Book Review: Hunter's Christmas and Other Stories

 

Happy New Year. Christmas is over, but some places might still have their decorations up while the supermarkets already have Easter eggs on the shelves. Anyway, to simulate the retail sector's long Christmas period, I'm going to look at Val Penny's latest book; Hunter's Christmas and Other Stories. This review is part of a Reading Between the Lines Blog Tour by Lindsey Adams.

Blurb

DI Hunter Wilson is looking forward to spending a holiday in India with his girlfriend Dr Meera Sharma, away from the cold, wet winter of Edinburgh. He looks to share his happiness with others when he is attacked by Santa Claus, he says. His team swing into action to catch his attackers but then receive information about an elf found dead in a car park and a car stolen by Mrs Claus. Are the crimes by these Christmas characters connected? Can Hunter’s team restore peace and good will to Christmas?

Hunter’s Christmas and Other Stories includes tales about DI Hunter Wilson and DS Jane Renwick along with those about new and different characters in this gripping collection of short stories especially for crime fiction readers.

Review

As always, Val Penny does a great job with her character dynamics. While Hunter's team investigate a series of brutal crimes, the snarky dialogue between them creates some great black comedy. A lot of this stems from how incredulous the detectives are that Hunter was attacked by Santa. In one example, DC Tim Myerscough gives Hunter an ice skating magazine as a joke, which Hunter is...not amused by. Speaking of which, Hunter himself becomes determined to close the case, despite having a broken wrist and leg. All in all, it's another great crime thriller in a city with a small town feel.

Of course, that's not the only story in the collection. I'll take the time to talk through some of my favourites:

• "The Bruntsfield Book Group" follows DS Jane Renwick and DC Rachael Anderson as they go to a highland lodge for an annual retreat organised by a book group Rachael's a member of. At the lodge, another member of the group - a former Lord Provost named Simon - is murdered. Stuck in the remote lodge in heavy snow without a mobile or WiFi signal, Jane learns that all the other members had an axe to grind with the victim. It's a classic murder mystery scenario, and really plays up the "asshole victim" trope with some truly poignant exposition.
• "In Plain Sight" follows a drama between four high school friends in Charlottesville over the span of eleven years: Jerome Sheriff, his fiancée Barbara "Babs" Potter, Andy Wright, and Andy's girlfriend Lillian. Kicked off by an incident between Andy and Jerome at a university graduation party hosted by Andy Wright's wealthy family, it later seems to be resolved when Babs is hired to design a new garden for Lillian (now Andy's wife), and Andy offers Jerome a highly lucrative job at his father's accounts firm. What follows lays bare the evils of capitalism, with workaholic culture destroying family life and even targeting integrity, all with the empty promise of wanting for nothing.
• "The Corpse in the Catacombs" provides a story with a weird element. Taking place in Paris and told from a first-person perspective, we follow Elise and her grandparents as they are visited by Elise's rude and impulsive cousin Cossette. During her stay, Cossette expresses a desire to see the Catacombs, but it's clear that she has no intention of visiting respectfully. It grows tense when she disappears, and the payoff is harsh.

There are plenty of other stories, some of which are part of Val's ongoing Hunter Wilson and Jane Renwick series, and some which are stories of their own. They're not all Christmas stories (so I don't feel too silly about posting this in January), but they certainly do have their fair share of gruesome moments. All in all, I thoroughly recommend it.

Hunter's Christmas and Other Stories is available from Amazon here.

About the Author

Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store. 

Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd.

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.

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Happy writing.

Wrapping up 2023

 

Buckling swashes and shivering timbers.

Well, it's once again around the sun and time for me to take stock of the happenings of this past year. Suffice to say, it's been kind of rough.

A lot of my writing this year has been ghostwriting commissions, including a novelette, a couple of flash fictions, and a full-length novel. But I've paused my gig on Fiverr in response to the platform facing boycotts over Palestine. It's been a while since I've taken projects through UpWork, but I think it's time to jump on that again.

Furthermore, I expanded into writing for roleplaying games, serving as a co-writer for a 5e-compatible adventure based on Calke Abbey. This is part of a project to write a series of adventures set in National Trust sites, and I hope it takes off because I'm interesting in seeing where else I can take it. I'm actually going to be running a workshop on the subject at next year's Swanwick.

Of course, I didn't just do gig projects. I published another Kestrel and Scar story, The Homecoming at the end of October. I'm now looking at other story ideas for my favourite troublemakers, while also looking at compiling the three stories I've written so far into a single book for a physical release.

There has been some trouble too. I left Twitter at the end of November, which has become too much of a mess. Most of the likes my posts were getting ended up being from bots, and most of my friends already jumped ship. Fortunately, you can find me on Bluesky now.

Well, that’s about it. I’m still alive, and I’ll see you in the New Year.

Happy writing.

Book Review - Topaz

 
Spying for this government is not a job I'd want to take, especially right out of Sixth Form.

Nonetheless, that is the situation for our protagonist in Topaz, a spy thriller by Richard Robinson. This review was done as part of a Reading Between the Lines blog tour organised by Lynsey Adams.

Blurb

It’s the summer of 1995. The US Peace Envoy, Fred Martinson, begins to broker a peace deal for Northern Ireland. The world holds its breath as the first tentative steps are taken. 

Jones, an 18-year-old from suburban England, has stumbled through education and yearns to be a football reporter. He is offered a place at Milton College, a former secretarial school with a clandestine partnership with GCHQ in seeking the communication stars of the future.

Before he knows it, Jones has been recruited, paired with Jenny Richmond, who is every bit his equal, and sent to Northern Ireland to undertake skills development and resilience testing with the Young Communicators Unit (YCU).

