be to find people whose judgement you trust to read your work. As many as you like. I’m in a local group of five writers who meet every three weeks. We all submit 2000 words and offer constructive criticism of each other’s work and it improves my writing immeasurably. Obviously the key word is ‘constructive.’ If you can’t find a local group, form your own. The crime-writing MA I attended at UEA had a similar peer feedback model and that was where The Man on the Street came from so I can’t recommend it highly enough.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does wine count? If not, then fruit. Working from home, with very easy access to the fridge can be problematic so I try very hard not to snack on anything less healthy as I put on weight way too easily. Also coffee. Lots of coffee.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About TREVOR WOOD</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Trevor Wood has lived in Newcastle for twenty-five years and considers himself an adopted Geordie. He's a successful playwright who has also worked as a journalist and spin-doctor for the City Council. Prior to that he served in the Royal Navy for sixteen years. Trevor holds an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) from UEA. <i>The Man on the Street</i> is his first novel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Trevor Wood on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/TrevorWoodWrite">@TrevorWoodWrite</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About THE MAN ON THE STREET</span></b><br />
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<b>Publisher's description</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Her head was bowed, and the hands braced on the chair arms were not like hands at all, but the dry dark claws of a bird ... </i></b>The MacNamara sisters hadn’t been seen for months before anyone noticed. It was Father Timoney who finally broke down the door, who saw what had become of them. Berenice was sitting in her armchair, surrounded by religious tracts. Rosaleen had crawled under her own bed, her face frozen in terror. Both had starved themselves to death. Francesca MacNamara returns to Dublin after decades in the US, to find her family in ruins. Meanwhile, Detectives Vincent Swan and Gina Considine are convinced that there is more to the deaths than suicide. Because what little evidence there is, shows that someone was watching the sisters die ...</span></div>
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<b><i>The Man on the Street </i>was published by Quercus on 19 March 2020.</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-78375530101958540032020-03-16T07:44:00.000+00:002020-03-16T07:44:34.331+00:00BEST OF CRIME with Nicola White<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today I'm delighted to welcome </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>NICOLA WHITE</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share her</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This changes all the time, but today, I’m going with <b>Raymond Chandler</b> for verve, style and wit. He creates a world that is all his own, with the sure rhythm of a jazz soloist.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... FILMS/MOVIES</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maybe it’s because I’m writing about the 80s, but I think the courtroom thriller <b>Jagged Edge</b> – with Glenn Close and Jeff Bridges, is very satisfying. There’s no better sound than hearing a whole cinema gasp as the clue is revealed that changes everything. With a terrifying score by John Barry and some excellent tailoring.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Killing</b> was the first Nordic noir I ever watched, and I think has never been bettered. A series leaves room for subtleties in the way a film can’t. I loved the workaday slog of a long case, with all its false triumphs and reversals. There was also an interesting focus of the family of the murdered girl and the damage they endured. Perhaps there’s something about having to read subtitles that means your attention is particularly undivided.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... FICTIONAL KILLERS</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ll always have a soft spot for Patricia Highsmith’s <b>Tom Ripley</b>. I read The Talented Mr Ripley as a teenager and it threw me into moral confusion when I realised I was hoping he would get away with it all. He sees himself as a victim of circumstance. I think a lot of people who do bad things see themselves as victims.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES </b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think the detective I have loved most is Sara Peretsky’s <b>VI Warshawski</b>. She was the first detective I had read who was out there on her own, smart, tough and self-reliant, fighting abuses of power, but with a lovingly described ordinary life. She did the laundry, loved her food and walked the neighbour’s dogs – everywoman and superhero. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is an amazing murder scene in Denise Mina’s <i>Blood, Salt, Water</i> where a hired thug has to kill a woman. The woman is annoying, the thug is full of self-loathing. It’s such an emotionally powerful scene, drenched in pity for the waste of it all.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve become reliant on watching archive film clips on YouTube. While newspaper and magazine archives are hugely useful for the facts of things, there is nothing like seeing the era you are writing about – the clothes people wore, what the shops are selling – to put you right back there. It amazes me that there are dozens of home videos that people took of themselves, just driving around Dublin in the 1980s. It’s a magic portal!</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Work makes work. That is, when you are in the midst of writing, the best ideas come. It’s no use waiting for inspiration to strike (though walks and baths can be useful strategems), you have to wrestle your way into your prose and work from there. Also, I have the Freedom app on my computer for when the willpower is weak.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No snacks at the desk! Snacks are for bribery only – <i>when I finish this page I can have lunch </i>kind of thing. Instead, I indulge in a parade of hot beverages – coffee black or white, strong tea, herbal tea, chai, miso soup, Lemsip…</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About NICOLA WHITE</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nicola White<b> </b></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">won the Scottish Book Trust New Writer Award in 2008 and in 2012 was Leverhulme Writer in Residence at Edinburgh University. Her novel <i>The Rosary Garden </i>won the Dundee International Book Prize, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize, and selected as one of the four best debuts by Val McDermid at Harrogate. She grew up in Dublin and New York, and now lives in the Scottish Highlands.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Nicola White on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/whiteheadednic">@whiteheadednic</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About A FAMISHED HEART</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Her head was bowed, and the hands braced on the chair arms were not like hands at all, but the dry dark claws of a bird ... </i></b>The MacNamara sisters hadn’t been seen for months before anyone noticed. It was Father Timoney who finally broke down the door, who saw what had become of them. Berenice was sitting in her armchair, surrounded by religious tracts. Rosaleen had crawled under her own bed, her face frozen in terror. Both had starved themselves to death. Francesca MacNamara returns to Dublin after decades in the US, to find her family in ruins. Meanwhile, Detectives Vincent Swan and Gina Considine are convinced that there is more to the deaths than suicide. Because what little evidence there is, shows that someone was watching the sisters die ...</span></div>
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<b><i>A Famished Heart </i>was published by Viper Books on 27 February 2020.</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-8276306529254951292020-03-05T07:26:00.000+00:002020-03-05T07:26:36.205+00:00BEST OF CRIME with Sam Hurcom<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today I'm delighted to welcome </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 129, 142);"><b>SAM HURCOM</b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share his</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Stephen King</b>. I may be starting off on the wrong foot by naming an author who, strictly speaking, isn’t a crime writer, but growing up I read through much of King’s back catalogue. His short story collections and supernatural tales of small-town America have always been an inspiration for my own writing. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... FILMS/MOVIES</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Film noir as a genre is a favorite for me, and Bogart playing Philip Marlowe in <b>The Big Sleep</b><i> </i>is pretty hard to beat. The more contemporary <b>L.A. Confidential </b>would be a close second. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>The Wire </b></span><span lang="EN-US">is without a doubt my favourite TV crime drama, portraying the bleak realities of inner-city drug violence with a superb cast of humorous, diverse and flawed characters. With two British actors in Dominic West and Idris Elba, arguably giving their best on screen performances, the show doesn’t put a foot wrong throughout all five series.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a hard one, as I don’t tend to focus on killers in crime fiction. <b>Patrick Bateman</b> from <i>American Psycho </i>springs to mind; the psychotic, Manhattan businessman is wholly unhinged, consumed by materialism and the constant competitive world of Wall Street. He idolises Donald Trump as well, which says a lot. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m returning to <i>The Wire </i>with <b>Detective Kima Greggs</b>, played brilliantly by Sonja Sohn. A brilliant, complex character, who literally had me sat on the edge of my seat towards the end of series one (without giving away any spoilers, I’ll just say I was very worried for Kima). </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The captive bolt stunner used by Anton Chigurh in <i>No Country for Old Men</i>is rather unique, and has the added bonus of being a neat tool to break door locks. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Purely for the philosophical headache it caused as I spent an evening rereading and considering it, I’ll have to go with the assassination of General Kaplan in Philip K. Dick’s <i>The Minority Report.</i>Though the scene itself is far from the most shocking anyone will ever read, the questions it raises regarding predeterminism and personal autonomy are brilliant, reflecting the author’s utter genius. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s not one specific website I rely on too heavily, but as I write historical crime fiction, I try to look for blogs and sites run by former police officers, dedicated to the history of the police force. As a result, I’ve been lucky enough to get in touch with some very kind and knowledgeable people.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For aspiring writers, particularly writing a first novel, find a manageable, <i>achievable </i>daily word count and stick to it until you type THE END. Some days the words come easy and some days they are hard to find, but an imperfect first draft is far better than a perfect blank page. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have rather unhealthy snack habits whilst writing, and usually eat far too many sugary treats. I currently have a mild addiction to Cream Eggs. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About SAM HURCOM</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sam Hurcom was born in Dinas Powys, South Wales in 1991. He studied Philosophy at Cardiff University, attaining both an undergraduate and master’s degree. He has since had several short stories published, and has written and illustrated a number of children’s books. Sam currently lives in the village he was raised in, close to the woodlands that have always inspired his writing. <i>A Shadow on the Lens</i> <i></i>is Sam’s debut novel, with a sequel due to be released in September 2020.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Sam Hurcom on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/SamHurcom">@SamHurcom</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About A SHADOW ON THE LENS</span></b><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1904. </span></span></b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thomas Bexley, one of the first forensic photographers, is called to the sleepy and remote Welsh village of Dinas Powys, several miles down the coast from the thriving port of Cardiff. A young girl by the name of Betsan Tilny has been found murdered in the woodland – her body bound and horribly burnt. But the crime scene appears to have been staged, and worse still: the locals are reluctant to help.<br /><br />As the strange case unfolds, Thomas senses a growing presence watching him, and try as he may, the villagers seem intent on keeping their secret. Then one night, in the grip of a fever, he develops the photographic plates from the crime scene in a makeshift darkroom in the cellar of his lodgings. There, he finds a face dimly visible in the photographs; a face hovering around the body of the dead girl – the face of Betsan Tilny.</span></span></div>
