#TheSilentDead by Graham Smith #Blogtour #BookReview @GrahamSmith1972 @Bookouture #CrimeReads

Today I’m thrilled to be one of the bloggers taking part in The Silent Dead by Graham Smith blog tour. It’s the first book in a new police procedure series and it’s a cracker of a start to the series. Before I share my review here’s the very intriguing book description……

He’d found an angel for his collection. But one angel at a time was never enough…

Detective Beth Young has just joined the Cumbrian major crimes team when a body is found posed in a ritualistic manner – arms spread and graceful wings attached – at a crumbling castle in the hills of Lake District.

The entire police force are on red alert. But Beth begins to feel she’s the only one who can follow the disturbing clues left by the twisted killer. Because she doesn’t think like everyone else. To Beth, crimes are puzzles she can solve. Even if real life is a little harder.

As more bodies are discovered in derelict stately homes across the Lake District, she knows she’s in a race against time.

But the killer is looking for another darling to add to his collection… Will Beth be able to save her? Or will he get there first?

A gripping new detective series set in the Lake District

The Silent Dead is the first book in a new crime police procedure series, written by Graham Smith,  and what a fantastic start to the series it turned out to be. From the opening chapter where a body is found posed in a ritualistic manner in a crumbling castle in the hills of the  Lake District the author draws you in with an atmospheric setting and a crime scene that is gristly to say the least. This book felt much darker and far more sinister than some crime thrillers I’ve read recently and personally that’s the way I like them. Graham Smith has written a crime thriller that has it all, red herrings misdirection, mystery, and bundles of suspense.

 A new crime series always has to put some emphasis on the team, how else are you going to get to know them? Like any regular team, there is friction and disharmony, but when the chips are down or in this case when the team is caught up in a frantic search to catch a killer they pull together, and I’m interested to see how there characters will evolve over the series. I especially found Beth Young an intriguing character, she’s the youngest member of the team so she finds herself constantly trying to prove to her superiors she’s a valuable and worthy addition to the team. 

It never fails to amaze me how authors come up with such ingenious methods of killing off their victims, and Graham Smith has created some very dark and macabre scenes, what a twisted mind this author must have, his methods and vivid description are enough to make the most hardened crime thriller lover have nightmares, me included! And a word of warning perhaps read the autopsy scenes on a empty stomach, there fascinating in there own right but very gory to say the least. 

The short chapters told from two unknown voices add tension to the overall read, the author gives a chilling insight into the Killers thoughts and motives, you get a sense of how disturbed the killer actually is as he experiments and refines his methods of killing with each victim he takes, spine chilling to say the least! The Silent Dead is a brilliant start to this new series it’s well written, with a gory, fast paced plot. I for one would buy the next book in the series without hesitation. 

• Print Length: 362 pages
• Publisher: Bookouture (30 Nov. 2018)

Buying links: Amazon UK 🇬🇧     IBookStore 📚     Kobo📚

Google Play 📚

Graham Smith is the bestselling author of four explosive crime thrillers in the Jake Boulder series, Watching the Bodies, The Kindred Killers, Past Echoes and Die Cold. Watching the Bodies spent over two weeks at number one in the Amazon UK chart and Amazon CA charts. Graham is also the author of the popular DI Harry Evans series and has collections of short stories and novellas. His latest novel – The Silent Dead is published by Bookouture and set in Cumbria / the Lake District, featuring DC Beth Young.

He is the proud father of a young son. As a time served joiner he has built bridges, houses, dug drains and slated roofs to make ends meet. Since 2000 he has been manager of a busy hotel and wedding venue near Gretna Green, Scotland.

An avid fan of crime fiction since being given one of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books at the age of eight, he has also been a regular reviewer for the well-respected review site Crimesquad.com since 2010.

When not working, his time is spent reading, writing and playing games with his son. He enjoys socialising and spending time with friends and family.

Author Social Media Links:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/grahamnsmithauthor/

TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/GrahamSmith1972

WEBSITE: https://grahamsmithauthor.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5446655.Graham_Smith?from_search=true

Follow the blog tour…….