Training becomes a matter of life and death when a group of trainee spies learning on the job are betrayed to their death, and their most promising member, Isadora Brown, is taken hostage. MI5 and YCU are sent a video of her reading demands by a mysterious organisation called Red Line.

What if a group of young trainees were forced onto the frontline to deal with one of the most sensitive issues in UK history? What if political relations were so sensitive at the end of The Cold War, that only a group of deniable students could change history and keep super powers from ruining the first steps of a peace deal in Northern Ireland?

It’s a race against the clock to find and free Isadora, and make sure the US peace talks aren’t sent up in flames.

But who, exactly, is betraying who?

Review

Topaz was a gripping read which I couldn't put down.

Jones makes for an interesting protagonist who was recruited for his tendency to make friends in pubs and doesn't seem to know what he wants to do with his life. The first chapter has him working a summer job as a labourer after finishing his A Levels, which also reveals that he's afraid of heights. It's mentioned that he barely revised and was pressured by his parents into applying to university, only for his grades to dash that.  As someone who had a rough time with A Levels (to the point that it put me off going to uni for six years), I can relate to that situation, and it made me want to follow his journey. His uncanny ability to stumble through things seems reminiscent of Richard Hannay.

The other characters are great too: Jenny Richmond is introduced as a consummate professional in stark contrast to the more laid-back Jones, but they quickly develop a strong working relationship. Isadora also gets some moments to shine as she thinks on her feet. We also have Orla Massey, the local police inspector who is often at odds with the intelligence services (especially Jones' handler Virginia Curry).

While there are some aspects of mass surveillance which really do not sit well with me, this is nonetheless a great story with a sense of mystery and intrigue that drew me in.

Topaz is available from Amazon here.

About the Author

Richard lives in East Anglia with his wife and two daughters. He is a trained journalist and spent his early years freelancing or in agency positions across the UK, including a stint in Northern Ireland in the mid-1990s. He then transferred to the third sector, working in charities focusing on issues as diverse as international development (in India and Bangladesh), air ambulance operations, music and the creative industries, mental health and homelessness. He also acted as Chief Executive of the Olympic Park charity during London 2012.

He is currently the CEO of Hourglass, the UK’s only charity focused on ending the abuse and neglect of older people, a job he applied for after a family experience of neglect. 

Richard wrote his first novel in the early 2000s but this has yet to see the light of day. Instead, he started with a new idea in 2020 and Topaz was born. He has written two more in the Topaz Files series, Wild Flowers and The Mainstay, which are expected to be published in 2024. 

He is also happily in the dugout for Boxford Rovers F.C. on a Saturday, a committed cratedigger (vinyl collector) and can occasionally be seen in the stands at Loftus Road and Windsor Park.

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Happy writing.

The Homecoming and Future Plans

Well, it's Bonfire Night. And I'm disappointed that V for Vendetta isn't on Netflix UK at the time of writing (although that's getting scarily more real by the day). Anyway, while dealing with the existential dread of my 30s, I was able to publish Kestrel and Scar's next adventure.

The Homecoming follows my wandering rogues as they travel to England with Rosanna Barclay, so they can part ways with them and start a new life. Unfortunately, they have an encounter with some old enemies, Scar is seriously wounded, and they have to take him to a doctor. Said doctor happens to be Kestrel's father, who disowned him ten years ago. As his mate recovers, Kestrel is forced to deal with the mistakes he made so long ago.

I originally started this story in 2019 for one of my second year university modules, and it kind of sat unfinished after the initial submission. After I finished The Pirate King last year, I decided to blow the dust off this story and have it serve as a conclusion to the so-called "Rosanna Barclay Trilogy" (alongside Gentlemen of Fortune and The Pirate King).

What's next? Well, one thing I will do is re-work those three stories and make them into a single book for a physical release (my last two stories were e-book only, since Amazon's paperback cover formatting was such a pain to wrangle). I hope to have that ready for the book shop at Swanwick next year.

As for other stories? I'll think of something. I want to do more stories with Kestrel and Scar, and I have some ideas for a couple that take place before this particular trilogy. Only time will tell.

For now, I'm going to have a rest. Meanwhile, The Homecoming is available from Amazon as an e-book here.

Happy writin' me hearties!

Western Weekends: The Quick and the Dead

It's been a while since I've done a Western Weekend, but I've been running Deadlands and kind of have it on the mind. Also, there's some déjà vu in this. Anyway, The Quick and the Dead is a Western film released in 1995, directed by Sam Raimi and featuring an ensemble cast (including Russell Crowe in his first American film role).

Sharon Stone plays a mysterious drifter known only as "The Lady", who travels to the frontier town of Redemption to take part in a quick draw tournament with a substantial cash prize. The tournament is organised by John Herod, the town's self-appointed mayor and a ruthless extortionist, played by Gene Hackman. Of course, they're not the only people competing in the tournament:

• Leonardo DiCaprio plays Fee "The Kid" Herod, a local gunsmith who's quick on the draw and popular with the townsfolk. Believing that Herod is his father, he joins the tournament in order to win his respect.
• Russell Crowe plays Cort, a former member of Herod's gang who has since renounced violence and become a preacher. He's been kidnapped by Herod and forced to compete, almost getting lynched when he initially refuses. He nonetheless provides some helpful advice to The Lady.
• Lance Henrikson plays Ace Hanlon, a talented trick-shooter known far and wide as "The Terror of Tucson". He carries a special deck of cards with an ace for each person he's killed.
• Keith David plays Sergeant Clay Cantrell, a gentleman adventurer with his own hidden purpose in Redemption. It's later revealed he's been hired by the townspeople to kill Herod.
• Other gunfighters include Spotted Horse, a Native American gunfighter who claims he can't be killed; Gutzen, the "Swedish champion" whom nobody takes seriously; Scars, a convict with a talent for escaping from prison; and Eugene Dred, a local tough who has an unhealthy obsession (this does result in an off-screen incident of SA, so viewer discretion is advised).

