March reading round up:

The Names *****
Four Shots in the Night *****
V For Vendetta *****
Insomnia **
Grid to Glory ****
The New York Trilogy ***
Only Here, Only Now ****
Columba's Bones **
Open, Heaven ***

Come join me in Oban for an evening in April!

Fantastic evening with The Reading Room book club in Greenock last night. Many thanks to Jill and Carla for inviting me along and for all who attended and bought a book or two. Hope everyone enjoyed the chat and enjoys the books. Didn't do too badly in the quiz either!

February Reads A collection of short stories, contemporary literary reads and a mix of fictional and true crime. All of the books this month were picked up while I was touring around bookshops with my own new publication, HOSTILE CITY, So thanks to the local stores - Daydreams Bookshop in Milngavie, Caffeinated Escapism Bookstore in Alexandria, The Book Nook Stewarton and my local Waterstones in East Kilbride - all of which stock a selection of my titles.

February Reads

Last Autumn I joined the team at Objective Media and Serious Facilities editing CBBC's Operation Ouch with Dr Chris and Dr Xand van Tulleken and friends, and today it drops on BBC iPlayer and starts on the CBBC channel. Tune in for medical mayhem and plenty of gross alerts!

HOSTILE CITY: Book Launch Events Round Up It's been a busy month as HOSTILE CITY has been launched into the world. I've had the pleasure of three events this month - a book signing at Waterstones in East Kilbride, followed by author events at the wonderful Daydreams Bookshop in Milngavie, where I was returning for the second time, and then an evening at Caffeinated Escapism Bookstore, a new shop in Alexandria.

HOSTILE CITY - Book Launch Events

2 fantastic author events - thanks to everyone who came along to Daydreams in Milngavie and Caffeinated Escapism in Alexandria. Thanks to everyone who came along!

Thanks to Waterstones East Kilbride and staff for having me along for a book signing yesterday. A steady trickle rather than a rush but 25 books sold, so a very worthwhile afternoon. Thanks to everyone who came along for their support and I hope you enjoy the books!

January Reads January Reads - a mix of true crime, crime fiction, literary giants, Booker prize winners and nostalgia with Back to the Future. A strong start to 2026! Zodiac - Robert Graysmith *****My Mother's Murder - Gina McGavin ****Marble Hall Murders - Anthony Horowitz *****Son of a Witch - Gregory Maguire ****If On a Winter's Night A Traveller - Italio Calvino ***

January Reads

HOSTILE CITY – PUBLICATION DAY Today is the day that HOSTILE CITY is officially published. You can now get the ebook and paperback from all the usual online retailers as well as through your local bookstores. For more information and the book and links to get a copy go HERE. To celebrate the day, I would like to highlight the local bookshops around Glasgow and further afield that are already stocking the book, and say a massive THANK YOU to the booksellers for their continued support.

HOSTILE CITY - PUBLICATION DAY

Inspiring Change: Author Event at Barlinnie Prison Last week, in between visiting some lovely bookshops ahead of the publication of my new novel HOSTILE CITY, I had an author event with a difference, and a visit to a place I never thought my writing would ever take me - Scotland's oldest and largest prison, HMP Barlinnie, on the outskirts of Glasgow. I was invited by the Scottish Prison Service to give a talk about my writing and books in the prison's Resource Hub, which includes a library and a Communications area where prisoners create an inhouse podcast, radio station and have recently started creating visual media too - so as well as my writing, I was able to talk to the prisoners about my experience from my day job in TV editing.

Author Visit with a difference: HMP Barlinnie

Signed copies of all 4 books Waterstones Glasgow Sauchiehall Street, including the new one.

#bookblogger #bookrecommendations #bookstagram

Upcoming Events: HOSTILE CITY Delighted to confirm the first couple of author events for the launch my new novel HOSTILE CITY. On 7th February I will be at Waterstones in East Kilbride to sign copies of the book. Do come along for a chat and pick up a copy if you are nearby! Then on 19th February, I will be returning to the fabulous Daydream Bookshop in Milngavie to talk about the book and sign copies.

Delighted to announce the first author events for HOSTILE CITY. Click on the link to find out where I will be in February.

I'm delighted to be returning to my local Waterstones in East Kilbride on Sat 7th February to sign copies of my new book HOSTILE CITY. Come along for a chat and pick up a signed copy. Hope to see some of you there!