#TopFiveThursday with #BookBlogger Noelle Holten aka CrimeBookJunkie (eeeek)

Eeeeek I’m really thrilled to have the awesome Noelle Holten aka https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk answer today’s #TopFiveThursday. I’m sure Noelle needs no introduction she has to be one of the most enthusiastic bloggers I know, her reviews often contain an eeeek or two!

Noelle mostly reviews crime books but every now and the she lets guest reviewer Claire Knight take over her blog.  If you haven’t checked out Noelle’s blog (where the hell have you been?) it’s well worth a look and her enthusiastic reviews make me buy books I never thought I needed. So without further ado here’s Noelle’s #TopFiveThursday. 

P.S how many eeeks can you count in Noelle’s post? 

Top 5 books you read in 2016?

Wow! I am not sure how I can narrow this down and need to put a disclaimer in to say that I have read some amazing books last year and know I also have some amazing ones left to read…but here goes (in no particular order)

I Know Your Secret by Graham Smith

No Longer Safe by AJ Waines

The Exclusion Zone by Jeanette Hewitt

Open Wounds by Douglas Skelton

A Suitable Lie by Michael J Malone
…eeeek! I wanted to keep going

Top 5 authors you think everyone should read?

Again, you are killing me here Lorraine as there are so many! Two will be repeats from above because I just adore them! That is,

Graham Smith and the #DIHarryEvans series and

Michael J Malone – all his books!

Mel Sherratt has some amazing books too, so going to put her here as well! And my final two:

Paul Grzegorzek – totally awesome writer

Craig Russell – I adore the #Lennox series and cannot wait to get caught up on this!

Top 5 books you want to read before the end of 2017?

…searches through TBR…….I want to read

A Room Full Of Killers by Michael Wood

Watch Her Disappear by Eva Dolan

Then She Was Gone by Luca Veste

Pendulum by Adam Hamby

Rattle by Fiona Cummings!

Top 5 blogging tips that you would give to new bloggers?

Don’t feel pressured – if it starts to feel like a chore, take a break.

Embrace the blogging community – they are awesome and I have made some life long friends

Write what you feel, enjoy it – make it your own.

Learn to say “No” or you will find yourself drowning in books …amazing books…but so many books!

Get a diary! ha ha – I would be lost without one and it’s a great excuse to buy some pretty stationary!

Top 5 book blogs you follow? 

You are killing me here! There are SO many I want to shout out about but I am a die hard friend and follower of:

Sarah at https://bytheletterbookreviews.wordpress.com/

Kate at http://www.bibliophilebookclub.com

Joseph at http://relaxandreadreviews.weebly.com

Shell at http://chellesbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Kat at http://www.bestcrimebooksandmore.co.uk

…..I know that is FIVE but also Grab This Book, The Suspense Is Thrilling Me, Chapter In My Life and Damppebbles…..ok…I will stop now as there are some amazing bloggers out there!

My name is Noelle and I am in my 40’s. I am an avid reader and by that I mean I am never without a book! By day I am a Senior Probation Officer and by night I read all things crime!! My fascination for books started at a young age and I truly feel withdrawal symptoms if I am unable to read for a few days hence the name #crimebookjunkie!

I am interested in many genres, my faves being Grit Lit, psychological thrillers and all things murder. I do enjoy Police Procedurals and legal/action thrillers as well. I have been lucky enough to be taken on by Bookouture (Eeeek!) on a freelance basis as well as Britains Next Best Seller (Eeeeeek again!) Oh..and I am obsessed with my chocolate Lab Buster – love my #furrybaby!

Thanks so much, Lorraine for letting me take part and cheat a wee bit! #NaughtyNoelle

Links: CrimeBookJunkieBlog         Facebook       Twitter: @nholten40

My thanks to Noelle for taking time out of her hectic schedule to take part in #TopFiveThursday. 

