Grab This Book – Page 96 – Helping readers find great books they may otherwise miss

Time To Die – Caroline Mitchell

He will predict your life… and your death.

Don’t ever cross his palm with silver. He will reveal your most shameful secrets. He will predict your death. He is hiding a secret. He is hiding a monster. And all his predictions come true.

Investigating a series of chilling murders, Detective Jennifer Knight finds herself tracking a mysterious tarot card reader known only as The Raven.

As the death toll rises, Jennifer and her team build a picture of a serial killer on the edge of sanity, driven by dark forces. But these are not random killings. And the method behind the madness could be the most terrifying thing of all …

Especially when it seems the death of one of their own is on the cards.

My thanks to Bookouture for my review copy.

After enjoying the debut appearance of Jennifer Knight in Don’t Turn Around I was keen to find what lay in store for Jennifer in Caroline Mitchell’s new thriller Time To Die. Fortunately for returning fans there is another cracking thriller to enjoy.

What I find particularly appealing about these books is the fact that Knight and her colleagues are police officers but are also tasked with investigating issues which have a supernatural element. This opens up so much more potential for Caroline Mitchell to take her stories to the darker side of human (and inhuman) nature and she uses this freedom to great effect.

In Time To Die we encounter Raven, he has the ability to read your life in his tarot cards. He can see your darkest secrets and can also see your death. But sometimes Raven may need to give these premonitions of death a little helping hand…just to make sure the cards are correct.

Tarot has always held a dark fascination and the startling accuracy of the readings that Raven offers to his victims causes them (and the reader) a deeply unsettling feeling. I find that a chiller which is closely grounded in a believable situation is more unsettling than a ‘zombie apocalypse’ horror tale. Caroline Mitchell has delivered the chill factor I love – Raven is a disturbing character, his motives are unsettling and his need to satisfy the tarot cards and ensure his predictions remain true made for compelling reading.

The investigation into Raven’s suspicious behaviour ensures there is a strong police procedural element to Time To Die which appealed to my love of crime fiction. There is a real feel of a criminal investigation being conducted into the violent deaths depicted in the book. We follow the investigation and (as we know the Raven is a murderer) we get to see the police closing in on their suspect. However, the Raven knows they are coming and is taking his own steps to avoid capture.

On a final thought, I also enjoyed the further development of Jennifer Knight’s character: her obsession with cleanliness, the fractious relationship she has with her family and we learn more about her colleagues. All these elements help build a more complete story and give the depth to the book that not all authors accomplish. I look forward to another return to Haven and to see more investigations for Knight and her colleagues. My kind of book – thoroughly recommended.

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October 3

Q&A Andrew Shantos – Dead Star Island

Today is the final leg of the Dead Star Island Blog Tour and I am delighted to welcome Andrew Shantos to Grab This Book. Andrew has kindly taken time to answer a few questions:

Which book has most influenced your writing and why?

If I had to pick just one it has to be the Cyberpunk classic, Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson. One reviewer on Goodreads calls it “War and Peace for nerds”. It made me realise what is possible in a book: it’s brimming with ideas, both playful and deep; its real life characters get treated with affectionate irreverence; it’s sad and funny and clever. I’ve tried to do the same in Dead Star Island, though the nerdy aspect is more of the musical variety.

How long did it take you to find a publisher? What advice have you got for other debut novelists looking to get published?

It took about a year to find a publisher, after much trying (which I describe on another leg of my blog tour). There is much in the world of publishing that is beyond an author’s influence (particularly a debut author). But you can control the most important things: writing the best novel you possibly can; and giving absolutely everything you have. If you achieve those things, you learn to enjoy above all the process of writing, which is a deeper, more abiding love, rather than the short term lust you get from any kind of public “success”.

That said, most writers do want other people to read their musings on life, and it is lovely when someone says something nice about your book. So you have to keep trying, believe in yourself, and seek to become better at what you do.

Your central character is an alcoholic and there is certainly a good deal of substance abuse by the islanders too. How difficult or easy was it to write about?

I adored it! I always got a little excited when I knew one of these scenes was coming up, and I found them the easiest to write. They do say write what you know… Finally I found a constructive use for those wasted college years. There were a few substances missing from my collection though, so I took various mates out for a drink and got them to tell me stories from their bad old days.