#booksigning #authorevent #booklaunch
#eastkilbride

Cal Jackson is coming for you.
HOSTILE CITY 28.01.26
Available to order now.
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A bit of AI generated fun to animate my book cover. #bookrecommendations #bookblogger

December Reads An uneven month of reading to round out the year: a couple of high hopes that fell flat, but also a couple of little gems that were a delight, and some dark, Scottish fiction perfect for the long winter nights. Benbecula - Graeme Macrae Burnett ****Crow Moon - Suzy Aspley *****Quantum of Menace - Vaseem Khan ***The Outsider - Stephen King ***

New Blog Post: December Reads

For any followers who are on NetGalley, my latest book HOSTILE CITY is available to request for the next few weeks.
#netgalley #BookRec #books.bsky📚💙

Just in time for last minute Christmas shopping, HOSTILE CITY has arrived in Waterstones stores across Scotland.

Hostile City: The First Review The first review of my new novel HOSTILE CITY has arrived. No matter how many books I have written, it's still a moment of trepidation to see what readers make of it, especially as I don't use beta readers before publication. With more books comes the added pressure of hopefully pleasing readers who have read my previous work, as well as enticing new readers.

Hostile City: The First Review

Getting the first review of a new novel is always a moment of trepidation, whether its hoping new readers like the book or returning readers approve of the new one.

So I'm so pleased/relieved that the first advance review of HOSTILE CITY is such a positive one.

Get Ready for HOSTILE CITY An early Christmas present for me, from my publisher The Book Guild - advance copies of HOSTILE CITY have arrived! Looking good if I do say so myself. The 2nd Cal Jackson thriller won't hit the shops until January but if you can't wait or want a signed copy, then drop me a message. I'll also be sharing some news about upcoming author events around the launch of the book next year very soon.

Get Ready for HOSTILE CITY. Advance Author copies have arrived - hitting shops in January 2026!

November Reading Round Up Another busy month filled with great books, featuring a mix of spies, crime, dystopia, World War II - and sometimes a mix of all! A number of the books this month were bought from local bookshops (I always lose money at author events as I buy more than I sell) - please shop local where you can this Christmas. Short reviews available on my Goodreads page.

November Reading Round Up

A VAMPIRE STORY A couple of weeks ago, around Halloween, I read this short scene out as my contribution to Noir at the Bar Milngavie. Although some said nice things about it, it didn't seem to go down too well with the crowd - possibly a bit too dark! I'll leave it here and you can judge for yourself! A VAMPIRE STORY…

A couple of weeks ago, around Halloween, I read this short story at Bar at the Noir Milngavie. It didn't seem to go down too well on the night - a bit too dark perhaps - but I will let you judge for yourself!

Delighted to reveal the cover of my new book, HOSTILE CITY, arriving January 2026 - the second book to feature Cal Jackson, after FULL SUN.

Thanks to the team at The Book Guild for another outstanding cover design. Hope everyone likes it.

October Reading Round Up

Milngavie Noir at the Bar: A Night of Scottish Crime Writing Last night (October 29), some of the best crime writers in Scotland, and me, gathered with a sell out crowd of 60 readers at the Talbot Arms pub for the first ever Milngavie Noir at the Bar. Organised by Daydreams Bookshop, each author read a short piece of their work, in between drinks, chat and bookselling and signing. Compered by Daniel 'Vampire' Sellers, the line up featured Caro Ramsay, Callum McSorley, Claire Wilson, Emma Christie, Alex Kane, Suzy Aspley, George Paterson, Inga Vesper and Sharon Bairden (with axe).

Milngavie Noir at the Bar: A Night of Scottish Crime Writing

Any lovers of crime and thriller fiction in and around Glasgow? Come along to Noir in the Bar in Milngavie and hear from a spectacular line up of authors (and me)

The next 1st draft is finished, and a manageable word count. On to editing.

September Reads: Inadvertently appear to have tried to terrify myself with war, sharks, vampires and monsters. Gorillas and Gibbons provided relief.

Night Train to Odesa *****
Nuclear War ****
Quint ***
Salem's Lot ****
The Mist ****
Gorillas in the Mist *****
Cold Comfort Farm *****

Highlights from the Nairn Books & Arts Festival Last weekend, I headed up to the Moray coast and the town of Nairn, for an appearance at the Nairn Books & Arts Festival. Appearing as part of the 'Wine & Crime' event in the local community centre I chatted with fellow crime author Douglas Skelton about FULL SUN, before I chaired the following session with the lovely Natalie Jayne Clarke, discussing her entertaining debut novel THE MALT WHISKY MURDERS.

Highlights from the Nairn Books & Arts Festival

Last weekend, I headed up to the Moray coast and the town of Nairn, for an appearance at the Nairn Books & Arts Festival. Appearing as part of the 'Wine & Crime' event in the local community centre I chatted with fellow crime author Douglas Skelton…

August reads: rounding out the summer with some Scottish crime, US crime, and the best book about tennis I've ever read.

The Racket *****
The Malt Whisky Murders *****
The Other Side of Fear *****
Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales ***
The Jungle Book ****
Find You First ****
Take Your Breath Away ****