Presenting Mr. John Holt!

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.

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” –

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Mackenzie-Dossier-ebook/dp/B008U6STIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344452934&sr=8-1

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” –

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Killing-In-The-City-ebook/dp/B0093N363S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1346663588&sr=1-1

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”

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Epidemic-John-Holt/dp/161667170X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_4

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