Author
My Books
The Dandelion Effect
A legal/psychological drama crossed with domestic noir - being released soon!
I'm very excited about my latest novel. It's a very moving, emotional, legal/psychological drama combined with domestic noir. Luke and Chloe Wilson are a very ordinary hard-working couple with two young children. Having tired of city life in Leeds they elect to opt for a more sedate life by moving to a small village known as Whispering Tides on the East Yorkshire Coast. Life is good as they settle into village life. They very quickly become an integral part of the community and have made a number of friendships, with their social life revolving around the Smugglers Tavern. However, emotional devastation lurks just around the corner. On 16 October 2024, they are abruptly awakened from a deep sleep by loud and impatient banging on their front door and the incessant ringing of their doorbell. A large police presence outside causes instant fear and alarm, especially as they are threatening to storm the door. Nothing could ever have prepared them for the words uttered by the officer in charge. They are then “invited” to the local police station while their young children are taken into temporary care. From that moment forth their lives are to change immeasurably. The ripple effect severely impacts their marriage, family, home, friendships, employment and even their personal safety. Suddenly they discover that village life is no longer the idyllic refuge they had once imagined. Rather, it can be judgmental, suffocating, malicious and toxic. It transpires that the tight-nit community they had so warmly embraced was in fact only a comfort, when on the inside looking out. They had mistakenly imagined that the village was held together by kindness and community spirit. But they now view it as a web, one they are trapped inside. In a heartbeat their world has been shattered irretrievably. Normality is but a memory.
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Being Released Soon!
One Sad Day
A tense and gripping crime drama - launched 2025
This offering has it all: a hit-and-run, armed robbery, murder, blackmail, jury tampering and culminates in a nail-biting court trial.
It was just an ordinary night out in Glasgow for Matt, Ava, Cleo and Darren, all strangers to one another. All four attend a singles party. However, for one in their midst, Matt Goldstein, life will never, ever be the same.
Almost fifteen years on, Matt enjoys an elevated post within the Crown Prosecution Service. He becomes embroiled in a high-profile murder trial, the victim being an off-duty, uniformed police officer. Matt finds himself in an unenviable situation, at a crossroads where neither road holds any appeal. In order to save his own skin, does he allow a cold-blooded cop killer to walk free?
Alternatively, does he pursue a conviction, whereupon he himself ends up behind bars?
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Whatever it Takes
An electrifying, legal crime story - launched 2023
Meet the Singhs, an ordinary, hard-working, law-abiding close-knit family. But when their patriarch is brutally murdered while closing up the family business, their world shatters into a million pieces.
A chilling question hangs in the air: Was this a random act of violence or a sinister, racially motivated attack? As the case unfolds, you'll find yourself drawn into a web of deceit, power, and privilege that will challenge everything you thought you knew.
Miles Lamont, a nineteen-year-old with privilege at his fingertips, stands accused of this gruesome crime. The prosecution appears to have an open-and-shut case, but beneath the surface, a storm is brewing. Can they secure a conviction? The tension in the courtroom rises, and the truth is far more complex than it seems.
Derek Lamont, the father of the accused, will stop at nothing to ensure his son's freedom, vowing "whatever it takes." But what does that mean, and how far is he willing to go? In a high-stakes legal battle, Walter Bryson, the brilliant solicitor, is faced with a moral dilemma, as he chooses to interpret those words in a way that will leave you questioning your own convictions.
In this gripping tale of family, justice, and the lengths one will go to protect their own, you'll be left wondering just how far one can be pushed to secure their loved one's innocence.
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The Underdogs
A collection of thought-provoking poems for children - launched 2023
This book of kids' poems have a common theme running through them all! They stress the importance of being comfortable in our own skin, being fully appreciative of the attributes that we do possess, and not always striving to be like others.
Whether it be Sammy the Sparrow who envies his more colourful counterpart, the Robin. Or Walter the Wasp who frets because bees always tend to get a better press. Or Belinda Beetle, who is secretly jealous of her cousin, the ladybird. Or Harry the Hare who is ever keen to tell you of the many advantages he has over his relation, the rabbit.
But of course, the underdog role is not restricted to our animal friends. Young Freddie Eccles was being bullied as a child, but eventually came out on top, quite spectacularly. And what of Vincent Vinegar? He quite literally lived in the shadow of Peter Pepper and Sally Salt, continually being left alone in the cupboard, while they were invariably selected to enjoy the limelight. And finally, there is Timothy Turnip who raises concerns about being overshadowed by the pumpkin!
It is intended that the poems are also of some educational value in terms of providing useful information regarding some of the characters featured.
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A Suitcase of Adventures
A humorous account of my overseas travels - launched 2006
If A Suitcase of Adventures were a pigeon, it would probably rest in the hole marked 'non-fiction travel/humour'. This book incubated for many years. It compacts my personal experience of the often chaotic travel industry and my somewhat disastrous travel record.
It has been suggested that I have a scrupulous eye for both the overlooked and the unusual and perhaps the ability to see rather than simply look.
Hopefully whatever skills I may have collected through years of after-dinner speaking have also impacted favourably. As well as being a semi-autobiographical account of my wanderlust experiences, it is also an anecdotal observation of the often bizarre behaviour of the general public whilst in travel mode.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book, consolidating the good times and the bad times, alongside some extremely embarrassing moments. I sincerely hope the content will afford you the opportunity to laugh along with me!
Sorry this is now out of print. Please note that used copies sold online may be listed at inflated prices.