I felt it was important to include these kind of experiences in the novel, because many of the real life characters who appear (Jim, Jimi, Joni etc) are defined as much by their hedonistic lifestyles as by their extraordinary musical talent. So Gunzabo (my detective, who simply cannot say no) ends up joining in (quite a lot). He has fun at first, but gets pretty messed up, which for me sums up why many people get into drug abuse, and why they stay into drug abuse.

When you were writing, did you set yourself deadlines or goals or did you just let it flow? How long did the book take from start to completion?

Dead Star Island took three years, from writing the first word to clicking Send on the final draft. I kept trying to set goals, but this never seemed to work: I found myself failing to reach them and doing even less as a result. What worked really well was keeping a record every time I finished a writing session. I noted the number of hours I spent and what I’d been working on (resulting in some nice stats for the nerds out there). This allowed me to give myself a pat on the back when I looked back and saw I’d done forty hours the previous month. Also I found myself competing with the me from a month ago to try to beat it.

Are there other genres you’d now like to explore?

As a reader I’ve never been one to stick to a particular genre. I’ll read anything, from thrillers to sci-fi to romance, so long as it’s full of ideas and it makes me feel part of someone else’s world. So I don’t know. Maybe a romantic sci-fi thriller?

For now though, I’m focussing on shorter fiction. I’ve got plenty of ideas and I want to turn some of them into short stories before committing to a few more years at the next full length novel.

You are a musician yourself. How did this influence your choice of subject/writing?

Music was the biggest influence of all on Dead Star Island. It helped me choose my characters, write many of the scenes (for example, the talent show where Jimi forms a super-group with some of the other residents and performs a cover of The Final Countdown). Music gave me the idea for the novel in the first place: all my favourite musicians, living in secrecy on an island together. It’s my ultimate fantasy. Of those I’m willing to share with the world, anyhow.

Dead Star Island, published by APP, can be ordered through Amazon priced £4.99 for Kindle and £8.99 paperback: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Star-Island-Andrew-Shantos/dp/0992811627

To get in touch visit him here….

w: andrewshantos.com

t: @andrewshantos

#deadstarisland

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October 3

Dead Star Island – Andrew Shantos

Sixteen superstars the world thinks are dead. One killer, determined to finish the job…Somewhere in the Indonesian archipelago is a tropical island paradise with some very unusual residents…Elvis, Marilyn, Jimi and others have been living for decades in peace and anonymity on Dead Star Island. But someone is murdering them, one by one, in bizarre reconstructions of their previous deaths.

Mario Gunzabo was once Greece’s top detective. Now a one-armed tennis coach living in southeast England, he receives an unexpected call from his old school friend, Christian Adhis, Director of Dead Star Island.Gunzabo is secretly transported to the island, with two simple instructions: First – catch the Deja Vu Killer before he strikes again. Second – don’t get too drunk in the process.

My thanks to Katy Weitz and APP for a review copy.

Sometimes to enjoy a story you have to suspend a degree of belief – Dead Star Island is one you enjoy if you just go with it. I have seen the word ‘trippy’ used when describing the book, certainly many of the characters are tripping in most of their scenes but this is crazy genius.

Imagine some very famous celebs who are all believed dead are actually alive and well and living in blissful seclusion on a remote tropical island. Now imagine a killer is picking them off one by one – their deaths mimicking their ‘original’ death. Now imagine a one armed Greek detective with his pet ferret being brought to the island to catch the killer. Still with me? Good I give you Dead Star Island by Andrew Shantos – all of this and more. One of the more memorable detective stories I have read for many a year.

There are 16 ‘dead’ celebs living on Dead Star Island and there is lots of fun to be had trying to work out exactly who they are. Andrew Shantos teases out details and facts about the island residents to let the reader discover the secrets of the island at the same time as his detective Gunzabo. Indeed most of the details about the island and its inhabitants are slowly revealed as Gunzabo attempts to investigate a murder where witnesses are stoned, drunk, senile or elusive. Much of the time Gunzabo himself is drunk or stoned too.

The island dynamics are a test for Gunzabo, the relationships of these stars and their desire for secrecy hinders any investigative attempts. He also meets resistance from the island Director (the very man who brought him in to solve the murders). Despite the lack of support Gunzabo manages to unravel some of the mysteries of the island and before long a quite sinister prospect seems to be coming to light.

