The Spirit of the Times takes place during the times of the bubonic plague. Readers not only get a chance to travel back in time to the 1300’s but also take a journey along the famous Silk Road, plus a map is included. The book is “part fiction, part history and part speculation about the origin of disease; the power of innocence; the unfortunate aspects of custom and dogma; and humanity’s ability to respond to the governing influence or spirit of the times. It is thanks to Justin Newland who sent a copy of the book for an honest review, which you can find below the mysterious purple skies of the cover, and the blurb…
Ring-A Ring-A Roses, A Pocket Full of Poses… a famous and seemingly fun children’s rhyme, but it used to have a darker meaning. Enter the times of the “black death”, “the plague” in and be swept along through short chapters containing fear, adventure, religion, many types of beliefs and more… Travel along the Silk Road and be confronted with sandstorms, slave traders and meet the people who inhabit some beliefs that keep the main character in danger.
Fascinatingly the book begins with a map with the old countries names with the modern day names in brackets. It helps give a sense of place and time as does, not just the talk of the plague, but also the fascinating mentions of Genghis Khan. You really get a sense of the power.
Readers follow Karia, a young woman living under the Mongols. She carries a lot and feels and sees dangers. She has visions at times, which holds quite a bit of responsibility as the black plague seeps into the world. She holds some self-doubts, which is interesting, but could have been a bit stronger. When she travels in caravans along the famous route known as the Silk Road, she is in fear of losing her little cousin, Abi to the dance of Whirling Dervishes of Bukhara and Karia, herself is confronted by people believing she is a witch.
The religious aspects of Islamic, Muslim and Christian faiths meet are interesting and what is quite refreshing is when a child is born and the mother is asked what faith, assuming it will be Muslim, practically puts her foot down and says she will choose what faith to have her child baptised and how to raise it. It seems quite modern, but there was no doubt some women who were strong in their convictions and in not allowing someone else to choose for them way back in the fourteenth century.
The research done is admirable in all of Justin Newland’s books, people can really gain some knowledge and perhaps have interest piqued in this. The pace is quite fast, helped with the short chapters, written with each word carrying the story ever forward adding depth and a mix of historical wonderment and fact.
For a rather different time period in historical fiction, this book is good to take a chance on to travel to a rather challenging era very different from today’s modern world.
Blurb
In fourteenth-century Central Asia, Karia is a young woman living under the yoke of Mongol occupation. But she’s different. She’s a fighter with supernatural powers. She could use them to keep the Black Plague at bay and solve the mystery of the purple skies at dawn – if only she could overcome her self-doubt.
Travelling in caravans on the Silk Road, she faces dangers seen and unseen – from sandstorms and slave traders to the desert djinn and folk who believe she’s a witch. She fears losing Abi, her little cousin, who’s fascinated by roses and the dance of the Whirling Dervishes of Bukhara.
When Karia falls in love with an English sailor fleeing the Knights Hospitaller, they sail to England with Abi to unravel the meaning of the purple skies, a dance, a posy tree, and a ring of roses.
The Spirit of the Times is part history, part fiction and part speculation: on the origin of disease; the power of innocence; the unfortunate aspects of custom and dogma; and humanity’s ability to respond to the governing influence or spirit of the times.
Denise Mina Presents Ardal O’Hanlon at Bloody Scotland, Albert Hall, Stirling
It turns out Ardal O’Hanlon has always been writing and has previously had rather different books published and he gives an entertaining and fascinating talk. He shown he has a serious and thoughtful side, not everything is turned nor has to be turned into a comedic moment. This was a talk where he covered some interesting topics about Ireland and how people, because of what became widely known as The Troubles, people were reluctant to go to the police and touched on the dark, disturbing, toxic masculinity that’s around. He talked too about how he figures out the social commentary/the brouhaha (public reaction, fuss etc) and seemed rather interested in that. He also talked about Ireland back in the day and how all sorts was smuggled across the border. It was all a very fascinating insight and put wider contexts to Ireland. There was plenty, I am sure the audience learned from.
