• Written between November 2016 and March 2017, released May 2017.
• Length: 13,376 words, about 90 pages
• Highest Amazon rank: #1 Thriller and Suspense Short Reads (Hot New Releases), #6 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, #6 Amazon Best Sellers.
• Music listened to while writing: Mostly Florence and the Machine.

“Sarcasm and black humour, action aplenty, this is a winner.”

I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed writing CSI Eddie Collins’ new short story. Well, actually I can, and so I shall. I wroteThe Lift in 2015 and got a kick out of my first real attempt at writing in first person. After the launch of Ledston Luck earlier this year, I thought it time I revisited a short I’d written at the back end of 2016. This became known as The Note.

“There is a lot of dark humour in this which had me laughing aloud.”

I enjoyed reading it, and was quite fired up by the whole story-line, and the characters who come out to play with Eddie.

I made some amendments – made the ending less abrupt, and generally tidied it up. It’s twice as long as The Lift, and for me it’s twice as enjoyable.

“Power-packed, explosive introduction to Eddie Collins.”

Back in 2015 I found the whole idea of writing a short story daunting. It’s very different from writing a novel, having to keep your eye on one character and keeping the arcs short, the focus tight, and the theme in mind, really concentrates your mind. Add to that the complexities of writing in first person and you get an instant buzz.

“The Note is jam packed with drama, hard hitting and often brutal scenes, twists and turns abound make this a highly charged story.”

And so, it seems, have many other people. I sent it to my readers last week, and the response has been nothing short of phenomenal. I’m really grateful to them; they have given me the confidence to think about next year’s short, and removed any doubt I had that people don’t like short stories. Also of note (geddit!) is the cover. I sought permission from its original artist to use it on the cover because it showed the essence of the story perfectly. I modified it slightly to make it unique. Then I asked everyone what their thoughts were. I was staggered by the response. The comments ranged from ‘hate it!’ to ‘you’ll burn in hell!’ to ‘scared the sh*t out of me, and now I’ll never sleep again!’ It also had people think it was a horror book, quite naturally. And I suppose part of the book is a little creepy (hehe). But most of the comments went along the lines of: ‘WOW’ And they’re the ones I took  the most notice of. So if you don’t like the cover, blame them 😉

“The story was gripping, the emotional turmoil facing Eddie was palpable throughout. You felt the tense nervousness gripping him over the few short hours the story covers. The dialogue is believable, clear, without affectations and not contrived.”

Would you like to read the blurb? Good, here it is, along with that controversial cover…

I’m Eddie Collins, a CSI.

Ever had that feeling of being watched but when you turn around no one’s there?

I have.

It was raining, and I was working a murder scene around midnight when that prickle ran up my spine. If I’d listened to that feeling, if I’d thought back to my past, maybe I could have prevented the terror that was to come.

Back at the office, I found a death threat on my desk.

I had no idea who sent it or why they wanted to kill me.

But I was about to find out.