If you are a book blogger who would like to take part in this feature, please leave a comment on this post or contact me via my contact page which can be found on the home page of my blog thank you  

 

**Weekly Wrap Up**

I managed to read four books this week, which I’m  pretty pleased with. As from Monday I will be starting my new job which means back to good old shift work 😢 so it’s unlikely I will be reading  more than two books a week. So I might not be posting as many blog posts in the weeks to come as obviously books read equal reviews to post, but time will tell.

Books read

Blink by K L Slater

The One by John Marrs 

Backstabber by Kimberley Chambers 

The Break Down by B A Paris 

Book Post 

I love the cover of this book it’s a real beauty, but from what I’ve read it’s anything BUT a beautiful read! I’m looking forward to reading this one soon.

Books  I’ve bought this week

I bought five books this week all are by authors I haven’t read before, remember in my yearly wrap up I said I wanted to read more books by new authors well I thought I would start with these.

The Reaper by Steven Dunne

The Disciple by Steven Dunne

Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig

Lying In Wait by Liz Nugent 

What Remains Of Me by A. L Gaylin 

ARC’s

I’ve kept away from NetGalley as much as possible,but yet again Bookouture are my downfall 🙈 so I have Two ARC’s, in my defence one of them is for a blog tour so that doesn’t really count, or so I’m trying to convince myself 😂😂

 

Book description

When a woman’s body is discovered in a cathedral and hours later a young man is found hanging from a tree outside his home, Detective Lottie Parker is called in to lead the investigation. Both bodies have the same distinctive tattoo clumsily inscribed on their legs. It’s clear the pair are connected, but how?

The trail leads Lottie to St Angela’s, a former children’s home, with a dark connection to her own family history. Suddenly the case just got personal.

As Lottie begins to link the current victims to unsolved murders decades old, two teenage boys go missing. She must close in on the killer before they strike again, but in doing so is she putting her own children in terrifying danger?

Lottie is about to come face to face with a twisted soul who has a very warped idea of justice.

 

 

Book description

She got into bed but sleep didn’t come easily. Every creak in the house made her alert. She was waiting for him to come and get her.

The small city of Stockleigh is in shock as three women are brutally attacked within days of each other. Are they random acts of violence or is there a link between the victims? For Detective Eden Berrisford, it’s her most chilling case yet.

The investigation leads Eden to cross paths with Carla, a woman trying to rebuild her life after her marriage to a cruel and abusive man ended in unimaginable tragedy. Her husband Ryan was imprisoned for his crimes but, now he’s out and coming for her.

As Eden starts to close in on the attacker, she also puts herself in grave danger. Can she stop him before he strikes again? And can Carla, terrified for her life, save herself – before the past wreaks a terrible revenge?

Last week on the book review café

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/13/the-mountain-in-my-shoe-by-louise-beech-orendabooks-louisewriter-bookreview/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/12/topfivethursday-with-bookblogger-kaisha-holloway-aka-thewritinggarnet/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/11/the-girl-before-by-jp-delaney-bookreview/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/09/%ef%bb%bfsnatched-from-home-by-graham-smith-caffeinenights-grahamsmith1972-bookreview/

Next Week on the book review café

**Blog Tour** Ledston Luck by Andrew Barrett – Author interview

**Guest Post** by J.M. Richardson author Of The Barataria Key

**Blog Tour** Guest post by CJ Carver Author Of Tell Me A Lie @C_J_Carver

#TopFiveThursday

and hopefully a couple of reviews

 

 

 

 

Snatched From Home by Graham Smith @caffeinenights @GrahamSmith1972 #BookReview

Book description

Middle-class parents Victoria and Nicholas Foulkes are distraught when their children are kidnapped against Nicholas’ gambling debts. Penniless and desperate the couple turn to crime as a way to raise the ransom.

Hot on their heels is recently bereaved DI Harry Evans and his Major Crimes team. Evans is fighting against enforced retirement and his replacement – DI John Campbell – is foisted upon him along with other cases. If he must leave the police then he wants one last big case before he goes.

