Darryl Greer's Blog
March 23, 2021
NEW SCREENPLAY
Just finished -- finally -- my eight episode series for television titled "Sharpe Practice". Synopsis as follows:
Sharpe Practice is a gritty drama set on Queensland’s Gold Coast, charting a young woman’s journey from a troubled childhood in London to her dream job at the Gold Coast’s leading law firm.
Sam had a difficult upbringing which included six months in an English young offenders’ institution, but when she emerged, she’d aged ten years, vowing she would never return to her old life. Gifted with an intelligence that belied her background, she caught up on missed schooling, crammed several years’ education into one and gained top A-level marks.
By the time Sam left England to pursue her dream of a new life in Australia, she’d become a lawyer specialising in litigation.
Getting the job at Sangster, Collins & Associates wasn’t easy. Her supervising partner, Murray Rix, was vehemently against employing someone in their prestigious firm with her track record. But senior partner, Gavin Mellon, saw promise in this tenacious tearaway who’d turned her life around to an extraordinary extent.
After months of being overlooked for promotion, being given pro bono and low value cases and generally regarded by Murray as a dogsbody, with Gavin’s help she takes over a major case: Axis Holdings v Pan Arabian Bank.
But her enthusiasm for the case wanes when she discovers that the bank has links to the Iran-backed, Lebanese terrorist group, Hezbollah.
When the bank realises that neither Sam nor her clients will be intimidated into submission, with the help of its “consultant”, Adeem Al-Jabiri, it goes to extraordinary lengths to extricate itself from the litigation.
But it underestimates Sam’s resolve. A series of murders, the kidnapping of a partner’s child, the savage beating of another partner, terrorising car chases and even the incineration of Sam’s residence – none of it forces her to quit.
Sam’s ambition to succeed comes at a cost. Her partner, Ryan Shaw is unhappy at the hours she spends at the office and, as the litigation progresses, their relationship becomes strained, particularly when Sam discovers that Ryan left his last fiancé at the altar. But she struggles on, determined to succeed.
Just when Sam feels she has done enough to be elevated in the firm, Gavin, the one person who has been fighting her corner, is arrested for mortgage fraud.
Sharpe Practice explores one woman’s quest for truth, honesty and justice in a profession that sometimes forgets what it stands for.
Sharpe Practice is a gritty drama set on Queensland’s Gold Coast, charting a young woman’s journey from a troubled childhood in London to her dream job at the Gold Coast’s leading law firm.
Sam had a difficult upbringing which included six months in an English young offenders’ institution, but when she emerged, she’d aged ten years, vowing she would never return to her old life. Gifted with an intelligence that belied her background, she caught up on missed schooling, crammed several years’ education into one and gained top A-level marks.
By the time Sam left England to pursue her dream of a new life in Australia, she’d become a lawyer specialising in litigation.
Getting the job at Sangster, Collins & Associates wasn’t easy. Her supervising partner, Murray Rix, was vehemently against employing someone in their prestigious firm with her track record. But senior partner, Gavin Mellon, saw promise in this tenacious tearaway who’d turned her life around to an extraordinary extent.
After months of being overlooked for promotion, being given pro bono and low value cases and generally regarded by Murray as a dogsbody, with Gavin’s help she takes over a major case: Axis Holdings v Pan Arabian Bank.
But her enthusiasm for the case wanes when she discovers that the bank has links to the Iran-backed, Lebanese terrorist group, Hezbollah.
When the bank realises that neither Sam nor her clients will be intimidated into submission, with the help of its “consultant”, Adeem Al-Jabiri, it goes to extraordinary lengths to extricate itself from the litigation.
But it underestimates Sam’s resolve. A series of murders, the kidnapping of a partner’s child, the savage beating of another partner, terrorising car chases and even the incineration of Sam’s residence – none of it forces her to quit.
Sam’s ambition to succeed comes at a cost. Her partner, Ryan Shaw is unhappy at the hours she spends at the office and, as the litigation progresses, their relationship becomes strained, particularly when Sam discovers that Ryan left his last fiancé at the altar. But she struggles on, determined to succeed.
