Book Stuff

Note 1: The majority of the reviews I write are on Amazon (under Bewbob) or on the Bay Tales website.

Note 2: I’m lucky enough through my role in Virtual Noir at the Bar, Bay Tales and as a sometime top 500 reviewer on Amazon (it fluctuates…) to get a LOT of books from publishers – for launches we’re supporting, advances and, once in a while, to provide a quote (as if I know anything). Once, a long time when I started writing Amazon reviews, I put negative reviews up with a slightly twisted relish. When I started co-hosting Virtual Noir at the Bar with Vic Watson back in April 2020 I discovered something amazing – authors are people and all of the 300+ writers we featured on the show, whether global names like Linwood Barclay, Lawrence Block, Ian Rankin or Ann Cleeves, first time authors or those still struggling to get their first book published, work bloody hard on their efforts. So I took down my negative reviews. If I don’t like a book I read (and there are a lot I don’t love), I don’t write about it. Simple as that. I might be critical of certain aspects, but I really do try to avoid meanness. There you go…for what it’s worth.


Fairy Tale: Stephen King.

A Review.


Books of 2019: A Personal Selection.


5 Books for Young Readers at Halloween

Back when I wrote some YA stories, I put this list of age appropriate spooky tales together.

Cover image of Horowitz Horror - Anthony Horowitz

Picture of cover of Stephen King's new novel The institute

The Institute – A Review

Stephen King’s 2019 novel.


My Top 5 Stephen King Novels

After reading The Institute I thought about my all time favourites of Mr King’s.


The ‘Overrated’ Nature of Crime Fiction

A response to one ‘real’ writer’s criticism of the genre…


Ray Bradbury: An Appreciation

Ray Bradbury

Cari Mora: A Review

One of the rare less-than-positive reviews I’ve written and decided to keep.


Long Praise for the Short Story

An article on one of my favourite writing forms.

Cover of Roald Dah's Kiss Kiss

Elevation: A Review of Sorts

A short review of a short book.


Lethal White: A Review

Robert Galbraith’s fourth in the series

Lethal White: A Cormoran Strike novel by Robert Galbraith

Authors: a profile of Bateman

The author formerly known as Colin Bateman…


Authors: a profile of Joe R Lansdale


10 Novellas to read #1 – What’s a novella?


Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes book cover

10 Novellas to read #2 – The Books


Original Cover of S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders

10 Novellas to read #3 – The Books


10 Great Short Stories (Part 1 of 2)

Borderlands cover by Dave McKean

10 Great Short Stories (Part 2 of 2)


Up ↑

%d bloggers like this: