my books
Non-Fiction
Guitar Making
Guitar enthusiasts will love this revised and expanded edition of the popular Step-by-Step Guitar Making, packed full of handy information and expert tips. Learn how to make a steel-stringed OM cutaway guitar with 14 frets from scratch, following the clear step-by-step pictures and straightforward instructions. There is no need to be daunted, as you will be guided closely through the whole process from choosing the materials to the final stringing up and there is even a full-size plan of the guitar to follow. Suitable for woodworkers who have a basic level of skills, this is a rewarding project to undertake and will no doubt become a family heirloom.
Fiction
adventure
The Penitent Heart. Click here for a look inside.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-00-2. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-01-9 Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-02-6
The Penitent Heart is one man’s journey from despair to hope. It is the story of Bill, a hapless househusband, who while being under the influence of alcohol causes a road traffic accident, and the subsequent death of the other driver. Overloaded with stress and guilt, Bill suffers a debilitating emotional breakdown. Bill abandons his wife, Ruth, and her three young daughters by her first marriage, to become a cook on a charter yacht bound for the Amazon.Bill may have run away from his wife, his family, and his responsibilities, but no matter how hard he tries, he can’t run away from the shadowy spectre of his past. He realizes that one day, sooner than later, he will have to decide whether to keep on running or stop and face the music.
Please note, I have recently updated the cover on The Penitent Heart books.
The Falcon Click here for a look inside.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-03-3. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-04-0. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-05-7
For Eastbourne guitar maker Jack Nevis, tomorrow is a foreign country. Yet today, living and working on the Osprey, a rust encrusted WW2 tugboat, are memories, safety, and home. Woken by the sound of a gunshot, Jack finds a body in his workshop and is immediately thrust into a world of dead Pharaohs, looted Nazi gold, and a damsel in distress, Nancy. Does Nancy really want to learn how to make a guitar? Or is she being coerced into to finding out if the much sought after falcon figurine of Horus and the Nazi gold are secreted somewhere on the Osprey? Chased from Eastbourne to the highlands of Scotland and back on their quest to find the falcon and gold, can Jack and Nancy keep one step ahead of those who seek the Falcon and gold for their own evil ends?
Crichtons End.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-39-2. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-40-8. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-41-5
It was the third of November and life in the village of Crichtons End today is the same as it was yesterday, and yesterday the same as the day before that, and the days would have continued to be until the second coming had it not been for the cataclysm that was about to befall not only the village of Crichtons End, but the whole World. For more years than most people could remember, the nations of the World had been living in a state of mutual distrust, and on more than one occasion the Doomsday clock had clicked inexorably towards midnight. This particular evening, as the clock clicked towards midnight, along with the World the occupants of Crichtons End waited to hear the outcome of the latest confrontation between those who held themselves in the position of World leaders.
Due for publication Spring 2021
The Road Home
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-36-1. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-37-8. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-38-5
Born in Scotland and taken to the USA at eight years old by his divorced American mother, unmarried Sandy Nairn, retired and single, has led a very successful life as a building contractor, real estate entrepreneur, financial investor in Silicon Valley start-up companies, and stock market investor. At 48 years old, and financially set for life, he is surprised to receive a letter from a Scottish solicitor saying at the recent death of his father he is the sole beneficiary of a dilapidated eighteen-bedroom ancestral home situated on a remote Scottish island.
Bored by a decreasingly challenged life in California he says goodbye to Kate, his on again, off again girlfriend, leaves his ancient cat with his mother, and flies to Scotland to inspect the family ruin. What he doesn’t realise is, not only will he be delving into the many layers of the history of the building and the island, he will be looking at the warp and weft and secrets of his own past.
The book is currently being written and researched and has a publishing date late in 2022.
The story behind DCI Jack Buchanan series
Not satiated from writing a series of magazine articles for the Woodworker magazine, plus writing a 2nd edition to my guitar making book, I turned to one of my first loves, storytelling. My first published novel was “The Penitent Heart” which, due to running a very busy IT company, took me eleven years to write.
Busy as I was, I still found time to join the Hastings Writers Group, and what a fortuitist decision that was. I was given a warm welcome and oodles of encouragement to persevere with my writing. At the group I was able to hone my writing and composition skills by entering their short story competitions. One such competition was to write a story in the style of a well-known author. Being a fan of the TV detective series Morse, I chose to emulate the style of Colin Dexter.
Excited by the challenge, I set to work on the task ahead. Though not quite on par with such a great writer as Colin Dexter, I placed fourth in the competition with my homage to DCI Morse. This short story subsequently became the inspiration for the DCI Buchanan stories.
I soon realised that writing a crime story with a main character as a police detective required a location and of course a character. Although I was born and raised in Glasgow, many years had passed since I lived there, so another location was necessary. Oxford had Morse, Glasgow Taggart, Edinburgh Rebus, Hastings Foyle, and Brighton Roy Grace, so where to place my detective? The obvious choice was Eastbourne where I have been living for these last 30 plus years.
Next was to create a suitable detective. The candidate had to be different from the current genre of detectives. He – yes, I chose a male character, he had to be happily married, childless, a moderate drinker, struggling to give up smoking, be reluctant to retire, and prone to burst out with poetic utterances.
Next was to decide on my detective’s nationality and being a Glaswegian I was somewhat biased. Glasgow has one of the greatest records in history for true-grit detectives, having come into existence on the 30th June 1800, twenty-nine years ahead of London’s Metropolitan force. Some notable Glasgow detectives were Percy Sillitoe who brought a spectacular end to the Glasgow razor gangs and later became chief of MI5. Joe Beattie who worked on the Bible John case, and Alexander Brown and Tom Goodall who worked ceaselessly to successfully bring an end to the murder spree of Peter Manuel.