Just when Sam feels she has done enough to be elevated in the firm, Gavin, the one person who has been fighting her corner, is arrested for mortgage fraud.
Sharpe Practice explores one woman’s quest for truth, honesty and justice in a profession that sometimes forgets what it stands for.
January 19, 2021
FREE BOOK PROMOTION
I'm running a free book promotion on Amazon for the Kindle version of my latest thriller, "Bounty" from midnight Pacific Time January 21 to midnight January 25 (6:00 pm AEST). Here's a Readers' Favorite five star review:
"Bounty" is a work of dramatic thriller fiction penned by author Darryl Greer. Spanning the globe in this political terrorist thriller, our central hero begins life as a little boy, Jabir Sarkis. At twelve years old, Jabir witnesses the horrors of the Middle East conflict of 2007, when his mother is killed in Lebanon. Vowing to fight against the terrorists who ended her life, Jabir grows in power and passion to do good deeds. But as his deeds begin to get noticed, Jabir’s new life in Australia is threatened by the very terrorists he’s trying to destroy. When they kidnap his girlfriend, Jabir begins a terrifying trial to get her back and have the life he’s worked so hard for restored to him.
There should be more thriller books like "Bounty". I think it’s wonderful, culturally speaking, to see an anti-terrorism novel with a non-white, non-American hero, adding a huge deal of authenticity and personal motivation to the tale. Author Darryl Greer creates an empathetic and powerful hero in Jabir Sarkis, spurred by the past he’s had to endure but always determined for the future. The different locations of Australia and the Middle East bring life to the tale as genuinely terrifying events occur. The political aspects of the story are well handled, without overshadowing the personal drama that Jabir is going through. I also really enjoyed the dialogue, which was direct and not overly-technical. Overall, Bounty is a thriller novel that any reader can access and enjoy, portraying a true hero at work.
Reviewed by K. C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite.
"Bounty" is a work of dramatic thriller fiction penned by author Darryl Greer. Spanning the globe in this political terrorist thriller, our central hero begins life as a little boy, Jabir Sarkis. At twelve years old, Jabir witnesses the horrors of the Middle East conflict of 2007, when his mother is killed in Lebanon. Vowing to fight against the terrorists who ended her life, Jabir grows in power and passion to do good deeds. But as his deeds begin to get noticed, Jabir’s new life in Australia is threatened by the very terrorists he’s trying to destroy. When they kidnap his girlfriend, Jabir begins a terrifying trial to get her back and have the life he’s worked so hard for restored to him.
There should be more thriller books like "Bounty". I think it’s wonderful, culturally speaking, to see an anti-terrorism novel with a non-white, non-American hero, adding a huge deal of authenticity and personal motivation to the tale. Author Darryl Greer creates an empathetic and powerful hero in Jabir Sarkis, spurred by the past he’s had to endure but always determined for the future. The different locations of Australia and the Middle East bring life to the tale as genuinely terrifying events occur. The political aspects of the story are well handled, without overshadowing the personal drama that Jabir is going through. I also really enjoyed the dialogue, which was direct and not overly-technical. Overall, Bounty is a thriller novel that any reader can access and enjoy, portraying a true hero at work.
Reviewed by K. C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite.
January 5, 2021
FREE BOOK PROMOTION
I am running a free book promotion for my memoir, "...Passing Through..." on Amazon from midnight Pacific Time January 7 to midnight January 11 (6:00pm AEST).
December 2, 2020
A NEW REVIEW FOR "...PASSING THROUGH..."
"...PASSING THROUGH" is a most enjoyable read, an Odyssey of an Aussie lad.
No, Darryl, you certainly didn’t bore the pants off me. However, I was enjoying breakfast while reading your description of a proper, Queensland dunny. Fortunately, the land on the Daintree River you “found” for Lee and I came with a rusty, ancient caravan and a dunny. So, no big deal; I kept eating my breakfast.
Milk run as a boy, Clerk in the Court of Petty Sessions, your first band, “The Hornets”, Justice of the Peace, dogsbody, wine waiter, junior office clerk, car salesman, used car salesman, wedding celebrant and it is about here, I stopped trying to keep track of all the jobs and professions you passed through.
