Books and Biscuits

Down near the power station - near the beach - was an old pub, not so amusingly named after a science fiction movie. Someone somewhere must have decided that there would be an above number of these sorts of aficionados hanging about after a mug of char at Sizewell Tea in need of something stronger than a lukewarm brew could provide. It was only a short hop to Leiston and the dreary wind-swept decay of a typical British seaside town which necessitated liquid refreshment especially after taking in the wonder of the imposing reactor staring sternly from the beach onto the grey North Sea.

Maggie and Jake are two teens who inadvertently become involved with a murder investigation headed up by DCI Mike Doggett. Unveiling Maggie’s connection to the gang (who orchestrated the murder) will open up several intriguing avenues for plot development. Here’s my strategy to explore this revelation in the chapters I am working on at the moment. It is a slow business – writing a novel – although I understand some dash them off. Lucky people! Maggie’s Backstory : I will begin by delving into Maggie’s backstory to explain how and why she became involved with the gang. This will include her motivations (financial need, emotional vulnerability, peer pressure, seeking protection – to name just a few examples) and the initial circumstances of her involvement. Internal Conflict : I will highlight Maggie’s internal struggle. She is regretful, fearful and even feeling a sense of loyalty to the gang at times. This conflict will drive her actions and decisions moving forward. Interaction with K...

I began writing crime fiction in the first instance using the name of Ellis Johnson (there is another L. S. Johnson out there, in California). This includes my ongoing DCI Doggett series – kicking off with ‘The Sizewell Murders’ (where a rotating cast of criminals, set in sleepy Suffolk, confront murder most foul against the backdrop of the construction of a new nuclear power facility in the area). I was initially approached by an alternative fiction fan who wanted to develop his publishing company (using my writing) and then branched into doing my own imprint, encouraged by the positive reception my first book received. As of December 2024 'Case Closed Monday' has sold well over a thousand copies, all digital, via Amazon. I consider myself a professional novelist. In ‘The Sizewell Murders’ I redefine the crime genre for the 21st century taking all the well-worn but much-loved tropes fans will recognise and giving them a new spin that update the time-honoured staples of the gen...

My advice as a writer to anyone who is finding the current situation unduly perplexing/perturbing would be:   Don’t alienate people.  Be humble: You may think YOU have something to say, but give all credit to the muse whatever ever or whoever you consider it to be!  Globalisation could be supposed to be a facet of internationalism, which was always much lauded by the left – I think Tony Blair once memorably proclaimed ‘We have failed to sell (communicate?) the benefits of globalisation.’ What I am trying to say is that globalisation is a recently coined word which describes a phenomena that anyone would be stumped to come to a consensus as to what exactly it is. I fear this proclamation sums it up and could very well explain the success (electorally anyway) of the current administration in The States, as when all is said and done most people need jobs. Very few people are fortunate to call their time their own.

Clinicality Press is proud to announce the arrival of the debut novel from Ellis Johnson. ‘Peep Book’ takes Michael Powell’s infamous movie about voyeurism and retells it through a digital lens. A tale of dark psychopathy in the age of social media, it’s a classic postmodernist work, an exercise in retelling and social commentary that still resonates with the greater depths of human interaction. Witty and accessible, it’s a killer read.