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<b><i>A Shadow on the Lens </i>was published by Orion on 5 September 2019.</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-66679645710065988812020-02-24T08:26:00.001+00:002020-02-24T08:26:08.382+00:00Purged by Peter LawsThis week's buzz is all about <i>Possessed</i> by Peter Laws, which has just been published by Allison & Busby. If you want to know more about Possessed, follow the #Possessed hashtag and visit <a href="https://twitter.com/sjroth21">@sjroth21</a> on Twitter (<a href="https://stephsbookblog.com/">https://stephsbookblog.com</a>) tomorrow.<br />
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Rather than read <i>Possessed</i> straightaway, I decided to visit this series where it all began - with <i>Purged</i>, the first Matt Hunter book.<br />
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<b>Purged</b><br />
<b>By Peter Laws</b><br />
<b>Published by Allen & Busby</b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Matt Hunter lost his faith a long time ago. Formerly a minister, now a professor of sociology, he's writing a book that debunks the Christian faith while assisting the police with religiously motivated crimes. On holiday with his family in Oxfordshire, Matt finds himself on edge in a seemingly idyllic village where wooden crosses hang at every turn. The stay becomes more sinister still when a local girl goes missing, followed by further disappearances. Caught up in an investigation that brings memories to the surface that he would prefer stay buried deep, Matt is on the trail of a killer determined to save us all.</span></span></div>
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<b>My verdict</b><br />
I love creepy crime fiction, and <i>Purged</i> certainly didn't disappoint. The book begins with a disturbing scene and a great introduction to Matt Hunter, a former minister who is now an academic and assists the police with crimes motivated by religion.<br />
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<i>Purged</i> combines horror and murder mystery in a small-community setting, a village teeming with religion. Two women have disappeared, followed by a third, and the local church is at the centre of the investigations.<br />
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The book is well written with a well-developed plot. The author uses his own experience as a church minister to explore what happens when religion is taken to extremes. But rather than take everything too seriously, there's an enjoyable mix of humour and darkness. While there's more crime than horror in <i>Purged</i>, it certainly has a creepy vibe to it, with some very visual - and often disturbing - imagery. Matt is not only likeable but also believable, a family man with tragic events in his own past. And he certainly makes a change from the flawed police detective found in many other crime novels.<br />
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<i>Purged</i> is a great first novel and I found myself racing through it to the end. I enjoyed it so much that I've already bought the next book in the series!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Read the series</span></b><br />
There are now four books: <i>Purged</i>, <i>Unleashed, </i><i>Severed </i>and <i>Possessed</i>. Here is more information on the other three.<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fifteen years ago, 29 Barley Street in Menham, south London became notorious as the scene of alleged poltergeist activity and then as a crime scene with the death of young Holly Wasson. The shadow cast by this episode is still felt in the town, and among the gang of friends who were caught up in the tragic events. That shadow looms larger than ever when one of the group dies in horrific and strange circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Matt Hunter, former church minister and now university professor, is called in to advise the police on the possible ritualistic elements of the death. And he is forced to ask himself, are forces beyond the grave at work or is a flesh-and-blood killer at large?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During a Communion service, the teenage son of the vicar brutally attacks his father with an axe in full view of the congregation. A frantic police search for the boy follows as rumours circulate that he was involved in devil worship. Atheist ex-minister Professor Matt Hunter is brought in to advise, yet he soon suspects the cause is far more complex than first thought.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elsewhere, a ten-year-old boy, Ever, grows up in a small cult who believe they are the only true humans left and that the world is filled with demons. Harnessing the powers of a bizarre ritual they hope to bring peace and paradise to the world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Soon the worlds of Matt and Ever will collide in one terrifying and murderous night...</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">When an unidentified and blood-soaked man is discovered with the name Baal-Berith scored into his flesh, Professor Matt Hunter is called in by the bewildered local police. As an atheist ex-minister and expert on religion, Matt can shed light on the ancient Canaanite demon known as the spirit of blasphemy and murder, but as he's drawn into a frenzied murder investigation, a fury of media interest and a TV show documenting a mass exorcism, the situation follows a much murkier path. Striving to provide balance to the show's increasingly sensational tone and rational support for the vulnerable 'clients', Matt cannot leave, even as events get seriously out of hand...</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-20309994945501442622020-02-06T07:28:00.000+00:002020-02-06T07:28:20.291+00:00BEST OF CRIME with Gytha Lodge<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 129, 142);"><b>GYTHA LODGE</b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share her</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm choosing two current authors with multiple books because this is so hard any other way! I’ve loved <b>Tana French</b> for her gorgeous, atmospheric writing and dark themes. And <b>Ruth Ware</b> for her wonderful, timeless mysteries which sweep me away. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The adaptation of <b>Gone Girl</b> was superb. Deliciously dark and tense. I also think <b>Drive</b> counts as a crime movie and it’s shocking, powerful and incredibly atmospheric. Loved it, in a flinching-at-the-violence kind of way. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... TV DRAMAS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Killing</b>. I am only mid-way through it (I know – it disappeared off the channel I was watching it on and it’s taken me years to pick it back up) but blimey is it good TV. Skillfully interwoven and utterly addictive. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... FICTIONAL KILLERS</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Tom Ripley</b>. He brings such depth to the classic psychopath and it’s possible to empathise with him as he treads towards the terrible end-points of his machinations. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES </b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rebus</b> for me. He’s such a rounded, real, messed-up character. And he isn’t a short-hand, either. There’s no replacing character with a tragic back-story. He lives and breathes (and swears). </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... MURDER WEAPONS</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A set of church bells (Dorothy Sayers). </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... DEATH SCENES</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m an emotions kind-of girl, so I’m going to go with one of the saddest and most futile deaths in crime: Jay Gatsby in <i>The Great Gatsby. </i>Love, riches and a perfect lifestyle proved to be false. And in the end, only the library books were real.</span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: large;">... BLOGS/WEBSITES</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Judiciary.uk is a wonderful resource for all the legal wranglings, and I also loved Clare Mackintosh’s excellent Twitter feed on what annoys her in crime novels. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... WRITING TIPS</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s going to be tough, and there are going to be failures. So just do not. Stop. Writing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... WRITING SNACKS</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yoghurt covered brazil nuts. Or pretty much anything coated in yoghurt. I often consider asking my editor to cover any notes on my books in yoghurt as I’d immediately bond with them better. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About GYTHA LODGE</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gytha Lodge is the Sunday Times Bestselling author of <i>She Lies in Wait, </i>a Richard and Judy Book Club and Sunday Times Crime Club pick. She has lived in Cambridge for more years than she cares to remember, and prior to becoming an author was an award-winning playwright. She has also spent some years as a copywriter, with a little marketing thrown in. She writes YA and children’s novels on Wattpad, where she has accrued over 7 million reads, and coaches rowing for the City of Cambridge. She is profoundly addicted to tea, crosswords, and awful puns. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Gytha Lodge on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/thegyth">@thegyth</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About WATCHING FROM THE DARK</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Aidan Poole logs onto his laptop late at night to Skype his girlfriend, Zoe. But to his horror, he realises she is not alone.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Completely helpless, all he can do is listen to the sounds of a violent struggle.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">And then a chilling silence.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">He's desperate to find out if she is OK. But then why is he so hesitant to call the police?</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">When his messages finally reach them, DCI Jonah Sheens and his team take the case.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And discover the body. . .<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><i>Watching from the Dark </i>was published by Michael Joseph on 6 February 2020.</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-49458065737757222362020-01-16T07:31:00.000+00:002020-01-16T07:31:06.500+00:00BEST OF CRIME with Jessie Keane<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today I'm delighted to welcome </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 129, 142);"><b>JESSIE KEANE</b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share her</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This has to be <b>Stephen King</b>. Ever since I picked up Carrie, I’ve been a fan. I truly believe he’s one of our greatest living writers. My favorite book of his? Duma Key.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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I’ve just seen <b>The Irishman</b> with Robert de Niro and Al Pacino. A genuinely great film, fantastic actors, loved it.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This will probably come as a surprise to my fans because of the gritty nature of the books I write, but I love <b>Midsomer Murders</b>. So gentle, so cosy (all right, a bit gruesome too), like an old comfy pair of slippers that I just love to slip into.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have to hark back to Stephen King here, and his novel Doctor Sleep – Rose is truly terrifying.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES </b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have to choose my own creation DI Romilly Kane. She appears for the first time in The Edge and gives Kit Miller quite a hard time…</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The .38 revolver favored by Max Carter in Dirty Game.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... DEATH SCENES</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The crucifixion in the DaVinci Code, just bizarre, loved that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I rarely use the internet for research. I have a LOT of books to refer to instead.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep going! I cannot emphasise the importance of this too strongly. People will tell you that you’re a dreamer. That you’re mad. That you ought to get a proper job. Ignore all that. Persist.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... WRITING SNACKS</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Got to be sherbet lemons!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About JESSIE KEANE</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jessie is a Sunday Times top ten bestselling author with 14 fiction books to her name - although her own life has been as eventful as many of her characters! Born in a caravan to a Romany mother, she has lived at both ends of the social spectrum. Her gritty hard-hitting books are centred around the darker side of London, in particular in Soho. It was a world that fascinated Jessie when she ran away to the capital as a teen, and was to provide her inspiration when she began writing years later.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Jessie Keane on her <a href="https://www.jessie-keane.co.uk/">website</a> and on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/realjessiekeane">@realjessiekeane</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About THE KNOCK</span></b><br />
