
“A Promenade in Parc Munkácsy” by Alexander York (published by Austin Macauley)
Colourful characters twist and turn in crime caper
Debut novelist Alexander York has seemingly gone for filmic atmosphere rather than minor style issues such as crossing the “t”s and dotting the “i”s, and Hungarians can be along for the scenic ride as the action sets out from England and passes numerous Magyarország ...

“Barbara Payton, A Life in Pictures” by John O’Dowd (published by BearManor Media)
Doomed actress a femme fatale on screen and off
Actress Barbara Payton had a headful of demons that she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, control. Hypocritical Hollywood liked to be seen as squeaky clean but debauchery was rife off-set, with adultery, casting couches and secret “fuck pads” where powerful studio men housed willing starlets. The ...

‘The right car, the right cocktail’: the challenge of writing James Bond
With the release of “With a Mind to Kill”, author Anthony Horowitz will wrap up his Bond novel trilogy. Here, he writes about the journey, from reading “Dr No” as a 10-year-old to bidding a fond farewell to the iconic character.

“The Venice Train” by Georges Simenon (published by Penguin Books)
The ‘root of all evil’ fouls up another mind
People, places, plot – get the right balance between the three elements and your budding book is coming along. For Simenon it was the places that gave the atmosphere, usually in Paris or the French countryside, and the plot generally took care of itself ...

“You Had To Be There! The Rolling Stone Live 1962-69” by Richard Houghton (published by Gottahavebooks)
Stories from those who there for those who wish they had been
Beat groups worked themselves into the ground in Britain in the early 1960s, crisscrossing the land in an exhausting series of concerts. The Rolling Stones, for instance, racking up more than 800 shows around Britain between 1963 and 1966, leaving riotous audiences in their ...

“Love in Budapest” by Robert Babirad (published by TouchPointPress)
Exposure to rich history of Hungary results in first novel
Robert Babirad was inspired to write his debut novel, “Love in Budapest”, after his experiences during his first visit to Hungary to visit family and friends last summer, spending time in the capital and Lenti, in Zala county. It was the first time that ...

“The Way It Was. Road Trips USA” by Thomas Hoepker (published by Steidl)
Photographer got his kicks on Route 66 and all over America
Conventional wisdom advises against returning, decades later, to a place for which you hold happy memories – a birthplace, a childhood home or a honeymoon spot, perhaps. Things would have inevitably changed with time and those roseate memories could be shattered. In November 2020 ...

“A Cellarful of Noise” by Brian Epstein (published by Souvenir Press)
Inside Beatlemania but with a conspiracy of silence
Whether or not we actually need a “fifth Beatle” has never really been a consideration for those Fab Four “scholars” and over-enthusiastic fans who like to spend some of their valuable time applying themselves to this gripping conundrum.

Rock bands’ stories told in words of their fans
A Manchester, UK-based publisher is filling an engrossing niche in the field of rock music literature with a series of books that tell the story of top bands through the eyes and words of fans who went to their concerts. Editions so far have ...

Thunberg book to offer holistic approach to world crises
Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, still just a 19-year-old, will publish her fourth book this autumn, which aims to offer a “global overview of how the planet’s many crises connect”.