In a race against time Victoria and Nicholas must evade the police while continuing to add to the ransom fund. If they don’t pay up on time the kidnappers have threatened to amputate their children’s limbs with an oxy-acetylene torch.

Can they save their children before time runs out?

Snatched From Home by Graham Smith was my first read of 2017, and I’m kicking myself! Why oh why did I leave this book sat on my poor forsaken bookshelf for so long? I can now see why fellow blogger Noelle over at http://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk raves about this author, so thank you Noelle for introducing me to the fabulous Graham Smith, an author I haven’t read before, but rest assured I will be looking to read the rest of the books in this series.

Snatched From Home is like a breath of fresh air, as anyone who follows my blog will know I’m a huge crime fan, everything about this book is highly original,  the plot, characters and dialogue all made for an exciting read. Parents Victoria and Nicholas have to face their worse fears when their two children are kidnapped, if they want them back they will have to pay Nicholas’s  gambling debt. With little chance of raising the money, Victoria will do anything to get them back even if it means breaking the law. What follows is a hell of a read, fast paced with bucketfuls of suspense.

What I loved about this book were the eclectic bunch of characters, especially DI Harry Evans although I started out disliking him he grew on me as the story progressed. He’s certainly an original character, larger than life, better known for his insubordination and disregard for following procedures, his extremely unpolitical views and so much more, but he’s a character that will make you laugh, make you cringe, but will also have you rooting for him. As he’s about to retire DI John Campbell Is brought into replace him, as different as chalk and cheese the dialogue between the pair makes for a humorous read at times. Harry’s way of working may be far from perfect but he gets results, but in his last case before more retirement has he bit off more than he can chew?

The story is told in short snappy chapters which add a sense of urgency to the plot, there are subplots within this novel which can sometimes hamper rather than add to a story, but Graham Smith very cleverly intertwined the plots making for a fast paced read. The plot is fast paced, nail-biting with fascinating characters. I also loved the fact this book has a large dose of humour thrown highlighted through its characters and dialogue, despite the serious crimes taking place I found myself chuckling away, which I never expect when reading a crime thriller. So if you are a lover of a highly original crime thriller I would suggest you add this book to your TBR pile, but PLEASE make sure you put it to the top of the pile, you won’t be disappointed I promise.

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Paperback: 256 pages

Publisher: Caffeine Nights Publishing (19 Mar. 2015)

Amazon UK 🇬🇧            Amazon US 🇺🇸
 

**Weekly Wrap Up**

This week I have managed to read four books, two ARC’s and two off my bookshelf, I felt a real sense of achievement as I actually read two books that have been patiently sat on my book shelf, only another 400+ books to go 😂. I’m hoping to read more books from my book shelf this year at least 1-2 a month, well that’s the plan!

Snatched From Home by Graham Smith

Book description

Middle-class parents Victoria and Nicholas Foulkes are distraught when their children are kidnapped against Nicholas’ gambling debts. Penniless and desperate the couple turn to crime as a way to raise the ransom.

Hot on their heels is recently bereaved DI Harry Evans and his Major Crimes team. Evans is fighting against enforced retirement and his replacement – DI John Campbell – is foisted upon him along with other cases. If he must leave the police then he wants one last big case before he goes.

In a race against time Victoria and Nicholas must evade the police while continuing to add to the ransom fund. If they don’t pay up on time the kidnappers have threatened to amputate their children’s limbs with an oxy-acetylene torch.

Can they save their children before time runs out?

Tattletale by Sarah J Naughton

Book description

The perfect brother. The perfect fiancee. The perfect revenge.
A thriller you won’t be able to predict.

One day changes Jody’s life forever.

She has shut herself down, haunted by her memories and unable to trust anyone. But then she meets Abe, the perfect stranger next door and suddenly life seems full of possibility and hope.

One day changes Mags’s life forever.

After years of estrangement from her family, Mags receives a shocking phone call. Her brother Abe is in hospital and no-one knows what happened to him. She meets his fiancé Jody, and gradually pieces together the ruins of the life she left behind. But the pieces don’t quite seem to fit…

The Girl Before JP Delaney

Book description

Enter the world of One Folgate Street and discover perfection . . . but can you pay the price?

