All My Books

When the Ghosts Return was originally titled A Ghost Beyond Earth for a long time, and it was the first novel I had published by Pan Macmillan. It’s a classic ghost story with a dash of demonic possession, and some of it is set in a present-day space station similar to today’s ISS which has often given it a “science fiction” tag – but it’s not. It’s a ghost story. Like most of my backlist, I eventually reverted the rights back to me and I republished with a new title that worked better for promtions and stuff. You can read the full introduction here. I’ve always thought it was the cleverest idea I’ve ever had for a story. The publishers obviously thought so too.

A Place to Fear was my second published novel with Pan Macmillan and I created a new cover for this edition. The basic theme is that UFO’s and aliens can seriously mess with our Dead and start all kinds of supernatural, ghostly and terrifying events if they want – and in this story they certainly do. I was writing about zombies years before they became a popular thing. Website page with all the details is here. Again, it got a bit of a science fiction tag. Nope, it’s full-on dead people coming back from the grave, and they’re not friendly. Not all all.

Heads up, Voices of Evil is the last of my traditionally published horror novels to NOT be available here just yet – but I’m working on it and it won’t be long. Fun fact – “Voices of Evil” was the first horror book I wrote for Pan Macmillan but while the publishers really liked the story, they loved the idea behind When the Ghosts Return and asked me to write and publish that first (sigh … okay). You can read all about that here. Really, I’m only weeks away from making this book available. I’m on it – honest.

I republished The Devil’s Numbers first because my late brother, Stephen, always said it was the best of all my horror novels. There’s some technical stuff about computers and microchips which is well and truly obsolete in the 21st Century, but the story of a demonic ghost and a modern cruise liner at the mercy of a terrifying evil is timeless. Did I mention the haunted German U-Boat? I explain more about how it all came together here. While I’m never going to pick favourites … well, sort of … I can see why Stephen enjoyed it so much.

The Witch’s Daughter is a revenge story – and yes, a witch tale. Fair warning, a young woman who desperately wants to reject her mother’s witchcraft legacy is brutally assaulted by a local boy, a hometown hero, and years later it becomes obvious that someone – or something – is making the small town pay for its complicity. Or is it? Is someone really responsible for a series of horrifying deaths and gruesome accidents, or is it just bad luck? You can see the book’s website here.

What if you desperately, crazily wanted something really unwise to come true? “Unwise” meaning, like wishing someone wasn’t dead? Let’s be honest, bringing someone back from the grave is never going to be a good idea no matter how you loved and miss them. This is what Death Wish is all about. You can find links here, including to an audiobook version narrated by myself (as are all the paranormal tales).

This is a ghost story – okay, I keep saying that, right? However, this is what you might call a tale about a true haunting, and the spirit is a young woman who won’t take no for an answer. If there’s anyone who’s more difficult than an unhappy teenager, it’s an unhappy teenager who’s in love – and dead. The inspiration came from an interesting source. You can read about that here. It’s available as an audiobook.

I managed to include a lot of intriguing themes in this story. A terrible war, some genuine villains (or are they?) and your traditional large, haunted manor – or in this case an abby – in the middle of a forbidding forest. Just who will you hope will come out alive? Of course, don’t assume anybody does. You can see what I mean about intriguing and interwoven themes here. This is really a full-length horror novel, but because it’s part of the Paranormal Tales I’m listing it here. Of course, the audiobook is a long listen too.

The Devil’s Net you might think was inspired by the film A Perfect Storm because it’s all about a fishing boat, and its captain making bad decisions. Really, the idea came from Sting’s song “The Soul Cages” in which sailors are warned about the King of the Sea. In real mythology, the King of the Sea is a nasty piece of work, like an evil demon who haunts the oceans. In The Devil’s Net, John Boston refuses the traditional blessing of the fleet and leaves himself and his crew open to a terrifying voyage. Read more about it here, and it’s on audiobook.

The Hangman’s Ghost is to date the shortest of my Paranormal Tales and therefore maybe the best place to start when it comes to trying my horror books. It’s always intrigued me if the official, appointed executioners of governments ever suffer hauntings from the criminal they put to death in the name of justice – and what if that justice got it wrong? That could make for some very disappointed and angry spirits. Here’s the website page, and the audiobook doesn’t cost much at all because of the short length.

No surprise, Bedtime Story is not a bedtime story you should be reading to your kids anytime soon. In fact, you could call it an adult horror story because things get a little steamy in this particular bed which comes with its own, built-in unhappy spirit. In any loving relationship, three’s usually as crowd – especially when someone’s dead. This tale definitely goes places you won’t expect. More info is here, and I did an audiobook despite the sex scenes.

