Book Review: A Right Cozy Historical Crime

First post of the new year. In March. Anyway, I've been spending the cold days and nights curled up in front of A Right Cozy Historical Crime, the latest anthology in Wendy H. Jones' "A Right Cozy Crime" series, focussing on historical cosy crime. This post is part of a Reading Between the Lines blog tour hosted by Lynsey Adams.

Blurb

Step into the comforting fog of time with A Right Cozy Historical Crime, a deliciously diverse anthology of cozy mysteries that span centuries and continents. From ancient alleys to a Victorian medical school, American towns to Scottish glens, these tales take you on a gentle stroll through history - where murder hides behind lace curtains and secrets linger in candlelit corridors. Perfect for fans of clever sleuths, rich historical detail, and mysteries solved with more brains than knowledge.

Review

I must admit that "cozy mystery" isn't a genre I normally read, but I do have a fondness for historical fiction (a genre I write in myself). As I worked my way through each story, I was always excited to see what would be next. There are fourteen stories in total, and I'd like to look at some of my favourites:

A Monster in the Village (Lexie Conyngham): Taking place in the Scottish village of Ballater, we follow doctor's wife Hippolyta Napier as she investigates rumours of a monster inhabiting one of the holiday cottages for rent. While it's not exactly clear when this story takes place, I still enjoyed speculating on who or what the monster was, along with some of the snappy dialogue between Hippolyta and the other characters (especially the Misses Strong).

The Marriage Gift (Olga Wojtas): This story takes place in Renaissance Italy, and is narrated by the nursemaid of a duke's daughter. When her charge is arranged to marry a nobleman, both her father and her betrothed seem to kill each other on the wedding day. Being a fan of Assassin's Creed II (which takes place in a similar era), I was hooked by the intrigue of the story. The killing takes place at the beginning, while the rest of the story occurs in flashback.

Curtain Call (Diana Sinovic): Taking place in the 1970s, we follow a high school production of Agatha Christie's Black Coffee which is hampered when a custodian dies on stage. Drama coach Angela Trigg finds herself under investigation and must clear her name. While I haven't read much Agatha Christie, it's my understanding that Miss Marple stories are what often define cosy mystery, although Black Coffee is from her Hercule Poirot series. But I thought it was nifty to have a stage production of the Poirot story to push it into cosy mystery territory.

A Right Cozy Historical Crime is available from Amazon as an e-book and paperback, and I recommend checking it out.

About the Author

International award-winning author Wendy H. Jones lives in Scotland, where her police procedural series featuring DI Shona McKenzie are set. Wendy has led a varied and adventurous life. Her love for adventure led to her joining the Royal Navy to undertake nurse training. After six years in the Navy she joined the Army where she served as an Officer for a further 17 years. Killer's Countdown was her first novel and the first book in the Shona McKenzie Mysteries. Killer's Crew won the Books Go Social Book of the Year 2017. The seventh book in the series. Killer's Curse was be released early August 2020. The Dagger's Curse, the first book in The Fergus and Flora Mysteries, was a finalist in the Woman Alive Magazine Readers Choice Award Book of the Year. Turning to humorous crime, the Cass Claymore Investigates series was born. She is also a highly successful marketer and is currently in the process of rereleasing her completely updated marketing book Marketing Matters. This will be part of the Writing Matters series following the release of Motivation Matters. She is also the author of the Bertie the Buffalo picture book and associated soft toy and colouring book. Wendy is delighted to be one of the authors in two anthologies aimed at empowering women - The Power of Why, and Women Win Against All Odds. She is proud to be the President of the Scottish Association of Writers and is the host of The Writing and Marketing Show podcast, a writing and marketing coach. and CEO of Writing Matters online writing school, Authorpreneur Accelerator Academy.

Amazon Pages for Contributors

• Wendy H Jones
• Lexie Coyningham
• Olga Wojtas
• Sheila Dene Lawrence
• Marti M. McNair
• Lisabeth Earley
• Gareth Williams
• Dianna Sivonic
• Lisa Harkrader
• Sheena McLeod

Happy writing.

Wrapping Up 2025 (in a Bin Bag)

It's that time where we go once around the sun again and take a look back at the year just gone. I guess I should do the same, but I don't have a lot of nice things to say.