Boats, planes, scuba tanks and trains taking you from ocean depths to countries around the world. Parties, study, mysterious parentage, romance, dips into nudity (drink inspired of course), perfectly placed profanity (oh, I loved that one) all make for an enjoyable read as you pass through an ever expanding, colourful life.
"…Passing Through" is an enjoyable, wonderful read of a life lived with a sense of humour, intelligence and courage. And anyone who may think the life of a lawyer is rather boring, think again!
Janet Lafferty
Cairns, Australia
No, Darryl, you certainly didn’t bore the pants off me. However, I was enjoying breakfast while reading your description of a proper, Queensland dunny. Fortunately, the land on the Daintree River you “found” for Lee and I came with a rusty, ancient caravan and a dunny. So, no big deal; I kept eating my breakfast.
Milk run as a boy, Clerk in the Court of Petty Sessions, your first band, “The Hornets”, Justice of the Peace, dogsbody, wine waiter, junior office clerk, car salesman, used car salesman, wedding celebrant and it is about here, I stopped trying to keep track of all the jobs and professions you passed through.
Boats, planes, scuba tanks and trains taking you from ocean depths to countries around the world. Parties, study, mysterious parentage, romance, dips into nudity (drink inspired of course), perfectly placed profanity (oh, I loved that one) all make for an enjoyable read as you pass through an ever expanding, colourful life.
"…Passing Through" is an enjoyable, wonderful read of a life lived with a sense of humour, intelligence and courage. And anyone who may think the life of a lawyer is rather boring, think again!
Janet Lafferty
Cairns, Australia
September 9, 2020
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Text of a recent interview of me as an author:
Q. Tell us a little about yourself and your writing journey.
A. I began writing seriously in the early 1990s when I was living and working in London. Until then I had wished I could write but kept telling myself I couldn’t. Eventually I convinced myself I should at least try. I sat at my computer, wrote a title, then a line, then another line until I eventually had what could loosely be termed a novel, though after hawking it around for a while and getting the inevitable comments from agents and publishers, I binned it. When I started on my next book, The Election, I’d learned a lot from my experience of the first. It ended up, I think, being a great story but I still couldn’t get published. Years later, I decided to self-publish that novel. I secured a publisher for my second novel, Calvus and upon the demise of that publisher I found another one which published my next three novels, Agnus Dei, Sleeping With Angels and A Dragon In The Snow. Not satisfied with the marketing side of what these publishers were doing for me, I decided to return to self-publishing. My sixth novel, Bounty was published last year. Earlier this year I published my memoir, …Passing Through… For the rest of 2020 I decided to spend a lot more time online marketing, though I am also writing a sequel to Calvus titled Zeno and, just for fun, I am trying my hand at writing a script for an eight-episode television series.
Q. What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
A. I love the research, perhaps a legacy of my 38 years as a lawyer. I also love the way it takes you away from your day to day problems and disappointments and deposits you in another place.
Q. What is the hardest thing about being a writer?
A. Marketing. There, I’ve said it – in a word.
Q What is your greatest writing achievement?
A. Being able to get seven books into print, one way or another. But I’d like to add that my latest novel, Bounty has been one of the most satisfying projects I have worked on. Most of it is set in countries I haven’t visited, namely Lebanon and Iran and it took years of research before I could pen to paper, as it were.
Q. What inspires you?
A. Things I’m passionate about. For example, Calvus is partially set in the first century in Roman times and I’m fascinated by the ancient Romans. I loved doing the research for the first half of the book which is set in what was then Judea and Britannia. Bounty came about because of my interest in the Middle East.
Q. In what genre do you write?
A. I break the rules a little and don’t always limit myself to the one genre. Given the “write what you know” rule, I should, perhaps, always write legal thrillers. I have in fact done so in Agnus Dei and Sleeping With Angels but The Election and Bounty are political thrillers, Calvus a historical thriller, A Dragon In The Snow a general thriller.