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<b>Publisher's description</b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dora O’Brien had a good start in life, but things went bad when she began to mix with the wrong company. Pregnant by her gangster lover, she found herself on the streets and then in the grips of a bent copper called Donny Maguire.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When her daughter Angel is born, Dora is already under the influence of drink and drugs, and handed around to Donny’s mates. Growing up in the shadow of her mother’s abusive relationship, Angel is nothing like her mother, but when matters turn murderous, Angel is forced to grow up fast and survival becomes the name of the game.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For some, being on the wrong side of the law is the safest place to be...</span></span></div>
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<b><i>The Knock </i>was published by Pan Macmillan on 9 January 2020.</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-83367331356482197792020-01-13T08:36:00.000+00:002020-01-13T08:36:48.514+00:00BEST OF CRIME with Catherine Steadman<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today I'm delighted to welcome </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 129, 142);"><b>CATHERINE STEADMAN</b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share her</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>Gillian Flynn.</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... TV DRAMAS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">It’s true crime but ... <b>The Jinx.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... FICTIONAL KILLERS</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Cat Woman</b> (Tim Burton’s Batman Returns).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES </b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rebus</b> (I can’t not think of Ken Stott in this role).</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... MURDER WEAPONS</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plant pot on head, lol! See Hitchcock’s ‘A Lady Vanishes’.</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... DEATH SCENES</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">I did an episode of Midsomer Murders a couple of years ago where my husband was run over by a decommissioned WW2 tank after a cosplay Blitz party, lol!</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: large;">... BLOGS/WEBSITES</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">YouTube - a treasure trove of weapon information and practical tips...</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">A thriller is around 85,000 words: that’s 34 chapters at about 2500 words each. I am to get around 2500 to 3000 words a day. Don’t judge the first draft, just redraft before passing it on to anyone else. It’s so much easier to whittle a story out of a rough first draft than to try and write a third draft out of thin air.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About CATHERINE STEADMAN</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Catherine Steadman is an actress and writer based in North London. She has appeared in leading roles on British television as well as on stage in the West End, most recently in <i>The Rook</i> on Starz and Agatha Christie’s <i>Witness for the Prosecution</i> in 2018. In 2016 she was nominated for Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in Oppenheimer. She is best known for her role as Mabel Lane Fox in Downton Abbey. She grew up in the New Forest and now lives in London with a small dog and average sized man. Her first novel <i>Something in the Water</i> was selected for the Reese Witherspoon Book Club in July 2018 and has been optioned by Twentieth Century Fox for adaption, with Reese Witherspoon attached to produce. It was also a Richard & Judy Book Club pick in 2019.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Catherine Steadman on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/CatSteadman">@CatSteadman</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About MR NOBODY</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcMWHlVrV58/XhuDGdhNMaI/AAAAAAAAGc4/nI8b1_ZrHZoGEtpVEPbMognb_mFDbjg6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-12%2Bat%2B20.34.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="548" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcMWHlVrV58/XhuDGdhNMaI/AAAAAAAAGc4/nI8b1_ZrHZoGEtpVEPbMognb_mFDbjg6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-12%2Bat%2B20.34.55.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When a man is found on a Norfolk beach, drifting in and out of consciousness, with no identification and unable to speak, interest in him is sparked immediately. From the hospital staff who find themselves inexplicably drawn to him; to international medical experts who are baffled by him; to the national press who call him Mr Nobody; everyone wants answers. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Who is this man? And what happened to him? </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Neuropsychiatrist Dr Emma Lewis is asked to assess the patient. This is her field of expertise, this is the chance she’s been waiting for and this case could make her name known across the world. But therein lies the danger. Emma left this same small town in Norfolk fourteen years ago and has taken great pains to cover all traces of her past since then. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But now something – or – someone – is calling her back. And the more time Emma spends with her patient, the more alarmed she comes. Has she walked into danger?</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i>Mr Nobody </i>was published by Simon & Schuster on 9 January 2020.</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-19392835014720557012020-01-10T14:21:00.000+00:002020-01-10T14:24:12.912+00:00Jewish Book Week 2020This year, Jewish Book Week takes place from 29 February to 8 March 2020 - at <span style="text-align: justify;">King’s Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG and JW3, 341-351 Finchley Road, London NW3 6ET. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Great events</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">For nine days, Jewish Book Week brings together nearly 200 multi-award winning writers from the worlds of history, journalism, philosophy, science, art, music, poetry and fiction in a celebration of ideas. Themes range from memory to espionage to what it means to be a 'Jewish writer'.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Emma Barnett</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Tom Bower</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Camilla Cavendish</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Gavin Esler</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Jonathan Freedland</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Nicci</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> Gerrard</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Adam Gopnik</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Howard Jacobson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Rachel Johnson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Norman </span><span style="font-size: small;">Lebrecht</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Sue MacGregor</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Douglas Murray</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Melanie Phillips</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Philippe Sands</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Marcus du Sautoy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Simon Schama</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Tom S</span><span style="font-size: small;">egev</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Elif Shafak</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Martin Rees</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Andrew Robinson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Edmund de Waal</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">A.B. Yehoshua</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Live performance is a big feature – and this year, highlights include Rob ‘Judge’ Rinder and singer Claire Martin with music of Hollywood’s golden age, and Simon Schama performing his Wordy: The Show.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Tickets are now available! To see the full programme and book your tickets, click <a href="https://jewishbookweek.com/main-home-page/download-the-full-programme-here/">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Jewish Book Week's first-ever 'Family Day' is on Sunday 2nd February, when Murderous Math's Kjartan Poskitt celebrates his hero </span><i style="text-align: justify;">The Great Houdini: The World's Most Amazing Escape Artist</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> and Michael Rosen discusses </span><i style="text-align: justify;">The Missing: The True Story of My Family in WWII</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, his new book on speaking with children about the Holocaust.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Jewish Book Week is running a speakers programme</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">for schools in the London area. Many of the authors appearing at Jewish Book Week generously donate their time to speak in schools in the Greater London area about topics ranging from Politics to Physics, supporting Jewish Book Week's goal of encouraging conversations and learning within the Jewish community and beyond.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>For more information, visit the Jewish Book Week website <a href="https://jewishbookweek.com/">here</a>.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Follow the #JBW20 hashtag on social media and the </b></span></span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">Jewish Book Week Twitter account - </span><a href="https://twitter.com/JewishBookWeek?lang=en-gb" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">@JewishBookWeek</a></span></b></div>
