. . . in the footsteps of Raymond Chandler . . .
5 Star reviews, published by Wild Wolf Publishing in 2011, Black Shadows looks set to become a firm favourite in the crime noir genre : 1930s New Jersey, murder, private detectives , beautiful dames, a diamond . . . classic elements woven together in a smooth, slick period narrative style by the author.
(Trailer from AuthorsAnon)
Click on bookcover to look inside on Amazon :
(Bookcover by Sessha Batto)
Booksigning at Brighton, Saturday 7th April
Amazon Product Description :
When rookie private detective, Errol Black, gets mixed up in the killing of gangster Dutch Schultz, he vows to clean up his act. But when former partner Dyke Spanner is shot to death, Black is drawn into a violent and bloody quest for a mythical, priceless diamond.
New Jersey 1935: When private detective, Errol Black and his fellow agents, are protecting an Irish mobster they become embroiled in the killing of Dutch Schultz. A gunfight leaves bloody chaos. Ten years later, Black’s past is about to catch up with him. A young woman hires Black for a seemingly routine surveillance job, former partner Dyke Spanner is shot dead and Black is drawn deeper into a violent and bloody quest. The search for the priceless blue Tavernier Diamond throws Black into the line of fire of New York’s ruthless Tongs. To even hope to solve the mystery, Black must journey into his past where both the secret to Dyke’s murder and the clues to the hidden diamond lay. Black Shadows is a crime thriller blending fact and fiction. In the finest hardboiled tradition, it is filled with gangsters, beautiful dames, colourful villains and red herrings. “Black Shadows is a tightly written piece of noir fiction, inviting obvious comparisons to Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.” ~ HarperCollins
The Casablanca Case, sequel to Black Shadows now available as ebook on Amazon
Interview from AuthorsAnon Newsletter:
How did you start writing ?
I have always been a writer. My earliest memories contain the writing of stories. As a child, I had dreams of being a film star, a spy or an author. It was clear that of the three, writing was my real passion, and dreams aside I was never going to be cut out to be the next James Bond or Marlon Brando! Every opportunity I got, I would write whether it be stories, poems, reviews and I am sure, quite a lot of nonsense along the way. As I grew older my writing became more serious and I continued to produce a range of stories covering a variety of genres, often handing in extra work to my High School Literacy tutor for review.
How did Errol, the main character of Black Shadows, come into being ?
Errol has been developed over many years. I suppose he was born from a thousand mysteries, encapsulating Sam Spade, Phil Marlowe, Mike Hammer and more recently Max Allan Collins’ Nate Heller. And of course with a good dose of Simon Swift mixed in there . . .
(Interview continues here )
What is being said :
” . . . Suffice it to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Simon Swift is a clever wordsmith. Thus, some of the book’s familiar criminal scenarios read far better than they might in less capable hands. And the plot was a most meandering tangle of threads … but it all works out somehow, right? 🙂 And, I might add that Swift can be awfully funny, too. However, even though you might get the idea that Black is like any old hardboiled PI, he isn’t just Sam Spade, okay? He actually seems to have a heart, which makes him different and interesting. But he ain’t mushy, either. You got that? So, if you enjoy the old hardboiled detective novels, you’re in for a real treat. Because this is a book that truly harkens back to a time when dames was dames and men wore fedoras and detectives were tough talkers. There’s just one thing. There was no rock and roll in the 1940s. Oh, no! :-0 ” D.Mack “It is one of the best NY stories I’ve read. LOVE LOVE that opening – the mention of the shooting and the visual of the bloody steak. Not-so-subtle brilliance.” –Elizabeth Lindberg, New York actress, playwright and author of Dionysus and Out of Sync “From the dramatic opening onwards, the reader is hooked. It’s a proven formula: a wisecracking detective, exotic female characters and shady gangsters, but here everything works so well.” –Jake Barton, bestselling crime author of Burn Baby Burn
AuthorsAnon 