Crime Always Pays: Make Mine A Nun With A Gun

Crime Always Pays: Make Mine A Nun With A Gun

Dan Starkey is back....

Dan Starkey returns in my new novel, 'Nine Inches', which is published this October. After the tumultuous events of 'Belfast Confidential' Dan has left journalism and is now offering 'a bespoke service' for important people with difficult problems - and the first of these is radio shock jock Jack Caramac. Jack's son has been kidnapped - but only for one hour, and returned with a threatening note. Now Dan has to find the kidnappers, and soon finds himself thrust into Belfast's very dark underworld and facing two gangsters hell bent on taking over the entire city.

I've also ventured into the world of e-books recently. While my usual titles are now starting to appear on Kindle, I've also produced a couple of books which are exclusively available through that medium. The first is called 'Dublin Express', and it's a small collection of five short stories which have appeared previously in different publications over the past twelve years. The second is 'National Anthem', the stage play which premiered at the Belfast Festival in 2010 and was subsequently shortlisted for 'Best New Play' at the Irish Theatre Awards.

A lazy man am I.....

Oh Lordy, the time does pass and I haven't updated this blog in a long, long, long, long time. So, no excuses apart from being lazy and doing most of my rambling on facebook these days, where you're welcome to join me.
The new novel, 'Nine Inches' comes out in October - it features the return of Dan Starkey to the streets of Belfast nearly seven years after I last wrote about him.
The paperback of my last book, 'Dr.Yes', comes out in June - it's the third in the Mystery Man series.
Elsewhere, I'm currently writing a screenplay for the BBC based on Tim Brannigan's memoir of growing up in West Belfast, 'Where Are You Really From?', I'm writing an Irish language series set in a newspaper in Belfast, and also I've been busy on the road promoting my latest children's book. (See below)

BOOK TOUR
I've been enjoying visiting schools in the last few months around Northern Ireland promoting my children's books - if you happen to be a teacher anywhere on this island and you'd like me to visit, do drop me a line via the website and I'll e-mail you an information sheet.

It's Chilli out there!

The new book, Dr. Yes, is being launched at an unusual venue - a marquee at Belfast's annual Chillifest. Chillifest is part of the Open House festival, and it features a No Alibis tent which will be hosting the book's release on Saturday, September 11 at 2 pm. The event itself is free, but it's a fiver to get in to the festival itself, which has lots of other attractions, including food, beer, wine and live music. Official release date is September 30, so this'll be your chance to pick one up early, or indeed, to get ridiculously drunk.

Dr. Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The new Mystery Man novel, Dr. Yes, is being published on September 30th, which is a month earlier than previously announced. If you're on the island of Ireland there are four events lined up to support this - one being at the Big Oak Literary and Arts Festival in Derry on the weekend of September 19th, then there's a launch at Waterstones in Dublin in the first week of October, and also an event at a theatre in Blanchardstown in North Dublin (sorry I don't have the date to hand - on my hols in Florida!) . There will also be a launch event in Belfast. This will again be staged through No Alibis, but for a change this will most likely be taking place outside of the store - reason being that October also sees the debut of my first stage play, National Anthem, which is on at the Baby Grand Opera House for two weeks. We're hoping to hold the book launch in tandem with the play, so watch out for details of that. Once again I've been fairly remiss about updating this ol' blog, but if you are interested in keeping better informed, why not join me over on Facebook, where you'll be overwhelmed with detail......

And the winner is.....

Very happy to report that 'The Day of the Jack Russell' has just won The Last Laugh Award for the best comic crime novel published in the UK in 2009 at the international CrimeFest. Didn't even know I was in the running! I think an extra drink at the Dublin launch of the book on June 9th is in order. Everyone welcome! It's at The Gutter Bookshop.