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</style>Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-33606440057918995632020-01-09T08:06:00.000+00:002020-01-09T08:06:26.953+00:00BEST OF CRIME with Helen Sedgwick<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today I'm delighted to welcome </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 129, 142);"><b>HELEN SEDGWICK</b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share her</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Kate Atkinson</b> is one of my favourites, as is <b>Sophie Hannah</b> – I like my crime with a strong dose of feminism, intersecting narratives and multiple points of view.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">I love crime films that are offbeat and genre bending – the deep black quirkiness of <b>Fargo</b>, the folk horror genius of <b>Wicker Man</b>.</span> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s got to be <b>Twin Peaks</b> for me. The subversion of the supernatural colliding with the police procedural, the stunning visual style and soundtrack, the innovative and unsettling use of pace… Twin Peaks all the way!</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m going to choose a killer who’s drawn with such humanity you can’t help but understand <i>why</i>: <b>Roy Batty</b> from Blade Runner.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My childhood favourite was always <b>Sherlock Holmes</b>. Perhaps it was for his mix of intense logic and bohemian eccentricity or – more likely – his absolute refusal to tone himself down in order to make anyone else comfortable.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I like poisoning with weirdly beautiful and highly toxic plants, stabbing with glistening icicles, and the idea of leaving people to float alone in space. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You never see an actual death, but Janice Galloway’s short story The Meat is horrific and chilling and, once read, will never be forgotten.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love wild, frozen places, so I’d recommend the British Antarctic Survey blogs to give a real sense of what it must be like living on the remotest place on earth.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Go with your instincts, read and write and keep writing – and don’t waste too much time on social media.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the very least there’ll be a large mug of tea and a small mug of very strong coffee on the desk at any one time. I grow vegetables and love to munch on fresh pea shoots, alongside salted caramel chocolate.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About HELEN SEDGWICK</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Helen Sedgwick is the author of <i>The Comet Seekers, </i>selected as a best book of 2016 by the <i>Herald</i>, and <i>The Growing Season, </i>shortlisted for the Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year in 2018. She has an MLitt in Creative Writing from Glasgow University and won a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. Before she became an author, she was a research physicist with a PhD in Physics from Edinburgh University.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Helen Sedgwick on her <a href="http://www.helensedgwick.com/">website</a> and on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/helensedgwick">@helensedgwick</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About WHEN THE DEAD COME CALLING</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A murder investigation unearths the brutal history of a village where long buried secrets threaten a small community </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When psychotherapist Alexis Cosse is found murdered in the playground of the sleepy northern village of Burrowhead, the local police force set out to investigate. It’s not long before they uncover a maelstrom of racism, misogyny and homophobia. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But there’s worse to come. Shaken by the revelations and beginning to doubt her relationship with her husband Fergus, DI Georgie Strachan soon realizes that something very bad is lurking just below the surface. Meanwhile someone - or something - is hiding in the strange, haunted cave beneath the cliffs.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><i>When the Dead Come Calling </i>was published by Point Blank Books on 9 January 2020.</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-7104090467543834872019-12-19T07:27:00.001+00:002020-01-08T19:24:42.187+00:00BEST OF CRIME with Mario Theodorou<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today I'm delighted to welcome </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 129, 142);"><b>MARIO THEODOROU</b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share his</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Arthur Conan Doyle</b>. I just love the Sherlock set up and the way he launches into each caper without it feeling like we’re being hurried along. Stylistically and tonally, Doyle’s books and short stories are mesmerizing, and they always feel fresh and original regardless of their age or how many times I’ve read them. </span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... FILMS/MOVIES</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is tough. I’m a huge film fan and love crime films from every decade. With a gun to my head, I’d have to say <b>Training Day</b>. I love everything about this film. It’s real lesson in how to write memorable characters and tie them to plot. I’ve never wanted a bad guy to win so much in my life. </span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... TV DRAMAS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Again, there are a lot of great crime dramas. I’m a fan of the original <i>Prime Suspect</i>, although it’s a bit dated now. I loved <b>The Wire</b>, <b>Breaking Bad</b><i> </i>and <b>Sherlock</b>, of course. But I’d have to say that the first series of <b>True Detective</b><i> </i>takes it for me. Very twisty, with great performances, and that edge of discomfort and anticipation throughout.</span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Patrick Bateman</b>. What a revelation. A wealthy, high-flying, perfectionist who kills to alleviate his feelings of inadequacy and self-hatred. He’s so complex. Everything he does is a response to how people make him feel about himself. Even though his crimes are horrific, you always know emotionally where his mind is at before he commits them, which scarily allows you to relate. </span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’d have to say <b>Matthew Shardlake</b>. It's not often that the protagonist is a hunchbacked lawyer. Shardlake’s unthreatening demeanour perfectly disguises his incredible mind, which is a set up that really appeals to me. I love that whole series. </span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m a fan of the elaborate weapons in Greek Mythology and the dual symbolism. The staff of Hermes, entwined with serpents, Kronus’s Scythe, Hade’s Bident… but my favorite has to be the Tunic of Nessus. The poisoned shirt that caused the death of Heracles. It has since come to represent destruction, ruin and misfortune, from which there is no escape. Beats a knife. </span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Has to be Game of Thrones. The scene when the Mountain crushes Prince Oberyn’s head like a watermelon. It was absolutely shocking visually, but also emotionally. We are not used to seeing our heroes lose to the bad guy, and not in such a horrific way. The shock value was incredible. I thought about it for days. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I like true crime websites and podcasts. I read all the news websites too. Anything about people and what motivates them really, which can come from anywhere. I’m also forever on Wiki, legal websites and The Metropolitan Police’s website, making sure that I know all the procedural elements to an investigation.</span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I mostly write for TV and Film and find a lot of the tools available to screenwriters help make writing novels more visual.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In terms of a good writing resource, I like, helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com – I find the character ghost section very useful. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Top tips would be to make sure your character arcs are meaningful. People care about people in the end, not elaborate plots. If you can do both, then perfect! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also, if you feel it’s not working for any reason, step away, go for a walk, figure it out away from the screen and then come back. I solve all my puzzles away from the computer.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anything that gives you energy. I eat lots of almonds and drink lots of green tea.</span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About MARIO THEODOROU</span></b></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mario Theodorou is an award winning, London based writer. He first came to prominence after being discovered by Merman Films who optioned his original comedy series, <i>Conny</i>. A script commission from Sky followed for <i>The Master Forger</i>, before he was selected by the BBC for their prestigious writer's programme. He has since been named in the BBC top emerging talent list and has released <i>The Cyprus Missing</i>, a single drama for BBC Radio 4 and <i>Anonymous</i>, his Soho based short film which picked up numerous awards on the film festival circuit, including a nomination for the Short Film Award at the Academy Award qualifying, Austin Film Festival. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.6pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Represented by WME, Mario is currently working on a number of projects, including an original commission for BBC Drama and other original works in development with BBC Studios, Twelve Town, Riff Raff, Sprout Pictures, Tiger Aspect, Vox Pictures, Sevenseas Films, Unstoppable TV and Mainstreet Pictures. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; padding: 0cm;">Felix Grey and the Descendant </span></i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; padding: 0cm;">is Mario’s first novel, and the first in a series of planned works.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Mario Theodorou on his <a href="https://www.mariotheodorou.com/">website</a> and on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/MarioTheodorou">@MarioTheodorou</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About FELIX GREY AND THE DESCENDANT</span></b><br />
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<b>Publisher's description</b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1904. Three years since the death of Queen Victoria and the ascension of her son, Edward VII to the throne. In that time, the decline of the British Empire has accelerated, the econ-omy has stuttered, Captain Scott has gone to the South Pole, and Liberal politician, Felix Grey has been parachuted into Number Ten on the crest of a populist wave. The third youngest Prime Minister in history and the son of a Suffragette, Felix is modern and pro-gressive, but also inexperienced, self-deprecating and doubtful. Having taken on the Conservative old guard in the House of Commons, Felix has found his policies continually blocked and his time in power dogged by his inability to affect any real change. However, when a member of the House of Lords is abducted from the East India Club, and a mysterious card is discovered, Felix begins to feel a sense of purpose again. Against his better judgement, and that of his loyal steward, Humphrey, Felix begins to dig into the card and the missing Lord, desperate to be of service to the people he rep-resents. With public approval disappearing under a spate of fatal factory disasters, and the emer-gence of the German and American economies making the front pages, Felix’s premier-ship is suddenly under attack from all sides. When another Lord is abducted, Felix begins to escalate his investigation, determined to uncover the truth. With suspicious links to fel-low members of Parliament and a period synonymous with British history, Felix has to fight off his enemies, unmask the perpetrators, find the missing Lords and solve the case, all whilst protecting his identity and preserving his position as the British Prime Minister.</span></span></div>
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<b><i>Felix Grey and the Descendant </i>was published on 11 December 2019.</b><br />
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<b>I proofread this book and loved it, which is why I invited Mario to do Best of Crime. This isn't something I usually do when I proofread books for authors! But Felix Grey is a fabulous protagonist and this book is great fun to read!</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-5620369488803659042019-12-16T16:09:00.001+00:002019-12-16T16:17:34.814+00:00#BookLove2019 on Off-the-Shelf Books<b>I haven't had the chance to make #BookLove2019 banners this year - though there's still time! </b><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>In the meantime, here are some of the books I've been shouting about in 2019 (in the order I read them, though I do have my favourites, obviously). These are books that have wowed me with their beautiful writing, compelling or fast-paced plots, intriguing characters and/or great sense of place.</b></span><br />
