Philip D. Hume

Firstly, thank you to Laura Laakso and Louise Walters Books for providing an ARC of Echo Murder and apologies for the delayed review - it's high time I published this (also on GoodReads) In common with Fallible Justice, Echo Murder is a very enjoyable and gripping read. The book is the second instalment in the … Continue reading Echo Murder: Finding Enchantment in London →

Paver has done it again.  I couldn't resist it.  Shortly after finishing Dark Matter (see below article), I went straight to Waterstones and got a copy of Michelle Paver's other ghost tale - Thin Air.  In terms of prose and style, this story could be described as Dark Matter's twin.  Profound, engaging and intriguing, Thin … Continue reading Ghosts Like Books →

I'm already tired... and my impression is everyone else is as well.  It's the 12th January 2019 - a Saturday after the year's first full week of work.  But it's not work, it's the headlines - Brexit remains hot gossip.  So with what remains of my waking hours, after I've clocked-out into the London twilight, … Continue reading Another Day, Another Dollar (… to Buy Another Book) →

Back so soon... another blog post within a week.  We have reached a wonderful time of the year.  It's that blissful twilight period after Christmas; the remains of the Christmas Pudding are in the freezer where they belong and the dry cleaners are polishing the glad-rags for New Year's Eve.  And being off work until … Continue reading Quiet Festive Days with Good Wine… →

It’s been a few months since I posted here…  another year has nearly passed and the world is already calling time on 2018.  I stand in a minority but Winter and Autumn are my favourite seasons.  The world has had its work for another year and deserves its rest.  Between the mistletoe and mince pies … Continue reading Turning over a New Leaf and Leafing through a New Book →

A very fond farewell to one of the fathers of modern science...

Keep it short.  Get to the point.  Avoid long words.  It probably seems like some kind of intelligent torture for most writers.  Words give vitality and essential meaning to our work.  Everyone uses them in different styles and ways.  Yet, we hear it often.  The importance of brevity.  No-one is safe, least of all authors … Continue reading Finding Economy in Words →

It's that time of year again. A sense of relief can be found in it no longer being January. But a sense of foreboding can be felt in the year that lies ahead. Looking back to January, most of us have probably (gladly) forgotten and relinquished our resolutions for 2018. Things that would supposedly improve … Continue reading When will we start taking fun seriously? →

A topic that has continued to interest me over the past week or so is the relation between writers and their wellness.  Authors and indeed anyone else in the publishing profession are unlikely to be a stranger to the unique challenges the vocation can pose to health and well-being - the risks and preventative measures … Continue reading The Wellness Dichotomy… →

Interesting read for writers needing beginning-of-month inspiration - http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/7-reasons-writing-a-book-makes-you-a-badass