He talked about his new book, a straight cosy crime book. It hasn’t come out of the blue, as many suspect. Ardel O’Hanlon has been writing for a while. His most notable, until now are Brouhaha and Talk of the Town. He just didn’t know if he could write a straight crime fiction book or not. Time will tell. I bought a copy from Bloody Scotland and will review in due course. I must say that it does sound a rather good plot.
A Plot to Die For is about Finn who goes home to see his mum, after she has had a bad accident. He looks into the mother/son relationship and into carers, whom he has given her one that is quite formidable and the son has to step-up a bit too. This was of interest in a way to me as after the show, Denise Mina and I talked about caring for our parents. For me, I came into it early in life, in my teens, for her, later.
There’s quite a bit that readers may be able to relate to in the book. Ardal O’Hanlon looks at the love/hate relationship people have with small towns and in his book, has created what he calls the Tidy Towns, a grass roots organisation and rules around biodiversity, re-painting and a competition where there’s a bit of sabotage…
There’s a second book on the way for his new cosy crime arm, where some other characters may come to the fore, relationships forged and shift. There may be a horseracing dimension and syndicates… I suspect, there will be plenty of other aspects to draw in readers, where that is perhaps not their penchant, to draw them in, like a father gone rogue with aspects partly based on his own and the fact he knows someone who goes off-grid. It does sound intriguing to see how it may twist and turn and delve into the personalities of these characters too, much like the first.
Denise Mina was the host and between her and Ardal O’Hanlon, gave an excellent talk. The warmth between them shown and the way they engaged was brilliant. They talked about crime fiction writers being nice off the page, their reason was that perhaps all the spite goes on the page. They talked about cosy crime, how it has changed, how it is booming and nicely credited Richard Osman.
Thank you for the chat later on.
This is a rather belated write-up/review of the talk at The Albert Halls, Stirling from Bloody Scotland because immediately after, the caring I do got a little more complex for a little while and had a few other things too. Sorry about that.
Thanks to Ardal O’Hanlon for the fun. Here he is having fun with the camera.
Have you read any of the Amy Rowlings books? If you have, then Pellerin Books will publish the entire series of Amy Rowlings Mystery books and there are more to come in 2027. Encore for Murder was nominated for the Romantic Novelists Association Romantic Thriller Award 2026. If you haven’t read any, then Murder at the Mill is a good place to start and to join this amateur sleuth to solve a cosy crime. This is the first in the series and he is writing book 8 for 2027. Perfect for fans of the genre and of authors, Verity Bright, Helena Dixon, and Felicity Penn.
Today I am on the Random T. Tours virtual blog tour with an e-book, in-exchange of an honest review. Check it out after this beautiful, 1930’s, art nouveau inspired cover.
The year is 1939 and clothing-factory heir, Edward Handlesey is found murdered in a snow-covered Kentish town. Amy Rowlings is a mill worker who finds herself top of the list of suspects. There’s good reason to have her as a number one suspect. She was the last woman to fall victim to Edward’s untoward ways. Amy knows she isn’t guilty, so she sets about trying to find the real murderer. To find the culprit, she becomes the amateur sleuth, I reckon, she always wanted to be and gives her the great excuse to employ all she knows from reading her beloved Agatha Christie books.
Murder at the Mill does, as it happens, have a certain flavour of Agatha Christie’s work to it in the types of puzzles there are to solve is written with a similar style of the traditional cosy murder that was written in that “Golden Age”, with a focus on British life and all its quirks and idiosyncrasies in small village life.
There’s intrigue in both the whodunnit style mystery and in the life of Amy Rowlings herself. It all contains a lot of quintessential charm with dark over and undertones that makes it quite twisty and yet a relaxed read.
