My BOOKS
Echoes of a Boy
A unique concept in storytelling for a debut novel/biography.
A past ambition to be an author, revisited during the COVID pandemic lockdown, spawned this concept piece. It takes an original crime fiction novella written in the author's late teens and wraps around it the biography of his life to date.
A murder-mystery set in the grounds of a boys' boarding school, offering an insight into the mind of the author, the events that shaped the fiction, and the subsequent years filled with echoes from the past.
A whodunit, by whodidit, and why...
If I Had Died Last Summer
Richard returns with a heterogeneous collection of short stories. Once more drawing on the past, having rifled through old papers and manuscripts from his youth. Each idea has been revisited with older eyes. Some have been modernised, while a couple remain firmly set in the past. And, as with the title story, "If I Had Died Last Summer," there are some entirely new creations from his adult mind.
There are tales of time travel, horror, and adultery. A foray into the supernatural. A story of corporate jealousy and a somewhat embarrassingly misogynistic attempt at erotica. And halfway through, there is even an attempt to reimagine a literary classic! All in all, a plethora of stories covering murder, mystery, sex, greed, tragedy, and downright betrayal, ranging in length from flash fiction to the cusp of a novella.
As a gay author, you can expect a thread of homosexuality throughout. But this is not gay fiction. These are just stories with some gay characters, as in everyday life.
Enigma: A Twisted Tale of Love and Magic
Patrick Morgan is a loner at school but finds solace in his magic. Following a disastrous performance at the end-of-term school show, Craig Newman comes to his rescue and a secret romance blossoms.
They will face tragedy after Patrick's religious parents uncover the truth of their friendship, but their relationship will stand the test of time until one day, Patrick's need for adulation leads him to audition for a TV talent show.
His magic astounds the audience and judges alike during his audition, but when the program later goes to air, Patrick's credibility is challenged when controversial journalist Matt Turner questions his abilities and makes allegations surrounding some uncomfortable events from Patrick's past.
Of course, nothing is ever as it seems...
In Darkness, Angels Tread
Paul Newman is a local journalist trying to catch a break investigating a group of petty criminals when he stumbles into an unholy massacre for which he soon becomes the main suspect.
As the body count begins to mount, Paul's investigations lead him to Bryan, an excommunicated clergyman with a history of undertaking clandestine tasks for the church. Bryan's almost clairvoyant abilities set Paul off on a race against time to save his nephew, Craig, who appears to be the ultimate target of the malevolent forces at play.
With every new victim, the evidence against Paul is mounting, and he must avoid capture by his lover, police detective Robert Flowers, while working with Bryan's grandson, Garry, to track down and stop the killer before it is too late.
Murder at St. Philips
When a fatal fall shatters the calm at the prestigious St. Philip’s School for Boys, Detective Chief Inspector John Coles is called in to investigate a labyrinth of secrets, privilege, and hidden resentments. As snow blankets the historic campus, Coles and his partner, Bradey, must untangle a complex web of blackmail, forbidden relationships, and old wounds that refuse to heal. The investigation soon reveals that, beneath the school’s polished surface, dark secrets fester.
When a heartbreaking second death rocks the school community, new evidence points strongly to a suspect, but Coles just can’t make the pieces fit. As he works to solve the case, with the truth buried beneath layers of silence and shame, Coles must also deal with tensions in his personal life. He and his son, Martin, have both suffered unimaginable loss, and Coles‘ work-life balance has added strain, with eleven-year-old Martin making his feelings known as he embraces new emotions in his own coming of age.
Murder at St. Philips is a compelling mystery that explores loyalty, heartbreak, and the lengths people will go to for revenge and to protect their secrets—even if it costs them everything.