After
the series of interviews I ran about Taylor Street, I thought I'd do one about
a chap who used to be with Taylor but has moved on to pastures new.
John
Holt started his own publishing company called Phoenix and has struck out on his own with great success.
He
still has contact with the old "Gang" though, (hence the interview) and is
as busy as a housefly on his bucket list.
Check
out the blurbs for a couple of his works and then he'll tell you about himself.
A killing in the city.
‘To
make a killing in the City’ is a phrase often used within the financial world,
to indicate making a large profit on investments, or through dealings on the
stock market - the bigger the profit, the bigger the killing. However, Tom
Kendall, a private detective, on holiday in London, has a different kind of
killing in mind when he hears about the death of one of his fellow passengers
who travelled with him on the plane from Miami. It was suicide
apparently, a simple overdose of prescribed tablets. Kendall immediately offers his
help to Scotland Yard. He is shocked when he is told his services will not be
required. They can manage perfectly well without him, thank you.
This Edition has been re-edited, re-worked and re-issued by Phoenix.
The
Mackenzie Dossier
Kendall could just see the television screen. There was a
photograph of Governor Frank Reynolds. Across the bottom of the screen the
ticker tape announced in large black letters 'Governor Reynolds Murdered'. The
voice over was filling in whatever detail was available. Apparently his body
had been discovered earlier that morning. He had been found lying in his
garage. He had been shot twice. One shot to the upper chest, the other hitting
his shoulder. 'Police believe that the weapon used was a 38 caliber revolver,'
the reporter said. Kendall froze. Anthony Shaw had also been killed by a 38
bullet. Kendall was not quite sure of what it all meant. What connection was
there between Anthony Shaw, and the State Governor, and the business mogul, Ian
Duncan. And what about Senator Mackenzie? Where did he fit in? And who or what
was Latimer? Only a short while ago Kendall was a small time private
detective , a Private Eye, investigating an insignificant little murder with no
clues, no witnesses, and no motive. In fact, no nothing. Now he had so many
pieces of a puzzle he didn't know how they fitted together. He didn't even know
if they all came from the same puzzle.
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So
now you know peeps!!
So,
Mr. John Holt, lay it on us !!
1.) Tell us about yourself
I
am a retired Chartered Surveyor. For many years I was a Senior Project Manager
with the Greater London Council. When that was closed down I set up my own surveying
practice, preparing survey reports for house purchase, preparing plans for
extensions, or new houses. In 2004 I suffered a heart attack, and finally
retired in 2008. I live in Essex with my wife and daughter and a cat
called Missy, who has adopted us. I like most kinds of music including
Classical and American Blues. For many years I wrote articles for one of the
leading Blues magazines, now sadly no more.
When
it comes to the movies, once again I hate modern movies in general. The
greatest films came from the fifties and sixties. Humphrey Bogart, Robert
Mitchum, Cagney, Bette Davies and later stars like Charlton Heston, Gregory
Peck, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas. Not forgetting the great musicals, Singing
In The Rain, Oklahoma, West Side Story and the
Sound of Music.
I
came to writing novels quite late in life. I had always wanted to write but
could never think of a decent plot. In 2005 we went for a holiday in Austria. We stayed in a place
called Grundlsee. This was the first of three lakes. The next lake, Toplitz,
was used by the Germans during the war to test torpedoes and missiles. As the
war came to an end many items were hidden in the lake, including millions of
counterfeit pounds and dollars. There was also jewellery, weapons and documents.
There were rumours that gold bullion was also placed in to the lake. Several
searches were made, but no gold was discovered. In my first novel, “The
Kammersee Affair” (soon to be re-issued as "The Kammersee Incident"
under the Phoenix banner), gold is found, only in the
third lake, Kammersee.
2.) What genre do you specialise in?
Well
of five published books four feature my private detective Tom Kendal. So it has to be Crime.
3.) What's your inspiration.
I
don’t know about inspiration, but a list of my favourite books would, without a
doubt, include Dickens. Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations
just cannot be bettered.
4.) Who is your favourite author, why and did he/she inspire you to
write in any way?