This series, much like many crime fiction novels, including Agatha Christie’s can be read in any order after the first one. This is the first one I have read and I don’t think it will be my last. It’s a very well-written book with enough to captivate in both character and darkness of mystery, that still manages to keep a certain warmth and humour.
Murder at the Mill has a good balance that makes it highly readable and a good read as the wintry nights draw in.
Today it gives me pleasure to welcome Philip Gladwin to Bookmarks and Stages as part of the Random T. Tours virtual blog tour, who I thank for setting this interview up. I also thank Philp Gladwin for the fascinating and in-depth answers to my questions.
Philip Gladwin has written several books, such as After the Fire, Old Persistent Spirits and more…
He has previously wrote for some of the UK’s top TV dramas, which has sent him out in interesting situations to do research. His latest thriller is The Snake, which sent him out with SO19 on research… more about that thrilling experience in the interview. We talk about the plot of the book, the originality of focusing on an SO19 police unit, mental health in a way that is different from what you may expect and more…
The Snake is set in London, 1999. There’s a family tragedy, which breaks Kate’s heart, but also propels her into a new job with the elite police unit, SO19. There are fast cars, serious weaponry and threats along the way. It’s far from regular policing and Kate is one of a team of firearm specialists. There’s also an ex-marine sniper witwh a grudge to contend with…
Let’s begin the interview, which holds some fascinating answers, I am sure readers will not have know nor realise as certain bits take you behind certain scenes of the first-hand research and experiences. The Snake is available now and launched 6th October 2026.
You’ve written for some of the top tv dramas, such as The Bill, Trial and Retribution and New Tricks (all dramas I have enjoyed). With over 60 credits over the past 25 years, what inspired you to go into writing novels?
The 2020 lockdown had a major impact. TV drama stopped in its tracks for a while, and the project I was about to begin got cancelled, and that gave me valuable time to re-assess.
For a few years before that, I’d been concerned that the dominance of the American streamers was pushing TV into being too slick, and very forgettable, and I had been increasingly wanting to write on more lumpy, less obviously commercial projects. I also had a great bank of stories saved up that wouldn’t work on TV.
That spring I wrote my first novel After The Fire, about a homeless guy who goes back to a school reunion to find out what happened to his first love. I realised I much preferred the freedom of writing books compared to the tight confines of any TV drama, and when After The Fire was done I just continued.
The Snake (launched Oct 6th) is my sixth book since then (ironically, probably the most commercially viable thing I’ve ever created) and there are more to come. It’s been amazing to finally be able to tell the stories that I love just the way I choose.
The Snake is the only novel that truly focuses on the elite SO19 unit, why do you think this is and what attracted you to tackle it in your novel?
I honestly don’t know why no-one else has tackled SO19 in novel form; all the books I can find are memoirs. (I’m still waiting for someone to let me know I’ve missed the obvious and I’m actually SO19 novel number 28!) To me, thinking dramatically, SO19 is an obvious goldmine, with endless stories, sharply defined desire lines, characters who can go as deep and as morally complex as you want, great set-pieces, natural adrenaline, the ultimate story stakes, and a good clear, pre-existing market.
I can think of two possible reasons why no-one has yet gone there.
Firstly, there seem to be very few long-form investigations for the average SO19 officer. The nature of the work seem often to be more about being sent out on sorties, or patrols. Once they’ve done their bit, they leave, and they often have no idea what happens to the people involved. That means the obvious crime story whodunnit won’t work (if you’re being realistic) and you’ll need to do some serious research to find the unique stories that properly belong to that world.
Secondly, getting that super-close research access on a daily basis is seems less straightforward these days. I was fortunate enough to have a mass of access before 9/11 (and especially 7/7 in London), forced much tighter security, and that’s actually one of the reasons the book is set in the years around the Millennium – I really knew how things worked back then.
You spent some days riding with SO19 Officers for the first-hand research experience, what did you discover that the public perhaps don’t know that you can tell us about and how did you choose which parts of this experience to transfer into The Snake?