For my detective, a good solid sounding Scottish name was absolute must, one that could clearly identify his pedigree. I have been asked many times how I came up with the name Jack Buchanan, all I can answer is this is where serendipity knocked on the door. It wasn’t till I introduced Buchanan’s partner, Jill Street, did I realise just how serendipitous my decision had been. But how to get him down to Eastbourne? I could have had him put in a transfer request, but that would be boring. Instead I had him get involved in an altercation in a Glasgow pub which necessitated his transfer to the quieter environs of Eastbourne in East Sussex.
So, the stage was set, and the cast assembled for what was going to be the first case for my tough Glasgow cop to investigate –
The case of The Bodies in the Marina.
The Bodies in the Marina. The first book in the DCI Buchanan series. Click here for a Look Inside.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-06-4. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-07-4. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-08-8
Glasgow cop, DCI Jack Buchanan is in Eastbourne, seconded to Sussex CID. His task is to investigate the death of an unidentified young woman found floating in the Marina and also the death of a Sussex Detective Sergeant, drowned in the harbour while still seat belted in his car.When he walked the beat in the Gorbals as a young PC, Jack’s idea of street justice was to take the miscreant down a dark alley, thump some sense into them, and send them on their way.Now, like a fish out of water, and in the genteel surroundings of Eastbourne, would Buchanan be in time to catch the killers before they strike again?
The Laminated Man. The second book in the DCI Buchanan series.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-09-5. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-10-1. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-11-8
In spite of being trapped between the never-ending pressure from above to retire, and the need to quickly resolve the latest, cold blooded murder. Buchanan grits his teeth and doggedly forges ahead with the investigation.
Was the gruesome death of the businessman a one off, performed by some sadistic killer? Or was it a macabre message to those who think they can step out of line?Who sprayed superglue onto DS Street’s hair just weeks before her marriage to PC Hunter. Was it a warning of worse things to come if they didn’t back off?
Come join Buchanan and his indomitable team of, DS Street, PC’s Hunter and Dexter as they unpick the truth from the warp and weft of lies and deceit spread before them.
The Mystery of Cabin 312. Book three in the DCI Buchanan series.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-12-5. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-13-2. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-02-6
Recovering from a very bad car crash, Buchanan takes his wife Karen on a two-week luxury cruise through the Dutch and Belgian canals. During the cruise, an English couple go missing. When their cabin is searched, blood stained female clothing is found but there is no trace of her, or her partner. Instead of shore trips, relaxing at the bar and reading, Buchanan is thrust into investigating the mystery of what happened in cabin 312.
The Reluctant Jockey. Book four in the DCI Buchanan series.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-15-6. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-16-3. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-17-0
DCI Buchanan is on administration leave and is staying at Castlewood Country Club. He’d seen his wife and daughter off to France on the ferry and now planned to spend the week relaxing, reading, horse riding, and sipping his favourite single malt; and come hell or high water nothing was going to get in the way of that. But he hadn’t reckoned on what mayhem the whirlwind called Cynthia Mountjoy was about to cause.
The Missing Heiress. Book five in the DCI Buchanan series.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-18-7. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-19-4. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-20-7
After the excitement and being thoroughly surprised at coming fourth in the Castlewood Cup, the inaugural cross-country race at Castlewood Country Club, DCI Buchanan has been asked by his friend Sir Nathan Greyspear to help his business acquaintance Amal Barazani to find his missing daughter, Zilini.
Once again, the team of DS Street, PC’s Hunter and Dexter set about discovering what lies behind the disappearance of Zilini Barazani, her boyfriend Zac Taylor, and who’s headless corpse is buried beneath the grass verge in the village of Westham.
Available to order.
The Jockey’s Wife Book 6 in the DCI Buchanan series.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-21-7. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-22-4. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-23-1
There was great joy and excitement at Appleton equestrian farm in the village of Tudeley Brook when DCI Buchanan gave the widow Cynthia Mountjoy away to be married to Pat McCoy. Two weeks later, when Pat and Cynthia loaded champion hurdlers Rambler and Turpin into the horsebox to go to Cheltenham for Pat’s inaugural race, they thought the past was all behind them. But they hadn’t taken in to account the legacy left behind by her dead husband Col Victor Mountjoy.
Available to order..
Death on the Cart Book 7 in the DCI Buchanan series and the first book in the Death trilogy.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-24-8. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-25-5. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-26-2
When DCI Jack Buchanan was seconded to Sussex CID, he thought his days of being a policeman in Glasgow were over, but it wasn’t to be. When lift engineer Tommy Simms was found dead at the bottom of a lift shaft in South Cliff Tower in Eastbourne, the long arm of history reached out to draw Buchanan back to Glasgow and a showdown with the Busby Gang.
Due for publication late 2022
Death Stalks by Night Book 8 in the DCI Buchanan series. and the second book in the Death trilogy.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-27-9. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-28-6. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-29-3
Three young men are dead. Three young men completely unknown to each other. Will there be a fourth?
Due for publication mid 2023
Death sleeps late Book 9 in the DCI Buchanan series and the final book in the Death trilogy.
eBook ISBN 978-1-913471-30-9. Paperback ISBN 978-1-913471-31-6. Hardback ISBN 978-1-913471-32-3
This is the provisional jacked front for the 9th DCI Buchanan story and the third and final book in the Death trilogy.
Publication date ? 2024