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I don’t blame Neil Oliver for cashing in on short-lived fame. He’s the one with long hair and a mellifluous speaking voice that can drone on for hours about our Coast, the invasion of the Vikings, the ancient stones of Callandish and all the things you’ll never see or thought of but he’s such a nice guy, you’ve got to believe him, he’s brought them right into your living room. He used to go to the University of Glasgow, which is a bit of an...

I’m not a great fan of Elizabeth Strout. Yet Tell Me Everything is the fourth or her six books I’ve read. Explain that? Well, the characters are familiar. As is the settings. Crosby, Maine and far-off (but not too far) New York. ‘This is the story of Bob Burgess, a tall, heavyset man who lives in the town of Crosby, Maine, and he is sixty-five years old at the time we are speaking of him. Bob has a big heart, but he does not know that about...

I spotted Robert Darroch at Gartnavel about seven years ago. He was sitting chatting to my partner’s mum in a greenish high-backed chair. He was quick to offer us the easy-to-wipe seat and move on. I said his name, but he didn’t recognise me. I’m not good with names. He was the opposite. Rarely passed without a smile and a quick word. He was especially good remembering children and old folk’s names (I guess I fit that category now) but that was...

This chapter introduced the novel's signature object. In Orwell's 1984, objects carry weight (the paperweight Winston buys, the diary he keeps, etc). Arthur's speakwrite dial is smaller, more mundane. A piece of bureaucratic machinery. Proof of nothing except that Arthur once took something that wasn't his. Chapter Two: The Speakwrite is uploaded in my collection "Escape From Room 101" now. Please read it and let me know what you think so far...

Liam McIlvanney has writing in his blood. William McIlvanney, of course, is recognised as the godfather of Scottish noir fiction. When Liam McIlvanney won The Bloody Scotland, Scottish Crime Book of the Year—which used to be named after William McIlvanney—with The Quaker , you’d get the impression it was an inside job. A bit like Stephen King’s son, who’s also a writer, winning some big award for horror fiction. I picked up and put down The...

White Jazz is the last of the Dudley Smith trio. A quartet if The Black Dahlia is included. The Big Fix isn’t winner or losers. It’s an ongoing chase in which power is in plain sight. Classic noir asks: Can truth emerge? Ellroy asks more simply, Who controls what we believe after it does? Trump’s insurrection and civil cases, including E. Jean Carroll defamation for him raping her, NY Civil Fraud case, found guilty of falsifying his net worth...

My current best Writers on AbcTales December 2025 5. swindonwoody – Maggie 4. rhiannonw – Rhiannon 3. mark-p – Mark Pithie 2. mcscraic – Paul McCann 1. Turlough – Terence Mullan Sir Loin and Celticman are also doing very well. ~ Many thanks to Claudine and all our other editors for a splendid job! We appreciate the support of all our readers, and for our writers we are greatly indebted for unselfish contributions for the excellent work during...

I have finished the rough draft and rewrite of the first chapter of "Escape From Room 101". I believe I can get a chapter a week finished, if I stay focused. Feedback on this project would be greatly appriciated, please let me know if there is any way I can improve this story! I will post each chapter after each rewrite - I hope you will enjoy the journey as this story reveals itself! Thank you, everyone! - J.