Devil's Cauldron by Alasdair Wham

 

I would like to thank Reading Between the Lines Blog Tours for giving me the opportunity to bring you this book, my Bookaholic friends. This gritty thriller is set in my native Scotland, so a real local flavour today. It's enough to make you crack out the Whiskey.

Blurb

What would you do if you saw your father murdered and no one believed you? When he was twelve Finn McAdam, saw his father, a scientist, murdered. No one believed him. Now he has returned to his native Galloway to discover the truth. Wherever it leads him. Whatever it costs. But the conspiracy he discovers exposes a cover-up involving leading political figures and places his life in great danger. Some people are determined that the truth must not get out.

Extract

The jam and cream filling palatable, the sponge harder to swallow, the flavour now tainted with the metallic tang of blood.
An elderly couple got up to leave, and as they reached the door it was held open by a woman who was entering. She was dressed in a black jerkin and matching black trousers – a uniform. She headed to his table to be greeted with a brief smile as she stood there, not, it seemed, expecting to be asked to sit down.
‘How long, Tania?’ I had heard that voice before.
‘The car is ready, sir. They managed to repair the puncture. I’ve parked it in St Andrew Street, close to the Kings Arms Hotel. As usual, there were no spaces left on King Street,’ she added, not with a smile but with a slight softening of her features, an attempted apology for any inconvenience caused. There was a rapport between them. Tania must be his chauffeur.
Tania was stocky, muscle not fat, I thought, her dark shoulder- length hair streaked with wisps of grey, her face impassive. She knew her place. She was also disrupting my plans. I couldn’t approach him now, not when he had company. I quickly supped some of the coffee to suppress my emotion.
‘That’s good. I’ll be out in a minute. Just wait in the car.’ He certainly was a charmer, knew how to treat women. Same way that he treated my father, contempt inbred. Now things could change with a bit of luck, I thought, shovelling down another piece of cake, although it stuck in my gullet.
Tania complied, not reacting to the brush-off, and turned about to leave the cafe. I looked around, no one else had noticed his chauvinism. However, no one else had the personal interest I had in him.
After a few seconds, he drained his coffee cup and stood up, putting his pen back carefully inside his jacket, and then, picking up the paper, he beckoned the waitress over and handed her a paper note. He waited while she brought his change. I kept my head down, managing another mouthful of coffee, masking my face.
‘Thank you.’ He took his change and headed towards the door.
Suddenly, I realised that I needed to pay and follow him, but the waitress had disappeared into the kitchen. I got up as he left and rushed over to the counter.
‘Hello,’ I said loudly and rapped on the counter. I repeated myself and a face appeared, an older woman.
‘I need to pay up, I have to go.’
‘Okay, no problem. Michelle, can you settle this gentleman’s bill? He’s in a hurry,’ she added.
Seconds passed before Michelle appeared. Precious seconds. Michelle returned, reached up and took the tab from a clip and checked the menu for prices.
‘Everything okay, sir?’ She glanced across at the half-eaten cake.
‘Yes,’ but she was taking too long. He could be away in his car by now. I threw down a ten- pound note and said, ‘Keep the change.’ I turned and ran out of the cafe. A glance told me he wasn’t on King Street. I knew Castle Douglas well – after all, I had lived in it for many years when I was younger – and rushed the short distance to St Andrew Street and looked along it. There he was, walking slowly, catching up with Tania who had not yet reached the car. I lurked at the corner and then quickly crossed the street and tried to walk fast without attracting their attention. I stopped beside an antique showroom as Tania pressed a key fob. The indicator lights flashed on a dark-coloured sports coupe, trimmed with a line of lime along the sill, the vivid colour reflecting off the highly polished body of the car. It looked like an Aston Martin, top of the range, a dream car only for the wealthy. Tania held the passenger door open and, as he got in, I took a picture with my iPhone.

Tania paused as she walked round the car, as if she had noticed my action. I turned away and took a picture of a white plaster bust of some historic figure in the window and pretended to be interested in it, breathing hard to steady my tension.
Minutes later I heard the throaty sound of the sports car starting and turned trying to note the registration number, but a car passed blocking my view. I could only see three letters... AGL. The car turned up Queen Street, which ran parallel to King Street, and was gone. I stood for some time, letting my emotion subside before I continued towards Queen Street.
He existed and he knew the area. I had to find him, so many questions to ask him and then... as my thoughts turned to plotting revenge, I saw the car pass the end of the road. I barely had time to turn away but noticed a lime-coloured stripe on the bonnet. Had Tania doubled back to check up on me? Had he recognised me after all? Unlikely, but I had to be careful until the conditions were right for me to exact my revenge.

