Nigel Bird's Blog, page 2

July 20, 2025

CUT AND CARRIED by NIGEL BIRD



It may seem that my rate of writing has slowed over time, and for a while that was the case. Truth is, I've been as hard at it over the last couple of years as I ever have. Well almost.

I've written three novellas in collaboration and they've involved a lot of effort. I think they're as good as anything I've written, partly because my writing partner is so bloody good and I have to raise my game. Those books may well see the light of day in the next year, but they also may not. The timing isn't important to me, but I'm excited about their release whenever that happens to be. 

Meantime, I've been working on a novella of my own. 

Cut and Carried is a noir farce populated by pantomime villains. It was a lot of fun to write and, I'm hoping, will be a lot of fun to read. For those who follow my work, I'd say it's closer to Mr Suit that anything else I've put out. 

It sort of goes like this:

March 11th is a special day.
Frank is leaving prison on compassionate leave to attend his daughter’s wedding.
Sam and Lorraine are getting married to allow Frank to escape, only the registry office have no record of their booking.
Ruud and Betty have stolen Sam and Lorraine’s ceremony to avenge past misdemeanours.
And the last time Alfred handled a gun, he was serving his country. He hasn’t had this much fun in years.
Cut and Carried is a stylish noir farce that will leave readers, and many of the protagonists, in stitches.

It's available as a paperback and in kindle and if you'd like to have a read, then follow this link. If you do, many thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy it. 

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Published on July 20, 2025 02:42

July 11, 2025

One Man's Opinion: THE SEX CLUB by LJ SELLERS

 


A variety of ingredients in this detective novel. Jackson's the police officer working the case of a murdered girl who has been involved in a range of sexual activities. Kera works at the family clinic supporting young women with their sexual health. The mayor, who happens to have a second apartment that may or may not be used for a range of underhand activities. The pipe bomber is an anti-abortionsist lune who speaks to God and hears their answers and who has it in for Kera. And the children, all belonging to a wholesome church group that enjoys pushing boundaries as far as they can manage. 

This one layers up nicely. Told from a range of perspectives and including a number of swerves, it's definitely one that holds the attention.

The Sex Club is a pretty good series starter that I reckon would make an ideal beach read if that's where you're taking your holiday.   

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Published on July 11, 2025 03:37

June 20, 2025

TAKING A LINE FOR A WALK

 


THE MUSIC LIBERATION FRONT SWEDEN meets TAKING A LINE FOR A WALK as narrated by the talented GEOFF BIRD .
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Published on June 20, 2025 12:35

June 13, 2025

One Man's Opinion: THE TURNOUT by MEGAN ABBOTT


It's been a while since I last posted a review. The reason for that is Megan Abbott. 
Reading The Turnout is akin to eating a rich chocolate cake as it's impossible to devour it at pace. The book feels so delicate and so intrusive that I enjoyed it most when I had time to savour only a few pages in a sitting. Each paragraph seems to have been carefully constructed and is packed with nuance or meaning or intense description, with distinct rhythms and careful observations, often packing a small punch to round off. 
There's a sense of increasing claustrophobia as newly built walls close in, the air stifling and the heat becoming unbearable. It's almost the opposite of the boiling frog thing- as the temperature rises it just gets hotter and hotter until it's excruciating.
Dara and Marie run a ballet school along with Dara's husband, Charlie. These guys form the threesome at the centre of the piece. They're building up to the annual performance of The Nutcracker when a fire puts the show in doubt. In steps a local builder who has a way with women, a kind of hypnotic power that is all-controlling and consuming. When Marie falls under his spell, the suffocation begins, a slow strangulation of the trio's lives, exposing their pasts and present all the way to the bone.   
This being Megan Abbott, there's a real sense of the sinister throughout and, because this is often only suggested or hinted at, it's like the pages are full of ghosts. To stretch the rich cake idea, this one is made from the darkest chocolate.   
It's a real achievement and I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of forcing myself to read on to find out what would happen when part of me wanted to put the story on hold because I couldn't cope with the increasing tension.
If your bag is fast-paced action or page-turning thrills, this may not be for you. If you like a slow-burning novel of intimate depths and delicate phrasing, one that sucks the air from the room as you go, then jump right in. 
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Published on June 13, 2025 06:42

May 19, 2025

One Man's Opinion: THE UNDERSTUDY by DAVID NICHOLLS

 


When you've just read and loved a book, it often makes sense to follow it up by another by the same author, which is why I plumped for The Understudy as my most recent read. Starter For Ten really hooked me and I was happy to to along with it wherever it went. Another Nicholls had to be worth a punt. 

This one, as the title suggests, follows the ups and downs of the understudy (Stephen C McQueen) to one of the hottest properties of screen and stage, Josh Harper. It's a gig for McQueen, but clearly not the one he wants. What would suit him better would be for some disaster to befall Harper so that the break that he so deserves will finally arrive. McQueen will be able to show those who matter to him (ex wife and daughter) that he hasn't been deluded when thinking he will make it as an actor some day. 