Two things really struck me. Firstly, how much we all laughed. I was happy to find that these bright, skilled, super disciplined and highly professional people were also very funny. Presumably for very deep, stress-relieving reasons, their sense of humour was very dark, and very sharp, and I genuinely have never laughed as much as I did when I was hanging out with these officers.
The other thing was the simple, constant, no-questions-asked, heroism. There was one transformative moment when I found myself in the back of an Armed Response Vehicle racing towards an armed robbery happening at a bank on Southampton Row. I was wearing all the bullet proof gear that was available to me, but during those tense few minutes I regretted very deeply my choice of writing project, my desire for first-hand experience, and even my entire career!
That day I didn’t disgrace myself, but I did realise that I am a bit of a coward generally, and would rather do almost anything other than go up against people with guns and knives.
Not so for the average SO19 officer. I saw first-hand how, every single day they go out, they are prepared to lay down their life for the general public – the same general public which often mistrusts, fears or even hates them. I find that absolutely extraordinary, and well worth writing about.
As far as what went into The Snake, well, I tried to express a lot of their attitude to life, a lot of their mindset, and my insight into the choices I’d seen them make. Generally, it was a case of using the old story instinct: include moments that make you go ‘Wow!’ and leave out the boring bits.
You deal with mental health issues, such as psychosis, demonic possession as well as grief as guilt and indeed have a deranged marine sniper who begins a killing spree. What do you hope readers see and take away as you deal with those issues and show the sacrifice police officers are prepared to make?
I’m very interested in the interplay between joy and lament, and how the bright light of love is balanced by the darkness of fear. I believe both sides of that balance are necessary for a life lived in all its fullness. I don’t want to write throwaway stories, and many of the writers I love are honest about both good and evil. I think writers can definitely (perhaps even should?) go into the abyss, and then come back and write about it – just so long as they bring back some boon or blessing for humanity as a result of the trip. I’m not a fan of horror films for that reason – there’s rarely any boon. (In fact, most horror stores seem to say that humanity is damned.) I prefer to focus on the possible path to salvation if I can find one.
What’s more, having talked to various experts in the mental health field, I’m told there is a growing recognition by some serious, very academically respectable, practitioners, that some forms of mental illness may actually have more spiritual, even more supernatural, origins than simply chemical or hormonal. I find all that intensely interesting, and have tried to dramatise that question in The Snake. So I guess another thing I’d hope to leave for readers is the sense that, in all our lives, even in the hard nosed, nuts and bolts world of SO19, there are places where you can find things that go beyond.
Pacing is important, The Snake sounds fast-paced, what is your rhythm for setting this and does it differ from or are there similarities to writing for tv?
I really do hope it does read fast. Despite my serious answers to the last question, Rule 1 for any story I’ve ever worked on is that it must entertain!
For me, pace comes from having a strong idea of the outline of the story, even down to the content of individual scenes, and getting rid of everything that doesn’t move the story forward. When that basic shape is in place to the point that reading it makes my heart beat a little faster, I’ll write each scene up as fully, yet as concisely, as I can, still working hard on stripping out all the extra ideas and words that I can find.
I’ve found myself writing some very short chapters in The Snake – as you’d expect from an ex-screenwriter – but I’ve also given myself a lot of room for that wonderful thing you can’t do in a screenplay: meander off the narrative thread for a while and just play a while.
Other things that help – clarity over character’s desires, needs, and actions; and stripping out anything that clogs these up, or splits them. This straightening out wouldn’t work in a Samuel Beckett play, or a George Eliot novel, but for an action thriller it’s good.
Writing a novel has some different processes and gives a bit more space to write than for tv, what did you learn from writing your novel and getting it published and will there be further books?
You do have more space with a novel, and that feels like an incredible luxury, but the biggest difference for me is that I’m on my own. As a TV writer, depending on the show and the management structure of the production company, you can find yourself getting notes on every draft from from three to ten or more people. Honestly, after all these years writing for hire for others, I don’t think that’s a process I want to go through any more. It’s so much more fun to do it on my own, even if I do make a fair few mistakes and lapses of judgement along the way.