Q. Do you have any tips for new writers?
A. If they’re passionate about writing, they should never give up, no matter what comments they get from agents and publishers.
Q. Do you suffer from writers’ block?
A. No. I think that’s because I have various projects going at the same time so that if I run out of scenes for one, there’s something else I can be working on.
Q. Do you have a preferred writing schedule?
A. No.
Q. Do you have a favourite writing place?
A. I’m somewhat limited—I have to write at my computer in my home office.
Q. What is your greatest joy in writing?
A. Getting positive reviews and readers’ comments.
Q. Who is your favourite author and why?
A. I find it difficult to restrict myself to just one, given the myriad of great authors out there but the author whose books I believe I have read the most, is David Baldacci.
Q. What’s the greatest compliment you ever received from a reader?
A. “It’s absolute brilliant. It gripped me from the very beginning.” I love readers to tell me my book is a page-turner. That’s what I set out to write.
Q. What was the worst comment from a reader?
A. “Well, I have to say I enjoyed the read...” That was as much as I could get out of her and she was my literary agent at the time!
Q. Writers are sometimes influenced by things that happen in their own lives. Are you?
A. Yes.
Q. Other than writing, what else do you love?
A. Reading, cinema, theatre, music, walking.
Q. Describe your perfect day.
A. It would start with an e-mail telling me that Bounty had made Amazon’s best-seller list; then around lunch time I’d get offers to buy the foreign rights; around dinner time I’d get the call from Steven Spielberg!
Q. What would you say if you had the chance to speak to world leaders?
A. Give peace a go.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. I tend to take things one day at a time but I hope to keep writing for as long as I can.
Q. What five books would you take to Heaven?
A. (1) As A Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg (2) In The Company of Strangers by Awais Khan (3) Preying in Iran by Eric Weitz (4) Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (5) Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson.
Q. Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
A. Yes. Good and bad.
Q. Does the publishing industry frustrate you?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you ever think of quitting?
A. Yes but only for a nanosecond.
Q. What was your favourite manuscript to write? Why?
A. Bounty because of the enormous amount of research required.
Q. How would you define “success” as a writer?
A. Being able to live exclusively on your income as a writer.
Q. What should readers walk away from your books knowing? How should they feel?
A. How much blood, sweat and tears that has gone into writing them. Hopefully, they’d feel elated.
Q. How much thought goes into designing a book cover?
A. A considerable amount of thought went into designing the covers all my published novels, though I did not do the graphic artistry myself. I knew what I wanted and others brought my ideas to life.
Q. What is your ultimate dream?
A. To be a household name as a writer.
Q. Writing is one thing. What about marketing you, your books and your brand? Any thoughts?
A. Marketing is the most difficult thing about writing. I’ve heard it said that getting a book “out there” is 10% writing, 90% marketing. Getting your book onto Amazon’s site is one thing but making it stand out from millions of titles is another. I found that starting small, giving author talks at libraries and clubs was a good way to start. However, during the pandemic, that is limited so I am spending much more time online marketing via various social media sites.
Q. Tell us a little about yourself and your writing journey.
A. I began writing seriously in the early 1990s when I was living and working in London. Until then I had wished I could write but kept telling myself I couldn’t. Eventually I convinced myself I should at least try. I sat at my computer, wrote a title, then a line, then another line until I eventually had what could loosely be termed a novel, though after hawking it around for a while and getting the inevitable comments from agents and publishers, I binned it. When I started on my next book, The Election, I’d learned a lot from my experience of the first. It ended up, I think, being a great story but I still couldn’t get published. Years later, I decided to self-publish that novel. I secured a publisher for my second novel, Calvus and upon the demise of that publisher I found another one which published my next three novels, Agnus Dei, Sleeping With Angels and A Dragon In The Snow. Not satisfied with the marketing side of what these publishers were doing for me, I decided to return to self-publishing. My sixth novel, Bounty was published last year. Earlier this year I published my memoir, …Passing Through… For the rest of 2020 I decided to spend a lot more time online marketing, though I am also writing a sequel to Calvus titled Zeno and, just for fun, I am trying my hand at writing a script for an eight-episode television series.