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<b>I haven't read vast numbers of books this year. In case you haven't seen on social media or read some of my posts, I've been finishing off my own book, <i>The Redeemer</i>, and I'm currently trying to find it the right home. I was first runner up in the DHH Literary Agency's New Voices Award. I have also been proofreading fiction and increasing my writing/editing workload. I'm hoping to catch up on a few more of my 'must reads' over the festive season. I also need to catch up on reviews, as there are several that I still need to write up.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Anyway, here are my top reads of the year (I haven't counted them but I know there are a lot more than 10 - oops!).</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Changeling by Matt Wesolowski</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This first one is cheating a little as I </span>actually<span style="font-family: inherit;"> read it at the end of 2018, but it wasn't published in </span>paperback<span style="font-family: inherit;"> until 2019 so I saved it for this year's Book Love post. And I certainly can't leave it out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">'...gripping writing, authentic dialogue, heart-pounding tension and a final twist that I seriously didn't see coming! Yes, as you may have guessed, I loved Changeling.'</span><br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2018/11/changeling-by-matt-wesolowski.html">here</a>.</b><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>The Courier by Kjell Ola Dahl</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's not often that crime novels prompt me to do more research, and this book certainly took me on a journey of discovery. You can read about that <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/03/my-emotional-history-lesson-with-courier.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">'So much tension bubbles away under the surface. But this is far more than just a thriller and a murder </span>mystery ... it's a heartbreaking read.'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-courier-by-kjell-ola-dahl.html">here</a>.</b><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>The Ringmaster by Vanda Symon</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love this series - Sam Shepherd </span>is a fabulous protagonist.<br />
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'This gripping series is a definite 'must read' for me - and anyone else who loves entertaining, humorous crime fiction with plenty of heart.'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-ringmaster-by-vanda-symon.html">here</a>.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">The Neighbour by Fiona Cummins</span></b><br />
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I love Fiona's books and now can't wait to read her next one, <i>When I Was Ten</i>. She's an expert in creepy crime fiction!<br />
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'Fiona Cummins writes beautiful prose with some gruesome descriptions, and certainly manages to get right inside the minds of all of her characters - good or bad!'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-neighbour-by-fiona-cummins.html">here</a>.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">My Name is Anna by Lizzy Barber</span></b><br />
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I couldn't put this book down, reading it into the early hours!<br />
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'This book is more than just 'another psychological thriller'. It's a dark, intense and well-plotted exploration of identity, childhood abduction, memories and a mother's love.'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/03/my-name-is-anna-by-lizzy-barber.html">here</a>.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Turbulent Wake by Paul Hardisty</span></b><br />
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The writing in this is stunning and the book is compelling, educating me as well as entertaining me.<br />
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'I could read this book forever and it's likely to become one of my all-time Orenda favourites.'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/04/turbulent-wake-by-paul-hardisty.html">here</a>.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent</span></b><br />
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For me, it's often all about the writing - and this book's prose is beautiful.<br />
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'This is a touch, challenging read - brutal, unsettling, raw and shocking yet also filled with vivid beauty and hope ... I wanted to turn away yet couldn't as the writing was too compelling, too addictive and too powerful.'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/06/my-absolute-darling-by-gabriel-tallent.html">here</a>.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Violet by SJI Holliday</span></b><br />
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SJI (Susi) Holliday is an expert plotter - and this book certainly showcases her talent.<br />
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'The plot is creepy, chilling and clever - and very dark and very twisted... SJI Holliday has written two believable and deeply flawed unreliable narrators.'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/08/violet-by-sji-holliday.html">here</a>.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Ruin Beach by Kate Rhodes</span></b><br />
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Kate Rhodes is a favourite writer of mine, with her beautiful poetic prose that I often read out loud.<br />
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'...yet another suspense-filled crime novel from Kate Rhodes with a fabulous sense of place.'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/08/ruin-beach-by-kate-rhodes.html">here</a>.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">The Secretary by Renee Knight</span></b><br />
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A leading character that you may love to hate - or hate to love.<br />
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'I struggle with a lot of psychological thrillers at the moment, but <i>The Secretary</i> had me hooked all the way through.'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-secretary-by-renee-knight.html">here</a>.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">A Window Breaks by C.M. Ewan</span></b><br />
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Yet another book I couldn't put down! This whole book is a rollercoaster ride - and I felt as though I was part of it!<br />
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'I read this book so quickly - I barely took a breath and could feel my heart pounding throughout. I had to force myself to slow down.'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/10/a-window-breaks-by-cm-ewan.html">here</a>.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">The Lost Ones by Anita Frank</span></b><br />
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I haven't yet written a review of The Lost Ones - it's on my list. This book swept me away to spooky 1917 England and wowed me!<br />
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<b>I tweeted:</b> 'A haunting, emotional, ghostly & tragic mystery filled with family secrets.'<br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Nothing Important Happened Today by Will Carver</span></b><br />
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I used the word 'brilliant' a few times in my review...<br />
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'The writing is staccato - quick, fast-paced and compelling - drawing the reader in. As a few things slotted into place, I realised the book was so clever too - like nothing I've ever read before. The underlying premise is unique and ... yep... brilliant.'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/09/nothing-important-happened-today-by.html">here</a></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Six books that are out next year:</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Three Hours by Rosamund Lipton (9 January 2020)</span></b><br />
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This book ... it's incredible.<br />
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'Three Hours was a traumatic reading experience in many ways - it challenged me, thrilled me, stunned me and upset me - but I am so glad that I immersed myself within its pages.'<br />
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<b>Read my full review <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/03/three-hours-by-rosamund-lupton-very.html">here</a></b>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Other People by C.J. Tudor (23 January 2020)</b></span><br />
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<b>No review written yet. But I tweeted:</b> '...pretty much a one-sitting read. A twisty & compelling crime thriller with supernatural/horror undertones.'<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Haven't They Grown by Sophie Hannah (23 January 2020)</span></b><br />
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<b>No review written yet. But I tweeted:</b> 'It's brilliant - very twisty and not what I expected at all!'<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (31 March 2020)</span></b><br />
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<b>No review written yet. But I tweeted:</b> 'Traumatic, dark, thought-provoking ... I had to put it down several times yet each time felt compelled to pick it up again.'<br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">These, and several other books I've read that aren't yet published, could well be in next year's list! </span></b><br />
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<b>For full transparency, I'm disclosing that I have been proofreading for Orenda Books this year, BUT I never recommend books if I don't truly love them. If you know me well, you'll know that I'm honest about the books I read and only tweet about, and review, the ones I have genuinely enjoyed. Any Orenda books featured in this list really did wow me for various reasons.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">In 2020, I'm looking forward to reading some more fantastic books and catching up on some of the books I didn't manage to get to this year. </span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">I'll be a book blog partner of Jewish Book Week 2020, so look out for some of those posts.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Have a great Christmas and New Year!</span></b></div>
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-26340367111797127672019-12-15T08:42:00.000+00:002019-12-15T08:42:43.721+00:00BEST OF CRIME with M. W. Craven<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 129, 142);"><b>M. W. CRAVEN</b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">his <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Terry Pratchett</b> is the author I read most often (closely followed by Michael Connelly and Carl Hiaasen). Sam Vimes, the Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch (in his legendry Discworld series), is creation of pure genius and I devour over and over again any book he’s in. Funny, sarcastic, not overly bright but tenacious, he’s the perfect literary cop.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This really varies from day to day. My all time favourite film is <b>Heat</b><i> </i>with Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer, and I do enjoy a good heist film (<b>The Town</b><i> </i>is another favourite) but I’m equally happy with a Marvel blockbuster. If I’m going to invest a couple of hours of my life, I need it to be entertaining, that’s the only caveat I have. I also have a soft spot for <b>The Sound of Music</b><i> </i>(much to Mrs C’s amusement) but please don’t tell anyone . . .</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... TV DRAMAS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anything with strong writing and well developed characters. There are some amazing shows on at the minute and we really are spoilt for choice. My top five would be <b>The West Wing</b><i>, </i><b>The Sopranos</b><i>, </i><b>The Wire</b><i>, </i><b>Breaking Bad</b><i> </i>and<i> </i><b>Northern Exposure</b><i>. </i>I’m currently watching, and loving, <b>Watchmen</b>.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The killers in Dennis Lehane’s <i>Darkness, Take My Hand </i>and in Michael Connelly’s <i>The Poet </i>are two of my all time favourite serial killers. Genuinely frightening and that’s because they were developed by two of the best authors in the world. And a bit left field, but Carcer in Terry Pratchett’s Night Watch also gave me the chills, as when he’s cornered he just grins and makes you think he’s done nothing wrong. Pure evil.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES </b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Hieronymus ‘Harry’ Bosch</b>, Michael Connelly’s LA-based detective, is the stand-out cop of my generation. He’s absolutely relentless, has a strong sense of right and wrong and, with ‘Everybody counts or nobody counts’, he has the best motto of all time.