As many of you know, I was made redundant from my job back in June, and I've been struggling to find another job since then. There seems to be a large culture of ghosting job seekers at the moment, during the application and even the interview stage, and it really takes a toll on you. On top of that, there's a lot of companies returning to working in the office, meaning that remote and even hybrid roles are hard to come by. That makes things difficult when you can't drive and public transport is unreliable. I sometimes wonder if job boards and railway companies have some kind of secret deal to pitch you jobs that are anywhere but local, so you have to buy tickets. It's a mess, but anyway.

In terms of writing, I recently set myself up on Itch, a website for selling indie games which has since developed a growing market for e-books (good when people don't want to give Jeff Bezos money). While I can't sell print books on there, there's a lot of potential for digital sales. There's also the opportunity to take part in bundles with other creators. I got involved in the first one of those in September, including The Lady's Favour in a "Talk Like a [Queer] Pirate Day" bundle, organised by Felix Graves. After all, I established in "The Pirate King" that Kestrel and Scar are in a matelotage (a sort of civil partnership), and I myself am asexual, so my work was eligible for it.

I stepped down from the committee at the Writers' Summer School in August, and am now looking to spread my wings a bit in search of other events (the job situation combined with the financial commitment means that's not on the cards next year). In this regard, I recently expanded into author signing events, assisting my good friend Val Penny at her stand at two such events: "Sugar and Spices" in Sheffield in July, and "Authors at the Armouries" in Leeds in October.

As for other projects, I started drafting a new story for First Draft Fall called "Escape from Crab Island". This is intended to be a prequel story in the Kestrel and Scar series, depicting how they first met. I hope to work more on it next year, but things have been very up in the air lately. Other than that, I managed a couple of poems and republished a serial I wrote a while back.

Happy writing, and see you in the new year.

Book Review: Queen of Grime by Helen Forbes

Things have been a little quiet lately, so I've been catching up on some reading. One thing I checked out this month was Queen of Grime, a crime thriller by Helen Forbes. This review is part of a Reading Between the Lines blog tour organised by Lynsey Adams.

Blurb

The Queen of Grime is about to pay. Big time. 

Erin Flett is used to clearing up the sad debris of forgotten lives and tragic deaths. A crime and trauma scene cleaner from a deprived Edinburgh housing estate, she’s made a good life for herself and her daughter. But a secret from the past is about to catch up with her.

Ten years ago, Erin told a desperate lie with serious consequences. Now, someone else knows, and they’re determined to make Erin and her loved ones pay.

Following a terrifying late-night attack, the tension mounts until Erin doesn’t know who she can trust. As she struggles to keep her family safe, little does she realise just how close the danger is…

Queen of Grime is the first in a new series introducing Erin Flett, crime and trauma scene cleaner, and a rich cast of characters, set against the backdrop of the city of Edinburgh. With an occasional undertone of dark humour, it is a tale of family lies and family ties, friendships, secrets and loss.

Review

Going into this book, Helen Forbes does an excellent job painting a grimy yet vivid setting. Erin's dayjob provides its fair share of groteque imagery, but that's not the main focus.

There's a wide array of characters, and no short amount of sleaze as we're kept on guessing about Erin's mystery tormentor. Suspects include: Johnny, the deadbeat son of Erin's best friend Gladys; Adam, an unassuming man whom Erin befriends at the pub; and Matthew, whom she takes on as an assistant cleaner. And while all that's going on, we see that Erin's Jess has befriended a man named Sean. It's creepy, and keeps things tense as you read on to learn about the secret from Erin's past.

In another subplot, we follow Erin's cousin Kirsten as she works as a lawyer but is also dealing with a traumatic incident from her own past. At first, you wonder if it's connected to Erin's past, but then more comes to light. I don't want to elaborate due to spoilers, but it's paints a bleak picture.

Queen of Grime is available on Amazon as an e-book and paperback. If you want a bleak little tartan noir, I recommend it.

About the Author

Helen Forbes is an author of Scottish crime fiction. She lives in her home-town of Inverness, in the Scottish Highlands. Helen began by writing contemporary and historical fiction, with no intention of turning to crime. It was a chance remark at a writing group about one of her short stories that led to her debut police procedural novel, In the Shadow of the Hill, set in Inverness and South Harris, featuring Detective Sergeant Joe Galbraith. Madness Lies is book 2 in the DS Joe Galbraith series, set in Inverness and North Uist.

