Thriller writer, archaeologist and traveller
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 →
A British prince falls in love with a divorced American commoner and scandal rocks the establishment. Wouldn’t happen these days, would it? The Abdication Crisis took place in the autumn of 1936 and the relationship between King Edward VIII and his American mistress Wallis Simpson has been portrayed frequently in fiction as a love story,... Continue Reading →
I was pleased by Windy Tree’s five-star review of Blackshirt Masquerade, which catches the essence of what I intended to write. “I liked this a lot...it was a pleasure to read...I have seen it listed as a 'historical mystery' elsewhere, and it certainly is historical, with espionage (MI5) and a good dash of detectiveness thrown... Continue Reading →
It's launch week for Blackshirt Masquerade, which has entailed a flurry of social media posts, blogging and cross-sharing. A key part of the launch was giving a talk at the Alderney Literary Festival entitled 'Was British Fascism Doomed to Fail?' Given that Hugh Clifton's undercover work aims to thwart the fascists, his success seems pre-ordained... Continue Reading →
Blackshirt Masquerade is the first of a series of novels set in 1930s Britain under the shadow of fascism. Perhaps this is not the right time to read about dark episodes in our past, but perhaps this might be exactly the right time to re-learn the lesson of the chaos and suffering that a man... Continue Reading →
I’m happy to announce that I’ve signed a three-book deal with US publisher Level Best Books for my new thriller series. In 1935, a disgraced British army officer is recruited by MI5 to penetrate the British Union of Fascists. A twist of fate turns him into an unwitting hero of the movement, trapping him in... Continue Reading →
Picture the scene. The detective walks into the bar and approaches the femme fatale. Very Bogart and Bacall. He offers her a cigarette, then lights it for her. Yaaawn… I have read so many thrillers recently which would have been two chapters shorter if the lead characters didn’t smoke. Descriptions of people fiddling with cigarettes,... Continue Reading →