The plot thickens when Josh invites Stephen along to a party. Of course, it's all a big misunderstanding and things don't go quite as Stephen hoped. On the plus side, however, he gets to meet Josh's wife and finally manages to feel connected to another human being in a meaningful way. 

Oh the roller coaster ride that follows. The twists and the turns. The comic moments and the hilarious scenes. There's a lot of fun to be had, that's for sure. Only it's not as engaging as Starter For Ten. Some of the situations seem forced. There are elements of predictability. It's not easy to like the central characters (inlcluding Stephen himself). When the thumbscrews were really tightened, it wasn't quite as cut and dried as I would have liked, which left me feeling ambiguous about the possible outcomes. Many of the film and actor references were too easy and instead of gliding through the gears there was more cruching and swerving. There were also too many appearances of the word effeminate for my taste, which wasn't helped by reading the two books back-to-back- it's a great word, but it felt like there was an axe to grind or something and it just bugged me. 

I enjoyed it,I did. But that's as far as it went. I'll go back for more, I know I will, as One Day awaits in the wings. It won't be for a while, though, as I've learned my lesson on that front. 

  


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Published on May 19, 2025 09:58

May 11, 2025

Something To Write Home About: THE MUSIC LIBERATION FRONT SWEDEN



I've always been fond of the story Sleeping With The Fishes, something I penned a good few years ago now. Very kindly, and without prompting, my brother Geoff recorded a version of it and left it out there so anyone could give it a listen (given that he's a top radio producer of quite some repute, that was a lovely gesture). And today I was sent a link to this new twist, put together by The Music Liberation Front Sweden. 

The story now comes with musical accompaniment, thanks to a splendid composition that successfully accentuates the mood of the tale. 

I'd urge you to go and check it out over here and give it a free listen at Bandcamp. I hope you enjoy the story, the narration or the music (any one out of the three means your time won't have been wasted).

Many thanks for trying.  

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Published on May 11, 2025 13:58

May 5, 2025

One Man's Opinion: STARTER FOR TEN by DAVID NICHOLLS


It's a snooker final day, so the University Challenge final has been knocked back from its rightful place until next Monday, which is okay by me as it simply delays the fun. 
I'm not an addict, but I'm a fairly avid watcher. Not that I can answer many of the questions. I tune in to marvel at the capacity of human minds and to enjoy the tension, pleasure and pain that comes with any competetive event that I care about. 
This year, it's easy to place my allegiance. From the off, I've been in the Anyone-But-Warwick camp, mostly on the grounds that Hart and Siddle take the most ungainly buzzer positions and partly because of that Hart's silver crucifix. He's a very clever guy, mind, so hats off really when all's said and done. 
None of which explains my choice of reading for the start of my holiday. Without the usual lineup on my home shelves, I picked out Starter For Ten as it's been catching my eye for a while now. Mostly, I've been avoiding it because of its size. Now, I'm delighted that I finally took the plunge. 
It's a coming of age story in the main, disecting the trials and tribulations of a young teenager moving away to university and attempting to navigate the pitfalls of growing up in a minefield of self-awareness and self-loathing. 
Brian is our main man. His dad is dead, his background is simple, his skin is acne-riddled, his muscles small, complexion pale, hair a mystery, dependence on alcolhol higher than it should be, self-doubt huge, ability to concentrate poor and his love for Alice way out of proportion. 
In a series of short chapters and extreme misadventures, we follow Bri through excruciting experiences, a mess of emotional roller coaster rides that suggest a law of nature that for every up there's a significant down and that for every significant down there's a pile of guilt and misery attached. 
He's aiming to get into the university challenge team, to become a great poet and to win Alice's heart. Not that Alice is a suitable partner. Rebecca might be a better match, or Lucy even. Which is all part of the fun. 
As well as the tangled knot of romance, there are complications with his family life and the world that he's moved away from. At first glance, he appears to have outgrown his old mates, but when Spencer turns up and brings his anger and contempt for the snobbery he encounters, it's not so clear what direction their friendship will take. 
I started this on Friday night and finished it on Sunday. Strangely, I can't recall reading it all that much and I've done plenty of other things besides. I think that's an indication of how much pleasure I got from the book. Lots of laugh out loud moments, some wonderful set pieces of embarassement and madness. the romantic drama and the whole University Challenge thing, it was an absolute delight. 
Nicholls writes with a pleasingly simple style that suggests novels just pour from an author's mind. Pick this one apart, though, and there's a complex structure framing the multi-faceted characters in which each move and step is deftly taken. Great entertainment and stimulation. The perfect way to pass time before the UC final. Lovely stuff. 
 