Why would you ever go to a class reunion? Okay, sure … some people stay in touch regularly, but for most of us it’d be like entering a room filled with strangers you haven’t seen for decades – and you weren’t particularly friends back in school anyway. For all you knew, half these people might be dead already, or at least one or two of them.

Ah … maybe some of the folks in the room are dead? Then things could get interesting. You can find out more here. It’s a full-length novel, so the audiobook is long as well.

This novel has two distinct narratives that eventually merge. One follows the trials and tragedies of two young Australian brothers who join up in 1914 for the “adventure” of the First World War. The other is the tale of Rose, who becomes a Nurse’s Aid and similarly risks her life in the choking dust of Gallipoli and the mud of the Western Front. It’s epic, heart-breaking and inspiring, and a testimony to the generation that fought the Great War. See the website page here. One day, I’d like to produce the audiobook, but it’d be a big project and needs serious planning.

This is entirely a work of fiction. However, most of it really happened – the battle scenes flying over Germany and the experiences of the ground crews back at the RAF bases. I had the enormous priviledge of spending many hours chatting to Noel Collins who was a Lancaster pilot and flew over thirty missions. I didn’t have to invent anything – his stories were incredible.

My heroine, Diane Parker, is based on extensive research into the daily lives of the WAAFs who served tirelessly and often in danger, and prepared the aircrews to go into the night sky to risk violent death or imprisonment. The WAAF’s courage and committment can’t be understated. Find out more here. The audiobook is almost available – waiting on Audible approval.

Someone is leaving behind body parts in public places. First a finger, then a hand … you can tell the killer is building up to something. Then a bungled robbery turns into a violent abduction, and the thieves see a chance to make up their losses using their captive for a ransom – and you can guess where they get inspiration for their threats. You can read the full synopsos here. It’s another of my books on the audiobook to-do list soon.

Exposed is a thriller set in my part of the world, meaning a small community surrounded by dark, forbidding forests filled with all manner of creatures – including a serial killer. There’s a touch of the supernatural too, all confronted by a women who has deep secrets of her own. My website link is here, and don’t worry, there aren’t really any bodies in my back yard … I think.

I have a fond memory about this book – it was an idea suggested by my late brother, Stephen, and it was a pretty clever one. The premise prompted a lot of different titles that would likely offend someone, and this version finally settled on Don’t Walk Alone … hmm, I’m still not entirely convinced.

It’s my take on the American Psycho theme, where a successful and popular businessman has a very, very dark and brutal hobby.

At this point, for reasons not remembered, I don’t have a website page yet, so this is the link to Amazon Books and the audiobook version.

Everyone wants the fame and fortune of being a celebrity, while plenty of famous people claim it’s not all the fun it’s meant to be. Cleo Carr’s star power is waning and she’s desperate to keep her career alive. A problem is that she still attracts the wrong kind of fan – someone who would kill to be a part of Cleo’s life. And someone who doesn’t take rejection well. Or is it just all an elaborate media campaign that’s turning sour?

Again, I haven’t a website page yet, so here’s the Amazon Books link.

Book One introduces Lukas as he discovers his talent for communicating with the Dead has been fully awakened, and the ghost of a criminal who Lukas arrested and convicted in the past is dropping annoying hints from the Afterlife that things aren’t quite what Lukas believed. Lukas would prefer to ignore it all, but the spirit keeps appearing at all the wrong moments and in the wrong places – like in Lukas’ bedroom when he’s “entertaining” a guest. Reopening the case is the only answer, and cheaper than excorcisms. Website page is here.

There’s nothing like a totally dysfunctional family to complicate any investigation, and it doesn’t help when the client who hired Lukas, the family patriarch, is dead – hanged from the rafters of one of the family’s buildings. Luckily, Lukas doesn’t have to do anything on an empty stomach because there’s a handy fish and chip shop nearby. However, that presents risks of its own.

Usually, people just try to shoot Lukas dead, but good times can’t last forever. The killers are getting inventive. Website page is here.

Sex, drugs and rock’n’roll … what can possibly go wrong? The members of legendary rock band Constant Black lost their lead singer years ago, but they have a new lease on the high life by re-forming with the dead vocalist’s daughter taking on the main microphone. Someone’s not happy about that and the live shows are threatening to kill everyone. Plus, there’s the rumoured “final” album tapes to be found.

Just the job for Lukas, who is always the consumate professional amongst gorgeous women, free booze and fragrant cigarettes. Webpage is here.

I enjoyed writing the Lukas Boston books so much I decided to write a full length novel. Lukas gets involved in corrupt politicians, angry Asian mobsters who threaten to kill him cutlery, and worst of all – someone’s taking his favourite parking spot.

Lukas always gets his priorities right. That parking spot is important to him. And how dangerous can a dessert spoon be?

Webpage is here. Please note that Paid in Fool is the only Lukas Boston Mystery not yet available in audiobook.