SYNOPSIS

 SYNOPSIS

As well as working on book eight, Pike's tale, I have also been tasked to write a synopsis of Blood on the Rocks. Now, although I can easily write 500 - 1,000 words in a sitting when the muse is on my shoulder, I struggle to reduce a whole book to a few hundred words. Luckily, my wife and editor is much better at distilling 80,000 words into a cogent summary.

The synopsis needs to include all the salient details of the book, like the mysterious sanatorium, where Russell suspects illegal medical experiments are being carried out.

And the other story line which revolves around illegal Egyptian artefacts being pedalled for sale. 

If you haven't already read it you can get a copy from Amazon, in Kindle or paperback. 

Blood on the Rocks (DI Sonny Russell crime series Book 7) eBook : O'Donoghue, Chris: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Blood on the Rocks: Amazon.co.uk: Chris O'Donoghue: 9781916076754: Books

STEAMING AHEAD!

 STEAMING AHEAD!

Tenterden station, May 2026

Sadly, all heritage railways have ceased using steam locomotives while the drought persists and are running their services using diesel traction. This is a shame as there's nothing like seeing, hearing and feeling one of these fire breathing monsters running on rail tracks. Also, it may be having a detrimental effect as passenger numbers are significantly down. So, if you want to see these wonderful slices of our history continuing to operate, I urge you to visit a railway and enjoy a trundle through our lovely countryside.

Lookers hut

However, unlike the railway, I have been steaming along - with book eight in the DI Sonny Russell series of crime mysteries. At the moment the working title is PIKE'S TALE although I suspect it will end up with with BLOOD in the title, like the other books.

So far it involves a character who used to be a Looker on Romney Marsh but now works in the pottery at Nottery. The titular Septimus Pike, is, as you may remember from previous stories, an antique dealer, reminiscent of Fagin, and he plays a large part in this books. I won't give any more away, just to say I have managed to hammer out 32,000 words on the keyboard so over a third of the way through now. 

Details of the other titles are on the right, if you haven't already immersed yourself in the world in 1950s crime set around Rye and Romney Marsh. 

JUGGLING - AGAIN

JUGGLING - AGAIN

If I'd had a normal job, i.e. one with a pension, I probably would have retired several years ago. But as, apart from a a couple of short periods, I've always been self-employed, I've carried on long after normal retirement age. Also, as a nonagenarian friend said, you either use it or lose it, so I'm very happy to carry on, albeit slightly less intensely than in the past.

I've been lucky enough to have had a very varied working life and that continues. For a long time I was a professional modelmaker, often working to a deadline and a price. Nowadays I make and exhibit model railway layouts and they are usually well received and appreciated and I do it just for entertainment. That's me above with my Egyptian themed layout, Caravanserai at a recent exhibition in Hastings. Also above is a model of a signal box I made for another project

But, there are still bills to be paid so I do have to earn something of a living. After designing, building and exhibiting three medal winning gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show, I now concentrate on designing gardens for private clients. I do fewer than I used to but still enjoy working on several every year. In the last few months I've successfully designed and planted gardens in Cooden and Camber and there are a couple more in the pipeline.

Also, I have a cottage in Northiam I've owned for 40 years that I now use for holiday lets. My wife and I look after it, doing the cleaning and maintenance, something we both enjoy. It means we can make sure it's up to the standard we'd expect if we were renting it, plus it's good exercise! 

Another string to my bow is giving talks. I travel all over Kent and Sussex speaking to various groups: U3A, WI and gardening clubs, about Chelsea, garden design and one talk called 'From Pottery to Potting Shed, or how I became a gardener' which is mainly autobiographical and goes down well.

Then, out of the blue, I got a call from a pottery, asking if I'd be interested in doing some mouldmaking. Now, I trained as a mouldmaker and spent many years making moulds for potteries across the south-east but hadn't put my hand in a bucket of plaster for 18 years. But I agreed, made the moulds for an exclusive piece, and enjoyed the process, finding that it all came flooding back.