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I do like the T-bone steak scene in <i>Law Abiding Citizen</i>. Thought it was extremely clever and, albeit a tad gruesome. And the Discworld’s first-ever gun (or as they spell it, ‘gonne’) that Sam Vimes had to investigate in <i>Men At Arms </i>was particularly funny.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... DEATH SCENES</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Boromir’s death in The Lord of the Rings hit me hard, as did Ned Stark’s in Game of Thrones (the book deaths rather than their film deaths). Terry McCaleb, a criminal profiler in Michael Connelly’s books had a great death. Very sad but incredibly well done. And if you want someone investigating your murder, then who else would you want but Harry Bosch? Also, in <i>The Story of the Trapp Family Singers </i>(the memoir <i>The Sound of Music </i>was based on) there are some very sad deaths after the family escape to America.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I tend not to use writing sites but have <i>The Guardian </i>permanently open. I’ll then use a variation of the ‘So what?’ technique we used in probation management meetings when we were stress testing ideas. When a headline, a byline, or even a sentence gets my attention, I’ll ask myself, ‘What if?’. When I have an answer to that I’ll ask ‘What if?’ it again. A few ‘what ifs’ and you can go from reading about the life of a celebrity chef to a murder victim coming back to life... </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Accepting that your first draft won't be very good is half the battle. It’s not until you start editing that the novel takes shape, finds a voice and becomes a coherent piece of fiction. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>... WRITING SNACKS</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fizzy sweets. Strong enough to make me wince and suck my cheeks in. And just in case Mrs C reads this, I suppose I’d better say I eat lots fruit, nuts and pulses as well .<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About MIKE CRAVEN</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A brand new voice in British crime fiction, M. W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle. He joined the army at sixteen, leaving ten years later to complete a social work degree. Seventeen years after taking up a probation officer role in Cumbria, at the rank of assistant chief officer, he became a full-time author. The first in the Washington Poe series, <i>The Puppet Show,</i>won the 2019 CWA Gold Dagger, has sold in numerous foreign territories and has been optioned for TV by Studio Lambert. M. W. Craven has been shortlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award, an Amazon Reader Award and a Cumbria Life award. He is also the author of the Avison Fluke novels, <i>Born in a Burial Ground </i>(shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger) and <i>Body Breaker. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Mike Craven on his <a href="https://www.mwcraven.com/">website</a> and on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/MWCravenUK">@MWCravenUK</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About BLACK SUMMER</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rR5kCj8pIes/XfNk3JOspAI/AAAAAAAAGZw/d_wROR7_BGYh_sfjggwlnTkKtd1HgKebQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/9781472127495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1018" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rR5kCj8pIes/XfNk3JOspAI/AAAAAAAAGZw/d_wROR7_BGYh_sfjggwlnTkKtd1HgKebQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/9781472127495.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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<b>Publisher's description</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">After The Puppet Show, a new storm is coming…</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jared Keaton, chef to the stars. Charming. Charismatic. Psychopath . . . He's currently serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of his daughter, Elizabeth. Her body was never found and Keaton was convicted largely on the testimony of Detective Sergeant Washington Poe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So when a young woman staggers into a remote police station with irrefutable evidence that she is Elizabeth Keaton, Poe finds himself on the wrong end of an investigation, one that could cost him much more than his career.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Helped by the only person he trusts, the brilliant but socially awkward Tilly Bradshaw, Poe races to answer the only question that matters: how can someone be both dead and alive at the same time?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And then Elizabeth goes missing again - and all paths of investigation lead back to Poe.</span></div>
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<b><i>Black Summer</i> was published in paperback by Constable on 12 December 2019</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-85757263889872914342019-12-10T20:17:00.002+00:002019-12-10T20:22:41.201+00:00Outside looking in - a 2019 Chanukah update<div class="MsoNormal">
It's that time of year again, when pre-Christmas celebrations fill up my social media feeds. This year, Chanukah starts on 22nd December and lasts for eight days, so it 'clashes' with Christmas Day (two years ago, it started on Christmas Eve). We won't have a Christmas tree, but we will have a lit menorah and other Chanukah goodies. I originally wrote this post two years ago. But it seems relevant to post it again - with yet another update.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Christmas: Outside looking in</span></b></div>
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At this time of year I sometimes feel like a trespasser. A ghostly apparition peering through a smudged window into a tinsel-draped world I'm not really part of.<br />
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On the outside looking in. </div>
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Here, but not here.</div>
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I watch the fervent build up and read frantic discussions on social media from the sidelines. <span style="font-family: "cambria";">P</span>resent buying. Christmas trees. Delicious festive treats. Large family meals. I don't join in, but that doesn't mean I don't understand your stress and excitement. I have my fair share during the year, with the weekly Jewish Sabbath and several Jewish festivals (with a strong focus on food!).<br />
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I've never celebrated Christmas. </div>
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During my childhood, December 25th was simply a family day with a large lunch, as there was little else to do. No Christmas tree. No presents. No Christmas pudding. We would still eat turkey though, along with home-made stuffing, brussels sprouts and minced pies. I remember Christmas crackers on the table and watching festive TV. After all, that's what everyone did at 'this time of year'.<br />
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I knew all about Christmas, don't get me wrong. I had plenty of friends who celebrated it - non-Jewish ones and Jewish ones - and I didn't go to a Jewish school. I didn't take part in the annual Nativity play but would watch the rehearsals from the sidelines, learning the songs and the lines, just as I watch the build up to Christmas now. I didn't go to the school carol services either (we had a day off instead - shopping or cinema, if I remember right, though we were probably meant to do school work(!)). Yet I knew all of the carols anyway.<br />
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I guess not much has changed.</div>
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For me, this time of year has always been about Chanukah (Hanukkah), the Jewish festival of lights, which lasts for eight days. A festival of miracles and hope and joy. Unlike Christmas, Chanukah doesn't occur on a set date each year, as it's determined by the Hebrew calendar. One year, it may be in November, and the next year in December. This year it begins on 22nd December as soon as darkness falls.<br />
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In keeping with tradition, each night we will light candles on a nine-branched Menorah (also called a Chanukiah), an extra candle each night (with the ninth candle called a Shamash (helper) to light the others).<br />
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So one candle on the first night, two on the second and so on, until all eight candles are twinkling in a row. The candles symbolise a miracle in the second century BCE, when a handful of Jews defeated the Greeks to reclaim back their Holy Land and rededicated the Second Temple in Jerusalem. When they wanted to light the Temple's Menorah, there was only enough oil for one day - yet miraculously the oil lasted for eight days, known as the miracle of Chanukah.<br />
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There's a whole Rugrats episode devoted to this!</div>
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At Chanukah, it's traditional to eat fried foods - especially doughnuts (donuts) and latkes (fried potato pancakes like rosti) - and to play a game with a dreidel (a four-sided spinning top) for coins, nuts or chocolate.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">We can buy Chanukah biscuits (including candle or dreidel shaped ones).</span></div>
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Chanukah is often associated with presents, but that's not a Jewish tradition so I assume it's down to the influence of Christmas over the generations. We give money called Chanukah gelt (or chocolate coins) to children, as well as to charity. You can now buy Chanukah decorations, as sparkly as the Christmas ones, and lots of crazy Chanukah-themed items.<br />
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Even Chanukah socks last year (no, I didn't buy them).</div>
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As a child, I would receive one Chanukah present each night (some small, some large), as did my two boys when they were younger. Now they are teenagers, the eight-present tradition has faded away in our house. But not the candle lighting - never that.<br />
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Chanukah is also a time for community, with activities and celebrations at our synagogue. Last year we had our second interfaith event with the local church - our rabbi lit a large menorah as the vicar beside him switched on the Christmas tree lights. There were Jewish songs and carol singers, and mulled wine and minced pies and kosher donuts for the children. This year, it's a little different due to the timing, as the Christmas lights are already lit. But our synagogue is still doing a communal Chanukah lighting, encouraging people of all faiths to come along.<br />
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Some people worry they'll offend me if they wish me Happy Christmas. But not at all. </div>
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When I say I'm on the outside looking in, I don't mean this in a negative way. I enjoy watching friends building up to their big event of the year - my Twitter and Facebook feeds are filled with that positivity. After the last few years of world politics, the election this week (and Brexit (currently still) on the horizon), we all need plenty of that.<br />
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<b>People who know I'm writing fiction often ask me what I'm writing. </b></div>
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I used to be suitably vague and didn't say much about what I'm doing or what stage I'm at. But last year, I was more open about the fact that I'm writing Jewish-themed crime fiction, set in a fictional multi-cultural town in Hertfordshire, UK. I'm very open about my Jewish heritage and proud of it too. My book happens to be set at this time of year - Chanukah and Christmas season.<br />
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I finished my novel, The Redeemer, earlier this year. Here's the blurb:<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘REPENT BEFORE YOU DIE … OR MAY YOU NEVER R.I.P.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Threatening plaques, vigilante killings, a Jewish community - what’s the link? </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The clock is ticking to the next murder.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After journalist Shanna Regan witnesses an antisemitic incident in Hillsbury, a small Hertfordshire town, she uncovers a series of threatening fake commemorative plaques. Each plaque highlights someone’s misdemeanour rather than a good deed. Delving deeper, she realises these plaques are linked to vigilante killings spanning several decades, with ties to the local Jewish community. As her search for the truth becomes personal, she puts her own life in danger. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Can she stop the next murder in time? </span></span></div>