Q. What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
A. I love the research, perhaps a legacy of my 38 years as a lawyer. I also love the way it takes you away from your day to day problems and disappointments and deposits you in another place.
Q. What is the hardest thing about being a writer?
A. Marketing. There, I’ve said it – in a word.
Q What is your greatest writing achievement?
A. Being able to get seven books into print, one way or another. But I’d like to add that my latest novel, Bounty has been one of the most satisfying projects I have worked on. Most of it is set in countries I haven’t visited, namely Lebanon and Iran and it took years of research before I could pen to paper, as it were.
Q. What inspires you?
A. Things I’m passionate about. For example, Calvus is partially set in the first century in Roman times and I’m fascinated by the ancient Romans. I loved doing the research for the first half of the book which is set in what was then Judea and Britannia. Bounty came about because of my interest in the Middle East.
Q. In what genre do you write?
A. I break the rules a little and don’t always limit myself to the one genre. Given the “write what you know” rule, I should, perhaps, always write legal thrillers. I have in fact done so in Agnus Dei and Sleeping With Angels but The Election and Bounty are political thrillers, Calvus a historical thriller, A Dragon In The Snow a general thriller.
Q. Do you have any tips for new writers?
A. If they’re passionate about writing, they should never give up, no matter what comments they get from agents and publishers.
Q. Do you suffer from writers’ block?
A. No. I think that’s because I have various projects going at the same time so that if I run out of scenes for one, there’s something else I can be working on.
Q. Do you have a preferred writing schedule?
A. No.
Q. Do you have a favourite writing place?
A. I’m somewhat limited—I have to write at my computer in my home office.
Q. What is your greatest joy in writing?
A. Getting positive reviews and readers’ comments.
Q. Who is your favourite author and why?
A. I find it difficult to restrict myself to just one, given the myriad of great authors out there but the author whose books I believe I have read the most, is David Baldacci.
Q. What’s the greatest compliment you ever received from a reader?
A. “It’s absolute brilliant. It gripped me from the very beginning.” I love readers to tell me my book is a page-turner. That’s what I set out to write.
Q. What was the worst comment from a reader?
A. “Well, I have to say I enjoyed the read...” That was as much as I could get out of her and she was my literary agent at the time!
Q. Writers are sometimes influenced by things that happen in their own lives. Are you?
A. Yes.
Q. Other than writing, what else do you love?
A. Reading, cinema, theatre, music, walking.
Q. Describe your perfect day.
A. It would start with an e-mail telling me that Bounty had made Amazon’s best-seller list; then around lunch time I’d get offers to buy the foreign rights; around dinner time I’d get the call from Steven Spielberg!
Q. What would you say if you had the chance to speak to world leaders?
A. Give peace a go.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. I tend to take things one day at a time but I hope to keep writing for as long as I can.
Q. What five books would you take to Heaven?
A. (1) As A Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg (2) In The Company of Strangers by Awais Khan (3) Preying in Iran by Eric Weitz (4) Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (5) Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson.
Q. Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
A. Yes. Good and bad.
Q. Does the publishing industry frustrate you?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you ever think of quitting?
A. Yes but only for a nanosecond.
Q. What was your favourite manuscript to write? Why?
A. Bounty because of the enormous amount of research required.
Q. How would you define “success” as a writer?
A. Being able to live exclusively on your income as a writer.
Q. What should readers walk away from your books knowing? How should they feel?
A. How much blood, sweat and tears that has gone into writing them. Hopefully, they’d feel elated.
Q. How much thought goes into designing a book cover?
A. A considerable amount of thought went into designing the covers all my published novels, though I did not do the graphic artistry myself. I knew what I wanted and others brought my ideas to life.
Q. What is your ultimate dream?
A. To be a household name as a writer.
Q. Writing is one thing. What about marketing you, your books and your brand? Any thoughts?
A. Marketing is the most difficult thing about writing. I’ve heard it said that getting a book “out there” is 10% writing, 90% marketing. Getting your book onto Amazon’s site is one thing but making it stand out from millions of titles is another. I found that starting small, giving author talks at libraries and clubs was a good way to start. However, during the pandemic, that is limited so I am spending much more time online marketing via various social media sites.
