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COPS WRITING CRIME - We welcome some of our Nordic cousins to The Squad!

27/2/2018

As I got my Harry's Quest manuscript off to my editor on Sunday night, I'm taking a few days away from Harry - good to clear the head a bit. And today, combined with not having to go and engage in that dreary "pay for the rent and food" type labour, I got stuck into trawling the wonderful Internet for my Cops Writing Crime Project. And what a productive day it has been! An amazing 19 further Cops Writing Crime for The Squad! Okay, it has taken me hours of trawling, but I haven't lost all those old detective habits!
I'll spread the new discoveries over the next few days, but this evening I welcome our Nordic cousins to The Squad.

Scandinavian crime writing has become a force to be reckoned with in recent years, and rightly so, but it is great to find that their police forces are also producing crime fiction writers.
Today, we welcome to The Squad a former officer with the Norwegian Police, Jørn Lier Horst, and then three authors from Finland, being Matti Yrjänä Joensuu, who was an officer with the Helsinki Police, Marko Kilpi, who is still a serving officer with the Kuopio Police, and Totti Karpela, who was an officer with the Turku Police.
I did find English translations of both Horst's and Joensuu's work, but unfortunately I didn't see anything in English for Kilpi and Karpela.

So today Jørn, Matti, Marko, and Totti join the Squad, now making us 59 in number!

30 American, 13 British, 7 Australian, 3 Finnish, 2 Canadian, 1 French, 1 Bahamian, 1 New Zealander, and 1 Norwegian.

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.
Check out The Squad: Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

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"Harry's Quest" - The manuscript heads for the editor!

25/2/2018

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Well, a big day here in Sydney (for me anyway).
Yes, the manuscript for Harry's Quest, all 100,000 words of it, finished going through my own editing processes - pictured at right. Such a great feeling to have it all in one large piece, and looking pretty readable - the 300+ pages of it!
And it has been sent off this evening to my independent editor in Paris, Eliza Compton, for her keen eye and red pen! Well, given the age we're in I think it'll probably be "track changes" rather than pen, but anyway...
Can't wait to get it back from Eliza, tidy it up, and off to print! I'm still aiming for late April or early May. So it's coming...
Yes, targets treated as deadlines are a GOOD thing - they keep us on track! And, hell, us writers sure need that!
And here's the cover again, too.
Cheers,
ABP

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COPS WRITING CRIME - 2 more American colleagues for the Squad!

25/2/2018

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Yes, my ongoing project to discover cops or ex-cops who have taken to writing crime fiction - The Squad as I've named us!
When I started this project, I didn't think we'd get past the 50 mark, and yet new members keep coming along! All I can say is, that for those who want to read the realistic crime fiction from those who've been out on those mean streets, then there is a very long reading list available to you! So get reading!

For today's additions, my many thanks to crime writer Pearce Hansen who got in touch with me to put another couple of names forward for the Squad.
Two more American ex-cops who have taken to writing crime fiction: (1) Kent Anderson, having served in both the Oakland PD and the Portland PD, and (2) Will Beall, having served in the LAPD, including as a detective.

So today Kent and Will join the Squad, now making us 55 in number!

30 American, 13 British, 7 Australian, 2 Canadian, 1 French, 1 Bahamian, and 1 New Zealander.

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.
Check out The Squad: Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

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COPS WRITING CRIME - Another Canadian joins the Squad! Now at 53 members.

19/2/2018

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The ongoing project to discover cops or ex-cops who have taken to writing crime fiction - The Squad as I've named us!

Just today I came across a Canadian crime writer, Garry Rodgers, who is a former member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, including as a homicide investigator.

To digress slightly...
I actually saw Garry mentioned doing a blog piece for Rachel Thompson's blog - Rachel does a tremendous job providing supportive resources for survivors of sexual abuse.
Here's her link: www.rachelintheoc.com
And given my own professional past as a child abuse detective, a subject close to my heart as well.

So today Garry joins the Squad, now making us 53 in number!

28 American, 13 British, 7 Australian, 2 Canadian, 1 French, 1 Bahamian, and 1 New Zealander.

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.
Check out The Squad: Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

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"Switchblade" Issue # 4 - Can noir get any darker? This is seriously GOOD!!!

6/2/2018

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Switchblade magazine just seems to get better by the issue. All credit to the great work of its managing editor, Scotch Rutherford. You are doing a seriously good job, mate.

Whilst I’ve loved all the issues so far, # 1 through to # 4 and the Special Edition of Issue # 3, this is a publication which is well and truly finding its feet, and long, long may it keep standing. Scotch has kept it going for a whole year now, which in this industry is a considerable achievement. Here's looking forward to its second anniversary a year hence!
As always, in the interests of transparency, I do have a story in Issue # 4, joining an exceptional line up, I must say. It is an honour to stand in this line! So I might be a bit biased. Care factor? Zero, my friends. This magazine is great, great crime noir reading by a seriously varied array of talented writers.