Yeah, there's an eclectic mix of characters. Some of them, like Cantrell and Spotted Horse, made me want to know more about them. Others, like Eugene, made me want to see them get their comeuppance. 

Of course, we can't lose focus on The Lady. She insists that she's in it for the money, but it's clear that she has a history with Herod. She gets some badass moments, including shooting the noose when Herod's men attempt to lynch Cort, right after she signs up for the contest and is ridiculed for it. At the same time, she is genuinely afraid of Herod. She overcomes her fear, yet she still shows that there's fear to overcome. She soon finds allies in a blind shoe-shine boy and the town doctor who seems to recognise her.

One notable scene involves Herod's first duel against Ace Hanlon, in which he reveals that the Terror of Tucson might be a talented trick-shooter, but his famous gunfights are not exaggerations but outright fabrications. I've been drawing parallels to Unforgiven, which also starred Gene Hackman, where he exposed another fake gunfighter played by Richard Harris. In Unforgiven, he tells a biographer that his subject's most famous gunfight was not a showdown at high noon, but occurred because his rival slept with someone he was sweet on, and he tried to shoot him in the back in a fit of drunken jealousy. The Quick and the Dead builds on this scenario, but takes it a step further: Ace had been claiming credit for killing somebody who had actually been killed by Herod. I wonder if there's a third film in which Gene Hackman exposes a fake gunfighter. It would be a cool hat trick.

The showdown between Herod and Ace also helps paint how bleak and cruel the world is presented in the film. As soon as Herod kills Ace, several townspeople go to loot his body. This also occurs when Herod kills Cantrell. In fact, I noticed in my recent viewing that Scars is wearing Cantrell's vest when he duels The Kid. Speaking of cruelty, Herod's henchmen subject Cort to all manner of abuse, with one even inviting his children to beat him up before his duel. Most of the townsfolk jeer him, but the argument could be made that it's to avoid losing face with Herod (who is actually afraid of Cort).

I must admit that the cinematography looks kind of silly at times. Especially a lot of shots that involve the camera suddenly zooming in on people's faces. I don't know if this is the actual term, but I call this the "extreme close up" based on its use in Wayne's World. I hear the term being said by Mike Myers, and just can't take it seriously. 

One notably over-the-top moment I can't help but laugh at is Cort's duel against Spotted Horse. Cort beats his opponent to the draw, but his shot doesn't kill. His rival gets back up and tries to shoot at him. As Herod had only given him one bullet (so he couldn't shoot his way out of town), he has to beg for another. The shoe-shine boy throws him a bullet, with Cort jumping up to catch it. I couldn't help but draw a parallel with a similar shot in Raimi's earlier film, Army of Darkness, with Ash leaping up to catch his chainsaw. In fact, the shots of Bruce Campbell and Russell Crowe leaping up are almost identical.

All-in-all, The Quick and the Dead was an enjoyable film which doesn't take itself too seriously. I found it on Netflix, and it's still on there at the time of writing. There's a great cast of characters, with some truly poignant moments.

Happy writing.

Hunter's Secret: A Q&A with Val Penny

Once again, I am delighted to be joined on the Writer's Block by author and fellow Swanwicker Val Penny. I'll be doing a Q&A, discussing writing while helping promote Val's latest book in her DI Hunter Wilson series.

Thank you for inviting me to your blog today, Andy. I am happy to have a chance to chat with your readers about writing, books and particularly my new crime thriller book, Hunter’s Secret.

1) Please introduce yourself and what you write. 

I have been writing and telling stories all my life. When I was a child, I used to make up stories for my little sister after our Mum put the light out and told us to go to sleep. Later, I wrote documents, contracts, and courses as part of my job, but my time was well accounted for, so I did not create any fiction.

However, I started writing as a career after I was treated for breast cancer and took early retirement. Who would have thought that something so devastating would lead to such an exciting new job? 

2) Please tell us about your latest book. 

My new book, is Hunter’s Secret. This is the fifth novel in my series of DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thrillers (although all my books can be read independently).

In this book, DI Hunter Wilson has a personal secret that he is trying to keep from his partner, Dr Meera Sharma as well as a professional secret he is trying to prevent his team learning about. Needless to say, the two clash and both Meera and members of his team get the wrong end of the stick.

3) What is your writing routine like? Do you have a set time or particular rituals?

I like to attend to ‘business’ such as replying to emails, updating my social media and promoting my work in the mornings and evenings. This leaves the afternoons for writing new work and editing pieces I have written. I have never been a morning person and writing is a wonderful job in that it allows me to use my schedule to suit my body clock.

 4) Are you more of a plotter or a pantser when it comes to writing?

Probably half and half! I draft the outlines of my stories, plots and sub plots but then sometimes my characters take off in unexpected directions and my books follow in a ‘seat of your pants’ kind of way!

 5) What's one piece of writing advice that has stuck with you? 

The most profound pieces of advice I was given was by fellow authors, Allison Symes and the late Peter Robinson. Allison said to me, ‘You better like the first book because you’ll be promoting it for the rest of your life.’ While Peter’s advice was, ‘Never give in to writer’s block. This is your job. Turn up for work and write gibberish if you must, until the story flows again.’