Helen has had two standalone crime thrillers published by Scolpaig Press. Unravelling, set in Inverness, was published in July 2021. Deception, set in Edinburgh, was published in January 2022.

Spoils of the Dead, a novella, was published in November 2022, and Queen of Grime, the first in a new series, was released in December 2022.

Helen would be delighted to hear from readers. Please contact her and join her mailing list on her website www.helenforbes.co.uk to get her author news and a free copy of the novella, Spoils of the Dead.

• Website
• Facebook
• Amazon

Happy writing, and happy holidays.

Book Review: A Fighting Chance by Val Penny

Things have been rather quiet on here, between job hunting and planning a story for First Draft Fall. However, I also had an opportunity to look at A Fighting Chance, the latest story in Val Penny's Jane Renwick thrillers. This post is part of a Reading Between the Lines blog tour organised by Lynsey Adams.

Blurb

In the second Jane Renwick Thriller by Val Penny, drug cartels collide as crime boss Connor O’Grady returns to Scotland to protect his turf from rival Peggy Cheney, newly released from prison.

DS Jane Renwick and DC Brian Harris are sent to Stirling, where Jane discovers two tragic deaths—a young man and a girl—raising suspicions of a single killer.

O’Grady denies involvement, but can a drug lord be trusted?

Set in Stirling and Gartcosh, this tense police procedural thrusts Jane into the heart of a deadly turf war.

Review

Once again, Val does a wonderful job in crafting vivid characters across both the Hunter Wilson mysteries and Jane Renwick thrillers, especially when their dialogue becomes snarky.

Jane brings a great "take no crap" attitude with her to Stirling, where she immediately butts heads with local DC Chris Reilly, who is bullying fellow DC Emily Aitken. She provides a cathartic verbal dressing down, which leads to some interesting developments. Jane's wife, DC Rachael Anderson, also gets involved in the story's case in her first assignment as a victim support officer, but Jane's friendship with Emily puts a dampener on their relationship.

The story provides plenty of truly gripping moments as Jane tries to outwit O'Grady, especially after DC Brian Harris is hospitalised after being attacked by an unknown assailant. As the story progresses, things get even more tense is Jane faces threats to her life. We also get some truly grim moments as O'Grady enlists the aid of incarcerated Edna Hope to recruit people for his organisation.

A Fighting Chance is available on Amazon as an e-book and paperback, and I recommend checking it out. It's a truly gripping mystery with some interesting twists and turns.

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.

• Website
• Amazon Author Page
• Facebook
• Instagram

Happy writing.

Book Review: Finding the Source by Joan Livingstone

It's September, meaning it will be "Talk Like a Pirate Day" soon. I've got some plans for that this year. Anyway, while I'm looking for jobs and expressing disdain for this Straight Pride malarkey which seems to be going around, I thought I'd take the time to read a mystery from across the pond.

Finding the Source is a mystery novel by Joan Livingston, which is part of the ongoing Isabel Long Mystery Series. This post is part of a Reading Between the Lines blog tour organised by Lynsey Adams.

Blurb

A homeless man. His murdered mother. A book could be the clue.

Isabel Long’s next case begins during a chance encounter with a homeless man, who says he was 12 when he found his mother murdered in their home.

Abby McKenzie was a well-liked seller of vintage books who owned a store in the hilltown of Dillard. That was 43 years ago and the case was never solved.

One obstacle is that several of the suspects are dead, including an avid book collector, a former town official who stalked her, and the man who last saw her alive. Another is that, once again, Isabel must deal with Dillard’s police chief, who ran interference in her other cases.

But that doesn’t deter Isabel nor her mother Maria, her partner in solving crime. She just needs to find the source who will unlock this case.

Review

Finding the Source was a real page-turner. From the moment Isabel agrees to look into Tom McKenzie's case on a pro bono basis, I was hooked. It became especially heartwarming as the story progressed, with Tom being given an opportunity to reunite with his family and get back on his feet.

I like Dillard's small-town feel, in that it seems like one of those places where everyone knows everyone. Yet there's a lot of tension is Isabel and Maria investigate the cold case, most of which stems from a nemesis in the form of the local police chief, Jim Hawthorne. The narrative clearly establishes that he and Isabel have butted heads in the past, with a lot of people - including Maria, Isabel's partner Jack, and her employer Bob - warning her to stay away because of it. I haven't read the previous stories, but this makes me want to. I'd love to see how they interacted in previous stories that led to these almost Hammer Horror-like warnings.