You can buy the book via the link below. These are affiliate links and I will take a small amount of money if you buy the book. 

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About Alasdair Wham

Alasdair first two two novels were set in Islay and Mull (west coast of Scotland) and have proved very successful, rich in local detail with interesting plots.
His third novel, Devil's Cauldron, is set in Galloway which is in south-west Scotland, he likes to write about places that he knows the best.

Before he turned to fiction, he produced a series of books exploring Scotland's lost railways, a hobby that he enjoys with his sons and that took him all over Scotland.

Find out more:

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Amazon Author Page

That's it for another week my Boookaholic friends. I will see you soon with another post. Until then, keep on reading and writing. 

Exercises to Stimulate the Creative Juices

I've been thinking a lot abut exercise recently. I was ill for many years and unable to exercise, however I have now fully recovered. Whilst my unexpected recovery is exciting, and I rejoice in my new found freedom, it has left me feeling somewhat unfit. Therefore, exercise and recovering my fitness are at the forefront of my mind.

This has got me thinking about how this new found interest in exercising can help me as a writer. Many researchers have shown. that exercise helps you to focus and stay on task. Many schools are now incorporating exercise into the day to help pupils concentrate. Exercise also helps to enhance creativity. Boom, there's my link to writing. Yes, exercise really does help you to write better, or at least to free your imagination.

So, what exercises help those creative juices to flow? There should be at least 20 minutes of exercise which gets the heart racing a little faster. Anything which you enjoy can count towards exercise. Unless you enjoy sitting watching telly, or sitting down to read. Sorry, that doesn't count. However, going for a walk and listening to an audiobook does count. Listening to a book on writing, and walking is a definite score.

I have recently taken up cycling again and find this to be a great way to get exercise and allow my brain to think differently. I notice things differently as well.

Exercise can also get you out in the fresh air. We've had a bonny spring so far, here in Scotland. Take advantage of the nice weather and exercise outside. You will notice things in different ways. Your mind can free fall and snippets of different ideas will come into your mind. If you can, record them as a voice memo to keep for later. Unless you're flying down a hill on your bike, or in the middle of a game of tennis of course, in which case probably not a good idea.

I appreciate not everyone reading this will be able to do physical exercise. I was at a conference yesterday. Once of the speakers suggested that an hour of free writing before starting the writing for the day, can help free the mind. This is something I certainly intend to try.

My final exhortation, get up and get out. Find a form of exercise you like and challenge yourself to do it every day for the next month. You might find it becomes a habit.

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Dare You Face The Dagger's Curse?

Good afternoon Bookaholics, both readers and writers. I hope you are well and enjoying the summer. 

It's been a busy time recently for this author. I've been doing final edits of my latest book, The Dagger's Curse ready for its launch on 10th September. This is the first in a new Young Adult Mystery series called, The Fergus and Flora Mysteries. Fergus and Flora are typical Scottish teens until they find themselves smack bang in the middle of a mystery, following the theft of a cursed dagger. Cue adventure,  clues, non stop action, and a curse which holds Dundee in its grip. This is meant for young Adults and can be read by teens, older teens and adults alike. I hope you will fall in love with Fergus and Flora as much as I have.

My question to you today is - are you brave enough to face The Dagger's Curse? 

For DI Shona McKenzie Fans do not panic. The fifth book is well on its way and will be ready for release in November. I'm not ready to reveal too much about the plot as yet but I can tell you it is called Killer's Crew. I can promise you it will be another high profile and action packed case for Dundee's most famous Detective and her team. 

At the moment I am gearing up for Bouchercon 2016 in New orleans. I will be speaking on a panel talking about Police and Crooks. Now that should be fun. DI Shona McKenzie and her team will be coming along with me. The books will be for sale at the convention, but will New orleans feature in a future book. That's for Shona to know and me  to find out. It might involve some skilful interrogation on my part as Shona does not give up information easily. Whatever the outcome I am looking forward to the trip. There will be a strong Scottish contingent with several other Scottish authors also making the journey. Watch out New Orleans, the Scots are coming. 

If you would like a free ebook, DI Shona McKenzie's Guide to Killing your Boss then go to my website

On that note it is time for me to get back to the writing. I'll see you all back here soon. Until then keep reading and writing. 