Agatha
Christie, the master of crime, would be high on the list. Alistair Mclean,
Hammond Innes and Wilbur Smith would also feature. I was brought up on Enid
Blyton - remember the Secret Seven and the Famous Five. Sadly not so
fashionable these days, but great fun.
Having
said that I do not write like any of them. I couldn’t hope to. I write in my
own style, basically to please me. If others also like it that’s terrific.
5.) What are your plans?
Since
parting company with Night/Taylor Street
I have created my own self-publishing banner PHOENIX. So far I have re-issued two of my novels,
“The Mackenzie Dossier” and “A Killing In The City”. I am currently working on re-issuing “The
Kammersee Incident”, which i hope will be ready in a month or so. Then sometime in November I plan on re-issued
“The Marinski Affair”, another Tom Kendall novel. I am also working on four other novels, all
at various stages ranging from barely started, to approximately two thirds
complete.
6.) Go for it, sell your work. (Links, reviews, whatever you want).
Links
to my works are as follows:
“The
Mackenzie Dossier” –
This
is, I believe, the first outing for the author's detective character Tom
Kendall and he's faced with murder, political intrigue and powerful people who
would rather he kept his nose out of their business. Coming onto the stage,
quite far into the story, the intrigue and double dealing of the key players,
in particular Duncan, is already, much in
evidence and it's down to Kendall to unravel the various clues in his
own methodical style to ensure that justice is served. I like Kendall as a character, he's
dogged, determined and has a wry sense of humour. I also enjoyed the unhurried
way the story develops.
I've read one other book by the same author, a more recent Kendall escapade, and I'd
certainly seek them out to read in the right order, although as each book
reveals a separate case, I don't suppose the order in which they are read
matters greatly.
A recommended read, for those who enjoy a gradual, unravelling of intrigue, rather
than a quick reveal.
“A
Killing In The City” –
The
story of doggedly determined Kendall, the Miami detective who always gets
his man. No manic car chases or shootouts, but simply, the very clever and
subtly amusing antics of the outwardly slow witted but inwardly razor sharp, Kendall as he sets out to prove a
fellow traveller was murdered. His long suffering secretary Mollie provides the
perfect foil and straight woman for his dry humour, and the plot itself is
topical and well executed.
The author reveals the clues and punchlines with perfect timing and also gives
us a view of London as seen through the eyes
of first time visitor's, which in itself is informative and amusing. A
deliciously corrupt baddie and an overworked inspector from New Scotland Yard,
are added to the mix to give an entertaining story of good versus bad in a
totally believable tale. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Recommended!
“Epidemic”
Detective
Tom Kendall is not some superhero sporting rippling muscles, but a very human
man, who is pestered to eat more healthily and exercise more - just the same as
most of the rest of us. He is likable for just that reason.
His case starts as an accident that might not have been an accident, but this
is just the beginning. Kendall uncovers a far bigger crime - a
crime that has caused enormous suffering to thousands of innocent people.
The plot is carefully thought out in every detail, and the author is to be
commended for his story.
“The
Marinski Affair”
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Marinski-Affair-John-Holt/dp/1616670150/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3
The Marinski Affair began as a dull mundane case involving a missing husband.
Okay, so he was a rich missing husband, but he was nonetheless, still only a
missing husband. The case soon developed into one involving robbery,
kidnapping, blackmail and murder. But was there really a kidnapping? And
exactly who is blackmailing who? Who actually carried out the robbery? Who
committed the murders? Who can you trust? Who can you believe? Is anyone
actually telling the truth? What have they got to hide? And what connection was
there with a jewel theft that occurred four years previously? All is not as it
seems. Tom Kendall, private detective, had the task of solving the mystery. He
was usually pretty good a solving puzzles, but this one was different, somehow.
It wasn't that he didn't have any of the pieces. Oh no, he wasn't short of
clues. It was just that none of the pieces seemed to fit together.
"The Kammersee Incident"
This is my latest offering and it should be out sometime next month.
OK, a very in depth review of his work there, if crime's your thing, you know where to go :-)
Thanks for reading peeps.
Take it easy.
Reggie :-D
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