6) If your books were ever adapted to screen, who would you pick to play the main character(s)? 

I think about this a lot, probably when I should be writing and I can see James McAvoy being a convincing Hunter with the beautiful Sonam Kapoor as his Meera. Most clearly I see Chris Hemsworth as Tim Myerscough. I’ll let you know when this happens. 

7) Who is your favourite character to write?

I know parents aren’t meant to have favourites amongst their children and authors shouldn’t have amongst their characters, however, my favourite character must be Jamie Thomson. He is a would be big time criminal who is the worst thief in the world because he keeps getting caught. I use Jamie and his cousin Frankie to inject humour into my stories.

Thank you for joining us, Val. And I wish you all the best with Hunter's Secret.

The Blurb 

Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson is called to the scene of a murder. DCs Tim Myerscough and Bear Zewedu found a corpse, but when Hunter arrives it has disappeared, and all is not as it seems.

Hunter recalls the disappearance of a dead body thirty years earlier. The Major Incident Team is called in but sees no connection – it is too long ago. Hunter is determined to investigate the past and the present with the benefit of modern DNA testing.

Tim has other problems in his life. His father, Sir Peter Myerscough, is released from jail. He, too, remembers the earlier murder. There is no love lost between Hunter and Sir Peter. Will Hunter accept help from his nemesis to catch a killer?

Hunter’s own secret is exciting and crucial to his future. Will it change his life? And can he keep Edinburgh safe?

The Author

Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store. 

Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd. 

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat. 

Contact Details 

• Website
• Facebook Author Page
• The DI Hunter Wilson & Jane Renwick Thrillers Facebook Group
• Val's Book Bundle Facebook Group
• Xitter
• Goodreads
• Amazon
• Bookbub

Buy Links

• Hunter’s Chase
• Hunter’s Revenge
• Hunter’s Force
• The First Cut
• Hunter’s Blood
• Hunter’s Secret

Happy writing.

Book Review: A Gentle Nudge

It sometimes seems that short story collections don't always get the same fanfare as novels, which is a shame, because they're a lot easier to dip into and out of. This was the certainly the experience I got from Mason Bushell's A Gentle Nudge. This review was made as part of a Reading Between the Lines blog tour, organised by Lynsey Adams.

A Gentle Nudge is a collection of 34 short stories which revolve around small moments of kindness that end up changing the lives of the characters. Some of the stories involve a fantastical tone, while others are more down-to-earth, and they depict a variety of protagonists and situations.

With this being a collection, I don't have time to talk about all of the stories, but I'll talk about five of my favourites within the collection (in no particular order):

1. "Benny and the New Years' Fireworks" centres around the eponymous German Shepherd being spooked by fireworks around New Years' Day, but finds himself having to overcome his fears to rescue his neighbour from a house fire. The action is tense and atmospheric as Benny escapes from his house to reach the neighbour.
2. "Honestly Deceiving" takes an unusual turn on such tales of kindness, in which we follow a pickpocket called Old Edgar who poses as a pavement artist. The story largely follows him working marks, but the final portion delves into why he does it. I've often said that the Loveable Rogue is one of my favourite character tropes, and Old Edgar is a classic example.
3. "Serendipity Mews" features an unsatisfied office worker named Indy who stumbles across a car crash on her way to work, and is tasked with rescuing a number of cats from the wreckage. While I've never been in any job that involved working with animals, I've been in many soulless office jobs and found the outcome of this story to be quite cathartic.
4. "Callisto's Celestial Plan" is one of the more poignant stories, which follows an avid stargazer named Callisto as she runs away from home to escape her abusive father. While some readers might find it hard to sit through, it does highlight the importance of finding things which bring comfort or solace during hard times.
5. "The Gift of Giving" utilises a Victorian or Edwardian setting, and follows a street urchin named Rupert who is given food by a nobleman and pays it forward. It's a common type of story you'd expect in a collection like this, but it's nonetheless a wholesome piece. I especially liked Rupert giving a toff a verbal beatdown.

All the stories will have something of interest, and they're worth a read when you have some downtime. They provide glimmers of light and hope in a bleak world.

A Gentle Nudge was published by Bridgehouse Publishers on the 18/04/2023, and is available from the following vendors:

• Bridgetown Café
• Amazon
• Hive
• Barnes and Noble
• Booktopia

About the Author

Author Mason Bushell, is a naturalist, chef and writer from Norfolk in the UK. He loves nothing more than to write among the trees, near his home. He is an avid short story writer and is always working with his characters unless Lucy Dog steals his laptop for a walkies!

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Blurb

Stories to soothe your soul.

In a world drowning in negativity and dark events, we all need a little light and hope. With a little adventure, romance and even music, these short stories will give your hopes and dreams a nudge as they draw a smile.

A Gentle Nudge by Mason Bushell wraps you in calm.

Happy writing.

The Seventh Swanwick

 

It's that most wonderful time of year, and I'm not talking about Christmas. One of my favourite times of year is my annual visit to the Hayes Conference Centre for the Writers' Summer School at Swanwick. This was my seventh year attending the School, and my second year serving on the committee. In addition to co-ordinating the TopWrite scheme, which offers subsidised places to young writers starting out, I also assumed the role of co-ordinating the tech team.

One thing which made this school different was a reduced day, which meant having to shift things around and take things out of the programme. It also meant the course structure was slightly different: "Specialist Courses", which consist of four hour-long sessions, were taught on the Sunday and Tuesday mornings, with single-session "Workshops" in the afternoon sessions. The Monday sessions and Wednesday morning sessions were dedicated to the two-part "Short Courses".

