A short story book

Just under twelve months ago my unusual collection of short stories was published.  One hundred copies have been sold so far.  I never expected it be so popular.  I only decided to publish after an internet poll and was surprised to find that people thought it a good idea. It's still selling at fairs and markets.  

The book features eight short stories designed to encourage thought, stimulate imagination and promote debate.

 

An Edwardian Lady

Lost in Limbo

Man-O-War

The Royal Wedding Hall Art Exhibition

A Business Affair

A Weekend is a Lifetime

The Looking Glass

The Third Earl’s Smile

Each little story has been carefully crafted for your enjoyment.

This book is not available from Amazon or any other retail outlet.  It can only be purchased directly from myself.

To secure your signed copy simply message me on kevinmarshnovels@gmail.com and I'll post one out at just £6.50 inc postage, (UK only).

Happy Reading!

 

 

 

 

Double Trouble

Double Trouble, my latest crime novel

Detective Inspector Isobel Woods and her team are tasked with finding a missing person but this is no ordinary investigation.  Ordered by her superiors to run a covert operation a media blackout is imposed as the identity of the individual must remain confidential.

The case soon develops into something much larger as international authorities become involved but this only complicates matters further and puts additional pressure on Woods and her team. 

Others are drawn in and when the body count begins to rise, Woods is determined in keeping her colleagues safe but things don’t always go to plan.

She struggles to strike a happy balance between work and home life and finds it increasingly difficult to relax and settle into a married routine.

Will hard work, due diligence and luck be enough to bring this case to a satisfactory conclusion or will bureaucratic attitudes and pressure prevent Woods from solving what is probably her most difficult assignment yet.   

This book will shortly be available from Amazon as a paperback and on Kindle.

 

 

 

An Edwardian Lady

Lost in Limbo

Man-O-War

The Royal Wedding Hall Art Exhibition

A Business Affair

A Weekend is a Lifetime

The Looking Glass

The Third Earl’s Smile

 

 A collection of unusual short stories crafted for your enjoyment.  They are intended to encourage thought, stimulate imagination and promote debate.  Most of all I hope you enjoy reading them.

These little books are not available from Amazon or large bookshops.  They are only available form me and retail at just £6.50 per copy plus postage.

Message me if you would like a copy. 

 

A crime novel

Another crime novel set in London and the neighbouring county of  Kent.

 

The Royal Parks of London are safe green spaces enjoyed by many thousands of people, but when the body of a young woman is discovered in Hyde Park, the harmonious balance between nature and recreation is disturbed.

Newly promoted Detective Inspector Isobel Woods is tasked with leading the investigation, then elements of a previous case threaten her wellbeing forcing her to prove to a new boss that she is fit to lead her team.

Things rarely go to plan and the situation escalates when the killer strikes again.  Unexpectedly, a web of abuse, fraud and deceit is exposed and as they investigate further Woods and her colleagues’ lives are endangered.

With resources stretched to the limit, the team must keep themselves and the public safe.

What other surprises will be uncovered before the investigation reaches a satisfactory conclusion?

Available from Amazon on Kindle for just £1.99 or $2.50

(So little for not a lot)!

Happy Reading!

The Photographer, a crime novel

This is my second crime novel featuring Isobel Woods.  Published in 2020, it follows her development as a person and detective.

‘Suddenly he was there beside her.  She could sense him, his shadow a spirit come to claim her soul. Blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear her vision, she believed that if she could make eye contact with him she could appeal to his conscience – but she was mistaken; he was no longer there…’

Available from Amazon on Kindle at just £1.99 or $2.99

Happy Reading!

The Witness, a brief insight

Without giving too much away I want to post some photographs of Spey Bay to give my readers an idea of what this beautiful place looks like.  When I visited the area some years ago I saw an artist painting a watercolour of the iron bridge and suddenly ideas began to formulate.  From that moment I knew that my character Josie was going to be an artist.

Like me, Josie was completely taken with the tranquility of Spey Bay and she too decided to paint a watercolour of the magnificent iron bridge.  It was here that her story began.

The river in this photograph is very high, when I was there during the summer the water level was much lower.
​

I would like to present the layout of the bay with some of the places mentioned in the book.  This map details places like Fochabers, the house and estate where Mr Mac lives.  The river runs from the mountains into the bay and this is the route my characters took through the woods when trying to escape from Mr Mac.  
Closer to the bay you can make out the villages of Garmouth and Kingston.  Josie's Auntie Molly lived in Garmouth and it was from here that Josie accessed the bay.  

The distance from Fochabers to the Tugnet Ice house is about five miles

​Spey Bay is an outstanding area of natural beauty where many seabirds and animals can be seen.  There is also a very nice hotel and golf course further round the bay, but these did not feature in my book.

A view of the ice houses with the mountains in the distance

Kingston is just across the mouth of the river

The beautiful river in the summertime

Follow the pathway leading from the bottom right of this photograph, go past the buildings and head for the sandy bit towards the top of the picture.  This is where the Tugnet Ice house and visitor centre is situated, it is also where Josie plunged into the water when being chased before being swept away into the Moray Firth.

The Tugnet Icehouse where Josie tried to hide from Mr Mac

​I hope this helps to bring The Witness to life without giving too much away.

The Witness is available on Kindle from Amazon at just £1.99 or $2.99

Happy Reading!

The Witness a psychological thriller.

The Witness was my first attempt at writing a psychological thriller.  It all began several years ago when my sister Joanne lived in a lovely little village called Garmouth.  Situated in Morayshire near to the ancient city of Elgin, Garmouth sits on the edge of Spay Bay, an area of outstanding natural beauty.  The river Spey flows through this beautiful landscape as it makes its way from the Highlands towards the Moray Firth.

There was a time when this area was not so tranquil.  On one side of the river towards the village of Kingston boat building once thrived and on the other side towards Spey the Tugnet Ice House and visitor centre was once part of a fishing station.

A railway serviced the area and spanning the river is a magnificent iron bridge.  This engineering monument had to be re-designed before construction was completed as the river decided to change its course.  Nowadays the bridge forms part of a walking and cycle path that lead visitors into the bay.

During my stay in the village we took the path and crossing the bridge and made our way along the riverbank towards the visitor centre where they serve a mean mug of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.   It was on that day I saw an artist painting a picture of the bridge and then my story began to take shape.  

Josie MacDonald, my main character, was there pretty much from the start and as I turned my mind to constructing a plot I knew that some unimaginable horror would have to disturb the peace and tranquility of this place.   The plot began to evolve and as my characters came to life my research took me to some interesting places.  I couldn’t resist weaving in an historical element, but  things could quite easily have got out of hand if it wasn’t for the qualities of my characters to anchor the plot.  The drama of the unpleasant scenes makes for a racy story, but it was the everyday lives of the characters that kept the whole thing honest and believable.

The Witness was always going to be a standalone novel, but I couldn’t resist the challenge of developing some of the characters and locations that appear in the story.  This was the beginning of a series of crime novels.  

For more information about The Witness and my other books go to Amazon.