Tag: noir

A Writer Apologises

On By chrisnickson2In leeds, simon westowLeave a comment

Well hello, and let me begin by saying sorry to you all. I’ve become that kind of person a dislike, ignoring everyone until I have a new book about to be published.

Whatever I say will be an excuse, but…I’ve been busy completing the writing and revision of a novel, the first in a planned new series set in WWII in Leeds. That’s involved a lot of research, of trying to feel my way into the period and make the city and the area into a living, breathing thing. That’s taken time – I’m actually on my final read-through at the moment, and very soon it will be with my publisher. Titled No Precious Truth, all being well it should appear in the summer of 2025.

I’ve also had to deal with the edit for the Simon Westow novel due in September. That one’s called Them Without Pain, and has it jumping-off point in some real Leeds history (the discovery of a long-rumoured secret working in Middle Row). But those edits take time.

And then, yes, The Scream of Sins will be appearing next week. For once, I’m doing no publicity. No events, no bookmarks, nothing. That’s partly an experiment, to see if any of those things do make any sort of difference. More than that, after the big Tom Harper exhibition and event last autumn, I’m still recouping my energy. It took so much more out of me that I’d anticipated.

So there you have it. If you do want to buy The Scream of Sins (and the reviews so far have been excellent), your local independent bookshop will gladly oblige, or this is the cheapest online price, with free UK delivery. Of course, as money is tight, please don’t forget your local library. They can order it in for you.

Again, my apologies. I shall try to do better in future.

Dickens, Chandler and Me

On By chrisnickson2In UncategorizedLeave a comment

Heading swiftly towards the end of the year and I find myself reflecting on some of the things from the past twelve months. In writing, at least, two stand out – doing things I’d never imagined. In one case something I swore I’d never do.

A Victorian mystery? Why would I want to do that? After all, everyone and his brother (and sister) has written one. I’ve never been a fan of the Victorians. And yet…I have one coming out in April called Gods of Gold.

I blame Leeds history. I started reading about the Leeds Gas Strike of 1980, when the workers took on the council and won, and realised that people should know about this. And then I thought about a family story, one my father told me, about the landlady of the Victoria in Sheepscar (now no longer there). I’d featured her in a story before, after a fashion (and she’s in this Christmas story I wrote for Leeds Book Club this year). From there I started to dig deeper into 1980 Leeds and realised how fascinating it was. The start of organised working-class politics in this country. I wanted to write about that, too.

So all the old vows were washed away. I wanted to take people to that time, to feel the excitement, the poverty, the power and grandeur of a city hitting the peak of its power – and also into the underclass.

And then there’s the 1950s. I was born in that decade, close to the middle of it. But the more I read about it, the more I understood that I didn’t know. I’d assumed a great deal that was wrong. It began to intrigue me more and more.

I’ve always been a fan of good private detective stores – Chandler, Hammett, Ross MacDonald, etc. – and I’d enjoyed a TV show back in the ‘60s called Public Eye, about a rather down-at-heel British private detective. But there’d been little set in the 1950s about an enquiry agent, as they were known. Not in an English provincial town. That was a thought. One that blossomed.

I’m now revising that book, and I’ve discovered that I’ve ended up with ‘50s English provincial noir. Where will it go? That’s yet to be seen. But I guess I’ll find out. No title yet…

So it’s been a year of Dickens (okay, not really, he was long gone by 1890), Chandler and me. Funny how those things happen, isn’t it?