There was an interesting array of courses this year, but being on the tech team meant I wasn't always able to attend everything. I tried to ensure that my volunteers were on hand for the courses they wanted to attend, which sometimes meant having to cover the gaps. Looking back, I think I'll need a tech team of at least six (including myself). Of course, facilitating courses could often mean not getting much out the courses due to being preoccupied with making sure the mics and screens work (sometimes in two rooms at once), or having to briefly dip to obtain cables or missing flipchart pens.

Anyway, the specialist course I facilitated this year was "How to Write Your First Novel" with Della Galton. The course included discussions on writing blurbs and synopses, coming up with titles, the first page, and where to publish. I don't write many novel-length stories myself, but I tried to apply what I picked up in that workshop.

Short courses I attended included:

• "The Path to Publication" with Simon Hall, which included some similar pointers about opening sentences, along with how to pitch manuscripts. There was also a good refresher on Simon's "Iceberg" model of planning out characters.
• "Writing Historical Fiction" with Samantha Ridgeway, which talked about where to find research, and what to consider about the chosen era.
• "Creating Characters Through Dialogue" with Neil Zoladkiewicz, which discussed how to give variety to characters through their verbal communication, including excerpts from several plays.

Workshops I attended included:

• "Promoting Your Work" with Angela Lansbury, who had attendees partner up to rehearse interview techniques.
• "Writing a Synopsis" with Sumaira Wilson and Nikki East of Spellbound Books, who provided pointers on writing a synopsis and applying it to a story conceived in a short course they ran the previous day (but one I was unable to attend).
• "Editing: Both Sides of the Fence" with Allison Symes, which discussed the finer points of editing (including where to find them and what not to do).
• "Competition Tips & Tricks" with Val Penny, which provided some sound advice on submitting stories to competitions.

Of course, there were plenty of evening events too. The first night had the "Meet and Greet", a musical chairs situation in which attendees were askes to sit in two circles. The inner circle asked questions, while the outer circle moved to different seats to answer them. It's the second time the School has held that event, but the first time I attended myself.

There was also a poetry open mic, a prose open mic, and a buskers' night. I missed the buskers (I'd been on hand for the prose open mic which took place before, and decided I needed a break), but heard one of the attendees sang an operatic aria which resulted in a standing ovation. That said, I did read out a pantoum at the Poetry Open Mic (which is published on my other blog here), which even got special mention at the end of the night.

Of course, there's also the fancy dress disco. The theme this year was "Fairy Tales", but I didn't dress up this time. Also, my Macarena still needs work. The final night had pre-dinner drinks on the lawn, an award ceremony for the numerous contests held during the week, and a singalong at the firepits outside.

All in all, I didn't do much writing while I was there, and my committee duties did get hectic at times. But it was worth it. I'm on next year's committee, and I'm definitely going to aim for a bigger tech team (that way people get a chance to attend courses or get some free time to write).

I'm already counting the days to the 2024 Writers' Summer School, which serves as their diamond jubilee. I'm sure it will be great.

Happy writing.

RPG Review: Wiseguys (and others)

It's been a while since I've posted anything on here. I've been prepping for my annual conference, while also working on The Homecoming, along with some other gigs. To procrastinate these, I've been looking at some RPG settings to run, particularly those which use my Favoured System, Savage Worlds.

One such setting I found was Wiseguys by Eric Lamoureux, which a player once described as "Grand Theft Auto in table-top RPG form". It's heavily influenced by a lot of mob films, including Goodfellas, Casino, Carlito's Way, and Scarface. 

Taking place in Las Vegas during the 1990s, the players are a crew of mob associates who have been left to fend for themselves as their bosses in the Mid West or on the East Coast are being incarcerated. Meanwhile, corporations are moving in to take over the casinos previously run by the mob, while other syndicates are muscling in on the street-level rackets.

I ran this setting back in October for a local gaming group, using two published adventures in the setting book, and it went quite well. I had an eclectic assortment of characters, working for a displaced mobster looking to start up his own crime family in Las Vegas. Rules as written, the setting assumes your characters are working for the Italian-American Mafia, but it can be easily tweaked to accommodate other syndicates. Does that mean the characters all have to be Italian? Not at all! They're "associates" who can come from any background, but there is an Edge which allows characters to be an official member of the mob. I had two players out of six take that Edge, and basically set up a special channel on the campaign Discord which only they could see, making them privy to information the other players wouldn't be. It's a way of creating some interesting unease as those characters who are made have to determine what they need to share with the others.

This setting is particularly "mundane", in that all player characters are humans, and there's no magic involved. To be honest, in a hobby where everything is dominated by Dungeons and Dragons, that's kind of refreshing. Of course, Savage Worlds is a system that doesn't use classes, but the book comes with plenty of useful archetypes to help you build one. They've even got some random generators to aid the process.

One thing I especially like about Wiseguys is that it's a good source of stat-blocks that are of use in any  game with a modern-day setting. A lot of people I've talked to about it have said they've picked up the books for that reason.

In addition to that main setting Wiseguys also spawned two spin-offs/expansions (since you need the games to play them), so I figured I'd talk about them here.

The first of these is Tuffguys by Harrison Hunt, which shifts the setting from Las Vegas to London, for some games inspired by Guy Ritchie's gangster films. I took part in a session of this at a virtual convention three years ago, and later ran the adventure which came with the setting book myself. One big thing is that you'll probably want characters geared more towards melee combat, since guns are hard to come by: all firearms listed in the core rules cost ten times as much, or you have to take certain Edges in order to gain access to guns. My Cockney accent probably needs work though.