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Research at the Surgeons' Hall Museum

I am a member of the Society of Authors, and thus the Society of Authors in Scotland. This excellent organisation arranges a veritable plethora of different visits for authors. The latest one was particularly good for crime writers, so as you can imagine I signed up in a heartbeat. This was to the Surgeons' Hall Museum in Edinburgh. What a superb visit this turned out to be. Also chock full of information that might just, one day, end up in a book,

The Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh started as a medieval guild, The guild of Barber Surgeons, in 1505. Only members could practice as surgeons.   This makes it one of the oldest medical colleges in the UK. The barbers pole is actually from the surgeon - red for blood and white bandages. Now I knew barbers poles were a remnant of their time when they were also surgeons but didn't know about the colours. It is housed in beautiful building in the Old Part of Edinburgh.

The museum contains a mock lecture theatre which displays a recreation of the first dissection in both Edinburgh and Scotland. There was a video with a surgeon talking as though he were in the hall giving an anatomy lesson to students. In the centre was a body on a dissection table. This lit up as the various organs were discussed. Brilliantly done. This was the way in which trainee surgeons originally learned about human anatomy. Dissection could also be given as a punishment.  The Judge could say they could be hanged and dissected. The hangman separated the guilty party's  body from his soul. His body was then handed over to the Royal College of Surgeons.

Despite this there were not enough bodies to meet demand. Cue Burke and Hare of the body snatchers fame. These guys originally handed a body over where the person had died of natural causes. They received some money in exchange for the body and thought it would be a good way to earn a living. So, they murdered sixteen people and sold the bodies to Robert Knox. When they were caught Hare turned evidence and Burke took the fall for the whole thing.  He was punished to death and dissection. The dissection was done privately but this led to a public outcry. Therefore, his body was put on public display. Thousands of people came from all over the country to see him.  Nothing like a bit of notoriety I think.

Pocketbook made from the skin of William Burke

©Surgeons’ Hall Museums at The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Now this is where the story gets even more interesting. They made notebooks out of Burke's skin and the museum has one of these on display. You are not allowed to take photographs in the museum but they very kindly sent me a photo of the book and allowed me to use it in this blog. I would like to thank them for doing so. This is the photo above. What a way to end up. At least he came in useful I suppose.

Museum has been opened to the public since it opened in 1832. It continues to do an amazing job today. It is one of the most interesting museums I have ever visited and I learned so much. For example Joseph Bell was the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes. He was only 16 when he started to study medicine and used logic and fact to work out what might be wrong with his patients. Now, as a crime writer, that is fascinating. 

I would highly recommend a visit to the museum for anyone visiting Edinburgh. If you want to know more visit the museums website http://museum.rcsed.ac.uk The staff are helpful and extremely knowledgable about all the exhibits in the museum. They are happy to chat and answer any questions. 

So my Bookaholics a different but interesting post today. Now you know what Crime Writers get up to in the name of research. I keep saying being a crime writer is a blast and I am sure you will agree that is true. See you all back here soon. Until then keep reading and writing. Remember to live life to the full and enjoy whatever you are doing. 

Life and New Beginnings

Good morning my Bookaholic friends, and a beautiful morning it is too. The sun is shining in Bonnie Dundee and I am going to spend the day reading. I want to start by apologising for the lack of blogs recently. Life has been frantically busy. I hope you will forgive me when you find out why.

Firstly I have been doing the final edits to KIller's Cut. I am excited about this book and I absolutely love the cover. I am sure you will agree that Cathy Helms of Avalon graphics has done a cracking job. As with all my books the bottom picture is of Dundee where the books are set. The top picture is indicative of the theme of the book. This will be released on 18th April at 6.30 pm in Waterstones, Dundee. Dundee in Scotland that is. If you are nearby then you are more than welcome to come along and help the book to get off to an explosive and fun filled start. 

I have also been all over the country giving talks, attending conferences and even a few days holiday. During this holiday I even managed to spend time in a Jail. Before everyone thinks I am some sort of criminal mastermind, it was a tourist attraction. Inveraray Jail. So I am sure you can see that I haven't had a second to think about blogging. 

So on to those new beginnings. As a crime writer I am usually thinking about endings - ending someones life. But April is a month of new beginnings for me. It's spring and that always makes me think about new life. My first new beginning is this blog. I will be back to bringing it out more regularly. That;s my promise to you. Another new beginning is the next book in the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries. I have already started this and am enjoying spending more time with Shona and her disparate team. I love these books and it is truly a pleasure to write them. The final new beginning is that I have signed a publishing contract to write a series of mystery books for Young Adults. These will be called the Fergus and Flora Mysteries, and they will also be set in Dundee. I am thrilled to be writing these and look forward to writing Young Adult books. 