Of course, there's a wide array of other characters whom Isabel meets as she gets to the bottom of the mystery. These include Randolph Fischer, another book collector who becomes a real creep as the story progresses. There's also Jennifer McKenzie, Tom's stepmother who seems determined to keep Isabel from speaking with her husband.

Given that these are mysteries, I don't particularly want to say much else due to possible spoilers, but I certainly enjoyed the payoff as well.

Finding the Source is available on Amazon UK and Amazon US, and I recommend checking it out. I think I've got a bit of catching up to do in this series.

About the Author

Joan Livingston is the author of novels for adult and young readers, including the Isabel Long Mystery Series, featuring a longtime journalist who becomes an amateur P.I. solving cold cases in rural New England.

Joan draws upon her own experience as a longtime journalist in Massachusetts and New Mexico to create Isabel Long, a sassy, savvy widow who uses the skills she acquired in the business to solve what appears to be impossible cases. She also relies on her deep knowledge of rural Western Massachusetts, where she lives, to create realistic characters and settings.

• Website
• Substack
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Goodreads
• Threads
• Xitter
• Bluesky

Happy writing

Swanwick 2025 - Stepping Down

It's that wonderful time of year again, and I'm not talking about Christmas (even though one store has been selling mince pies since July). I am of course talking about my annual visit to the Writers' Summer School, known to its attendees as "Swanwick". This was my ninth visit to the school, along with my fourth and final year on the school committee (I'm required to step away after serving for four consecutive years). Well, I can't be running around switching on microphones and screens forever.

A farewell to arms

As always, Swanwick offers a wide array of courses, with no obligation to attend if you just want to sit and write or socialise with other creative minds (and notorious procrastinators like myself). Course sessions are roughly an hour long and broken down into three categories: the four-part "Specialist Courses", two-part "Short Courses", and single session "Workshops".

Ultimately, I didn't attend as many courses this year. Tech can get stressful, and I wanted to give myself some time to write so I'd often set up the rooms and then go back to the lounge. Having said that, the courses I did attend were truly fantastic.

For my specialist course this year, I attended "Writing Short Stories" by Della Galton, although I was only able to commit to the first two sessions on the Sunday morning. There was an interesting exercise on titles, and discussions about where to submit. A mention of writing a Christmas story gave me an idea for my comic fantasy setting Misadventures in Planaterra (also known as The Bayfalls), so I might work on that.

The short courses I attended this year were "How to Write for Screen" with Izzy Searle and "Writing the Rainbow" with Eden Stokes. Despite dealing with the annual Curse of the Tissington Room Right Screen in one session and sun's unbearable greenhouse effect on the room, both courses were fascinating. "How to Write for Screen" served as a great refresher on writing scripts, including formatting. I wrote a screenplay for my dissertation five years ago, and was inspired to revisit that. Suffice to say, it requires a major overhaul, but it was nice to be able to sit in the lounge. "Write the Rainbow" served as an excellent pointer on writing LGBTQ+ characters. He looked at some of the tropes and cliches to avoid, along with ways to invert them. I formally established in my story "The Pirate King" that Kestrel and Scar are bisexual, but I also sketched out a gay character in another story of theirs I've been drafting.

I only attended one workshop this year, and that was "Cosy Fantasy" with Elizabeth Hopkinson. I'm not too familiar with the concept of Cosy Fantasy, but I hoped to gain a few ideas for The Bayfalls. Despite a few technical hitches, the session involved a worldbuilding session using the TTRPG Wanderhome, and ultimately felt rather quaint.

Of course, there's more to Swanwick than the courses. Each night had an array of evening events, which included poetry and prose open mics, a busker's night, a quiz, and a fancy dress disco with a Wild West theme. I attended the prose open mic, which I mainly spent gesticulating at readers to stand closer to the mics (one of which wouldn't pick up sound if you tried eating it). I also opened the poetry open mic, taking the opportunity to read some of my more risque poems about capitalist workaholic culture and my Andor-inspired dying wish.