At the heart of Dead Star Island, and once you are past its apparent light-hearted concept, is quite a dark murder tale and a nicely outlined detective story. This book possibly will be a bit too outlandish for everyone’s taste as the concept sounds unusual, however, this is a gem of a story which kept me entertained and slightly perturbed when the motivation of the killer was revealed.

Lots of fun for me while reading Dead Star Island, well worth hunting this one down.

Dead Star Island, published by APP, can be ordered through Amazon priced £4.99 for Kindle and £8.99 paperback: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Star-Island-Andrew-Shantos/dp/0992811627

To get in touch visit him here….

w: andrewshantos.com

t: @andrewshantos

#deadstarisland

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September 25

Rings of Smoke – Diane O’Toole

Erin Fallon is the eldest daughter of an Irish immigrant who took his family to a small town on the Lancashire/Cumbria border for what he believed to be a better life. It was what her mother wanted, but once she got it, it wasn’t enough. She had to have more.

Leonard Fitch is an eminent neurosurgeon. His mother was never satisfied either, and her constant demands led to his father being killed in a motor accident. Leonard loved his father; he was the only person to treat him with kindness and affection. He hated his mother but could never stand up to her. Tormented and ridiculed throughout his childhood, Leonard swore to exact revenge on womankind in general, but mothers in particular.

At a secluded lodge in the depths of Bleazedale Forest, for four years he carries out the most abominable atrocities with impunity. He takes girls on their birthday and keeps them holed up for a full twelve months before killing them and sending their mothers a birthday card with a picture of their beloved little girl, dead and with their severed feet placed either side of their head.

My thanks to Louise of Crime Book Club for the chance to join the Tour.

I have noticed a few online interactions recently where people have not enjoyed books which they consider too graphic. While this is never something that has concerned me I feel it only fair to flag up that Rings of Smoke does contain some scenes which some readers may find disturbing.

Not me though so onwards to the story!

Leonard Fitch is quite a nasty piece of work – he is exacting revenge for a lifetime of torment by kidnapping girls, subjecting them to a year of torture and abuse. He then finally ends their suffering on their birthday and sends the distraught family pictures of their daughter’s mutilated corpse.

Having established Finch as a man to avoid the story switches to Erin Fallon. She is the eldest of four siblings and we are brought into the family home as her father secures a promotion and the chance to improve their lot in life with a little extra money each month. A move to a new town leaves Erin feeling lonely and unsettled. There are problems at home and soon Erin finds she is the one keeping the household together- however Finch has her in his sights.

I enjoyed how Diane O’Toole established Erin’s family at the heart of the story. Seeing how Erin is integral to her family’s wellbeing made the threat of Finch more acute. While you read you cannot help but feel that if Finch managed to trap Erin that her family would crumble apart.

As we know Finch for the monster that he is I particularly enjoyed that the author also elected to show Finch living his ‘normal’ life too. Finch’s revenge is a long term entertainment for him. Girls are held for 12 months at a time, therefore, he needs to have a house, a career, co-workers and a semblance of a normal existence. His role as a neurosurgeon places him into a busy hospital and I loved these scenes as the politics of the hospital play out, evolving around the important surgeons and their respective staffers. It gave the characters the depth that is not always established in the books I read.

As I read Rings of Smoke I realised that there was a possible outcome that I did not want to see happen. It kept me reading late into the night as I had to know if Finch was going to be foiled. The endgame was built up nicely and delivered more than one twist that I had not seen coming.

I had fun with Rings of Smoke, it took a slightly different approach to the serial killer story by concentrating on the killer and his next victim. Nicely done.

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September 24

Breathe: Meat Puppet Trilogy Book 1 – David Ince

Sebastian suffers from acute asthma. He’s ex-military, but the asthma meant he never saw combat. It’s held him back his whole life, and now he has a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove. Working as a courier, Sebastian arrives in town with a bag to deliver. He doesn’t know what it contains, he doesn’t want to know, but he’s pretty sure it isn’t drugs or money.

An hour before the hand over he hooks up with Isobel, a weary nurse in need of a ride. But Isobel is slave to a man she calls Mr Punch, the overlord of a criminal empire built upon manipulation, blackmail and fear.

Anonymous and terrifying, Mr Punch is almost legend, haunting the lives of ordinary people, forcing shopkeepers, office workers and nurses to become henchmen and assassins. Believing he is trapped between Mr Punch and his mysterious employer, Sebastian’s best chance of survival is to run. But running isn’t Sebastian’s style. It’s not an option for a man with acute asthma.

