The Unknown Mystery

It’s been a long time since I wrote a blog post, and because of that absence I was quite worried about writing this one. Don’t really know why, but perhaps it’s something to do with lack of writing skill or fear of being rejected by you. After all, you must be feeling neglected (again) by me?

Anyway, enough waffle. What’s this post about? It’s about that most peculiar of pastimes, that most unreachable sensation – writing. I tend to write a lot about writing, don’t I?

I’ve belted out four books in the last couple of years. These were the DS Regan Carter books. I’m quite hard on myself and my writing, but even I have to admit they are quite good. But it’s time to put Regan to bed for now before that other plate I’ve got spinning falls off the pole.

That other plate is called the CSI Eddie Collins plate.

The CSI Eddie Collins novels to-date

I’m around 10,000 words into the book and still don’t have a clue what it’s about. If you know anything about me and my writing, you’ll know that I generally begin a book by writing about a scene that has been ricocheting around my mind for a while. Once that’s done, and I’ve written any other scene that interests me, I try to grow a story and a book from them.

I’ve been writing Eddie Collins 8 for about two months on and off while I do battle with a website (now up and running!), and so I finally get to concentrate on my passion: writing crime thrillers. Except it’s not going to plan at all. I’ve written the scenes that interest me and guess what? Nothing… There’s no magic coalescence of them, no instant story as they got together to procreate. Nothing.

Am I worried? Well of course I bastard am! Have I inadvertently killed off my writing method by dedicating myself to Regan Carter? I don’t know. Has Eddie simply packed his bags and buggered off? Possibly.

A part of me suggested I put Eddie 8 to one side and write a short story. You’ll know I write those (the Eddie ones, at least) in first person, and doing that might help me to revive him and get him sitting comfortably back in his accustomed seat in the centre of my imagination. Trouble is, I don’t have any ideas for a short story.

Oh woe is me! What’s happened to me?

Wait! I know what I can do. All the scenes I’ve written so far in Eddie 8 have been from his point of view. I haven’t written any from the baddies’ point of view. I wonder if I might spark the book to life if I do just that and write the first killing scene from his/her point of view.

Yes, that’s it. I’ll do just that. All I have to do is figure out why they killed their victim in the first place. Leave it with me, eh?

How do you go about writing? Do you plan everything or do you dive in and see where things take you? Once I get over the initial confusion and the initial frustration of not knowing how things fit together, I really enjoy building the story.

A Random Kill

First published 1st May 2025

A Random Kill is the first book in the DS Regan Carter series. I began writing it in March of 2023. Back then I had a choice to make: write another CSI Eddie Collins novel or challenge myself to write something I’ve never written before. I chose the latter, not because the former was too easy – it’s really not. I might be comfortable writing Eddie Collins (extremely comfortable, actually), but there’s still a lot of work involved. I’ve written seven Eddie novels so far, and each one is different not only from anything I’ve ever read, but different from each other. And that’s because I don’t use a formula or a plot device to write my books. I write them organically, as they occur to me. And yes, that’s quite dangerous sometimes because I run the risk of stalling halfway through or writing myself into an impossible situation. But that’s the beauty of it, you see; it’s spontaneous, it’s organic, as I’ve said, and it evolves as real life does.  

I have written a female lead character before (The End of Lies), and it was in first person. But I’ve never written a female lead in third person, nor have I written a detective story before. Two firsts, eh? There’s value for money for you.

Was it hard to do? Yes.

I had to put thoughts of Eddie Collins aside – even though he has a couple of cameo appearances in the trilogy. I had to put that other main character of mine aside: forensic science. This was a detective book, and though there are references to scene examinations and DNA results and the like, anything forensic takes a back seat. Here we rely on detective power, not CSI power, to achieve our goals, and it’s a lot harder than I’d imagined it would be.

She wasn’t the perfect character right off the bat. No, there was a lot of bum-shuffling, a lot of head-scratching, and more than a few trips to the tailor to gets things tucked in or let out. But she eventually became coherent and believable. She became someone I was glad to spend time with, someone who I didn’t begrudge being with because I’d rather be with Eddie. He understood, and he waited patiently. Regan got it too, she knew Eddie was tapping his feet, and his author was keen to get back to a new story. But instead of rushing through all three books to climb back on the Eddie horse again, I took my time, and I sank into the stories and was completely absorbed by them.

By the end of the third book, I had learned something new. It’s possible to have more than one best friend.

Who is DS Regan Carter?

First published 12th June 2024

First image of DS Regan Carter

I wrote this blog over the last two weeks and kept changing the details below to the point where it probably doesn’t make any sense now. Anyway, here it is.

I’ve literally had my head in a book for what seems like months – that’s the last of the three DS Regan Carter books. Today I finally straightened my back and looked up, and by Jimini, someone had changed the seasons!

When I peered out of my window and saw trees with little green flags all over them, and heard the zuzz of a random bee, I realised winter had actually packed its thermals and buggered off down south (but it’s not exactly warm out there, is it?).

The first records of creating this new series suggest I began making notes on 10th March 2023. I’d already written the first part of the first chapter, the bit that got me fired up to grow a book from (you can see the first three paragraphs of the first chapter of the first book in the latest newsletter – out today! [last week!]). I’m writing this to you now 6th June 2024 [12th June], and I’ve just put the finishing touches to the last draft of the last book. It’s taken 15 months to create a trilogy of some 260-thousand words. Add to that a lengthy bout of Long-Covid, other illness issues, and a computer that blew up and lost a precious chapter of new work, and perhaps it’s not such a bad result after all.

Do you want to know what it’s about?

Okay, if you’re sure.