The other spin-off is The Gobfather by Richard Woolcock, which acts as a crossover between Wiseguys and Woolcock's comic fantasy setting Saga of the Goblin Horde. This mini-setting takes place in a version of our world in which different fantasy species exist and live in a modern society, and has the characters assume the role of high-ranking members of a goblin mafia.

Unlike Wiseguys, this setting does have magic, along with the black comedy of its parent setting. All characters have a crew of goblins who ride with them, but their main purpose is cannon fodder. You can choose to redirect damage to an adjacent goblin, and it doesn't have to be one of yours. But be careful; they may get up to no-good, and their shenangans may hinder or help them.

There's one adventure, a few random encounters, and some pre-gens, but the mini-setting largely assumes you have the two parent settings. I've been a player in the setting before, and looking to run it myself at some point; I've been doing some homebrew tweaks (since Saga of the Goblin Horde utilises the previous edition of Savage Worlds, I've had to update some of the Edges in Hindrances from that book), and developing a city to serve as a locale (called Brightwater). I've also been procrastinating my other projects by making a ton of minis on Hero Forge, which you can view on my exhibition page on Facebook here.

Wiseguys, Tuffguys, and The Gobfather are all available for sale on DriveThruRPG, and you will require the Savage Worlds core rules to play them. You'll need Wiseguys to play Tuffguys, but The Gobfather does have adjustments for running it without that book. You'll also want to pick up Saga of the Goblin Horde, but that's currently free at the moment due to a licensing issue.

Anyway, happy writing.

This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. It is unofficial Media Content permitted under the Media Network Content Agreement. This content is not managed, approved, or endorsed by Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Certain portions of the materials used are the intellectual property of Pinnacle, and all rights are reserved. Savage Worlds, all related settings, and unique characters, locations, and characters, logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group.”

Five and Twenty Ponies #5 Letters for a Spy

 

“It’ll be dawn soon.” Kestrel watched the night sky as they left the plantation. “Just one more delivery: This sealed envelope for Mr McGuire at the King’s Head Inn. Paid in full. Await instructions if necessary. I hope we’re not waiting too long. I want to get back to Port Royal, and maybe spend some hard-earned coin there.”

“Aye.” Scar nodded.

Kestrel’s legs ached as they reached a house on the wide dirt trail running from the bastion. A hanging sign above the door depicted King Charles II, illuminated by the lamps outside.

“God rest the Merry Monarch.” Kestrel gave a mock curtsy to the sign. “I may have no love for royalty, but he was supposed to be good for a laugh. And at least he wasn't a Puritan.”

“Come on.” Scar ushered him inside.

The interior of the King’s Head smelled of wood smoke. Kestrel ignored the stares of the patrons as he strode over to the bar.

“What do you want?” The innkeeper spat into a tankard and polished it with a once-white rag.

“Ale,” Kestrel leaned closer. “And I’m looking for Mr McGuire.”

The innkeeper fell silent at the mention of the name. He filled a tankards from the cask and placed it on the bar. Kestrel raised it in a toast when he heard Scar clear his throat. His companion gestured for the tankard.

“Greedy bastard.” Kestrel handed it over.

Scar pulled out a scrap of paper wedged in the bottom of the tankard and unfolded it. He handed them both back. Kestrel squinted at the note.

I am being watched. Up to you to make the delivery.

Kestrel pocketed the note and looked around the bar. Three men in mud-caked clothes sat at one table, conversing over ale and bowls of soup. Three men in uniform sat at another. A lone man sat at the table between them. He made eye contact with Kestrel, nodding at the occupied tables.

“That must be our man.” Kestrel murmured to Scar, “Any thoughts?”

“Oi, what are you looking at?” One of the men from the first table lumbered towards the bar. “What’s with that sword? It looks Spanish. Are you Spanish?”

“This will make an interesting diversion.” Kestrel turned back to the bar and took a long drink from his ale.

“Didn’t you hear me?” the man grabbed Kestrel’s shoulder. “Don’t you speak English, Spaniard?”

“I speak it just fine, mate." He replied. "And I’m telling you to unhand me.”

“Or what?”

Kestrel elbowed the man in the stomach.

Scar grabbed the man and threw him into the second table. Tankards and bowls spilled their contents. Stools scraped. Conversations ceased. The other five patrons stood up and advanced. The lone man stood up and then walked to the door.

“Do you want to fight us one at a time or altogether?” Kestrel stepped forwards and grinned.

One man grabbed him. Another punched him in the torso.

“Fair enough.” He kicked the attacker below the belt. The second man swung at his face. He lurched sideways. The punch struck the man holding him.

“Everything alright?” He said to Scar. 

His companion knocked two heads together. He gave him a thumbs up.

“I’ll leave you to it.” Kestrel sent another man flying with an uppercut. He shoved his way to the door.

Kestrel breathed in the night air as he stepped outside.

“You have a strange way of being discreet.” An Irish-accented voice said.

Kestrel saw the lone patron emerge from around the corner of the inn.

“Well, you left it in our hands.” Kestrel produced the letter.

“Do you have a vessel? I fear your heavy-handedness has compromised me.”

“No need to shoot the messenger.” Kestrel said. “And Scar and I have finesse. We’re not heavy-handed.”

A man flew out of the window.

“That’s some finesse.” Mr McGuire said. “But I need passage.”

“We have a boat at the dock." Kestrel said. "And a vessel waiting at the mouth of the river. We must be back before the morning tide.”