My thanks to Caffeine Nights for my review copy.

It is a wonderful thing when you start to read a book and get totally gripped from the first page. Breathe did just that for me and I was devastated when it finished. However, the over riding sensation was one of shock – David Ince is not into sugar coating and the characters in his book get a very rough ride.

Sebastian is our lead character, acting as a courier (of what he prefers not to know) he manages to lose a bag he was meant to deliver to some rather unpleasant ‘businessmen’. This is not the greatest of his immediate problems as someone has locked him into a room and two men are waiting outside to kill him – just as soon as his starring role in a traumatic home-movie has ended.

Falling back on his military training Sebastian manages to escape from the room and soon negotiates 24 hours to track down the lost bag he was due to deliver. Thus begins a desperate race against time for Sebastian as the consequence of failure will almost certainly result in his death at the hands of the aforementioned ‘businessmen’.

Sebastian will have his work cut out. Although he does not know it, he is a pawn in the game of the notorious ‘Mr Punch’ – a sinister figure who blackmails everyday people turns them into killers and thugs. Mr Punch and his associates have decided that it is time for Sebastian to die and they are not interested in any 24 hour grace period to recover a lost bag.

Breathe is fast paced, action packed and often brutal and unforgiving. I want to rave about how good it was, share certain scenes with you and tell you how I was blindsided by some of the twists. But that would spoil your enjoyment – this is a book you simply have to read for yourself.

Breathe is the first part of the Meat Puppet Trilogy (which is quite possibly the best named trilogy I have encountered for many a long year!) Having rushed through Breathe I cannot wait to see where David Ince takes us in the next book. I just hope I don’t have to wait too long to read it.

An outstanding 5* read – Breathe is going top of September’s recommendations and it will take something pretty special to stop me thinking about some of those plot twists! I cannot recommend this enough – a must read for crime fans.

Breathe is published by Caffeine Nights and is available in paperback and digital formats.

Caffeine Nights: http://caffeine-nights.com/our-books/4581879870

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September 21

The Defenceless – Kati Hiekkapelto

When an old man is found dead on the road – seemingly run over by a Hungarian au pair – police investigator Anna Fekete is certain that there is more to the incident than meets the eye. As she begins to unravel an increasingly complex case, she’s led on a deadly trail where illegal immigration, drugs and, ultimately, murder threaten not only her beliefs, but her life.

Anna’s partner Esko is entrenched in a separate but equally dangerous investigation into the activities of an immigrant gang, where deportation orders and raids cause increasing tension and result in desperate measures by gang members – and the police themselves. Then a bloody knife is found in the snow, and the two cases come together in ways that no one could have predicted. As pressure mounts, it becomes clear that having the law on their side may not be enough for Anna and Esko.

My thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for my review copy.

The Defenceless opens with two drug dealers enjoying some of their wares in suburban flat being confronted by an elderly neighbour. There is an argument and an accident and the first thread in the elegant tapestry of the story is sewn. Next we find lead character Anna Fekete has been called to investigate what appears to be a hit and run accident, however, the victim appears to be on a road in totally inappropriate clothing for a winter night.

More threads soon follow: gang wars are spilling into Finland from Denmark. We follow a boy in Finland who is (topically) an illegal alien trying to avoid the authorities and inevitable deportation. A Hungarian au pair who is a suspect in an investigation but also wants to be Anna’s new best friend as she feels a connection through their Eastern European heritage. All these elements, and more, are skillfully pulled together as the story unfolds and we are treated to a captivating thriller.

The Defenceless is the second book featuring Anna and her partner Esko, both were introduced in The Hummingbird (another must read title). Despite this being the second in the series I do not feel it is essential to have read The Hummingbird to enjoy The Defenceless. Everything I needed to know about Anna was smoothly integrated into the story without feeling I was reading a recap.

One key observation I would make about The Defenceless (and this is also true other Orenda titles) there is that there is a magnificent sensation of location to be experienced when you read. Although I have never been to Finland Kati Hiekkapelto made dark woods and icy cold Finish towns come alive around me. Despite reading The Defenceless by a Spanish swimming pool in the height of summer I felt the chill of a Finish winter – the creeping darkness in the cold Northern nights. The sensation of ‘being there’ lifts an already strong story and makes the reader feel they are part of the adventure.