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I was first runner up (honourable mention) in the DHH Literary Agency New Voices Award at the end of September 2019, as announced at the Capital Crime festival's opening night party. I've had great feedback on my novel and I'm now looking for an agent - the right agent - or a publisher.<br />
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I'm hoping that one day you'll get a chance to read my novel (if you want to!) and learn more about Jewish traditions, the worrying rise of anti-semitism in the UK (what it's like to experience it for real 'on the frontline', not what you read in the newspapers) and the huge sense of family and community spirit that I know so well.<br />
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2019 has also been exciting on the work front. In January, I launched my own work website (finally). You can visit it <a href="https://vgoldmanbooks.wordpress.com/">here</a>. I also started proofreading for publishers - including Orenda Books - and individual authors, and I added several magazines and websites to my health writing portfolio. <br />
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I was one of Jewish Book Week 2019's official blog partners and hope to do the same in 2020.<br />
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Thank you for reading to the end of this non-bookish post and for supporting Off-the-Shelf Books, which turns five on 30th December 2019. I'm very behind with reviews, but hope to catch up soon - it's been a particularly busy few months.<br />
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I wish you all a Happy Christmas, Happy Chanukah or whatever you're celebrating within the next few weeks. And a Happy New Year too.<br />
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Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-48440660956320806422019-11-28T08:19:00.000+00:002019-11-28T08:19:14.063+00:00BEST OF CRIME with Syd Moore<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my l</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">a</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">test <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today I'm delighted to welcome </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 129, 142);"><b>SYD MOORE</b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to share </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">her <span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OF CRIME ...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">... AUTHORS</span></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">So tough to boil it down to one author, but I guess it would have to be <b>Wilkie Collins</b>. I remember being a bookseller, i.e. skint, when Penguin brought out their cheapo classics to compete with Wordsworth Editions. <i>The Moonstone </i>and <i>The Woman in White, </i>which at that point I’d heard people mention but had never read, became instantly affordable. The next pay day I bought them, consumed them during my lunchtimes and was pretty instantly hooked. It was the beginning of a life-long love affair with classic crime. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>The Love Witch</b> by Anna Biller. </span>This film is a sumptuous visual <span style="background-color: white;">feast with the aesthetic of a technicolour Hammer Horror. Anna Biller, the director, also designed the costumes and they are to die for. Celebrating kitsch in a serious way its take on women, witches and sexuality is really quite different. Elaine, the eponymous Love Witch, seduces men using love potions and beds them with fatal consequences. The film is feminist, funny, clever and explores the ‘female gaze’. What’s not to love?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I am a big fan of Scandi Noir and really enjoyed the Swedish series, <b>Jordskott</b>. Though it has many of the components of the crime/thriller genre – a vanished child, an angst-ridden detective and a community hiding a dark secret – there is more than a touch of the Brothers Grimm about it. I do like my crime drama with a sprinkle of the supernatural and this one blends both genres wonderfully. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Is it too obvious to say <b>Vilanelle</b>? She was such a triumph of characterization, the epitome of style, cunning, sardonic humour and grace. Obviously there was that little psychopathy thang going on, but it didn’t prevent me, and most of the UK population, rooting for her throughout <i>Killing Eve</i>. A third series can’t come too soon. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">It’s got to be <b>Saga Noren</b> from <i>The Bridge</i>. Totally atypical of your usual TV detective, Saga is more complex, more logical and more vulnerable too. The writers handled her <span style="background-color: white;">Asperger syndrome and the development of her character expertly throughout the entire series so that the final episode</span>was almost televisual perfection. <span style="background-color: white;"> </span>I’d love to see her back on our screens again, but at the same I wouldn’t want to jeopardise the legacy of what was, in my opinion, one of the best television dramas to grace our scenes in decades. Some things should be left alone. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">This is more a scene of death than a death scene and comes from <i>Hercule Poirot’s Christmas</i>. The epigraph that precedes the story gives you a hint of what’sto come <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">‘Yet who would have thought the old man to have so much blood in him?’ (Macbeth).</span></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Simeon Lee, a wealthy git, instructs his four sons to return home for Christmas with the intention of cutting their allowances and changing his will. It’s no surprise then that he doesn’t make it through to Boxing Day. In fact on Christmas Eve the family hear a terrible scream from Simeon’s room. Breaking down the door they are greeted with the most shocking and awful sight. Furniture has been overturned, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">crockery smashed. Simeon lies dead, his throat slashed from ear to ear, in a great pool of blood. Of course, Christie’s description brings the horror home to the reader. I was a teenager when I came across this and the scene left a very strong impression. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">One of the websites that I come back to time and time again is www.witchtrials.co.uk<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">It’s a comprehensive resource for anyone interested in the Essex Witch Trials and has been put together by one brilliant and clearly noble man, Steve Hulford, who set it up ‘so that the poor victims are not forgotten’. His fantastic site lists the trials in year order and in order of village. It also records the accused women and men by name alphabetically so is very user-friendly. In addition to all this information you will find transcripts of <span style="color: #222222;">contemporaneous </span>pamphlets, essays on different aspects of the witch trials, details of the Witchcraft Acts, videos and recommended reading. Well worth checking out. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">If I’m going well, I will treat myself to a cup of tea and a slice of cake from the local baker’s at about 3pm.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About SYD MOORE</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Syd Moore is the author of the Essex Witch Museum Mysteries (Strange Magic, Strange Sight, Strange Fascination) featuring Rosie Strange, and two previous mystery books,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">The Drowning Pool and Witch Hunt.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">For nine years prior to writing Syd was a lecturer, worked extensively in the publishing industry and presented Channel 4’s book programme, Pulp. She was the founding editor of</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">Level 4, an arts and culture magazine, and co-creator of Superstrumps, the game that reclaims female stereotypes and the founder of The Essex Girls Liberation Front. When she is not writing Syd works for Metal Culture, an arts organisation, promoting arts and cultural events and developing literature programmes. In 2017 she became a UK ambassador for the Danish charity which helps Nigerian ‘witch’ children, DINNødhjælp. In 2018 she was appointed Writer-in-Residence for the Essex Book Festival.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Find Syd Moore on her <a href="https://www.sydmoore.com/">website</a> and on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/SydMoore1">@SydMoore1</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">About THE TWELVE STRANGE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS</span></b></div>
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<b>Publisher's description</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">The perfect stocking filler, this collection of 12 spooky, stand-alone stories has been shortlisted for the CWA Short Story Dagger 2019.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Nothing says Christmas more than a good old-fashioned ghost story on a dark winter’s night, so sit back and enjoy a little pinch of Yuletide mayhem!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><i>The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas</i> was published by Point Blank on 26 September 2019</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Look out for more </span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"> features coming soon.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk/p/best-of-crime-author-interviews.html">here</a> to read more </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">BEST OF CRIME</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"> features.</span></b><br />
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</style>Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704129507763582977.post-11641432963712500832019-11-21T12:38:00.000+00:002019-11-24T18:14:26.321+00:00Journeying back to the Holocaust - Day 3If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that earlier this week I took part in a two-night, three-day journey to Lodz and Krakow, along with around 40 other people, including three rabbis. The trip was run by J-Roots, a Jewish organisation that creates a unique learning experience - and this was certainly traumatic, thought-provoking, humbling and unforgettable.<br />
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For Day One, click <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/journeying-back-to-holocaust-day-1.html">here</a>.<br />
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For Day Two, click <a href="https://off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/journeying-back-to-holocaust-day-2.html">here</a>.<br />
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When I read these two posts, I feel that my emotions don't necessarily come across as much as I would have liked them to. And I'm sure that in another week, I'll have plenty more to add.<br />
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I've always put off going to Poland. It was something I felt I 'should' do but the time was never right. So why now? That's an interesting question...<br />
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My eldest teen visited Poland two years ago with his school, the younger one is due to go at the end of January. These trips are part of their sixth form schooling, and it made me wonder why I had put it off for so long. And I realise the biggest reason was 'fear'.<br />
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I've grown up hearing Holocaust stories, speaking to survivors, seeing the tattooed numbers on their arms. The Holocaust is part of my Jewish heritage, though I wish it wasn't. I wish it never needed to be. I wish it had never occurred. This week, I've seen first-hand the sheer brutality of the Nazis, the scale of the pure evil that lurked the landscape, the loss of humanity and identity, the ripping apart of Jewish communities and families, the fact that this was all legalised.<br />
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At a time when antisemitism is rising yet again all over the world, this is when we all need to come together, to remember, to educate, to share and to never forget. And I felt that to do that properly, I needed to see it for myself.<br />
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This was the right time for me.<br />