Finally, back to writing. I doubt I'll ever make it as a top flight writer, or earn a living at it. Although I know my books aren't bad, there's too much competition - but I do enjoy writing. I'm currently nearly a quarter of the way through book eight, in the DI Sonny Russell series of crime mysteries, provisionally titled Pikes Tale. The story revolves around a poisoning and a séance and will have the same mix of intrigue and information I like to include in my books.

So, you can see, life is far from dull and, I suppose I must enjoy juggling!

 

7th PAST THE POST!

 7th PAST THE POST!

Phew! I've done it! I know it should be first past the post but this is my seventh DI Sonny Russell crime mystery and I'm rather proud of it. Although it's taken a lot longer than the others - two years as opposed to 12 months, I think  - well I hope - it's my best one yet.

Some of the themes in it are much darker than before and I've been able to explore and develop my characters further than I have in the past. It's just as interesting for me to discover their back stories as it is for the readers. I never plan my books, just run with an idea and see where it takes me. In that way it's a voyage of discovery and always remains fresh.

I do hope you enjoy reading BLOOD ON THE ROCKS as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm always happy to hear from my readers - whether praising or correcting - so please do let me know what you think. 

THE FINISHING LINE!

 

THE FINISHING LINE!

I'm almost there. "At last!" I hear you cry. That's how I feel too. After more than two years working on this book it's almost ready to go to the printer. I've no idea why it's taken so long - I have usually managed to produce a book a year. All I can say is, I think it's going to be worth the wait.

This isn't the final cover, just my rough idea of how it could look. I will reveal the brilliant cover that my designer has produced as soon as it's confirmed.

Be ready to immerse yourself in a tale that encompasses questionable dealings in a sanatorium and even dodgier artefacts being palmed off by a dubious Egyptian. All of which taxes DI Sonny Russell to the hilt.

Talking of whom... This is my late uncle - Sonny Russell - who is the inspiration for the detective in my books. He was a lovely man and most aptly named.

A WAITING GAME

 

A WAITING GAME

Shabti in the British Museum

After a long time - two years as against my normal 12 months - Blood on the Rocks is finished. I've no idea why it took so long to write - I haven't even got the excuse of lock-down. I knew where the narrative was going early on; I didn't suffer from writer's block; nothing took precedence, it just took a long time. 

Winged scarab

The editing process was smooth - my wife, Greer, expertly edited, spotting gaffes I'd made and making valuable suggestions and contributions to the story. My beta reader, John Nutting, picked up on grammatical and technical errors we'd missed and I went over once more tweaking and finessing.

Trial cover

The next stage is the cover. This is probably the most important part of getting the book noticed. Readers see the cover before reading a single word so it has to stand out. I usually mock up a cover to show to Paul, the designer, giving him an idea of what I think it should look like. He also has a synopsis of the book and will create his own interpretation. This is always far better than my own, amateurish effort but, it takes time. Not only does he have to assemble the images but lay them out in such a way that the printer can easily use them to produce the finished book - not a process that can be rushed. So now, it's a waiting game.

The Grange, Iden

The working title of the book had been 'Blood on the Nile'. This was because one of the main threads revolved around Egyptian artefacts that had been stolen by someone trying to sell them on. But, the title didn't sit comfortably with the other books in the series so a decision was made to use another thread. Spoiler alert! Early on a accident occurs where a body is found below the cliffs, hence the new title. 

Hopefully, you loyal readers won't have to wait too long now, to read the continuing stories of DI Sonny Russell, and his faithful companion, Aggie.

EDITOR, EDITOR!

 EDITOR, EDITOR!

As previously announced, I finished book seven in the DI Sonny Russell series of crime mysteries at the end of last year. Now comes necessary but the arduous task of re-reading, editing and generally improving the manuscript.  

I am exceedingly fortunate in having an inhouse editor. My wife, Greer, was a journalist and reporter from when she left college then spent 25 years as a sub-editor on the prestigious Daily Telegraph. She has been going through my book with a fine-tooth comb, picking up on all the mistakes and omissions I've made and making valuable suggestions to further enhance the narrative.

My current job is to input all her hard, detailed work so the story not only flows, but makes sense.