The Defenceless is a terrific read, atmospheric with the great mix of twists and unexpected discoveries playing out with a strong and likeable lead character. I am very much looking forward to the next book from Kati Hiekkapelto.

The Defenceless is published by Orenda Books and is available in paperback and digital format.

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September 18

Gary Russell Q&A – Doctor Who: Big Bang Generation

Today I am delighted to be able to welcome Gary Russell. Gary is a former editor of the official Doctor Who Magazine, has written several Doctor Who novels and non-fiction books, and was producer for Big Finish Productions of the monthly New Doctor Who Adventures from 1998 to 2006. Gary is now a member of the script-editing team on Doctor Who and Torchwood.

My our chat took place before today’s official confirmation that Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald) was leaving Doctor Who sometime during Season 9…this makes the first question seem oddly phrased!

First (and I am not sure if I can ask this without some spoilers): no Clara but a return of an old friend?

The joy of the current TV show is that Clara comes and goes – some of her TV stories meld into the next, others have gaps you could drive a fleet of double decker buses through. So I reasoned it was perfectly feasible that while Clara is off having school trips to Stonehenge or Austria or seeing her Gran or whatever, the Doctor would be off having adventures by himself. But always the Doctor tends to find himself chums as he goes from place to place. So I thought a River Song story would be nice but when Steven Moffatt suggested Bernice, a whole different story popped up – a much more fun romp. I was delighted at the suggestion, truly over the moon. She’s one of my favourite characters in any fictional universe and I miss playing in her sandbox enormously, so I was so happy to write for her, Ruth, Jack and lovely Peter again.

The Glamour Chronicles spans all three books in this release window. Where does Big Bang Generation fit in the arc continuity?

I know Una’s book comes before Trevor’s. But mine goes wherever you choose.

I always imagine writing to be a very individual process, does writing a book which has overlap with other author’s work (in this case the story of The Glamour) create unique challenges?

Not for me – I’m a very selfish writer, The only person who has any input into my books is Justin as range editor. I don’t let people read work-in-progress. I don’t ask advice or story suggestions from anyone. Writing prose is vastly different from writing, say a TV script, which is all about collaboration to ensure that everyone else in a production can do their job reasonably, practically and make them shine. A novel, to me at least, is an incredibly more personal labour. As a result, I established with Justin early on that other than seeding the Glamour into the story, it wouldn’t need to impact upon, or have impact from, either Una or Trevor’s stories.

Your author notes indicated that Steven Moffat asked you not to use a character you had wanted to include. Is it more tricky to have story ideas approved now than it was when you were writing New Adventure novels for the 7^th Doctor back in the 1990’s?

In the handful of post 2005 stuff I’ve done, I’ve not encountered any huge problems. This is probably because I spent much of 2006-2011 being the git that said “no” to people on behalf of either Russell or Steven whilst working at BBC Wales, as I know what can and can’t be done. Indeed, i suspect the powers that be in Cardiff now are probably slightly more relaxed about things than I ever was – we were still finding our feet, “additional-fiction” speaking back then. Now there are lots of templates to work from, so it’s chilled out more. But I tended to adhere to my own guidelines from Russell’s days when doing BBG.

You have worked with Big Finish on a lot of projects and I loved that many Big Finish characters are named in Big Bang Generation. Are you seeing an increase in the number of fans of the tv show discovering the audio plays and finding their way to the back catalogue of New Adventures and 8^th Doctor books?

Well I pretty much created Big Finish with Jason back in the day so I’m always happy to see BF ideas transferred to other mediums – god, I was so proud at the Eighth Doctor’s “Charley, C’rizz” etc speak in Night of the Doctor. So honoured too! If that one speech made just one person go and look at BF, look at the great stuff Nick Briggs is creating there these days, then the blood, sweat and tears that I put into BF’s first eight years is worth it.

You were Editor of Doctor Who Magazine in the early 1990’s – a time where the show was off the air. Do you think the current team have it easy now that there is so much new content to cover each month?