The final night also had a performance of Izzy Searle's play "Baggy Bra", a short comedy set in a bra shop intended to raise awareness for Against Breast Cancer's bra recycling scheme. While acoustics weren't the best with what tech was functional, I still got some laughs out of the quickfire dialogue. This was followed by a fire pit singalong, where I performed a rendition of "Red River Valley".

I didn't get much of an opportunity to give a farewell speech, although I didn't exactly have one prepared. I'll say that it's been a great honour to have served the committee for the last four years, but all good things must come to an end. I'd love to come back to Swanwick, but I can't guarantee it due to the financial commitment. If the job situation changes for the better, I might be able to commit to a future school. It will be a real shame to not make next year, because there's a lot of longtime delegates who have grown accustomed to having me around.

To quote Gandalf in Lord of the Rings: "I will not say do not weep. For not all tears are an evil."

Book Review: An Imposter in Shetland by Marsali Taylor

Things have been a bit hectic lately, but I had a great opportunity to look at the latest entry in Marsali Taylor's "The Shetland Mysteries", An Imposter in Shetland. This post is part of a Reading Between the Lines blog tour organised by Lynsey Adams.

Blurb

When an internet lifestyle influencer arrives on Shetland to document her 'perfect' holiday, the locals are somewhat sceptical.

Joining a boat trip to the remote islands of St Kilda with sailing sleuth Cass Lynch and her partner DI Gavin Macrae, the young woman seems more concerned with her phone than the scenery.

But when it's time to leave, there's no sign of her. Despite mounting a desperate search, she's seemingly vanished without trace - from a small island in the middle of the sea.

As a puzzling investigation gathers pace, there are more questions than answers - and uncovering the truth will reveal dark and long-hidden secrets...

Review

Once again, Marsali Taylor does a great job at painting a vivid setting in her works through her vivid descriptions and extensive use of Shetland dialect. While it might be difficult to understand in places, the book does include a glossary.

There's a great sense of tension as the influencer Tiede Barton is introduced to Cass. We see her interact with the other trainee sailors on the trip, most notably a sailing student of Cass named Sophie. Suffice to say, she doesn't leave too good an impression on anybody. When Tiede disappears, it leaves a lot of room for speculation. Theories are abound that she fell or perhaps was pushed off a cliff, or she faked her death for a publicity stunt.

I enjoyed how the plot thickens as Cass learns more about Tiede and the company she kept, along with the shady side of her business and the dangerous associations that came with it. It builds up to Cass going undercover at a nightclub to help expose one such operation. It comes with a truly nail-biting payoff as Cass is forced to sneak out due to a chance encounter.

An Imposter in Shetland is available from Amazon here, and I recommend picking it up.

About the Author

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland’s scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland’s distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.

• Website
• Facebook
• Amazon Author Page

Happy writing.

Book Review: The Ring

Writing's been in the doldrums again lately. With that in mind, I decided to catch up on some reading and recently obtained an interesting historical fiction anthology called The Ring. Published to raise funds for The Reading Agency, the anthology is comprised of ten short stories which feature a ring associated with Fortuna, the Roman goddess of luck. 

This post is part of a "Reading Between the Lines" blog tour, organised by Lynsey Adams.

Foreword

At The Reading Agency, we believe in the proven power of reading to deliver social and personal change. Yet we know that too many adults and children struggle to develop reading habits. With national data showing a decline in reading engagement, too many people are missing out on the transformative benefits of reading to improve our happiness, our health, and to thrive. This is where our work begins.

For over 20 years, we have partnered with public libraries to run initiatives like the Summer Reading Challenge for children and Reading Ahead for adults. These programmes encourage reading for pleasure, helping to build confidence, develop literacy skills, and foster lifelong reading habits. Research shows that those who participate read more frequently, gain confidence, and feel more positive about books. By expanding access to reading beyond the classroom or workplace, we help people unlock new opportunities and experiences through books.

Our partnership with public libraries is at the heart of our mission. Through our collaboration with them, we increase access to books and literacy support, ensuring that reading is a source of enjoyment, not frustration. As democratic access points to reading and knowledge, our work with libraries not only helps bridge educational gaps for children but also supports adults in developing their literacy skills, boosting employability, and enhancing mental well-being.

This anthology resonates with our mission. Just as the gold ring in these stories is passed down and shared through generations, so too should the joy of reading. The support of all the authors who have contributed to this helps us to reach and connect with even more people across our communities.

