Thriller writer, archaeologist and traveller
A feel-good story in the news is that a guitar stolen from Paul McCartney in an opportunist theft in the 1970s has been returned. When I heard the news I thought “Hofner”, as in conversation with the artist Peter le Vasseur he mentioned including a Hofner in his painting Echoes of Liverpool. The painting came... Continue Reading →
#3 in an occasional series on writing non fiction Non-fiction is not read at random. A reader may take a chance on a novel with an intriguing title, a fetching cover or great plot hook on the back. However, they are only likely to pick up your book on notorious poisoners if they have an... Continue Reading →
I was contacted by news presenter Kamran Arshad who was interested in how I combined my life as an archaeologist with that of a writer, and how one influenced the other. The full 24 Minute interview is here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtmXSFK99TA&t=209s
So, my longest long-haul flight since the pandemic offered plenty of time to start on the next novel. I unpacked my notepad dutifully, wrote a paragraph, then switched on the first of six-and-two-thirds in-flight movies. Top of the bill was in the Heart of the Sea, my second cannibalism film of the week after Society... Continue Reading →
2023 began with me catching covid again, unfashionably late. Once recovered, January was absorbed by helping clear the family home, so little writing, travelling or archaeology at all! It was minus two the day we filled the skip. By February I managed to get out and about again, hiking over Malham Cove in a balmy... Continue Reading →
In Blackshirt Masquerade Hugh Clifton infiltrates Department Z, the intelligence unit of the British Union of Fascists, on behalf of MI5. He can use the information he gathers against the very people who regard him as their most dedicated agent. When things reach crisis point in Blackshirt Conspiracy he reports back to his handler, ‘We... Continue Reading →
Bing Crosby’s latest hit was Pennies from Heaven and Hitchcock’s espionage thriller Sabotage was on release, but it was hardly peace on Earth at Christmas, 1936. Civil war was raging in Spain and Hitler’s grip on Germany strengthened after his re-occupation of the Rhineland. Britain was starting to recover from the malaise of the Great... Continue Reading →
Most articles about British fascists in the 1930s mention antisemitism sooner rather than later, and often it’s the only focus of the story. When writing the Room Z series, it is an issue I had to confront straight away. Although there is a light touch to some of Hugh Clifton’s adventures and he throws himself... Continue Reading →
Nefarious goings on at a Halloween rock concert; read Jason Monaghan's short story Fears of a Clown here. This story originally appeared in the Crime Reader's Association blog for Halloween in 2021.
When researching Blackshirt Conspiracy I continued to read up on Oswald Mosley and the Blackshirts, dipping back into chapters of my array of textbooks that cover 1936. I acquired more books to allow a deeper insight into what motivated the rank and file members of the British Union of Fascists, especially outside London. The seminal... Continue Reading →