In addition, we've been discussing the final title of the book. While I've been writing it the working title has been BLOOD ON THE NILE, as some of the narrative revolves around stolen Egyptian treasures. However, as much of the book, in line with the previous titles, revolves around Rye and Rye Harbour, we thought it more appropriate to reflect this and it seems probable that it's going to be changed to BLOOD ON THE RIVER BANK, or something similar. Hopefully we will have decided by the end of the editing process. 

 LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

    My poor readers. You've been eagerly awaiting the next book in the DI Sonny Russell series of crime mysteries and I've kept you hanging around for much longer than I usually do between books. I don't know why this one has taken so long - almost two years already. 

    It started well, with a good strong thread revolving around dubious goings on in a sanatorium, then a second thread dealing with Egyptian artefacts someone was trying to sell, which might have been stolen and might or might not be genuine. Somewhere along the line writing slowed to a crawl as I was struggling to find a way forward. It wasn't writers block, as such, but I couldn't even see the tunnel, let alone the light at the end of it. But, at last, the writing has gathered pace.

    In my usual way, I write as a reader - keen to discover what's coming next. Interesting ideas came out of the blue, including a new character, an Assistant Chief Constable, who has requested Russell's help in a sensitive case. This only happened about twenty pages ago and has helped the narrative immensely. 

    I have just passed the magical 75,000 word mark so feel I'm on the home straight. So saying, I'd better get on with writing it!

Puttin' on the Style

PUTTIN' ON THE STYLE

Although 'style' does relate to the way I, and others, write, this may be a slightly misleading title as it's more about accents. 

Dick Strawbridge/Inspecteur Guillaume Bruissement

In my series of crime novels set in the 1950s my detective, DI Sonny Russell, has an opposite number based in Boulogne called Inspecteur Guillaume Bruissement. Throughout the books they becoem firm friends and Bruissment often helps with tricky international cases. Although not slavishly based on him, I have a picture in my mind of the tv personality, Dick Strawbridge, when I portray him. I guess there's a little of Poirot too and I like to mix French with English when I write his dialogue, as if he's thinking in both languages. This brings up its own set of challenges as he frequently drops his aitches and mixes his languages and parts of speech. But he is fun to write him and try to make him sound real.

One of the things I try to get right is the necessary accents when inserting French words. I do hope I succeed and I'm sure my readers will let me know if I get it wrong!

 

EGYPT BECKONS

 

EGYPT BECKONS

In my last blog post I talked about the struggle I've been having with my latest work-in-progress, Blood on the Nile. Well, you'll be pleased to know I'm making steady progress and approaching the half-way mark. Whoopee! Only another 40,000+ words to go. But I've got to the point where I have to decide if DI Sonny Russell will actually have to go to Egypt. If he does travel to the Middle East, I feel it will make for an interesting read but... it will involve me in some serious research.

 I've been watching a lot of documentaries about Egypt so I feel I'm partway there. It's a fascinating country with an incredible history but what's most amazing is the experts feel they've only just scratched the surface and there are still myriad treasures to be uncovered. In one programme I watched, an American scientist, using thermal imaging drones, uncovered huge areas of urban development buried under the sand. However, this is now, with modern technology, and I'm still in the 1950s, so not very far removed from the explorations of Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon and the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. So, more research is need but that is something I really enjoy. Now to find out how Russell will travel to Egypt and who he will liaise with when he gets there.

And, as an aside, for my loyal readers, do you have a picture in your mind's eye of the DI? Well, naturally, I do. He's inspired by my late uncle, Sonny Russell, who I remember as a lovely, cheerful man, always with a smile playing about his lips. 

Getting a wiggle on

 GETTING A WIGGLE ON

Bait digger - low tide, Winchelsea Beach

No, I'm not going to talk about lugworms or ragworms or those hardy souls who go down to the beach at low tide to dig for bait. Much as I realise this could be suitable topic for a blogpost, I'll leave it for another day. No, this is more about me getting a wiggle on.

Ornamental Egyptian scarab

On checking back, I discovered that I started my current work in progress, back in November 2022. Normally I aim to finish writing a book in about a year and all six previous ones have followed this pattern. I have no real excuse for why this one has taken 16 months already and I'm still only a third of the way through. I could make excuses - well I will.