The issue opens with a dark as hell poem from Lisa Douglass, and she then later has a short story which is disturbingly unsettling – as great noir should be. I have already noted down to seek out more of Douglass’s work. Her ability to understate takes disturbing to a higher, more invasive and intense level. She rocks, simple as that.
As always, the issue is a mixture of flash and short fiction. The flash contributions provide tight little morsels of twisted noir imagination, from Jeffrey B. Burton with “The Duck Blind” (a lovely little satire on publishing! With “cutting” involved!), Henry Brock with “Cigarettes” (who manages to wrap a truly tragic hard luck story into just 2 pages), Aaron Majewski with “The Dark Gleaming Blade” (almost dystopian, but lesbian pig farmers go down to the wire – yes, that does beg all sorts of questions – so get a copy of Switchblade and read it, my friends!), J.D.Graves with “Oh Sugar” (to be able to create such a fucked up little world of two people with such twists in just under 2 pages is an achievement – I especially loved the little quip, “Hindsight’s for assholes” – love your work, J.D., and will be looking for more!), and Peter DiChellis with “Eternal Love” (they say a sucker and his money always part ways...well so too do suckers and their loves. Great twist here.)
Then we get into the short stories. Pearce Hansen starts with “Seen One, Seen ‘Em All” – 1984 LA and its not-so-honest police force – yeah, corrupt cops are always great for noir, and this doesn't disappoint. Nick Manzolillo follows with “Extreme Hunting” – small-town losers with guns take on mob guys with guns, and it doesn’t turn out as you might expect, but then that’s what noir should be. Oh, and I loved the line “a southern accent that was as fake as a porn star’s tits”. Max Sheridan next with “The Herat Handshake” – seriously this was good! Violence (extreme), sex (all sorts of perverted, as I read it), some justice (of sorts) getting done, and everything unforeseen. Great! Will be urgently seeking out some of Sheridan’s work for more reading pleasure. Tais Teng with “Doch das Messer sieht man nicht” (relax, only the title’s in German) brings a whole new twisted (very, very twisted) take on juvenile crime, along with just a touch of the supernatural. Then along comes Diana Deverell with “Organ Trade Off” – seriously, and without venturing into spoiler territory, it had me clutching at my organs (no, no that one, get back out of the gutter!). This was macabre and twisted to hell, this story – loved it. And I’ve stopped clutching myself, finally! Next is Mike Derochick with “Sunrise at the Devils Pulpit” – his interlacing of thrill killing with rampant sex is chilling and noir at its sordid best. Then, as touched on already, Lisa Douglass with “Tumblr Girls” – a young girl who is screwed up well beyond her years, as the noir genre holds dear. This is seriously good writing by Douglass. And then, having already had corrupt cops (beautifully noir), we now have a corrupt judge courtesy of Keith Rawson in “So Much Love”. And you won’t see this level of corrupt depravity coming, let me tell you! Every aspect of this story worked for me – again, now seeking more by Rawson. And then the set was rounded out by yours truly with “White Powder, Black Leather, Grey Badges” – finishing the set off with more corrupt cops, because I know a thing or sixteen about them! Of course, being a story with my PI Harry Kenmare, there is some filthy sex in there, naturally. Or maybe unnaturally, but then you’ll need to read it to find out!

All in all, Switchblade is delivering top quality hard-boiled and noir short fiction by the truckload – it is always a fantastic read, and a terrific source of new authors to go and explore.

The editor of Econoclash Review, J.D.Graves (also a noir contributor par excellence to Switchblade - mentioned above), yesterday posted a great interview with Scotch Rutherford. This is absolutely worth a read, so here is the link:
http://www.econoclash.com/2018/02/interview-scotch-rutherford.html

I'm looking at a photo of Dirty Harry with his .44 Magnum (it sits on my desk - of course!). So I ask the question: "Do you like hard-boiled and noir? Well, do ya, punk?!!!"

Yes? Then you MUST start reading Switchblade.

No? Then you’d best head off back to cozy and procedural territory, with a cup of cocoa and some choccy biscuits. It’s safer there, sure (no disembowelling, no hard drugs, and no anal sex). But it is as boring as hell! Well, to us noir fans, anyway - no disrespect to those who do like their crime more genteel - each to their own. And in my case, that's the sex, drugs and violence.

Cheers,
ABP

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COPS WRITING CRIME - Another ex-detective from London joins the Squad!

3/2/2018

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The ongoing project to discover cops or ex-cops who have taken to writing crime fiction - The Squad as I've named us!

After yesterday adding British ex-cop Rebecca Bradley to the Squad, Rebecca joined me on Twitter last night and introduced me to Ian Patrick, also British, who served 27 years in the Metropolitan Police. His debut crime novel, Rubicon, came out last year.

So today Ian joins the Squad, now making us 52 in number!

28 American, 13 British, 7 Australian, 1 French, 1 Canadian, 1 Bahamian, and 1 New Zealander.

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.
Check out The Squad: Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

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COPS WRITING CRIME - Another member for the Squad. Now stands at 51.

2/2/2018

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The ongoing project to discover cops or ex-cops who have taken to writing crime fiction - The Squad as I've named us!

Today I've added another British ex-cop to the permanent index for The Squad on my website: Rebecca Bradley has a number of crime fiction titles to her name so far. Not sure which police force she was with in England, but she worked uniform and detectives.

The Squad now numbers 51 in total:

28 American, 12 British, 7 Australian, 1 French, 1 Canadian, 1 Bahamian, and 1 New Zealander.

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.
Check out The Squad: Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

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COPS WRITING CRIME - We welcome some of our Nordic cousins to The Squad!

"Harry's Quest" - The manuscript heads for the editor!

COPS WRITING CRIME - 2 more American colleagues for the Squad!

COPS WRITING CRIME - Another Canadian joins the Squad! Now at 53 members.

"Switchblade" Issue # 4 - Can noir get any darker? This is seriously GOOD!!!

COPS WRITING CRIME - Another ex-detective from London joins the Squad!

COPS WRITING CRIME - Another member for the Squad. Now stands at 51.

A.B.Patterson

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