Jane stumbles on the rental opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to live in a beautiful ultra-minimalist house designed by an enigmatic architect, on condition she abides by a long list of exacting rules.

After moving in, she discovers that a previous tenant, Emma, met a mysterious death there – and starts to wonder if her own story will be a re-run of the girl before.

As twist after twist catches the reader off guard, Emma’s past and Jane’s present become inexorably entwined in this tense, page-turning portrayal of psychological obsession.

The Mountain In her Shoe by Louise Beech

Book description

A missing boy. A missing book. A missing husband. A woman who must find them all to find herself.

On the night Bernadette finally has the courage to tell her domineering husband that she’s leaving, he doesn’t come home. Neither does Conor, the little boy she’s befriended for the past five years. Also missing is his lifebook, the only thing that holds the answers. With the help of Conor’s foster mum, Bernadette must face her own past, her husband’s secrets and a future she never dared imagine in order to find them all.

ARC’s I received this week

I managed to stay away from NetGalley for two Whole weeks and then had an epic fail when Bookouture put Blink by K L Slater up for review, but how could I resist? But then I have read and reviewed two of my NetGalley books and it’s now in single figures with 84% feedback, a record in itself for me!

Last week on The Book Review Café

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/06/run-by-mandasue-heller-bookreview/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/05/topfivethursday-with-bookblogger-emma-mitchell/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/04/the-marriage-lie-by-kimberley-belle-bookreview/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/03/dear-charlie-by-n-d-gomes-review-nd_gomes-hqstories/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/02/the-fallen-by-michael-wood/

Next week on The Book Review Café

Review for Snatched From Home

Review for The Mountain In My Shoe

#TopFiveThursday

News from the book review café

The eagle eyed among you may have noticed my blog has a brand new look. Purely by accident I happened to be looking at changing theme but pressed the wrong button and changed it! Unfortunately it looked awful and as I couldn’t remember the name of the theme I had, so I had to go with one I knew would keep all my content. Now I’m getting use to it I ❤ it, what do you think hit or a miss?

**End Of The Year Wrap Up **

Well I for one will be glad to see the back of 2016, for many reasons this hasn’t been the best year I’ve ever had. I’m going to embrace 2017 though and make it my year to take on new challenges.

Now I’m not one for New Years resolutions I always fail at the first hurdle (usually the 2nd of January 😂), but I am hoping to do a couple of things regarding my reading and my blog

• Read some books from my TBR pile, which I’m desperate to get through
• cut down on blog tours, as there’s too much pressure to read a book in a limited time
• Only request one book at a time on NetGalley (this ones going to be hard)
• if I’m not enjoying a book, I DON’T have to finish it, after all there are far too many amazing books out there to waste time on a duff one!
• learn to say “no” it’s ok NOT to agree to read and review every book that comes my way (my new mantra😂)
• Read more books by authors that are new to me, I’ve already got a couple lined up…..so watch this space!

Although I haven’t compiled a list of my top reads, here are just some of the books I really enjoyed this year and would highly recommend.

My top five most read posts

You can read the reviews here……

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/02/11/author-interview-behind-closed-doors-by-b-a-paris/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/02/08/behind-closed-doors-by-b-a-paris/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/01/26/tainted-love-by-kimberley-chambers/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/02/26/between-you-and-me-by-lisa-hall/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/06/10/the-sister-by-louise-jenson/

My First read of 2017

My first read of 2017 is Snatched From Home by Graham Smith, this is a book that has been sat on my TBR pile for a while, it’s also by an author I haven’t read yet which means I’ve already started on my goals for 2017

Books I’ve read to watch out for in 2017

As the end of the year approaches I would like to say a huge thank you to each and everyone of you who follows my blog and wish you all a fabulous New Year and hope all your dreams come true.

Lorraine x x x

 

 

🍂🎃🍁Fall Activities Book Tag🍂🎃🍁

 

Its not often these days I get the time to take part in book tags, but after I was tagged by the fabulous Sharon over at ChapterInMyLife I thought it would definitely be a fun tag to take part in.