So, as you can see it has been an exciting few months for this author and Bookaholic. What new beginnings have you had in your life recently? I am sure there are many. It would be great if you could share some of these in the comments below. 

Now, I am off to do some reading. I will be finishing off a cracking mystery and starting a biography. I certainly have eclectic tastes in reading. That's it for now Bookaholics. See you all back here soon. 

It's November and that means ...

Good morning Bookaholics. I trust you are all having a fabulous day. Today I am going to talk about the month of November. What's that got to do with reading I hear you ask. Well, it has a lot to do with reading, and writing of course. 

This morning my little corner of Scotland had its first snow of the year. Admittedly, not enough to build the cheery wee chappy above, but snow nevertheless. Along with snow comes very cold weather. I'm cuddled up in a blanket writing this. The heating is on, but my office used to be a garage and it's not terribly well insulated.

November also brings the first Christmas songs of the year. Personally I would rather these waited until December, but that's life as the saying goes. It also brings the first Christmas adverts and the kids go into overdrive. Everyones thoughts turn to buying Christmas presents. 

November also brings long cold nights. It is dark in Scotland by 4 pm. The curtains are drawn and the heating is on and all of us readers know what that means. Yes, it's more time to curl up with a good book. I have a reading pile which is so huge it is threatening to fall over. I've decided on a bit of eclectic reading this November. Here is a small section of what I will be reading. 

To writers November also means NaNoWriMo. This stands for National Novel Writers Month. This month writers, from all corners of the globe, will be writing up a storm. They will be counting words like a demon, and every word counts. They will update their word count daily on the NaNoWriMo site as they work towards the 50,000 they have pledged to write in November. They will be checking their buddies total and wondering how they are doing in comparison. Novels will get written during this month and the winners will rejoice. It is a time of elation, and a time of despair. Despair if you are not meeting your target for the day. Despair as you realise that you have to make that superb word total into a manageable manuscript. I am storming ahead with my fourth book in the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries.

This year, November also sees the arrival of the third book in the series, Killer's Cross. It will be launched in Waterstones, Dundee on 16th November. It is available from Amazon on the link to the right. In the UK signed copies are also available from my website and would make a fabulous Christmas present. See, I'm also solving your Christmas present problems in this blog.

Bodies with crosses carved on their chests! All left outside Dundee Churches! All members of the religious community! DI Shona McKenzie has to find the common factor linking the deaths, and catch the killer before he strikes again. Is her latest case as simple as it seems?

So November means a lot of things to a lot of different people. Whatever November means to you, my wish is that it brings you lots of lovely books to read. If you are a writer, and doing NaNoWriMo, my hope is that it is going well. My wish is that you will see that winner's video. I am off back to the writing. I will see you all back here soon. Have a great, fun filled, November. 

Interview with Scottish Crime Writer Michael J. Malone

Today on Bookaholic we welcome Scottish Crime Writer Michael J. Malone. Thank you for agreeing to take the hot seat Michael. 

I am sure the readers would love to hear about you. Could you start by telling them a little bit about yourself?

I’ve lived in Ayrshire all of my life and like most writers I’ve had a multiple jobs. From stacking shelves, to selling books and suits. From banking to publishing. But the one constant throughout has been books – both reading and writing.

I have a yellow Labrador (Bob) and a teenage son who keeps me grounded with comments like, “I hope you realise I won’t be reading your book, Dad.”

As Glasgow is so important to the story could you tell the readers something about the City?

When I was younger, Glasgow held a good deal of glamour. It seemed like an exciting, vibrant, funny and somewhat dangerous place. The clothes were better, the music more exciting and the girls more attractive than what was going on in Ayrshire. But that’s a (very) young man’s view and maturity teaches that cities like Glasgow have much, much more to offer.

Which is your favourite character in any of your books and why?

Ray McBain. He’s a man with enough baggage to keep an airport carousel in business for a month, but he’s also funny, vulnerable and honest to a fault.

When you are not writing what types of books do you read? What would you say was the best book you have ever read?