“Take me with you." Mr McGuire handed over five shillings. "I’ll hang if I stay here. They’re on to me.”

“How will we get past the bastion?” Kestrel asked.

“I know a secret way.” Mr McGuire tapped his nose. “Now, we must move.”

Kestrel stuck his head through the broken window.

“Scar, are you finished in there?”

His companion opened the door and stepped out, brushing the dust off his shoulders.

*

 

The sky grew lighter as the pair followed Mr McGuire back towards the bastion.

“This way.” He gestured to a patch of grass at the foot of the wall, pulling it up to reveal a trapdoor. He grabbed the lantern from Kestrel and led them down a narrow tunnel, ending at a door. “We’re in the cellar of my townhouse. It’s how I get past the bastion without being noticed.”

“Thanks for the tour.” Kestrel said, “Now can we get to the dock?”

McGuire led the pair through the back streets and back alleys, watching for the glow of the militia’s lanterns. Kestrel pointed him towards the dock.

“That’s them!” A voice called out. “Halt, smugglers!”

Kestrel noticed the two guards they had encountered on the docks, accompanied by five more soldiers. He leaped off the jetty into the rowboat as muskets cracked, enveloping the dock with powder smoke.

“Scar! Cut it!” He drew his pistol and fired back. One of the guards fell back.

Scar drew his cutlass and hacked at the mooring line.

Kestrel grabbed one of the pistols from his companion’s belt and fired at another guard. They scattered and ran for cover.

“We’re moving!” McGuire shouted when another shot rang out. He clutched his stomach and fell back into the river.

Kestrel sat back and grabbed an oar, rowing back towards the mouth of the river. He felt the shots fly past his head as they rowed further away from the jetty.

“Scar, I have the feeling we’ve outstayed our welcome in this place.” He watched the sun rise over the coast. He looked around at where De Groot’s sloop had anchored the previous night. The vessel was not present.

“We must have missed the tide.” He scratched his head.

“They’ll be back.” Scar said.

“You’re right there, mate,” Kestrel nodded, “We’re carrying De Groot’s money. He’ll want his pay day. We’ll hide for now. Let him find us. He’ll be lucky we’ve got nowhere to spend it.”

*

Kestrel mopped the sweat off his brow as he felt his shirt sticking to his back. He beached the boat on a small island in the swamp, listening to the nasal whine of mosquitos.

“I hope we’re not waiting for long.” He lay down on the driest part.

Scar shook his head and pointed. Kestrel looked up to see The Nord and four other men from De Groot’s sloop wading towards them.

“Thanks for waiting.” He said to the newcomers.

“You didn’t make the rendezvous.” The Nord tightened his grip around a boarding axe. “De Groot asked me to wait and collect the money. He didn’t say anything about you.”

“So, we’re off the payroll?” Kestrel rested his hand on his rapier. “After all the work we put in.”

“The penalty for disobedience…is death.”

“Well, I’ve never paid attention to anybody who wants me to obey them.” Kestrel drew his sword and slashed the Nord’s shoulder. The larger man screamed in anger. He swung the axe.

“Scar! I’ve made him angry!” Kestrel sidestepped the blow and kicked the Nord in the head. Two of the crewmen drew cutlasses and charged. Kestrel dodged and parried, keeping his distance.

Scar drew his cutlass and drove it through his attacker. The fourth man dropped his blade and fled in the opposite direction. Scar stomped the Nord and aimed a pistol at the brute’s head.

Kestrel led his opponents towards the swamp, noticing a large bump surface in the water.

“Alligators!” One of the men fled.

“You’re on your own.” He grinned at the final opponent. The man stepped. Kestrel beat his blade aside and lunged. The man stumbled back. 

Catching his breath, Kestrel walked over to The Nord. He produced the bulging purse and rattled it.

“You can’t buy your life.” The Nord snarled. “Captain De Groot does not want you serving under him.”

“Our sentiments exactly.” Kestrel squatted down next to him, “I’m not buying our lives, but yours. Take the money, go back to De Groot, and tell him we’re even.”

“He will not forget or forgive.” The Nord spat at Kestrel’s feet. “You’re just delaying the inevitable. I may not kill you here, but you will die by my hand. You thieving…”

The crack of pistol cut his words short. Scar blew smoke from his pistol and then made his way back to the boat.

“Well, something’s going to feast on them." Kestrel sheathed his blade. "I’m glad to be out of that mess.”

“We’re lost.” Scar picked up the oars.

“Yes, that is an issue.” Kestrel rattled his purse. “But look on the bright side. This is the most money we’ve made in a while.”

Five and Twenty Ponies #4 Laces for a Lady

 

The river fog had dissipated as Kestrel left the Old Royal and led Scar into the back alley.

“Let’s hope the gate’s open,” he said, “We’ve got three French gowns for Lady Priscilla Wentworth, and she owes us three guineas. I don’t know about you, but I’d sooner spend that kind of coin than pay off that press-ganging pikestaff De Groot.”

Scar replied with an affirmative grunt.

*

More torches lay ahead. Kestrel squinted to see two soldiers with muskets standing guard by the city gates.

“Well, our gambling friend said the plantations were outside the bastion.” He said. “Scale the walls?”

Scar shook his head.

“You’re right. Not with the cargo we still have. How about some kind of diversion?”

Scar shrugged.

“My arse upon this,” Kestrel drew his rapier. “Let’s just fight our way out.”

Scar grabbed his arm.

“Then come up with something. It’s not like we have authority…”

Kestrel’s voice trailed off. He reached into pockets and pulled out Cuthbert’s letters.

