Tag: Rebecca Bradley

Events Alert: BritCrime 2015 – a free online crime fiction festival on 11-13 July!

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BritCrime Festival logo

BritCrime organiser and author, Helen Smith

BritCrime organiser and author, Helen Smith

BritCrime 2015 is a brand new sparkly crime fiction festival that will run for the first time from 11 – 13 July 2015. Instigated by author Helen Smith, the festival will feature more than forty crime authors taking part over the three-day festival.

The free festival – yes, that’s right – FREE – will take place entirely online. There’ll be live Q&A panel discussions on the BritCrime Facebook page as well as ‘Meet us in the (virtual) Bar’ sessions for late night chat and japes.

In the run up to the festival there’ll be lots of exciting things going on – giveaways, video sessions and interactive Google Hangouts. You can also sign up to get the festival email updates – and be entered into the draw to win a Kindle Paperwhite.

Participating authors include Quentin Bates, Jenny Blackhurst, Rebecca Bradley, Graeme Cameron, Steve Cavanagh, Tammy Cohen, Mason Cross, Julia Crouch, Eva Dolan, Steven Dunne, Mark Edwards, Chris Ewan, Paul Finch, Helen Giltrow, Sarah Hilary, Susi Holliday, Jane Isaac, Amanda Jennings, Emma Kavanagh, Anya Lipska, Colette McBeth, M J McGrath, Fergus McNeill, Clare Mackintosh, Michael J Malone, Ava Marsh, Alex Marwood, K T Medina, Daniel Pembrey, J F Penn, Nick Quantrill, Marnie Riches, Craig Robertson, Mel Sherratt, Alexandra Sokoloff, Helen Smith, C L Taylor, Simon Toyne, Luca Veste, Louise Voss, Sarah Ward – that’s A LOT of authors!!

Author, Mason Cross

Author, Mason Cross

And you can ask them anything! Want to know what sparked the idea for a book? – you can ask them; want to learn how to pick locks or how to turn your teenage diary into a murder story? – there’ll be tips for that too; wondering what it’s like to go from real life detective to crime fiction writer? – that’s something you can ask as well.

On Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th July the live Q&A sessions will run from midday to 10pm (UK time) with the ‘Meet us in the Bar’ sessions live after the panels from 10pm to midnight.

On Monday 13th July there’ll be highlights from the BritCrime Festival, a report from ThrillerFest (New York), BritCrime authors on tour: looking forward to Harrogate, Bloody Scotland and Bouchercon, and ‘What’s next for BritCrime? – more exciting stuff to come.’

Author, Eva Dolan

Author, Eva Dolan

So whether you love murder mysteries, police procedurals, private investigators, thrillers, romantic suspense or domestic noir (or all of them!) by getting online and involved, you’ll be able to take part in this fantastic new festival wherever you live – and FOR FREE!

So be sure to follow @BritCrime on Twitter, and then hop on over to the festival website at www.britcrime.com to find out more, register, and start thinking of all the questions you’d like to ask the authors …

See you at BritCrime!

CTG Reviews: Shallow Waters by Rebecca Bradley

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Shallow Waters cover image

Shallow Waters cover image

What the blurb says: “When the naked, battered body of an unidentified teenager is found dumped in an alleyway, post-mortem finds evidence of a harrowing series of events. Another teenage death with the same MO pushes DI Hannah Robbins and her team in the Nottingham City division of Major Crime Unit, to their limits, and across county borders. In a race against the clock, they attempt to unpick a thick web of lies and deceit to uncover the truth behind the deaths. But it doesn’t stop there. When catching a killer isn’t enough, just how far are the team willing to push themselves to save the next girl?”

Shallow Waters is the first book in the DI Hannah Robbins series. From the opening page to the final one, this is a tense, suspense-filled read. Hauntingly dark, and highly emotive, the child abduction storyline hooked me as a reader and compelled me to keep reading.

DI Hannah Robbins is an action orientated and dynamic lead. Striving for justice, and determined to get to the ringleader of the gang, she follows the evidence and motivates her team to go over and above in order to solve the case. She’s also trying to navigate a rather tricky new personal relationship, getting up close and personal with Ethan Gale – a local journalist covering the case – which may not be her wisest move.

What I really liked about this book is the way that the layers of complexity and deeper mystery are gradually revealed. DI Robbins and her team uncover an operation far more shocking and wide-reaching than they could ever have anticipated, as what at first seemed to be a single incident is soon found to be one of several, and the abductor one of many. Packed with twists and turns, this is an investigation that gets into your mind and stays with you long after you’ve put the book down.