From all of us at The Reading Agency – to all of you reading these stories - thank you for being part of this important effort. Together, we can make reading a lifelong habit for all with libraries at the heart.

Blurb

Forged over 2000 years ago, when Rome was still a republic, a simple gold ring was inscribed with the name and symbol of Fortuna, capricious goddess of fate. From the seven hills of Ancient Rome, to the streets of modern day New York, the ring passes from hand to hand, through the centuries, shaping destinies and unveiling secrets.

A Roman patrician gambles his future on its luck. A crusading knight takes it from the finger of a slain foe. A child is gifted it by a soldier in the Thirty Years War and trusts it to keep her father safe. A jeweller takes it to America in the Gilded Age seeking a new life. Each tale is a moment in time, a new wearer, and a twist of fate—sometimes fortune smiles, but all too often the ring brings ill luck.

In these stories, history seems driven by the will of chance. Those who possess the ring seek to shape their own destinies, but it is always Fortuna herself who has the final say.

With contributions from Alistair Forrest, Fiona Forsyth, Jacquie Rogers, Alistair Tosh, Graham Brack, Eleanor Swift-Hook, Mark Turnbull, Maggie Richell-Davies, Robert Bordas and Val Penny this is a spellbinding anthology of interconnected short stories, where luck is never what it seems.

Review

This was a truly gripping read that I couldn't put down during my first time. As mentioned above, all the stories follow the ring of Fortuna as it's passed along different owners in different eras. The ten stories are all self-contained, but each one features the ring in some way. I think that's a nifty way to connect them.

I'll talk about some of my favourites:

The Wheel of Fortune (Alastair Forrest): The first story in the anthology, which takes place in 44 BCE, during the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Julius Caesar. Tiro, a servant of the Roman statesman Cicero, meets with Decimus Junius Brutus, one of the assassins involved in the conspiracy. The pair discuss the latter's relationship with Caesar, and the victim's possession of the Fortuna Ring. The discussion of the ring provides an almost magical aspect while still remaining down to earth.

Fortuna's Fool (Eleanor Swift-Hook): This story takes place in 1633 during the Siege of Nancy and follows a mercenary named Danny Bristow as he acquires the ring while gambling. While the first portion is mostly exposition, it's nonetheless built up well as Danny gets embroiled in an intrigue with his gambling opponent and three friends. I really enjoyed the Alexandre Dumas-esque feel to this particular story.

Hunter's Luck (Val Penny): The final story in the anthology, and part of Val's Hunter Wilson series of mysteries. Taking place in the present day, we follow Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson and Dr Meera Sharma as they go on a trip to New York. When the Ring of Fortuna ends up in Hunter's possession, he's framed for a murder and must clear his name with the help of his team members Tim Myerscough and Winston "Bear" Zewedu. Val's always good at creating vivid characters and dialogue, and this story delivers on that front.

The Ring is available on Amazon here, and I highly recommend picking it up.

To see the authors' other works, you can find their Amazon pages below:

• Alastair Forrest (The Wheel of Fortune)
• Fiona Forsyth (Ovid Buys a Ring)
• Jacquie Rogers (Home to Palmyra)
• Alistair Tosh (Andreas)
• Graham Black (A Matter of Balance)
• Eleanor Swift-Hook (Fortuna's Fool)
• Mark Turnbull (Of Gold and Grief)
• Maggie Richell-Davis (Hide and Seek)
• Robert Bordas (The Bequest)
• Val Penny (Hunter's Luck)

Happy writing.

Book Review: The Mainstay by Richard Robinson

Well, things have been in the doldrums as of late. Nevertheless, I recently took a break from catching up on my Terry Pratchett collection to check out The Mainstay, a gripping spy thriller in Richard Robinson's The Topaz Files series, which I've previously looked at here. This post is part of a Reading Between the Lines blog tour, hosted by Lynsey Adams.

Blurb

Witness to Murder. A City on Edge. A Mastermind Hiding in Plain Sight.

When university student Sam Jacobs witnesses the murder of a Unionist MP in Ballycastle, he becomes more than a bystander — he becomes a target. Drawn into a web of politics, crime, and sectarian violence, Sam’s world unravels as powerful forces close in to silence him.