“Alright, we might as well try and bluff our way past.” He sheathed his sword. “But if it doesn’t work, previous plan?”

Scar sighed, and then nodded.

Kestrel marched towards the gates. The first guard cocked a musket. The second one raised a lantern while resting a hand on a sword.

“It’s past curfew!” The man with the lantern said. “State your business or I’ll be forced to arrest you.”

“We’re on official business from the East India Company!” Kestrel held up the letters. “We must get past.”

The guard took the letter and held it to the lantern.

“Why do you have company business at this time of night?” He asked.

“Making up for lost time.” Kestrel replied. “Now can we please hurry it rapidly along? We must relay our messages to Lady Wentworth before sunrise.”

“There’s something about this which don’t sound right,” The guard with the musket said. “I’d be truthful with us if I was you. What’s that giant of yours carrying?”

Kestrel felt his heart beat faster.

“I’ll truthfully kick your teeth in if you don’t let us through." He said. "Doesn’t the East India Company pay your wage? I think Mr Wilkinson will be angry that you’ve interfered with us.”

“He’s a gambler who neglects his missus.” The first guard said. “I don’t care what he feels. He has no clout.”

“And you do?” Kestrel said. “Mr Scar, if you’d please?”

Scar loomed over them and growled. The two guards slunk back and opened the gates.

“Thank you, gentlemen.” Kestrel bowed to them and turned to Scar. “I hate dealing with customs. They have a habit of making things intentionally difficult.”

Scar grunted and nodded.

“Oh, may I?” Kestrel snatched away the guard’s lantern.

*

Kestrel listened to the chirp of cicadas as they trudged down the dirt roads outside the bastion. Fewer lights showed in the distance.

“I don’t know how anybody sleeps with those bloody things having a party.” Kestrel held the lantern ahead. He saw a mansion silhouetted in the moonlight, surrounded by cotton fields.

Scar cleared his throat and pointed. More faint orange glows moved around the fields.

“We’ll have to stumble in the dark then.” Kestrel put down the lantern.

He made his way towards the house. As he drew closer, he sighted the lantern in the hands of a man patrolling the fields on horseback. He felt a large hand pull him into the field. Scar crouched beneath the cotton and put his finger to his lips.

*

Sneaking across the fields, the pair arrived at the manor house. Kestrel led Scar around the property to a servant’s entrance at the back of the house.

“I hope this is the right place…” He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again, louder. The sound of a bolt being withdrawn emanated from within.

“Yes?” A servant peered out, yawning.

“Is this the residence of Lady Priscilla Wentworth?” Kestrel asked.

“Yes. What is your business here?”

“We have an order for her.” Kestrel gestured to the chest in Scar’s arms.

The servant opened the door.

“Bring it in.” He said.

Scar set the chest on the floor and opened it, revealing the gowns inside.

“Very good,” the servant said. “You may go now.”

He held the door open.

“Not so fast, mate.” Kestrel folded his arms. “Her ladyship owes us money.”

“I was not informed as such.”

Scar loomed over the servant.

“Perhaps we could seek an audience.” Kestrel said.

The servant led Kestrel and Scar to the foyer. With no lights, the ticking of the nearby grandfather clock seemed louder.

“I have the feeling she’s not going to be happy with us waking her at an ungodly hour,” Kestrel said.

Scar said nothing.

“How about a game while we wait? Blind Man’s Buff?”

Scar slapped him across the head, almost knocking him to the floor.

“Your turn.” The burly Antiguan laughed.

*

As the clock ticked, Kestrel sat on the chest and fidgeted.

“I understand that you wish to speak to me.” A blond-haired woman in a nightgown appeared on the landing. The servant accompanied her, holding a lit candelabra.

Kestrel said nothing as she walked down the stairs. In the candlelight, he saw her scowling at them, yet felt warm as he looked at her.

“Have you not the courtesy to answer me?” She said. “I asked you a question.”

“Forgive me, my lady.” Kestrel grinned, “My companion here is usually the silent type. I merely required a moment to compose my thoughts.”

“Well compose them, so you can leave and I can return to bed.” She held a perfumed handkerchief to her nose as she approached them.

Kestrel knelt down and opened the chest. He pulled out a blue mantua and showed it to Lady Wentworth.

“I’m told that this is the latest in Parisian fashions, my lady.” He said.

“Beautiful,” She felt the fabric and nodded. “These will be fine additions to my wardrobe. I am prepared to offer a guinea for the three dresses.”

“They’re a guinea each,” Kestrel said, “That’s our asking price.”

“I’d pay that when buying from a respectable merchant." She replied. "These haven’t been transported well.”

“That cannot be helped, my lady. But there is no shame in buying from smugglers if it’s something you genuinely need. Like to upstage the other ladies in your circle of friends. I’m sure one of them will make a better offer.”

Wentworth’s eyes widened.

“Very well, two guineas for the three.” She said.

Kestrel looked back at Scar, who shook his head.

“Two guineas and ten shillings.” Kestrel stroked his goatee. “One may need some mending, but I’m sure the others are fine.”

“As I am dealing with an educated man, I accept.” She turned to the servant. “Get these men their money and show them out.”

She turned and ascended the stairs with elegance and grace.

“Educated?” Scar murmured.

“Probably because I said ‘my lady’ instead of ‘m’lady’,” Kestrel grinned.

"Know any Latin?" Scar nudged him.

"Coitus interruptus." Kestrel smirked.

He watched the servant return with the coin.

“Thank you." He pocketed the coins. "Now, perhaps you’d be able to direct us to the King’s Head Inn? We have one more delivery to make.”