A Brush With Death
Volume 1 of the Harry Chase series
by Malcolm Parnell
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Aug 29 2018 | Archive Date Sep 21 2018
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Description
The first in the Harry Chase series. This introduces all the characters and leads you on a journey through Dorset. Could there be a less likely county to have a killer on your tail?
Harry is an art teacher and when he takes along a group of students he never expected to have someone try and kill him, but surely all the accidents that keep happening can't be coincidence?
And more to the point, why would anyone try and kill him. He's the most ordinary man in the world, or is he?
This is a re-issue complete with a new cover, to set up the third Harry Chase book out at the end of September.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
"As crime novels go this is good and enjoyable. There is a great storyline laced with humour and just the right amount of descriptive narrative. To me there is nothing worse than too much detailwhich detracts from following the plot. The balance was right for me in this novel. The authors experience of working with people can be found in the behaviours of the characters. I think I may have met a few of these !myself! - Steve in the quiz team for one. Lots going on at a good pace, keeps you guessing to the end. I really enjoyed it."
"Don't normally write reviews but had to leave one for this! There are some great one-liners in this tale of the unexpected. 100% recommend."
"This is a great read, I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns along the way. You'll be sorry when you get to the end and have to leave the characters behind, I grew to like Harry Chase and hope we meet him again in future novels. If you like you're 'whodunnits' then this is for you. Looking forward to seeing what comes next from this new author."
Marketing Plan
With book three coming out in a few weeks a re-issue of books one and two is designed to bring new readers to these great characters.
Using Netgalley to increase the awareness this will be combined with extensive social media promotion and a physical book launch at the end of September. A blog tour will be added at the beginning of October.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9780993174896 |
| PRICE | £7.99 (GBP) |
Links
Featured Reviews
colin m, Reviewer
A Brush With Death by Malcolm Parnell.
Harry Chase is down in the dumps after a split from his girlfriend Marcia who has suddenly decided to leave the area and Harry without explanation. He is trying hard to make a living through his painting and teaching at a local village hall a local art group. He is hit by the wing mirror of a car and then hit while standing in a field. What is this and why should anyone want to hurt him. Perplexed he takes his group on a painting break to the Dorset coast, but he and members of the group are peppered with life threatening incidents. What does it all mean?
The author does well to give a picture of this quite inoffensive young man and yet leave a little disquiet as to if this is the whole picture. The short prologue shows a boy called Peter out playing in the local stream with a net and jam jar and leaves a question mark as to how this relates to the main character who is Harry Chase. This question is left to the very end which finishes up with a Poirot like scene lead by Harry.
All the characters in the painting group are well structured and believable with the reader left in suspense as to who may be involved in the attacks which become more frequent and increasingly dangerous. The portrait of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast and the rolling hills beyond the small harbours and bays was a delight. Made me want to seek out the Bull Hotel at Lyme Regis!
A very good plot line, with a lot of characters that could have been difficult to bring to a conclusion but was handled well, aided by the overall theme of the art field-work trip. These characters were well balanced by the friends of Harry who made up the numbers and provided some relief from the painting and sketching, with their frequent fishing trips. Overall this was an enjoyable story and a good debut novel.
Thanks to NetGalley.