I always said when I was at DWM that I wouldn’t want to do that magazine if the show was on air. I had it lucky – it was an era when the “death” of the TV show was still recent enough that we weren’t dying or drying up regarding content, we could still be positive but weren’t beholden to a production team looking over our shoulders. I would hate that, I would also hate that scrabble to be the first with news, photos etc. I left DWM about a year before the McGann TV Movie burst into life – and I was so glad I wasn’t there. Today, poor Tom has it a billion times worse (although my predictions about interfering production teams never came into existence) but that mad effort to be, as the official magazine, the first, the biggest, the most prominent…nah, that’s not for me. I couldn’t hack that pressure. Tom Spilsbury and his team need sainthoods for what they have to go through. So do I think they have it easy? No, I think they have it a hundred times harder than I ever did.

During your time at DWM (and I read every issue through your run) were there any standout memories, interviews or even episode discoveries that you can share?

The day Marcus Hearn rang me up to say he’d discovered the telesnaps to all those missing Hartnell adventures was amazing. Tomb of the Cybermen turning up was fun. We did a nice run of female journalists interviewing female companions which I was rather proud of. We changed the comic strips to feature past Doctors, again I liked that. Adrian Salmon’s Cybermen strip was a highlight. Very proud to have done Colin Baker’s Age of Chaos comic, and putting all the Dalek Chronicles strips together in one place for the first time (hands up who spotted we got two pages the wrong way round? Luckily very few because most previous reprints of that particular story arc *also* made that mistake so fans were used to seeing it wrong! Phew!) I was lucky not just to have Marcus as my number two, but also designers like Peri Godbold and Paul Vyse doing amazing work on a four-week turnaround in an era before computers and DTP. I also had the 30th anniversary *and* DWM’s 200th issue in the same year. My brief time at DWM is one of the happiest I’ve ever been. Loved it all.

Over the years you have written a significant number of Doctor Who adventures. Have you a favourite Doctor/Companion team to write for?

Loved the Tenth Doctor and Donna. *Always* love writing for the Sixth and Mel. Would love to do the Third and Jo one day. Have yet to do the Ninth, War or the First in a novel – and want to. Curiously I’ve never done a Fourth Doctor novel and more curiously have no desire to, but if I did I think it would need to be a Leela story because I love the character so much. A Leela solo book – now that appeals! Years ago I did for BBCi a web series called Real Time that deliberately set up a sequel that never happened. I’d love to expand and finish that as a novel.

Are there any classic monsters that you would like to write into a future story?

I’ve done my personal biggies – Ice Warriors, Autons, Silurians and Sea Devils. Never done Davros or Daleks, that would be nice. But deep, deep down I have a passion for doing the Bandrils at war with the Taran Wood Beasts – surely that’s a winner? No? Oh okay then…

Finally, are you a collector? You have been such an active part within the world of Doctor Who for a good number of years – have you any souvenirs or memento’s which you cherish?

I collect action figures, comics, music and books. I have (I believe) every edition of every foreign translation f the Target Books and the post 2005 books (I may have missed a couple of French or Hungarian editions since I’ve been here in Australia) – that’s always been my passion. Heaven knows why, I can’t read the blasted things. But they look pretty. I’m a pretty obsessive collector, I can’t have one in a series, it’s all or nothing! But I don’t collect autographs, I don’t collect props or things that have been in the show. I’m just a sucker for certain parts of mainstream merchandise. But I collect the same sorts of things outside Doctor Who too. I’m a massive lifelong Marvel Comics fan (one day I will write the Fantastic Four or die trying) and have more Marvel Legends action figures than my house can cope with!

My deepest thanks to Gary for taking time to answer my questions.

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September 17

Una McCormack Q&A – Doctor Who: Royal Blood

Today I am delighted to welcome Una McCormack. Una’s latest novel , Royal Blood, is one the three new Doctor Who titles from BBC Books. Featuring the 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald, Royal Blood forms part of the Glamour Chronicles trilogy.

Shall we start with an easy one? What can we expect The Doctor and Clara to encounter in Royal Blood?

The Doctor and Clara arrive in the mediaeval city of Varuz to discover that the technology is far more advanced than they would expect, and that the city is facing the threat of an invasion. They both try to prevent war breaking out – but things are complicated when a figure from Earth legend, Lancelot, arrives, in search of the Holy Grail.

The three new Doctor Who titles just released, your book and those by Trevor and Gary are all part of a story arc which brings The Doctor into contact with The Glamour. What is the Glamour and does it pose a threat to the TARDIS crew?

The Glamour is very mysterious. It can take many forms, and look very different to different people, but its chief property is that people want to possess it. This makes it very dangerous, and very hard to fight.