Chief Inspector Orla Massey calls on the covert Topaz team to investigate, but corruption in the RUC, political interference, and the ghosts of her own past push her to the brink. Meanwhile, MI5’s Jones, Jenny Richmond, and Declan McNally face a growing threat from an elusive mastermind known only as The Big Man. Power, politics, and betrayal collide as they race to unmask him before he strikes again.

From the terror of a Belfast safe house to a hanging aboard a luxury yacht, from a brutal execution to the underworld of global crime syndicates, The Mainstay is a gripping, heart-breaking and razor-sharp whodunnit where no one can be trusted.

And as the body count rises, one question remains:

Who is The Big Man? And how do you catch a man who doesn’t exist?

Review

One thing to note before I went into this book was that I haven't actually read the second book in the series. Fortunately, this novel stands alone so I didn't feel like I missed anything major. Jones and Jenny Richmond return, and have become seasoned agents for Topaz and are also in a relationship. Their colleague, Isadora Duncan, also returns but is confined to a wheelchair after being shot in the previous story. Jones is also drinking a lot more as the pressures of espionage take a toll on him.

The opening chapter starts off as amusing as the MP injures himself as part of a kinky game, forcing Sam to access the property to assist him and his company. But it takes a dark turn as Sam is hidden in a cupboard as the people the MP sent to cover up the incident decides to bump him off. With that open, I was eager to find out what happened next, and I wasn't disappointed.

The story's tension had plenty of twists and turns. For example, Orla Massey frequently butts heads with Eric Rogers, an officer from the RUC's Paramilitary Squad who serves as an Acting Superintendant and full-time douchebag. But things take a darker turn when she's hospitalised by a car bombing, forcing Declan McNally to work with Rogers. The tension continues to ramp up when Sam Jacobs tries to report the murder of the MP and his younger sister subsequently goes missing while he's placed in witness protection. Although Mario isn't on the Mega Drive. Anyway, the final third act paves the way for some brilliant action.

The Mainstay is available on Amazon here, and I certainly recommend picking it up. It's a thrilling page-turner. I know I've only scratched the surface there, but I don't want to spoil things too much.

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.

• Website
• Linktree

Happy writing.

Tricube Tactics

Well, I'm still flitting between different projects and not making much progress on any of them, so I decided to post something on here. This is the Writer's Block after all. Anyway, I was recently presented with an opportunity to test out Tricube Tactics, a combat supplement for Richard Woolcock's Tricube Tales rpg which I've previously talked about here. I recommend looking at that before you read further. Tricube Tactics introduces some more in-depth combat mechanics to the existing rules-lite system, including a way to determine initiative and adding an action economy. There's also a few additional details for character generation. 

Having been gifted a copy, I recently ran a few one-shots over last month, using pre-written adventures in Spellrunners (a cyberpunk fantasy involving operatives with arcane powers), Minerunners (a fantasy setting about dwarves searching an abandoned city, akin to Moria with zombies), and Interstellar Rebels (basically Star Wars with the serial numbers filed off). I was even joined by Woolcock as a player in that last one. 

One of the first changes to character generation is that Tactics uses "Combat Styles". This is an optional rule in the Tricube Tales book, which is used by default here. In addition to a Trait, you have a Combat Style which can be either Melee, Ranged, or Mental (which includes spellcasting and attacking with subordinates or the environment). It's mechanically identical to a Trait but applies to any task which involves attack and defence. On top of that, all Traits and Styles are broken down into three sub-traits and sub-styles, which I refer to as "Challenge Types". For example, Agile is broken down into Dexterity (which includes acrobatics and sleight of hand), Reflexes (which includes controlling vehicles and initiative), and Stealth (which covers sneaking and hiding). If you're Agile, you roll three dice on all those challenge types.

The other major addition to character generation is the introduction of Knacks. The vanilla system uses Perks and Quirks, which all have the same mechanical effects but require narrative sense to use. Knacks have a different mechanical effect (there's a couple of types), but you have to choose which one and explain how. For example, one type of Knack is a Reroll Knack, which lets you reroll one of your dice after making a roll, but you have to keep the second result, and the scope is limited. For example, somebody who's an ace pilot might take this kind of Reroll Knack and apply it to Reflexes, but they can only use it on such rolls which involve operating aircraft.

