Today it really is my absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Needle Song by Russell Day. I love it when a stunning debut comes along, the kind that indicates the beginning of a successful writing career. Russell Day thinks outside the box, whilst still employing the old hat tricks of crime to keep his readers immersed and willing to stay with his story until the last page.
About the Author
Russell Day was born in 1966 and grew up in Harlesden, NW10 – a geographic region searching for an alibi. From an early age it was clear the only things he cared about were motorcycles, tattoos and writing. At a later stage he added family life to his list of interests and now lives with his wife and two children. He’s still in London, but has moved south of the river for the milder climate.
Although he only writes crime fiction Russ doesn’t consider his work restricted. ‘As long as there have been people there has been crime, as long as there are people there will be crime.’ That attitude leaves a lot of scope for settings and characters. One of the first short stories he had published, The Second Rat and the Automatic Nun, was a double-cross story set in a world where the church had taken over policing. In his first novel, Needle Song, an amateur detective employs logic, psychology and a loaded pack of tarot cards to investigate a death.
Russ often tells people he seldom smiles due to nerve damage, sustained when his jaw was broken. In fact, this is a total fabrication and his family will tell you he’s has always been a miserable bastard.
Visit russelldaycriminalmind.com
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About the book
Spending the night with a beautiful woman would be a good alibi, if the body in the next room wasn't her husband.
Doc Slidesmith has a habit of knowing things he shouldn’t. He knows the woman Chris Rudjer meets online is married. He knows the adult fun she’s looking for is likely to be short lived. And when her husband’s killed, he knows Chris Rudjer didn’t do it.
Only trouble is the police disagree and no one wants to waste time investigating an open and shut case. No one except Doc.
Using lies, blackmail and a loaded pack of Tarot cards, Doc sets about looking for the truth - but the more truth he finds, the less he thinks his friend is going to like it.
This is the debut novel of crime writer Russell Day, and I suggest you make a point of remembering his name, because I have a feeling this is the start of something quite extraordinary. It features Doc Slidesmith, tattoo artist and tarot reading psychic, and Andy his sceptical sidekick. I mean, tarot reading and voodoo are just all cold reading, right?
This unusual amateur detective duo is born more out of necessity, curiosity and the bond of brotherhood between Doc, Andy and Chris. What's interesting is that none of them make any irrational assumptions based on the fact Jan is beautiful, has issues with fidelity and appears to be quite manipulative.
She adapts to her environment and more importantly to the men in her vicinity. She gives them what they need in that moment of personal interaction. Jan is a little bit like a personality and emotional chameleon. She takes her cues from whomever she interacts with, and alters her interactions and appearance accordingly. In context that puts all of her actions and words under a cloud of suspicion, when her husband is found dead and Chris is arrested. Was it all a very elaborate plan from the very beginning?
It is well-written and plotted with a set of characters who sleuth with a lack of respect for the law and yet simultaneously uphold their own set of rules. The law of the road, the rules of the leather, and the inner complexity of the biker brotherhood. Day mixes this brusque modern vibe with a dark layer of mystique and curtailed power.
The Slidesmith series would make a fantastic premise for a TV show. Who wouldn't be drawn in by the devil-may-care attitude of bikers solving crime with the help of voodoo, black magic, tarot cards and a degree in psychology?
I love it when a stunning debut comes along, the kind that indicates the beginning of a successful writing career. Russell Day thinks outside the box, whilst still employing the old hat tricks of crime to keep his readers immersed and willing to stay with his story until the last page.
Buy Needle Song on Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Kindle edition
Buy Needle Song at Amazon com
Publisher: Fahrenheit Press (pub date April 2018)
Buy Needle Song at Fahrenheit Press
The second book in the Slidesmith series, Ink to Ashes, will be published later this year.
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