Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Going straight is never easy - especially when you're blackmailed into murder."What a clever story with a wonderful balance of mystery and suspense and light-hearted comedy and fun." A Life Through Books
Career conman Reuben Littlejohn is determined to go straight this time after his release from prison, with the help of his new wife.
But he hadn't counted on stumbling across a plot to kill his parole officer Lucy, with whom he is madly in lust. Or being blackmailed into becoming an accomplice to her murder.
Never have his skills in lying and cheating been so vital Can he save his own life as well as Lucy's?
If you like Donald Westlake and Colin Bateman, you'll love this book with its artful blend of comedy and crime and flawed but engaging characters.
"There is a great balance between the Crime/Mystery part of it and the Comedy. I found myself guessing the whole way through, and being wrong quite a bit, while laughing out loud." Texas Book Nook.
Scroll up and click the Buy Button now to start reading this comical tale of murder and mayhem.
This book is also available as an e-book in the Kindle store.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
What was your inspiration for this novel?
I worked for many years as a probation and parole officer, so had contact with a wide range of offenders from various backgrounds, and indeed this has been grist to the mill for my crime novels. My main character, Reuben Littlejohn, developed gradually in my head - his character is a combination of a few conmen I'd met, plus a hefty dose of imagination.
How do you incorporate humour into a crime novel about a conman?
Writing humour has always come naturally to me; I can find humour in most situations. In this book it's Reuben's character - he's in his early thirties but in some ways he's never grown up. He loves Mandrake comics, hates the thought of a regular job and he's a bit of a dreamer. He fantasizes about lots of things, including women, so this alone lent itself to comedy.
It's the situations combined with the character's personality that lend themselves to humour - Reuben's disastrous attempts to hold down a job, his relationship with his disapproving in-laws, and his attempts to lead a double life - pretending to help Frank Cornell murder Lucy, at the same time trying to save her life, without his wife Carleen finding out. This requires a lot of subterfuge and stretching of the truth
What was your biggest challenge in writing How Not To Commit Murder?
Writing a character who is a criminal but still making him someone the reader can empathize with. And I think I've succeeded because I've had readers say to me, ' I didn't want to like him, but I couldn't help it.' I think the humour had a lot to do with that.
Also, I wondered how I'd go writing from the point of view of a thirty-something male, which clearly I'm not, but it was easier than I expected. Although there are a lot of differences in the mental and emotional make-up of men and women, there are many similarities as well. Deep down we all want to be loved and appreciated for who we are, and to find meaning and fulfilment in what we do.
Synopsis
For conman Reuben Littlejohn going straight was never going to be easy. Then he
Synopsis
For conman Reuben Littlejohn going straight was never going to be easy. Then he's blackmailed into murder - and it gets a whole lot harder.Career conman Reuben Littlejohn is determined to go straight this time after his release from prison, with the help of his new wife.
But he hadn't counted on stumbling across a plot to kill his parole officer Lucy, with whom he is madly in lust. Or being blackmailed into becoming an accomplice to her murder.
Never have his skills in lying and cheating been so vital Can he save his own life as well as Lucy's?
If you like Donald Westlake and Colin Bateman, you'll love this book with its artful blend of comedy and crime and flawed but engaging characters.
Scroll up and click the Buy Button now to start reading this comical tale of murder and mayhem.
This book is also available as an e-book in the Kindle section.