Running it, I found that the action economy took a bit of getting used to when explaining, although that's probably from being accustomed to Savage Worlds. In Tactics, characters have move their Movement Speed (which is three "strides") three actions: A Standard Action (which is made on your turn and requires a roll), a Simple Action (which is also made on your turn but does not require a roll), and a Swift Action (which can be made outside your turn and may or may not require a roll). For example, you can make an attack as a Standard Action, "Dash" as a Simple Action to double your movement speed, and make a "Swift Strike" as a Swift Action to attack an enemy when they withdraw. You can downgrade a Standard Action to perform a second Simple Action on your turn, or downgrade a Simple Action for another Swift Action. You can also make an Action Knack to treat a particular Simple Action as a Swift Action.

I also had to get used to the new initiative system, which remains in place for the entire encounter. Each round is broken down into three phases: Fast, Medium, and Slow. NPCs always act in the Medium Phase, while PCs make a Standard Reflexes roll at the beginning of the encounter. Anyone who succeeds acts in the Fast Phase, while anyone who fails acts in the Slow Phase. However, the players can choose to vary the turn orders in their respective phases, and don't even have to act. You can go on hold in the Fast Phase to act in the Slow Phase as a free action, and on the flip side you can Rush as a simple action to act in the Fast Phase.

While these new mechanics have been added to the system, I still found it easily accessible once I got going. Even with the new rules, I can still run a one-shot with character creation in a couple of hours. Tricube Tales has often been my Favoured System for one-shots for that reason.

Tricube Tactics is available via DriveThruRPG, and I recommend picking it up.

Happy writing.

ATLA Marathon: Wrap-Up

 

Well, here we are at the end of the marathon. That was fun, and if I haven't got my writing mojo back, at least I got to re-watch one of my favourite shows.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a show that still holds up really well after twenty years. It's visually stunning, the characters are memorable, the stories are engaging, and it touches on a lot of political and ethical matters in ways we don't always see in shows aimed at younger audiences. It's fairly easy to jump in midway through the first season, but it's definitely worth watching from the beginning.

As part of this wrap-up, I'm going to share my "pick of the season" from each Book. However, I'm disqualifying the finales, as they span multiple episodes and choosing them would be a no-brainer if I didn't do this. Anyway, I'll choose a different winner and a runner-up from each season.

Book One is largely a road trip, with the early episodes mostly being dedicated to diversions on the journey to the North Pole. The main goal is established in "The King of Omashu" and solidified in "The Winter Solstice". However, my pick of the season has to be "The Storm". Even though it's largely dedicated to Aang and Zuko's origins, it handles them really well and signalled that this was when the series grew to something more than a series of fun adventures. For my runner-up, I'll choose "The Waterbending Scroll", because it's when we start seeing Katara's waterbending abilities develop. Also, I like pirates. It's interesting to see them working with Zuko, and I like how the party is able to pit them against each other.

Book Two initially involves the search for an Earthbending teacher, but this gets resolved in the first half of the season. "The Library" sets up the goal for the rest of the series, and the latter half of the season involves the search for Appa and securing the Earth King's support before everything goes tits up in "The Crossroads of Destiny". Since finales aren't eligible, my pick is going to be "Zuko Alone", for the emotional journey the title character goes through. For my runner-up, I'll pick "Tales of Ba Sing Se", thanks to the heartwarming nature of Iroh's tale and the humour in Sokka's.

Book Three seems to be kind of split. Roughly the first half involves the preparations for the Day of Black Sun, which results in a lot of filler. Some of it's strong, but some...not so much. "Day of the Black Sun" acts almost like a mid-season finale, and the episodes which follow mostly involve Zuko earning the party's trust before "Sozin's Comet". Anyway, I'd say the winner from this season is "The Firebending Masters", for its otherworldly nature and how it cements Aang and Zuko as true companions. For my runner-up, I'll choose "The Puppetmaster" for its chilling atmosphere and its creation of bloodbending.

Well, that was fun. As for what's next? Well, I hope give the review marathon treatment to the sequel series, The Legend of Korra. There's a lot in that to talk about, but that's for later down the line. Sadly, it's been taken off Netflix. I'll also revisit the live-action series, but that will be a simple review rather than a marathon. And the movie? I made a bet in "The Drill", so I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

In the meantime, I'm going to have a rest and see what other comfort watches I can revisit.

Happy writing.