Scroll down to the bottom to see who I’m tagging – and if your name is mentioned, please comment below and send me a link to your post (no pressure to take part, I know how busy everyone is).To take part then simply have a look at the books I have chosen for each title; then you chose your book – I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

APPLE PICKING (A book on your TBR pile that looks so good you can’t wait to take a bite out of it!)

RagDoll by Daniel Cole 

I’m desperate to read this one and I love the cover, it’s near the The top of my TBR and I can’t wait to read it

CORN MAZE (A book that is fun to get lost in)

Lizzie’s Christmas Escape by Christie Barlow

I mostly read crime and psychological thrillers but every now and then I like to pick up a book that helps me to escape for a couple of hours and Christie Barlow is the author I always turn to when I’m looking for a fun read

HAUNTED HOUSE (A Book that scares you silly)

It by Stephen King

I read this book years ago and I’m sure this book is where my fear of clowns originated from basically  there’s this murderous monster clown invisible to adults who feeds on children in a small Maine town.. I couldn’t read this book now it would seriously scare me! and how can anyone think clowns are funny, I think there anything but! A certain author mentioning no names (Caroline Mitchel) seems to have great delight in sending me clown GIF I can’t think why!

PUMPKIN PATCH (last book you picked up/purchased)

Snatched From Home and I Know Your Secret by Graham Smith

I bought two books at the same time after I read Noelle’s rave reviews for them over at CrimeBookJunkie

SCENIC DRIVES (a book that is lyrically beautiful)

Cartes Postales from Greece by Victoria Hislop

This one is on my TBR pile and just looking at the cover, the beautiful photographs and the descriptive writing it conjures up images of Greece

PUMPKIN CARVING (A book you didn’t enjoy so much and you wouldn’t mind carving up!)

Baby Doll by Hollie Overton some bloggers raved over this book, but I really struggled with this one and found it a mediocre read and the characters just grated on me

DRINKING APPLE CIDER (A book to curl up under the covers with)

Robert Bryndza 

Any of the of the books in the Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza, I love his books he’s probably my favourite author at the moment and I totally loose myself once I start reading one his books.

JUMPING IN A PILE OF LEAVES (A book that reminds you of your childhood)

Any book by Enid Blyton reminds me of my childhood I use to save up my pocket money to buy them, I loved all her books. Whilst looking for a photo to add to this post I was shocked…. WHAT have they done to the covers? the new updated covers are hideous! I loved the retro look of the original ones

SCARY MOVIE NIGHT (favourite spooky read)

Time To Die by Caroline Mitchell 

This is the second book in the Jennifer Knight series which has a paranormal element to it, add to the mix ravens (which terrify me!) and it made for a very spooky read.

I tag………

Emma  at http://damppebbles.com

Emma at http://www.emmathelittlebookworm.wordpress.com

Janel at http://keeperofpages.wordpress.com

kaisha at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com

Jo at https://mychestnutreadingtree.wordpress.com

and anyone else who is reading this and wants to take part

 

**Guest Post** Graham Smith author of Matching The Evidence #BlogTour

Today I’m super excited to be featuring a guest post from author Graham Smith, and a very intriguing guest post it is to. Graham is the author of Snatched From Home and The Major Crimes Team – Vol 1: Lines of Enquiry. Matching The Evidence is Graham Smith’s latest book and it’s published on the 8th September 2016. Graham has been on my “books to read radar” for a while now, after reading some glowing reviews from fellow bloggers. Consequently Snatched From Home is sitting very patiently on my kindle (I promise I will get to it soon Graham, if you are reading this!). Reading the book description for Matching The Evidence this is certainly another one I will be adding to my TBR pile. My thanks to Noelle over at http://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk for asking me to be part of this blog tour and Graham Smith for the fascinating guest post.

Does Humour Belong in Crime Fiction?

