Colin Garrow's Blog, page 72

Holiday Heartwarmers: An Anthology of Short Stories

Holiday Heartwarmers: An Anthology of Short Stories Festive-themed collection of fifteen short stories penned by writers from around the world. There’s a nice variety of tales here, including not-quite traditional family get-togethers, some interesting takes on Christmas and its meaning and a few stand-out tales from some very talented authors. I particularly enjoyed the strange … Continue reading →

‘The Lover’s Portrait’ by Jennifer S. Alderson

The Lover’s Portrait Threatened by Nazi blackmailers, a Dutch art dealer conceals stock from his gallery leaving a tangled trail of clues to art treasures buried somewhere in Amsterdam. Years later, when art history student Zelda Richardson gets an internship at a prestigious Amsterdam Museum, she takes on the job of tracking down the history … Continue reading →

‘After the Rising’ by Orna Ross

After the Rising Returning to her native Ireland for her mother’s funeral, Jo Devereux is thrown back into the long-standing conflict between Rory O’Donovan’s family and her own. Reaching into the past, Jo begins to examine what it was that drew her to Rory all those years ago, but more importantly, what tore them apart. … Continue reading →

‘Creed’ by James Herbert

Creed When freelance photographer Joe Creed sets out to capture a series of photos at the funeral of a famous actress, he gets the chance to take a few snaps of a strange old man at the graveside. But developing the pictures leads him into a mystery – one he can’t easily explain. Learning the … Continue reading →

Author Interview – Jacky Dahlhaus

Australian-born writer Jacky Dahlhaus is the author of the ‘Suckers’ series, starting with her first book, ‘Living Like a Vampire’. When did you first become interested in writing and publishing your own work? I only began writing one-and-a-half years ago and never thought about publishing until I finished my first novel. It was completely new … Continue reading →

‘Gary’s Guide to Life’ by Michael Nabavian and Phil Wall

Gary’s Guide to Life Wanna-be self-help guru Gary Speedwell is going to be a success. At least, that’s the plan, and by following his own set of motivational strategies (inspired by personal-development authority Marshall Brewster), there’s no stopping him. Or at least, there won’t be if he can get things sorted out with ex-wife Kim … Continue reading →

Author Interview – John Ukah

John Ukah is a Nigerian author whose career has taken him into the world of banking and finance. However, his first novel, ‘Murder at Midnight’, is a far cry from his everyday life. Q. Coming from a background in banking, how did you get interested in writing crime novels? A. The books I grew up … Continue reading →

‘Storyworks Monthly – #1’ by Stephen J Carter

Storyworks Monthly #1 In this varied collection of new work, Stephen J Carter has fashioned an interesting series. In the tradition of Dean Wesley Smith (Smith’s Monthly), he presents a handful of stories, a novella, a serial novel and a piece for writers on inciting incidents in movies. Being a fan of Dickens, I liked … Continue reading →

‘Fisher’s Fables’ by Robert Crouch

Fisher’s Fables Environmental Health Manager, Kent Fisher, leads a disparate team of hopeful winners in this tale of hot-desking, agile working, unlikely acronyms and awkward assignations. A well-observed, if episodic, narrative thrusts the protagonist into a world of back-biting and brown-nosing, where keeping the proverbial head above water means negotiating the grinding and occasionally corrupt … Continue reading →

‘Holiday for the Hostile’ by Joy Mutter

Holiday for the Hostile: Book Two of the Hostile series Following on from Book 1 (The Hostile), where 12-year-old Serena meets powerful entity Tile X, the story continues as the family and their dead relatives decide to take a holiday to Ireland. Needless to say, staying in a remote village in a grotty house with … Continue reading →