Shallow Waters is perfect for fans of gritty police procedurals.

Recommended.

 

[with thanks to Rebecca Bradley for my copy of Shallow Waters]

 

Hot Tips: crime fiction debut authors to watch out for in 2015

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Over the past few months I’ve been really privileged to get early reads of three fabulous novels that will be coming out later this year and I just couldn’t wait to tell you all about them …

SJI Holliday

SJI Holliday

SJI Holliday – BLACK WOOD

If you like psychological thrillers then Susi Holliday’s debut BLACK WOOD is one to watch out for in March. Twenty-three years on from the incident in Black Wood that left Claire paralysed and Jo with deep mental scars, a man walks into the bookstore where Jo works bringing the memories, and the desire for vengeance flooding back. Sergeant Davie Gray is hunting a masked man who has attacked several women near the disused railway line – is there a connection between Jo’s visitor and the attacks? As DS Gray unravels the shocking secrets, broken friendships and festering resentments hidden beneath the surface of the sleepy village of Banktoun, he finds himself in a battle against time to solve the case before Jo finds herself with blood on her hands. Keeping you guessing to the very end, this masterfully unsettling thriller will have you on the edge of your seat and stay with you long after you’ve finished reading – a must-read for all fans of psychological thrillers.

Follow Susi on Twitter @SJIHolliday and check out her great blog at https://sjihollidayblog.wordpress.com

 

 

JS Law

JS Law

JS Law – TENACITY

With over a decade working on Nuclear Submarines, JS Law brings a gritty authenticity to the unique setting of TENACITY. The story follows military Special Investigator Danielle ‘Dan’ Lewis as she’s called to investigate the circumstances of an alleged suicide on board the nuclear submarine TENACITY. Only she knows what might have motivated him to take his life, but as she starts to puts together the pieces of the puzzle surrounding the dead man’s last days, she realises all is not as it first seemed. Determined to delve deeper, she makes herself a target as she battles the hostility of the ship’s company and gradually starts to unravel the secrets protected by them. Steadfast in her quest for the truth, Dan is brave and resourceful, and with much of the action taking place inside the confined quarters of the submarine, this military police procedural takes the ‘locked room’ mystery to a new level of suspense. High tension and high drama make TENACITY a gripping must-read for thriller and police procedural fans. Look out for it in July.

Follow JS Law on Twitter @JSLawBooks

 

 

Rod Reynolds

Rod Reynolds

Rod Reynolds – THE DARK INSIDE

Fresh out of the City University Creative Writing MA (Crime Fiction) Rod’s novel – THE DARK INSIDE – is a perfect slice of American Noir. It follows New York reporter Charlie Yates as he travels into the deep South to cover a spate of horrific murders where the targets are couples parked up in date spots. Set in the 1940s Texarkana, a town on the border of Texas and Arkansas, it’s an atmospheric and dark tale with Charlie very much the outsider in the unwelcoming and claustrophobic-feeling small town. Despite the hostility of the locals, Charlie finds himself drawn into the case and compelled to help the beautiful Lizzie – the sister of the only victim who survived one of the killer’s attacks. But as Charlie digs into the evidence he starts to uncover secrets that many people in Texarkana want to keep hidden – at any cost. A page-turner from start to finish, with twists that’ll take your breath away, THE DARK INSIDE is an absolute must-read for all crime thriller fans. Look out for it in September.

Follow Rod on Twitter @Rod_WR

 

AND, there are three more debuts that I’m really looking forward to reading:

Sarah Ward’s IN BITTER CHILL published in July. Hop on over to www.crimepieces.com to see Sarah’s fantastic crime fiction blog and find out more about IN BITTER CHILL. Follow her on Twitter @sarahrward1

Rebecca Bradley’s SHALLOW WATERS is out now on Kindle (so, I know, technically not a 2015 debut, but as it published in December 2014, I’m counting it!). Pop over to www.rebeccabradleycrime.com to find out more about SHALLOW WATERS and follow her on Twitter @RebeccaJBradley

Paul E. Hardisty’s THE ABRUPT PHYSICS OF DYING which is out now on Kindle and will be published in paperback in August by Orenda Books. To find out more about THE ABRUPT PHYSICS OF DYING hop over to Twitter and follow @OrendaBooks and @Hardisty_Paul