Category Archives: Writing

Just Read… Dead Lands, by Lloyd Otis

Posted on Wednesday, 14 March, 2018 by djpaterson

Even though I have a signed copy of this from Lloyd’s launch in London, last October, I actually listened to the audio version of Dead Lands, ably read by ‎Ben Onwukwe. Here’s what I thought. When a woman’s body is found, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Books, Crime Fiction, Writing | Leave a comment

Just Read… The Bone Keeper, by Luca Veste

Posted on Thursday, 8 March, 2018 by djpaterson

What if the figure that haunted your nightmares as child, the myth of the man in the woods, was real?   He’ll slice your flesh.  Your bones he’ll keep.   Twenty years ago, four teenagers went exploring in the local … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Writers, Writing | Leave a comment

Just Read… Fighting Monsters, By Rebecca Bradley

Posted on Tuesday, 20 February, 2018 by djpaterson

24 hours after he walked away from court a free man, cop killer and gang leader Simon Talbot is found murdered. In his possession; the name of a protected witness from his trial.  For DI Hannah Robbins, it’s a race … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Books, Crime Fiction, Writing | 2 Comments

Just Read… This is How it Ends, by Eva Dolan

Posted on Sunday, 4 February, 2018 by djpaterson

This is how it begins. With a near-empty building, the inhabitants forced out of their homes by property developers. With two women: idealistic, impassioned blogger Ella and seasoned campaigner, Molly. With a body hidden in a lift shaft. But how … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Books, Crime Fiction, Crime Writing, Writing | Leave a comment

Just Read… The Deaths of December, by Susi Holliday

Posted on Saturday, 3 February, 2018 by djpaterson

Okay, it’s February, not December, but don’t let that put you off. It looks like a regular advent calendar. Until DC Becky Greene starts opening doors . . . and discovers a crime scene behind almost every one. The police … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Books, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Writing | Leave a comment

Just Read… Roam, By Erik Therme

Posted on Wednesday, 6 December, 2017 by djpaterson

Woah, I am so behind with reviews, so it’s catch-up time. First up is Roam, by Erik Therme: Three strangers, each searching for something out of reach. Sarah Cate, celebrating her 21st birthday, is pushed over the edge after car … Continue reading →

Posted in Author, Book Review, Books, Fiction, Thriller, Writers, Writing | 1 Comment

Just Read… A Rising Man, by Abir Mukherjee

Posted on Saturday, 1 July, 2017 by djpaterson

Captain Sam Wyndham, former Scotland Yard detective, is a new arrival to Calcutta. Desperately seeking a fresh start after his experiences during the Great War, Wyndham has been recruited to head up a new post in the police force. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Leave a comment

Just Read… The Escape by CL Taylor

Posted on Saturday, 1 July, 2017 by djpaterson

When a stranger asks Jo Blackmore for a lift she says yes, then swiftly wishes she hadn’t. The stranger knows Jo’s name, she knows her husband Max and she’s got a glove belonging to Jo’s two-year-old daughter Elise. What begins … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Leave a comment

Flash Fiction – “Opportunity”

Posted on Thursday, 8 June, 2017 by djpaterson

And here it was; my last day. Soon there’d be no more arranging apples into uniform perfection, nor picking cauliflower leaves from the machine polished floor.  No more putting up with Andy, who seems to think managing a few rows … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | 2 Comments

Just Read… The Damselfly by SJI Holliday

Posted on Tuesday, 28 March, 2017 by djpaterson

An unsolved murder. A community turned against each other. A killer close to home… Katie Taylor is the perfect student. She’s bright and funny, she has a boyfriend who adores her and there are only a few months left of … Continue reading →

Posted in Author, Book Review, Books, Crime Fiction, Crime Writing, Fiction, Writing | Leave a comment

Two top tactics for plotting and editing

Posted on Monday, 13 March, 2017 by djpaterson

Originally posted on L.M. Milford:
Whether you’re writing something brand new or breathing life back into a manuscript you’ve found languishing in a drawer, getting started can be tough. Keeping track of your story line and getting balance right…

Posted in Writing | Leave a comment

Plotting with dialogue

Posted on Sunday, 26 February, 2017 by djpaterson

Originally posted on Take Five Authors:
The closest I usually get to plotting is a few scribbled notes on odd bits of paper. And usually this starts when the book is half done. Whenever a few writers get together, at…

Posted in Writing | Leave a comment

Just Read… Behind Her Eyes, by Sarah Pinborough

Posted on Saturday, 28 January, 2017 by djpaterson

Don’t Trust This Book Don’t Trust These People Don’t Trust Yourself And whatever you do, DON’T give away that ending… Louise Since her husband walked out, Louise has made her son her world, supporting them both with her part-time job. … Continue reading →

Posted in Author, Book Review, Books, Writing | 4 Comments

Just Read… Watch Her Disappear, by Eva Dolan

Posted on Tuesday, 24 January, 2017 by djpaterson

YOU CAN RUN FROM YOUR PAST. BUT YOU CAN’T RUN FROM MURDER. The body is found by the river, near a spot popular with runners. With a serial rapist at work in the area, DI Zigic and DS Ferreira are … Continue reading →

Posted in Author, Book Review, Books, Crime Fiction, Crime Writing, Fiction, Writing | 1 Comment

Just Read… Beneath the Ashes, by Jane Isaac

Posted on Tuesday, 17 January, 2017 by djpaterson

When I say ‘just’, I mean last month. So technically last year. So technically this is me catching up on book reviews. Anyhoo… This is Jane Isaac’s second DI Will Jackman crime thriller. Here’s the book blurb: The floor felt … Continue reading →

Posted in Author, Book Review, Books, Crime Fiction, Crime Writing, Fiction, Writers, Writing | 1 Comment