 
 

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Published on May 05, 2025 01:35

May 4, 2025

One Man's Opinion: SAVAGE SEASON by JOE LANSDALE

 





This one's a really intersting one for me. Going back in time, I read a string of Hap and Leonard books and absolutely loved them. The characters and the levels of connection I felt with them, as well as the tight action, had me riveted to the pages. 
I recently decided that I should check out the first book in the Hap and Leonard series, Savage Season, drawn in just like I was with Mucho Mojo et al with its crazy cartoon cover and twisted font when I saw it on the shelf. 
Hap and Leonard are going about their business and just about keeping their heads above water, when in walks Trudy. Trudy's an ex of Hap's and his huge attraction to her and the memories he holds of their relationship are his own form of Kryptonite. Back when they were an item, they were idealistic youngsters hoping to change the world by any means necessary. 
As it turns out, Trudy's re-appearance is no accident. She's after Hap to find some money for her. It's stolen money and it's likely to be at the bottom of a river somewhere, but if he can locate it, he'll get a cut and that will be the end of it. 
Hap deals Leonard in and the pair set off with a set of diving equipment on a hiding to nothing. 
Which is when they meet the rest of Trudy's team, a bunch of revolutionaries who never grew out of their ideals and didn't manage to come to much of anything between them. Their plan is to retrieve the money to fund an operation that they hope will bring meaning to their empty lives. 
The chemistry of the group is odd and Hap and Leonard's addition sets off a set of reactions that create a whole lot of friction.
The funny thing about Savage Season is that, if I'd actually started with this book, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have moved on to any of the others. For me, it lacks energy for too long. The first half is slow and lacks interest. It picks up as the search for the money finally gets underway and definitely kicks off in an exciting way for an explosive final fifth, but it's not quite enough of a payoff. 
I'm not sure whether the book doens't measure up to the others because I've changed or because the books got better as Mr Lansdale got to know his creations, or whether I'm simply wrong, so I'd be interested to hear what you think. Let me know in the comments. 

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Published on May 04, 2025 09:24

April 1, 2025

One Man's Opinion: TRICKS by ED McBAIN

 


Tricks is has so many threads it's amazing that it never once gets tangled up in itself. 

As usual, the title has multiple meanings. There's the murder of a magician who has been cut up and disposed of about the city, the trick-or-treaters who are robbing stores and there are the tricks of the sex workers who hang round in a bar where two of their colleagues have recently been murdered. There are some elements of sleight of hand to go along with it and many aspects of the characters and plot are not what they seem (Hawes is pulling the wool over the eyes of his cop partner and Parker is somehow making himself popular as he pursues an attractive woman from a previous case). 

Though the dead magician story feels like the main player, it's outdone by the police casualties in the robbery case, which is further trumped by Annie and Eileen who are reunited in the undercover world of prostitution as they try to get their man (this has enough to fill a novel all by itself). 

Tricks is an excellent example of the multiple case procedural. With so many plates spinning at once and so many characters involved, it's amazing that McBain keeps them all in the air with apparent ease. To me, it's a masterclass of the genre, with depth, pacing, intrigue, humour, tension and satisfaction perfectly balanced. A wonderful piece of fiction.


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Published on April 01, 2025 08:01

March 24, 2025

One Man's Opinion: TRUE GRIT by CHARLES PORTIS

 


In case it's of interest, I struggled to find a book cover with Mattie Ross and felt that she deserved top billing, so here's a shot from a movie promotion. 

True Grit might easily have been named True Grip, as it's fair to say I was glued throughout. It's one of those stories where twenty minutes can pass and you suddenly realise that you've been so totally absorbed in the book that whatever has been going on around you has been totally missed. I surprised myself at one point when I looked up to find that I was on a bus rather than eating biscuits by a camp fire (I kid you not). 

Mattie Ross narrates this tale. She's a young teenager seeking revenge for the murder of her father. She manages to punch way above her weight by using her intelligence, education and stubborness to get things to happen. 

While dealing with her father's body, she spends time in a courtroom, boards in a shared room at the back of her lodgings, witnesses a hanging and forces a serious business man into giving her what she is owed. She also encounters two men who are in the business of tracking down criminals and bringing them to trial. There's Rooster Cogburn, a rough-around-the-edges-and-in-the-middle civil war vet turned marshal and LaBoeuf, a meaty and mean Texas Ranger who only has eyes for the bounty prize he's chasing. 

Mattie persuades Cogburn and LaBoeuf to take her along as they hunt down her father's killer, though neither of them is keen and both try to do everything they can to dissuade/lose her. 

Mattie isn't for giving up and she's soon tracking with her adult employees, finding herself in the midst of no end of dangerous and exciting adventures. 

I got so much pleasure from following the journey that the occasional flinch due to out-dated language was overcome and the slighlty stilted dialogue where contractions don't appear anywhere did little but nudge me from my stride. The narration style is perfect and Mattie's character is complex and outspoken. 

Definitely one to read whether you've seen the movies or not. 



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Published on March 24, 2025 09:13