I read a variety of things. Crime mostly, because I review for Crimesquad. And I tend to seek out American and Scottish authors. I enjoy the scale of much of the stuff coming out of the US, and the grit and humour my fellow Scots are renowned for. But I like to mix it up with fantasy, historical and some contemporary fiction (I’m resisting  the “Literary” label – hate that word).

As for my favourite ever book, that changes depending on the prevailing winds, but my favourite authors include, Pat Conroy, Robert Crais, James Lee Burke, John Connolly, Don Winslow, Raymond Feist, Denise Mina, Fiona McIntosh. I could go on, and on. And on.

I have reviewed Beyond the Rage below. Can you tell the readers something about your other books?

Blood Tears and A Taste for Malice are thrillers starring D.I. Ray McBain.

The Guillotine Choice is an inspirational novel based on the true story of an innocent Algerian sent to Devil’s Island by the French colonial power.

Carnegie’s Call is a non-fiction book detailing the lives and successes of a number of prominent Scots.

Now we are getting personal. What is your favourite food?

Cake.

But I also enjoy a fry-up – bacon, black-pudding, square sausage and eggs. Never get tired of that.

If you ever have a day off from writing exciting books what do you like to do in your spare time?

Walk the dog. Go to the gym. Read a book. Watch a movie. That’s pretty much my life right there.

Beyond the rage is a gritty novel and deals with the criminal underbelly of Glasgow. Where did you get your inspiration for such a dark novel?

Kenny O’Neill is the hero of this book – and he features in my first two novels as Ray McBain’s criminal best friend.

While my first two books were doing the rounds of the publishers and receiving rave rejections I knew I had to keep writing, but I didn’t want to write a third McBain book until the first two had a home, so I hit upon the idea of a book with Kenny acting front and centre.

Is there anything, which has surprised you as a writer? If so what is it?

Lots and lots. It has been a big, steep learning curve. The thing that occurs to me right now, given that I’m in the agony of writing a new book – is that I can manage to come up with another one.

Each time I’ve typed those two little words “The End” I have the strongest feeling that I will never EVER be able to do that again. That I’ve left everything on the page and there is nothing in the creative well. But, after a break the drive to write rises, there’s a spark of an idea and I’m off. It shouldn’t still surprise me, but it does.

Thank you for joining us Micael and for being patient in answering all my questions.

Beyond the Rage

This is the first book I have read by Michael and I am sure it won't be the last. This is a gritty book which is down to earth and real. Malone gives the reader a flavour of the Glasgow underworld which is realistic. His writing style is excellent and he does not pull any punches. I started of by disliking the main character Kenny, O'Neill but I ended up loving him. He is a multifaceted character with a lot of endearing features. For a gangster that is. The basic premise of the story is that Kenny is trying to find his long lost father. This leads to a well written story and a tight plot which races along. The story pulls the reader along with it, and the tension ramps up towards the end. This is an enjoyable book.

The only thing I will add is that there are  a lot of sexual scenes and references in this book. Whilst this supports the story well I felt I should let readers know in advance.

You can find out more about Michael and his books on his Amazon Author page

That's us for another Bookaholic day. See you back here very soon. Until then keep reading and writing. 

A Happy Crime Writer's New Year

Good afternoon Bookaholics and welcome to the first blog of 2015. I trust you all had a great Christmas and New Year and that you got lots of lovely books for Christmas. I was fortunate to get a few so watch this space.

So what has this Crime Writer and reader been up to over Christmas and new year? Firstly I am sporting one of my Christmas presents. I love this T-Shirt and the perfect present for me. In case you can't read it from the picture it says "You are Dangerously Close to Becoming a Body in my Next Novel." You do not know how true this is. As a crime writer I am always one step away from planning the next murder. Seriously, never upset a crime writer. They can bump you off in ways that are too horrible for the human mind to imagine. Unless it's a crime writer's mind that is.

So what of 2014. The most exciting part of this had to be the launch of the first book in the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries. Shona is keen, eager and ready to prove to the world what she can do. So far she hasn't disappointed with the book being warmly received. The book launch at Waterstones Bookstore was so much fun and very well attended. Definitely a great way to launch my career as a published author.

Unfortunately I haven't had huge amounts of time to read recently as I have been knee deep in all things Christmas and New Year related. Much like the rest of the world. I am waiting for my family to arrive so we can have our New Years Day Dinner together. That brings me neatly to the end of my post as I have a steak pie to carve up, er. sorry cut up and serve. See you all back here very soon my bookaholic friends. My wish for you over the coming year is that you will have everything you need. See you all soon.