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As many of you who read Off-the-Shelf Books will know, I am writing Jewish-themed crime fiction. In September, I was first runner up in the DHH Literary Agency New Voices Award for my first three chapters of The Redeemer. I'm now trying to find an agent - the right agent - for my book. The Redeemer isn't about the Holocaust, though it does feature within the plot, but it IS about modern antisemitism, beginning with an antisemitic incident in a park based on real experiences.<br />
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I'm now going to give you an account of Day Three, which was all about Auschwitz-Birkenau.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If any factual background is incorrect, I apologise in advance as I'm writing this quickly. I took notes and photos during my visit and I'm using those in order. I also apologise for any typos! Some of the descriptions will be graphic (even more so, in later posts), but I'm not apologising.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Auschwitz 1</b></span><br />
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We began with Auschwitz 1. I'm not going to go into details of the background - Mr Google can help you there. But Auschwitz 1 is a tourist site, with coffee shops and bookstores, DVDs and postcards on sale. This feels wrong (particularly the postcards). Yet this infrastructure enables people to come and visit for a day, to be educated about what went on here and leave with a book or a DVD that may help them to learn more, to educate not just themselves but others too, particularly the future generations.<br />
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If you do visit, read up on Auschwitz first. Read the Jewish accounts, read the survivor stories. Don't rely on your Polish guide to tell you everything that happened there - they may not even mention the word 'Jew' very much. Going with J-Roots was a unique experience. We not only heard individual stories of brutality and survival (each one filled with emotion) as we walked around, but we were WITH a survivor, Mala Tribich (see previous posts). Eventually there will be a time when there are no survivors remaining, so it is the duty of the next generation, and the next, and so on, to keep these stories among us, which is why I am sharing them here. These stories are horrific but I'm not going to apologise as they need to be heard.<br />
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It's free to visit Auschwitz but not, ironically, to go to the loo there - that costs 2 zloties each time. We heard the story of a survivor who visited Auschwitz with J-Roots. When they reached the toilets, he pulled up his sleeve, showed his tattoo and spoke to the woman taking the money at the till. She laughed and let him through.<br />
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What did he say to her?<br />
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'I have lifetime membership.'<br />
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There are no words...<br />
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As we stood at Auschwitz, we could feel the chill through our layers of clothing (including thick coats, hats, scarves and gloves), even though it wasn't a particularly cold day. Imagine standing for roll call for up to 19 hours at a time, in just flimsy pyjamas (or even naked if that's what the guards ordered you to do), whatever the weather, unable to move. If 1000 prisoners were counted out to work in the morning, 1000 had to be counted back in - the dead were carried among them as they walked back through the gates, as there would be punishment at roll call if the numbers were inconsistent.<br />
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The hospital blocks were called 'waiting rooms for the crematoria', used as places for medical experimentation with very few treatments available.<br />
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Block 27 is all about names (I briefly mentioned this in my Day 2 post), set up by Yad Vashem (The World Holocaust Remembrance Centre). When we talk about the Holocaust, we talk about six million Jews. But these aren't six million Jews as a collective, these are six million individuals. Each one had a name, a face, a family, a life, before the horrors began.<br />
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Inside Block 27, there are pages and pages of printed names, currently around 4.5 million names, so nearly 2 million left to go. Each Holocaust victim has been given back their identity - and they are remembered.<br />
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As mentioned in my Day 1 post, I didn't have any immediate family in Europe at the time. They were all in England already. Some of my family names (such as Levy) are very common but two - Motzner and Sumeray - are more unusual (ironically, one of the people on this trip is a distant cousin of mine - her family used the name Motzney). I checked out the list of names and found both Motzners (Motzni) and Sumeray (Sumeraj/Sumraj in Polish) listed there. I will never know if they were relatives, but it's possible that some of them were.<br />
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One block contains the belongings of the Jewish prisoners. We weren't permitted to take photos of the hair that was taken from women murdered in the gas chambers and was used by the German textile industry - you can see the hair woven on a loom. The hair was mainly curly, now faded and greying. I can't even describe the quantity of hair behind the glass cabinet frontage. But I felt physically sick as we walked slowly through the room.<br />
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There was a cabinet of the Jewish prayer shawls (tallit), which are indicative of life as a Jew, symbolic at all stages of life and even at death.<br />
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Then there were the crutches and prosthetic limbs, the glasses (spectacles), the suitcases the families used to carry their possessions (labelled as if going on a family holiday) - all taken away when they arrived at the camp. The shoes, all shapes and sizes, even sandals, many still retaining their colours.<br />
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If you have read any of my tweets or Instagram posts, you'll have seen details of a kosher kitchen. People who keep strictly kosher will eat and prepare dairy meals and meat meals separately - so no cheese on bolognese or in a burger. You also don't eat milk after a meat meal (instead, waiting a few hours), so no Dairy Milk chocolate after your roast chicken. Meat includes poultry. We use separate cutlery, crockery, pots & pans, utensils, chopping boards etc for milk and meat. Then there are parev foods (neither milk or meat), such as all fruit and veg, egg and fish. To make kitchens easier to manage, we try to colour-code the items. Meat items are traditionally red, dairy items are blue and parev items are green, yellow or neutral.<br />
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So why am I telling you this?<br />
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When Jewish families are told to pack for deportation, what do they take? If they want to eat, they need to pack up their kitchen. See the pots and pans below and look at the colours...<br />
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THIS is how Jewish families pack.<br />
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We entered a gas chamber and saw the ovens used to dispose of the bodies. These ovens have been reconstructed with original parts. In the larger room - the gas chamber - there are holes in the ceiling where the gas pellets were thrown down.<br />
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On Tuesday 19th November 2019, we took this journey into this gas chamber and crematorium, the same journey that 1.2 million Jews were forced to take. They never came out alive. We walked in free ... and walked out free, physically untouched, still breathing ...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Birkenau</span></b><br />
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Birkenau has a very different feel to the other Auschwitz site. There are no coffee shops or bookshops, no cabinet displays and no renovation work. This was the largest death camp in the world - the largest cemetery in the world - and I can't even describe its size. You could spend several days wandering around this camp and still not see it all.<br />
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Inside, the men's barracks are on the right, women's barracks on the left, separated by the train track and barbed wire.<br />
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There was a stillness in the air.<br />
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I barely spoke during my time there.<br />
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I had no words.<br />
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This is the men's quarantine hut of the camp, with latrines at the end.<br />
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Thousands of men, sitting back to back to each other, being told they have just two minutes 'to go'. Each one propping up the man beside them and behind them, willing them not to die. This would be after several days spent in a cattle truck with no sanitation, diarrhoea and dysentry rife among the prisoners. Shut your eyes and just imagine ... compare this with our modern sterile lives.<br />
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A group of Jews were told to clean out the latrines with their hats. When they left the quarantine hut, they were told to put their hats back on their heads. Not one of those Jews survived Auschwitz.<br />
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If a woman was pregnant in Birkenau, this was a death sentence. Google the story of Gisella Perl, a Jewish gynaecologist deported to Auschwitz. She saved the lives of thousands of Jewish pregnant women, but in order to save the mothers she had to suffocate their newborns - 'a life for a life'. If she hadn't, both the mother and baby would have been murdered. After the war, she opened up a practice in New York. Many of her clients were women from Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, women she had saved, women who wanted her to deliver their new baby, born into freedom - this time saving their baby's life, not taking it. Read the phrase 'a life for a life' - and try not to cry.<br />
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Here are the bunks where the men slept (top bunk, middle bunk, lower bunk), crowded together, no sanitation, covered in fleas and lice and with rats around their feet. As mentioned, diarrhoea and dysentery were rife within the camp. Which would you choose - top, middle or bottom?<br />
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Standing by the cattle truck, where it was decided who lived and who died, we heard the story of two parents arguing over who was going to hold the baby once they were separated to go left or right. The SS officer took the baby from the mother's arms, ripped the baby apart and then handed half back to the mother and half back to the father. Sorry to share this story - it makes me feel sick and tearful too - but these stories need to be shared.<br />
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We touched the barbed wire, thinking of what it means to be free.<br />
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Finally, as daylight faded, we reached the back of Auschwitz and stood by the ruins of the crematorium and said prayers and read poems.<br />
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And then we walked back out again - free.<br />
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This is the end of Day 3 and the end of the Poland trip. But this life experience won't stop there. It has changed me in a way I can't describe. This has been an emotional rollercoaster and has put life in perspective, especially as a Jew growing up in the UK.<br />
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When I arrived home from Stansted airport at 12.30 am, I peered into the bedroom of my youngest teenager. He was fast asleep. I stood there watching him for a while, thinking how fortunate my husband and I are - that our great grandparents were already here.<br />
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I've shared my words. I've shared my thoughts. Yet there's still so much more I can say. We have been 'warned' that our emotions will continue to play havoc with our minds over the coming days, weeks and even months.<br />
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We must remember.<br />
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We must pass on the stories - the horrific stories - to our children and grandchildren.<br />
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We must never forget.<br />
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<br />Victoria Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06058825993891906961noreply@blogger.com8