It’s not about a CSI or SOCO; it’s about a police officer. She’s a Detective Sergeant in South Leeds CID. Through no fault of her own, she’s transferred away from her comfy office and her comfy team who deal with street robberies, assaults, and ram-raids, and thrown into the major crime world handled by, strangely enough, the Major Crime Unit. Their bread-and-butter cases feature dead bodies, and Regan’s biggest hate is… dead bodies, so this was a punishment transfer.

This new position is much more volatile than her previous role. Within the first week one of her team is hospitalised after running into a freshly released criminal. And this is the very beginning of a trilogy where Regan fights her colleagues and fights the very nasty criminals who form one of Leeds’s most violent OCGs. Most importantly, she fights herself, growing from wimp to… well, I’ll let you decide.

A Random Kill printed off ready for editing

Coppers don’t clock off and then go home to watch Coronation Street, forgetting all about their day and the people they’re chasing. Well, some do, I suppose, but not Regan Carter. For her, this story is incredibly personal, and it’s made so by the people she’s chasing. They take this new level of scrutiny to heart, and they don’t really appreciate it.

Without giving away too much, this becomes a fight between Regan, the members of the OCG and the top men there, too. And before you think it’ll be easy, and Regan will win hands down, nothing in this life is easy for her, and as for winning… well, that depends on your definition of the word.

While each book has its own story, they are all part of the overall story contained in the trilogy. Don’t make the mistake of reading them out of order because you won’t be able to follow the plot if you do that. I intend releasing the books over a three-month period in 2024 so you won’t have long to wait between episodes – dates to be confirmed. The DS Regan Carter trilogy is not a police procedural, it’s more of a crime thriller, but as I said above, it’s a very personal story where we see what makes her tick and what makes her lose her temper.

I really hope you enjoy spending some time with Regan Carter. I’ve certainly enjoyed my time with her, and I think I’ve found a new friend in her.

I haven’t yet settled on titles for the books. If you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you’ll get to help me choose – there’s a poll in it, and your choice will help me decide.

Who Plays Eddie?

First published 12th February 2024

I set out with good intentions as a new owner of a slice of the internet. One of those good intentions was to write a humorous ditty – a blog post, if you will – once a month. Well, it’s almost a year since my last post. Sheesh – you must feel awfully neglected. If I were you, I’d report me.

“Why haven’t you posted for a year, Andy?”

I’d like to say it’s because I’m a lazy bastard. But that is simply not true. I think this particular audience has been forgotten about because I post on social media, and I send out monthly newsletters. In my tiny mind, therefore, I’ve told everyone everything – job done, claps hands.

But I’m wrong, aren’t I? Not everyone is on Facebook, and not everyone has subscribed to my splendid monthly newsletter where I beg profusely for reviews. Only kidding (no, I’m not). Okay, I do beg for reviews, but come on, there’s a lot of other stuff I share in them, too. Have you signed up, by the way? Why not? Go here > Sign Up & Read

So I’ve forgotten to create blog posts because I’m spreading the word elsewhere. There, that’s why.

“Okay, then why are you blogging now, Mr Smartypants?”

Shit. Good question.

“I know.”

The old website front page

Okay, okay. I’m blogging now because this is the medium I see most closely associated with my website, and for far too long I’ve let it slide, and it’s about time I brought it – and you – up to date. The website is taking longer to do than I’d hoped, but I keep cranking the handle every now and then, and before you know it, it’ll be so new, so up to date that it’ll be able to tell me next month’s lottery numbers! Ha, you might laugh!

And this blog post is my way of encircling all that’s happened over the last year and bringing it to you in a concentrated fashion, if you will. Albeit, condensed.

This time last year I was still feeling ill with a nasty bout of Long-Covid, and that put me out of action until the summer. Thirteen months ago, I had hoped to begin writing a new series of detective novels propelled by a young lady by the name of Regan, a detective sergeant no less (why writers go for DCIs all the time is beyond me – all DCIs do is sit behind their desks shuffling budgets and staffing levels. They really don’t go trudging through woodland chasing shoplifters, you know), and had even worked out that if I wrote 1400 words every day for a year, I’d have a healthy six-book series.

Well, erm… A year later and I’m 7-thousand words into book three. I know, I know, stop shouting at me. Actually, that’s another reason why I’m writing this blog: I’m stuck fast. I have no doubt that I shall eventually write my way out of trouble but for the time being, the quicksand is up to my chest. I’ll really start to panic when it reaches my chin.

Anyway, I’ve decided it won’t be six books after all, it will be a trilogy. I ache to get back on writing Eddie Collins, but my OCD-ness won’t allow that until I’ve tucked Regan into bed and called it done.

What else? Well, I teamed up with a wonderful company who fell in love with CSI Eddie Collins, and specifically with The Pain of Strangers. That company is mad keen on television and film, and knows those industries inside out. They’ve been very busy on my behalf promoting the book to the telly and flicks people, and have had quite a bit of success doing so.

I really need to keep details out of this, but I can say The Pain of Strangers was one of the lucky stories to be selected by some attendees at the Birmingham Film and Television market in 2023. When I’m permitted to share more details, I certainly will (we all love good news, don’t we?). In the meantime, here’s an image of the laurel wreath.

As far as writing goes, yes I’m still on with the detective trilogy, and then I’ll be back writing a new Eddie Collins book. Prior to completing that, I aim to have a glossary of terms used by Eddie and other Yorkshire/English people, available to download for free from all good booksellers. I hope it’ll make you giggle as you search for that phrase or word you’ve never heard before.

Do you want to see what all the fuss is about? Click here to visit the Pain of Strangers on your Amazon

That’s all for now, and I hope to be back again soon. Well, sooner than a year, anyway.

Blog Post Title Two

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.