August 23, 2020
NEW REVIEW FOR "A DRAGON IN THE SNOW"
Just received a positive review for my novel, "A Dragon In The Snow":
A couple in a cabin with no TV, radio or any gadgets, all set for their romantic getaway to know each other better. Subsequently, they discover there is a prisoner on the loose who may actually kill them. Whoa, I can’t breathe! A Dragon In The Snow delivers thrilling scenes throughout, both psychological and physical. Once you start reading, you don’t want to stop. Author, Darryl Greer is ideal for this type of thriller. It has a great plot and is engaging throughout.
Lou Richards
Philippines
A couple in a cabin with no TV, radio or any gadgets, all set for their romantic getaway to know each other better. Subsequently, they discover there is a prisoner on the loose who may actually kill them. Whoa, I can’t breathe! A Dragon In The Snow delivers thrilling scenes throughout, both psychological and physical. Once you start reading, you don’t want to stop. Author, Darryl Greer is ideal for this type of thriller. It has a great plot and is engaging throughout.
Lou Richards
Philippines
August 9, 2020
A NEW REVIEW FOR BOUNTY
Another great review for my novel, "Bounty":
"Bounty" is masterly constructed with the primary context, disturbances in the Middle East and a young, ambitious and intelligent boy’s fight for a better life. At first, I did not know what to expect but author, Darryl Greer’s skill kept me entertained and engrossed right to the end. Some of the books I’ve read before have been pretty much predictable but I was never able to guess how "Bounty" was going to end. I was kept guessing, captivated and determined to finish right from the start. With a story that does not stray far from reality, the characters seem real. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy suspense, with a highly satisfying ending.
"Bounty" is masterly constructed with the primary context, disturbances in the Middle East and a young, ambitious and intelligent boy’s fight for a better life. At first, I did not know what to expect but author, Darryl Greer’s skill kept me entertained and engrossed right to the end. Some of the books I’ve read before have been pretty much predictable but I was never able to guess how "Bounty" was going to end. I was kept guessing, captivated and determined to finish right from the start. With a story that does not stray far from reality, the characters seem real. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy suspense, with a highly satisfying ending.
August 2, 2020
A NEW REVIEW FOR "...PASSING THROUGH..."
I've received another favourable review of my memoir, "...Passing Through...":
Darryl Greer’s memoir, "…Passing Through…" is an honest and exciting story about the author – his humility, his triumphs. The writer’s life is not your typical feel-good story but I can guarantee that you will still feel good after reading this book. I can truly relate to the author’s youth. He didn’t quite enjoy school but was fortunate enough to select courses that would set him up in his career as a bureaucrat and consequently, a lawyer. He wanted to experience life by constantly moving and doing various jobs. He spent some of his youth in a band and had fun doing so even though they were not successful. In a nutshell, I thought that the author wanted to send a message that you should live your life unapologetically and he emphasised that whatever good that comes our way, we are surely lucky.
Darryl Greer’s memoir, "…Passing Through…" is an honest and exciting story about the author – his humility, his triumphs. The writer’s life is not your typical feel-good story but I can guarantee that you will still feel good after reading this book. I can truly relate to the author’s youth. He didn’t quite enjoy school but was fortunate enough to select courses that would set him up in his career as a bureaucrat and consequently, a lawyer. He wanted to experience life by constantly moving and doing various jobs. He spent some of his youth in a band and had fun doing so even though they were not successful. In a nutshell, I thought that the author wanted to send a message that you should live your life unapologetically and he emphasised that whatever good that comes our way, we are surely lucky.
July 29, 2020
THE ELECTION
Opening paragraph of my first novel, "The Election":
one
Kokoda Track, New Guinea – Wednesday, 23
September, 1942 – 1410 hrs.
Robbo reached for his bayonet and slid it from its scabbard.