How much co-ordination has to take place between three authors before you all begin writing to ensure that The Glamour is defined correctly and the plotlines all tie in?

Although they’re connected by the Glamour, and are best read in a particular order, the three books do stand alone quite well. The series consultant, Justin Richards, and the project editor, Steve Tribe, did the co-ordination of the projects. I’ve worked on other projects, such as the Star Trek series The Fall, where the five authors collaborated through a kind of email ‘writers’ room’. We had a lot of ideas and information flying to and fro!

How do you get to be one of the Doctor Who authors? Do you approach the team and pitch an idea or are you invited to contribute?

For the first book, I approached the editorial team and asked to write. I had a long background in writing TV tie-in novels from the work I’d done on the Star Trek books, and this stood me in good stead. The turnaround can very tight on these kind of books, so they want to know that you can write them quickly while maintaining quality. I’ve been invited back for subsequent books.

You have previously written two 11^th Doctor Novels. Did it feel different writing for Peter Capaldi’s Doctor rather than Matt Smith? The two actors clearly have different approaches to the character but ultimately it is still The Doctor who is the hero.

There were definitely differences. Matt Smith’s is a very physical performance, with lots of hand-flapping and jumping around – you have to find a way to convey that through the prose. Peter Capaldi’s Doctor is very focused, quite grumpy – but often missing things around him that seem obvious. At the same time you have to convey something essentially ‘Doctorish’ about the character – never cowardly or cruel, always kind.

Are there any classic monsters that you would like to write into a future story?

The Kandyman.

Does the history of the show add an extra element of pressure when you write or do you find the backstory makes it much easier to position a situation and drop in the characters we know so well?

I try not to let the history of the show interfere with the story I’m telling. I don’t go out of my way to ignore it or contradict it, but I want the stories in books to have their own momentum rather than rely on knowledge of the series. The readership of these books can be quite young, 8-14, so you want to make sure that these readers are enjoying the books. They might not have seen Doctor Who before!

I am in my early 40’s and can just about remember watching K-9, scenes from the Leisure Hive, City of Death and State of Decay. But everything from Logopolis onward! Can you pin down your earliest memories of Doctor Who?

I am also in my early 40s, but my earliest memory is of Jon Pertwee’s final story, ‘Planet of the Spiders’. I was very frightened by the Buddhist chanting. I’m still slightly frightened by Buddhists.

Finally, if you could pair any of the Doctor’s incarnations with any of his companions who would you like to write an adventure for?

What an interesting question! I’d like to write Tegan. I could imagine her being grumpy at most of the Doctor’s incarnations, but it might be fun to see if she could out-cross the Twelfth Doctor!

My profound thanks to Una for taking time to answer my questions. If there is any way that 12th Doctor/Tegan meeting could happen I suspect it would make a lot of people very happy!

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September 16

Doctor Who: Big Bang Generation – Gary Russell

“I’m an archaeologist, but probably not the one you were expecting.”

Christmas 2015, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Imagine everyone’s surprise when a time portal opens up in Sydney Cove. Imagine their shock as a massive pyramid now sits beside the Harbour Bridge, inconveniently blocking Port Jackson and glowing with energy. Imagine their fear as Cyrrus “the mobster” Globb, Professor Horace Jaanson and an alien assassin called Kik arrive to claim the glowing pyramid. Finally imagine everyone’s dismay when they are followed by a bunch of con artists out to spring their greatest grift yet.

This gang consists of Legs (the sexy comedian), Dog Boy (providing protection and firepower), Shortie (handling logistics), Da Trowel (in charge of excavation and history) and their leader, Doc (busy making sure the universe isn’t destroyed in an explosion that makes the Big Bang look like a damp squib).

And when someone accidentally reawakens The Ancients of the Universe – which, Doc reckons, wasn’t the wisest or best-judged of actions – things get a whole lot more complicated…

My thanks to BBC Books.

“I’m an archaeologist, but probably not the one you were expecting.” It is on the back of the book, in big bright white letters – if you recognise the origin of the line then you should know you are in for a treat. Gary Russell’s contribution to Doctor Who down the years is not insignificant. He knows what the fans like (in fact he created a lot of what the fans like) so you know that there will be fun times ahead when you start to read Big Bang Generation.