God permitting, there will certainly be further books. Firstly, I’ve got a great idea for The Snake Part 2: Full Flood, to be written if Part 1 takes off. Then I’ve between thirty and forty thousand words written of two more novels – still lots to do on each – have an action adventure fantasy story half formed, and then there is an absolutely massive community saga story, again set in North East Lincolnshire, that I’ve been putting off for a very long time, basically because I’m scared of it.
Given I seem to take about a year to finish a book once I commit, and adding in a little extra time for red herrings, all that that will keep me busy for at least the next five years!
Matt Witten, it seems, has perhaps been quite reflective in his most recent thriller, set in his home country, the US. Although this is the setting, the themes can easily be related to the UK and worldwide as well, so if you’re looking for a relatable thriller, this still offers that. I was given an e-book/PDF copy of 51% in-exchange of an honest review. It made me all reflective about society and the messages within this fast-paced, powerful thriller.
Imagine every inch of the public sector being privatised. Lots appears to be in the US, but there are state owned institutions like schools, police, roads etc. This thriller looks into the near future, so only 20 years from now and everything in the United States of America is privatised, literally everything, even human beings! It’s a stark warning! The starkest warning since the tv drama by Russel T. Davies, ‘Years and Years’ strongly attempted to show people what could happen in the near future and a great and important chunk has already happened. 51% is equally as plausible and again, we can already see a certain trajectory towards what is being predicted in the near future. Observers of society and this includes writers of crime fiction and dramas are rather good at predicting what will happen and stating what is happening in society, like in Will Carver’s books. 51% is another that is absolutely 100% worth sitting up and taking heed or paying attention to. Imagine losing your autonomy to AI. You only own 49% of yourself…
Amongst what is observed, is a crime thriller story. An immigrant woman is 51% by syndicates is found to be brutally murdered. Detective Juke O’Keefe and his partner, Crime Marketing Consultant Haylee Navarro take on the case. Juke’s ex, Safiya Jones, a Resistance leader is on the syndicates’ most wanted list. The three of them join together in a bid to gain back control for those who are known as the “51 percenters”, who have forcibly had a microchip planted inside them, meaning the most powerful AI in the world can control their lives. On the face of it, there are elements of, if you are on the poverty line, the state will help you out so you can have healthcare and be educated, but the darker side is this payback, where you sacrifice the freedom of life and ultimately, like one young immigrant, you can end up dead.
Absolutely nothing, except the synicates and this powerful AI is sacred any more, just 20 years in the future.
51% is a fast-paced, highly gripping thriller. Is it dystopian? Well, a little for now, but think about the politics happening now and that trajectory and one day, like that drama, it might not all be completely dystopian. It may well become a reality.
Matt Witten is no stranger to writing about the law or observing society closely. He has written a few books in the mystery and thriller genre, including The Necklace and Killer Story, which looks at the world of podcasts, social media. He also wrote for popular tv shows, such as House, Law & Order, Pretty Little Liars, CSI: Miami, Supernatural, and more…
Blurb
In a future where corporations own everything-including people-one murder could ignite a revolution.
Twenty years from now, the United States is completely privatized. The Big Six syndicates own schools, roads, police departments…even human beings.
When a young immigrant woman-51% owned by the syndicates-is brutally murdered, NYPD, Inc. Detective Juke O’Keefe and his partner, Crime Marketing Consultant Haylee Navarro, catch the case. Pregnant and broke, Haylee knows they can’t crowdfund enough from a dead immigrant to pay for basic forensics, let alone their paychecks. But Juke, with his old-school sense of justice, is determined to find the killer.