Pectoral brooch

The working title is 'Blood on the Nile and the initial theme for the story was the illegal import of artifacts, possibly looted from the tombs in Egypt. Superintendent Stout put Sonny Russell on the case saying 'you were out in the East during the war'. Although the DI pointed out he was actually in south-east Asia, not North Africa, Stout dismissed his protest. In order to make sure I know what I'm talking about I've planned for some time to visit the Egyptian Galleries in the British Museum. I'm still waiting to go so this may be a reason for my slowness.

Sanatorium

As my readers are aware I always include more than one story line, and try to weave the different themes together until finally bringing them to a satisfactory climax. This book is to be no different and I've introduced a mysterious sanatorium and a body found on the beach. I'll say no more - I think I've given enough away already. I'll leave you with this image of a hidden camp in the woods and let you guess why.

Just one more thing. In all my books I start each chapter with a definition, or explanation, of something that appears a few pages on. I really enjoy the research involved and hope it adds to the book. But I'd be interested to hear what those of you have read any of the books think about me continuing it.

ANYONE AT HOME?

 ANYONE AT HOME?

I haven't written a blog post for a long time - not sure why. In fact I don't seem to be writing anything as intensely as I have in the past. Book seven, provisionally titled BLOOD ON THE NILE, is making much slower progress than the previous six. I guess I've just been concentrating on other projects. But, as my blog seems to be getting quite a number of views lately I thought I'd better write something.

The provisional title of the book may be a little misleading. The reason is that my detective, DI Sonny Russell is tasked with tracking down the origin of some Egyptian artifacts that are thought to have been obtained illegally. His boss, Superintendent Stout, thinks he's the right man as he was out in the East during the war, despite Sonny's protestations that Egypt is a long way from where he was stationed. Now, if I was a full-time writer, with a decent income from writing, I could justify a trip to Egypt for research, but as I'm only a poor part-timer it's unlikely to happen. So It will be the usual Google and Wikipedia searches for information.

As with my other books I try to weave several story threads together and the title of this post is a reference to another of those. Briefly, a man is found dead beneath the cliffs at Pett Level (I'm not giving anything away as this happens early in the book) and a nearby 'sanatorium' comes under suspicion. Strangely though, when the police return, the building is empty and the neighbours can't help. I've just posted on social media, asking where to find information about the ownership of the house and almost immediately a number of people have come back. The Land Registry seems the best port of call. I won't need to actually follow it through - this is fiction, after all - but I now know where the police need to go.

TREADING WATER

 TREADING WATER

Do you ever go through a seemingly endless period where a lot seems to be happening but you don't feel as if you're achieving much? Those times when however much you try to tick items off the to-do list, it never seems to get any shorter? And your diary seems to be piling up with so many engagements you wonder if you'll ever be able to do any of them, let alone all of them? Well that's how I feel at the moment.

But, I keep telling myself, it's not as bad as it seems. My sixth book in the DI Sonny Russell series of crime novels has recently been launched and is selling well*. Plus, the others in the series are still going out, particularly the first one, Blood on the Tide. This is gratifying as hopefully, if new readers like it, they continue with others in the series.

*I stepped into the breach and gave a last minute talk recently as the scheduled speaker had tested positive for covid. The talk was to quite a small group in Benenden in Kent but as much of the action in Blood on the Dunes takes place nearby, I sold quite a number of copies, which was most gratifying. 

Although I've started on book six, provisionally titled Blood on the Nile**, I haven't made much progress, due to the reasons outlined above. But, I have been asked several times, by readers who have already finished 'Dunes', when the next book will be ready! As it usually takes a year to write a book, there will be a bit of a delay.

** Does this mean that DI Sonny Russell will be venturing further abroad, I hear you ask. Well, possibly. For relaxation, I model narrow gauge railways and several of my books have been inspired by the layouts I've built. In fact, the whole series started with a model I made based on the quayside at Rye Harbour in Sussex. For a while now I have been building an Egyptian themed layout called Caravanserai, so this has provided some of the inspiration for the next book. But, book and model alike are a long way from being finished, so meanwhile, I'll continue trading water.