Now take a glance back to the cover of the book and you will see the Doctor, you will see the TARDIS but someone is missing…no Clara. Not a design choice, Ms Oswald is not a player in this story, instead the Doctor is reunited with a former travelling companion and (no spoilers) it works brilliantly. The TARDIS crew in Big Bang Generation is a treat for the long standing fans who have travelled with the Doctor beyond the tv shows through the many books and audio adventures.

Forming part of The Glamour Chronicles trilogy I feel that Big Bang Generation provides the reader with the most information about the mysterious Glamour it certainly features much more than it had in Royal Blood (which I had read before Big Bang Generation). The scale of Big Bang Generation is also much greater than the other books in the trilogy. Events unfold over long periods of time and there are several different destinations covered through the telling of the story. This book felt (at the time) like the finale, however, the author did confirm that he felt Big Bang Generation could fit anywhere into the trilogy.

The Doctor finds himself pursuing the Glamour once again but not to own one of the most coveted treasures in the galaxies: as that way lies a dangerous path. He needs to track it down to try to contain or supress its power and ensure it does not fall into the wrong hands. Should The Glamour be damaged or misused the effect upon the surrounding land could be catastrophic.

So when an archaeological dig threatens to uncover the Glamour from its hidden resting place it is somewhat surprising for the lead archaeologist to meet their future self and be warned that the dig should cease. Time travel does throw up some unusual conversations at times.

What follows is a hugely entertaining chase through space (and time) to gain control of The Glamour and ensure it always remains in the ‘right’ hands. The story is full of subtle jokes and observations which fans will spot and love (I am pretty sure I missed one or two along the way – so a re-read will be guaranteed).

Gary Russell is one of my favourite Doctor Who authors and Big Bang Generation did not disappoint. Many more of these please and the Doctor will continue to shine.

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September 15

Doctor Who: The Time Lord Letters – Justin Richards

No one could travel through history – past present and future – as much as the Doctor does without leaving an impression. Much of what we know about this mysterious figure comes from what he does – the planets he saves and the monsters he defeats. But until now we’ve had little knowledge of his writings. The Time Lord Letters is a unique collection of over one hundred letters, notes, and jottings both by and to the Doctor – correspondence by turns entertaining and inspiring, funny and flippant, brilliant and incredible. From the Doctor’s plea to the Time Lords to help end the War Games to an extract from the written defence he submitted at his subsequent trial; from his application for the post of Caretaker at Coal Hill School to his apology to the Queen for missing dinner; from telepathic messages to the High Council on Gallifrey to his famous letter to Santa Claus – like the Doctor himself, the mood can change in an instant. The Time Lord Letters captures the best and most dramatic moments of an impossible life. You’ll never see the Doctor in quite the same way again.

My thanks to BBC Books

A collection of letters taken from over 50 years of Doctor Who history. Sourced from the corners of the galaxy by Justin Richards who has carefully collated these unique notes and documents and presents them in a beautiful hardback volume which will appeal to fans young and old.

The Time Lord Letters is a delight to read through. Each double page explains where the letter was found, sometimes adding the context in which the letter came to be written. Most readers will understand why the Doctor left a letter for Amy Pond in her house but an application to enrol a young girl called Susan Foreman into the local school will delight the fans of the ‘classic’ series.

The letters are often a light hearted read – 12^th Doctor’s letters about Clara and Danny Pink provided many giggles, In contrast the letters to Sarah Jane Smith and (in particular) a letter to Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart nearly broke me: Justin Richards knowing exactly which letters will resonate with fans.

Not sure what you may find? I had the same thought when I first picked up my copy so I flicked through the pages. Pictures of Donna, Martha and Amy – Jo, Ace and Zoe were in there too. I saw Daleks, Yeti, Cybermen and Ogron. River Song, K-9, Bessie and a Trojan Horse. How could I put it down? What could the Doctor possibly have written to Shakespeare and Dickens? Quite brilliant!

Extracted from Doctor Who Time Lord Letters, BBC Books, £20

This is not a book you read once. There are letters I have revisited several times already, some make me laugh so I shared them with my son. Others are for a quiet moment when you just need to see how the Doctor really felt about the time he spent with friends and companions that have shared some of his adventures (or how they felt about him). Touching, poignant and evocative.

The Time Lord Letters would be a welcome addition to the bookshelves of any Doctor Who fan and must be given serious consideration when compiling ideas for Christmas gifts – it is a beautiful book.

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