Their search for the truth leads them to Juke’s ex, Safiya Jones, a Resistance leader on the syndicates’ most wanted list. As the three join forces, they stumble onto a conspiracy designed to destroy the last shreds of American freedom. To rescue fifty-one percenters-and everyone else-from syndicate control, they’ll have to defeat the most ruthless, powerful AI in the world.
51% is a gritty, fast-paced thriller about power, justice, and what happens when everything-even people-can be owned.
Welcome Natalie Grace Lewis to Bookmarks and Stages. Thank you very much for the opportunity to do a Q&A style interview with you as part of the Random T. Tours blog tours, who I thank for the opportunity. Please note, I am unpaid and did not receive anything for this interview, except access to the author, who graciously answered the questions with very interesting, illuminating answers.
Natalie Grace Lewis is a British author of contemporary gothic fiction. Her work combines haunting settings, family secrets, and supernatural elements to explore memory, loss, and the stories we inherit. She is drawn to historic cemeteries, ruined churches, identity, forgotten pasts, the relationship between memory and truth. She also likes visiting old bookshops.
Her debut novel is The Hollow Garden, set within a decaying Victorian graveyard, where old tragedies refuse to remain at rest.
We discussed all of this, including the attraction to the gothic/horror genre, including that 90’s Point Horror series, fragmented memories and the fascination of secrets hidden or contained in mausoleums and gravestones and more…
Check out the intriguing cover that would look mysterious on anyone’s bookshelf and then let’s begin the interview.
1. Who or what inspired you to write books?
There is no particular author that inspired me to write; the habit of writing came from needing to get the stories I’d made out of my head. I am fascinated by the choices we do not make and the roads we could have travelled. Creating a narrative is my way of experiencing those lost decisions and sharing them with others.
There is also something special about writing; in that whatever a person reads, they experience the story differently in their imaginations. That inspired me to write rather than draw or film my stories, so a reader can make the story their own. I’m the kind of person who won’t watch a film based on a book if the actor or location doesn’t meet with the expectations in my head…
2. The Hollow Garden is Gothic/Horror, what attracts you to this genre?
I grew up reading the Goosebumps and Point Horror books and for a long time, I was obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I couldn’t relate to the supernatural elements of the stories, but often those same elements were metaphors for experiencing life.
There is something comforting and enticing about darkness, a person can never really know what’s within. Gothic / Horror takes me through a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that I haven’t experienced in other genres.
3. Kyra is haunted by fragmented memories of her friend, Eleanor’s death. What research or how did you go about creating a world where this occurs to ensure it was someway grounded and feel real?
Our minds can go to some dark places when we experience loss and what we see and feel is often not reliable. At the same time, those experiences and emotions inform how we understand and live our lives. Whilst I haven’t experienced Kyra’s trauma, I was able to draw on my own experiences of loss and the guilt of what should have been done or said in someone’s final moments.
4 There are secrets hidden behind graves and mausoleums. What fascinates you most about these places?
As part of my undergraduate degree, I studied landscape history and I really enjoyed visiting graveyards as part of my studies. This continued when I finished university, and I love a trip to London to wander around Abney or Highgate.
The monuments in these places give the modern world names and dates, but nothing about the past lives lived or the loved ones left behind. At the point of burial, there would have been an outpouring of grief and love and the marble headstones and ornate mausoleums were built to last. Yet, decades later, nature takes back the plot and the stone, and the family has long moved on. It’s this juxtaposition of history, nature and emotion that I find fascinating.
5. Kyra is forced to confront the tragedy. That feels quite big, emotionally, did you feel any part of what she feels, if so, how did you deal with that in-terms of self care?
As adults, we are all forced to deal with the remains of the past. For me personally, Kyra’s story became an outlet for grief that I couldn’t express. The Hollow Garden has existed within my head [and many battered note books] for twenty years, but only through experiencing grief, did the story take its proper shape. After writing dense or emotional scenes, I take long baths or quiet walks – usually in a graveyard near to my house – to help my creative brain rest. I recently found that bus and train journeys, with no book or music, are just as good for a mental reset.