Any fan of crime fiction will have encountered an author or two who leavens the darker moments with a spot of humour. It may be a wry aside during an internal monologue, a wisecrack from the office joker or just a chain of events which shouldn’t be funny but just is.

The question I’m asking myself is whether such uses of humour have a place in the world of crime fiction which is traditionally littered with dead bodies, morose detectives and threats of a varying nature.

There are cases for and against the use of humour, so in true courtroom style I’m going to allow the Right Honourable Straighty McStraighface to present the case for the prosecution.

• There is no room for humour when dealing with serious crimes. The victims and their families don’t find their plight funny and neither should any character
• Cracking jokes at times of distress is not clever
• Readers of crime fiction do not want jokes. If they did they’d read a joke book
• Some authors just aren’t funny

And for the defence we have Mike from the shop opposite where the Komedy Klub used to be. He knows nothing about law but he says he reads a lot and that’s good enough for me.

• Any author worth his salt isn’t going to use humour to upset the characters unless he’s creating drama. Anything other than that is crass.
• It’s a well-known fact that many of those who work in the emergency services have a very dark sense of humour. With the horrors they face on a daily basis it’s little wonder they don’t try to lighten their day with a spot of joking. A reader being fed a joke by the author is the author’s way of leavening the worst situations.
• Readers of crime fiction are human beings who like all manner of things and the fact that many books are labelled as a crime caper proves this point
• Some authors are funny to the point of me wiping away tears of laughter
  A wise-cracking hero or sidekick is a staple of crime fiction and if you take the staples out then the book may fall apart
• The best detective movie I ever watched was The Pink Panther with Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau

I’ll stop Mike there before his blood pressure rises too high. Last time that happened we had to call three ambulances, a taxi and his mum in Sao Paulo.

As you can probably guess from the less than serious nature of this post I’m firmly in the belong camp as far as humour is concerned. While I love a spot of humour in my stories it has to be done right. It should not be mocking of any group, the butt of the joke should be the situation and most of all, it should be funny.

Humour in crime fiction doesn’t have to have me dropping the book with laughter, a wry smile is enough. One of the best lines I’ve ever read was by Robert Crais. He was describing one character through another’s eyes with the marvellous line, “I’m not saying he’s taciturn, but he thinks Clint Eastwood is a blabbermouth.”

Peter James, Mark Billingham, Stuart MacBride, Chris Ewan, Christopher Brookmyre, Harlan Coben and many other authors have made me laugh out loud with a well-crafted line that fits perfectly into their narrative. Do I think less of them because they are crime authors who’ve made me laugh? Hell no!

I believe humour does belong in crime novels but be warned, when it comes to humour, I am serious, and don’t call me …

About the author

Graham Smith is married with a young son. A time served joiner he has built bridges, houses, dug drains and slated roofs to make ends meet. Since Christmas 2000 he has been manager of a busy hotel and wedding venue near Gretna Green, Scotland.

An avid fan of crime fiction since being given one of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books at the age of eight, he has also been a regular reviewer and interviewer for the well-respected website Crimesquad.com since 2009

He is the author of four books featuring DI harry Evans and the Cumbrian Major Crimes Team.

Matching The Evidence
Snatched From Home
Line Of Enquiry
I Know Your Secret – Out October 2016

Links to Graham Smith

Facebook     Twitter: Grahamsmith1972    Website

Book description

Carlisle United are playing Millwall and the Major Crimes Team are assigned to crowd control as punishment for their renegade ways. Typically, DI Harry Evans has other ideas and tries to thwart the local firm’s plans to teach Millwall’s notorious Bushwhackers an unforgettable lesson.
Meanwhile an undercover cop is travelling north with some of the Millwall contingent. His mission is to identify the ringleaders and gather evidence against them.
Three illegal immigrants have been transported to Carlisle and are about to meet their new employers.
Nothing is as it seems for Evans and his Major Crimes Team as they battle to avoid a bloodbath while also uncovering a far more heinous crime.

Amazon UK

Print Length: 107 pages
Publisher: Caffeine Nights Publishing (8 Sept. 2016)