He stared at the cold steel – its shape, its artistry – as though
about to intone a prayer before executing his next move. A
moment was all he needed to contemplate how he’d come
to know this instrument of war. He was a member of the
Australian Militia – a conscript – known to regular soldiers
and to the public as a chocolate soldier, a chocko; not a
real soldier, just a kid from Cairns who, a few months ago,
was wondering what he was going to do with his life. Now,
at nineteen, he knew what he’d be doing in his foreseeable
future. A single rain drop slid from the jungle canopy and
plopped onto his bayonet, causing him to blink. There was
something slightly sensual about the sight of the small drop
gliding down the smooth surface of the weapon. It was a
weapon, wasn’t it? Even though he’d found many uses for
it: shaving, opening ration tins, cleaning his finger nails.
And that other use. Only a couple of years ago, there’d be
a slight hesitation – a freeze-frame moment – when he’d
wonder whether what he was about to do might cause
someone a serious injury, before tackling an opposition
team member on the football field. The opposing side was
different now, a lot more than a tackle was required. More
than once, the bayonet had got him out of trouble. It wasn’t
long before he understood what his sergeant had meant
when he’d told them during boot camp that the most feared
command they would ever hear, the single order that would
send an electric shiver of fear down his spine was ‘Fix
bayonets!’
Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Election-Darry...
https://www.amazon.com.au/Election-Da...
one
Kokoda Track, New Guinea – Wednesday, 23
September, 1942 – 1410 hrs.
Robbo reached for his bayonet and slid it from its scabbard.
He stared at the cold steel – its shape, its artistry – as though
about to intone a prayer before executing his next move. A
moment was all he needed to contemplate how he’d come
to know this instrument of war. He was a member of the
Australian Militia – a conscript – known to regular soldiers
and to the public as a chocolate soldier, a chocko; not a
real soldier, just a kid from Cairns who, a few months ago,
was wondering what he was going to do with his life. Now,
at nineteen, he knew what he’d be doing in his foreseeable
future. A single rain drop slid from the jungle canopy and
plopped onto his bayonet, causing him to blink. There was
something slightly sensual about the sight of the small drop
gliding down the smooth surface of the weapon. It was a
weapon, wasn’t it? Even though he’d found many uses for
it: shaving, opening ration tins, cleaning his finger nails.
And that other use. Only a couple of years ago, there’d be
a slight hesitation – a freeze-frame moment – when he’d
wonder whether what he was about to do might cause
someone a serious injury, before tackling an opposition
team member on the football field. The opposing side was
different now, a lot more than a tackle was required. More
than once, the bayonet had got him out of trouble. It wasn’t
long before he understood what his sergeant had meant
when he’d told them during boot camp that the most feared
command they would ever hear, the single order that would
send an electric shiver of fear down his spine was ‘Fix
bayonets!’
Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Election-Darry...
https://www.amazon.com.au/Election-Da...
July 26, 2020
SLEEPING WITH ANGELS
Another great review for my novel, "Sleeping With Angels":
"Sleeping With Angels" by Darryl Greer is highly recommended for fans of the murder mystery genre. This legal thriller is set in Queensland, Australia – the author is Australian. His writing style works great for a mystery novel. It had me guessing all throughout the book – who did it? How did they do it? Why did they do it? Such an enjoyable piece of literature which I had difficulty putting down because I just had to know. Each strand of evidence is carefully crafted to leave a little bit of mystery and each plotline contributes to the overall story. A well-developed cast of characters that really makes you ask, “Who did it?” Not only an entertaining book but it might also improve a person’s deductive reasoning.
Alice’s Reviews
"Sleeping With Angels" by Darryl Greer is highly recommended for fans of the murder mystery genre. This legal thriller is set in Queensland, Australia – the author is Australian. His writing style works great for a mystery novel. It had me guessing all throughout the book – who did it? How did they do it? Why did they do it? Such an enjoyable piece of literature which I had difficulty putting down because I just had to know. Each strand of evidence is carefully crafted to leave a little bit of mystery and each plotline contributes to the overall story. A well-developed cast of characters that really makes you ask, “Who did it?” Not only an entertaining book but it might also improve a person’s deductive reasoning.
Alice’s Reviews
