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A novella in the Danny Lancaster series by Bill Todd. Short, sharp and full of memorable characters.

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Book description

Big Eddie Archer is throwing a celebrity party for the reopening of The Bellerophon public house. When singer Paul Toopen, star of TV reality show Dreamboat, goes missing there is only one man the pub’s guv’nor can call on. 
But Danny Lancaster is off his game after overdoing Eddie’s free hospitality at last night’s dress rehearsal. Fans besiege the pub and the media are everywhere. This could be a public relations disaster but Eddie reckons if Danny can crack the case before closing time it will make the new Bellerophon famous.
Danny’s head is pounding but Eddie’s star guests might just be trapped in a pub with a killer. And the clock is ticking down to last orders. #TheBigBellBash

My review - 

This novella length Danny Lancaster story puts us in the classic locked room situation, but there are over one hundred people in the room with Danny, and one has committed a murder. Two of the stars of a reality TV programme are present at the reopening of The Bellerophon, and there’s huge media interest. We see the efforts of staff to prevent people leaving and the vlog reports transmitted live from the pub. It’s a great story, with the clock ticking and so many people who could be in the frame. Danny’s incentive for sorting it out is the promise of free beer for life. An excellent read.

About the author

I've spent most of my working life as a journalist on local and national newspapers. 
You meet a lot of people, see things, learn stuff. For a crime writer, it's a plot factory.
Before journalism I tried my hand at odd jobs including furniture removals (watch out for the flat-packs, they tend to pack flat when lifted!), photography, teaching and running a magazine group.
I've done quite a bit of travel writing. It's not all cocktails under the palm trees but it is a fantastic job that's taken me to more than 40 countries, from the white wastes of Arctic Finland to the deserts of Namibia.
People often ask my favourite place. In an age of globalisation, many destinations look the same but Iceland and Namibia are like stepping onto another planet. Go if you can.
I've enjoyed a long love affair with Western Crete. The mountains, coastline, food and people make me wonder if I lived there in some previous life. I just have to watch the waxed wings on a hot day.
I was delighted and surprised to receive the Ed Lacy travel award in 2007.

~~~

Just a thought

Never put off till tomorrow the book you can read today ― Holbrook Jackson

Bill Todd

Another Danny Lancaster story. Part of a series but it'll stand alone.

Godlefe's Cuckoo

Amazon.com link

My review -

After an explosion on a small boat eighteen months ago, Danny Lancaster is missing, presumed dead. He’s crossed a Russian who wants to make sure he is, and to pull him out of hiding if he isn’t, by killing his known friends.

This is a taut thriller with some nasty people. Danny has to remain focused to remove the threat. He knows that might mean some of those he cares for are put in harm’s way. The two people who found him after the explosion are resourceful people and their clear heads are vital in a hostage situation. I believe this story would work well as a stand-alone, not just another in a series. There are several points in the story where I wondered how it could possibly work out well for Danny. There’s some real heart-in-mouth stuff in this story and I enjoyed it very much.

Bill Todd

Second in this really enjoyable series.

Death Squad

Amazon.com

My review - 

The title is the name of a 1970s rock band and after a come-back they die one by one under inexplicable circumstances. You can only believe in so much coincidence. Danny Lancaster Investigates! Danny seems superficially to be a bit of a Jack-the-lad but his charisma and character are such that his friends willingly put themselves in danger to help him. In this case, he finds he’s been invited to investigate a case which then sets him up as the major suspect in a multiple murder. How is he going to get out of this one?

Bill Todd’s stories are always complex and, if you pay attention, they are a gripping read. They move fast, there are many characters and nasty things happen to people. If you’re a devotee of the murder, mystery, detective and/or thriller categories, these books will really hook you.

Bill Todd

This is the first in the series - I was introduce to the character in Gargoyle Pixie Dog and got sucked in!

The Wreck of the Margherita

Amazon.com

My review -

Danny Lancaster, newly fledged Private Investigator, takes on a number of cases, augmenting his meagre income with a job driving a minicab for a friend. The book introduces us early on to a strong cast of characters and only as the story progresses do we find the connection. He and a couple of mates take advantage of a wreck along the coast, ‘liberating’ a few things which turn out to be hot potatoes. Things soon get deep, dangerous and complex. Danny Lancaster is an engaging character; attractive and enigmatic he is popular with the ladies. We learn about his military service in this first book of the series, and though he's not had an easy life to date, he is determined and has a strong sense of justice.

I was introduced to the character in the recently published collection Gargoyle Pixie Dog and this first Danny Lancaster volume has given me a taste for the complicated, interweaving sub plots employed by the author. I really enjoyed this story, seeing it from different characters' viewpoints. The end of the story brought all the threads together in a very satisfying manner. A really good read.

Bill Todd

Bill is a new author to me and on the basis of this collection - one main story and six shorter 'case files' - I will be reading more from him.

Gargoyle Pixie Dog

Amazon.com

My review - 

Sometimes you find a series which you think you will enjoy but you missed out on the start. Do you go to the beginning and hope you’ll get chance to read them all or do you dive in and feel lost? This book, which is full novel length, is a really good way to get a taster of the author’s Danny Lancaster stories. Danny is a private investigator, an ex-soldier who lost a leg in Afghanistan, and, if these stories are typical, he’s never going to get rich. He makes enough to get by but he’s got a soft heart, in spite of some of the things he becomes involved with.

I admit to being seduced by the title, though the reason for it becomes obvious when Danny is trying to trace a missing street girl. This is the main story, although there are shorter stories in the collection. I didn’t find a dud in there and I like the author’s style of writing. He comes up with some excellent phrases and isn’t a slave to cliché. I really hope I’ll find the time to read more Danny Lancaster before too long. A great collection and a lesson to series authors in how to give potential new readers a way in.