Blimey, it’s been a long time since I did one of these. Spoons have been in short supply of late, a feeling I’m sure you’re all familiar with in these interesting times. But I couldn’t let Pride month go by without a snippet. This one features Tom Paretski, slightly psychic plumber from my Plumber’s Mate Mystery series, and is set during London Pride:

It was like trying to run through custard. Which was actually kind of an appropriate thought, seeing as how most of the crowd was, in varying proportions, hot, colourful and downright tasty. Everyone and his puppy-play pal was out on the streets of Soho for Pride, and most of ’em were wandering down Old Compton Street in the wrong bloody direction.

The right direction being, obviously, the one in which I was trying to chase after a would-be murderer. He was dressed as an angel, in gold lamé shorts and matching wings, which you’d think would help him stand out in a crowd. Generally speaking, you’d be right.

In the middle of Pride? Not so much.

Don’t forget to check out the rainbow snippets Facebook group for more little excerpts from a whole host of talented authors

The snippet is taken from The Drag Queen Wore Red, a short story in the Capital Crimes anthology:

The Drag Queen Wore Red – #3.5 in the Plumber’s Mate Mystery series

‘A rich and varied assortment of dark minds and dark deeds. Deliciously disturbing.’ Peter James -2015 Voted by WH Smith readers The Best Crime Author Of All Time

“For anyone whose literary tastes run to the dark and the twisty, CAPITAL KILLS is a damn near perfect taster menu.” – Simon Toyne – international bestselling author of theSanctus trilogy

Contains my story The Drag Queen Wore Red, a short story in the Plumber’s Mate Mystery series (set between Heat Trap and Blow Down)

Available on Amazon

And Tom and his spanking-new husband Phil feature in my new release, Stop Cock:

Stop Cock – #6 in the Plumber’s Mate Mystery series

A match made in heaven – but the honeymoon from hell

Plumber Tom Paretski and his newly-wedded husband, PI Phil Morrison, plan to enjoy their honeymoon in Italy to the full. It should be the start of a wonderful future together. But when Wayne—Phil’s ex best mate and Tom’s former bully—turns up unexpectedly at their hotel, issues from their schooldays threaten to derail the fun. Tom may not bear a grudge against Phil for past injuries any longer, but Wayne’s another matter—or is he?

Wayne now seems determined to make friends, but Tom’s struggling to forgive and forget. To add to his confusion, cryptic messages from home spark the question: Are he and Phil are really as in tune as he thought? Tom’s not the first man Phil ever made a commitment to, and that marriage turned sour sooner rather than later.

It shouldn’t surprise them when death explodes onto the scene in shocking fashion, and their honeymoon turns into a murder investigation. When the group of locals Wayne had been meeting with turn their attention to Tom’s psychic abilities, he and Phil will need to pull together to figure out what’s going on—or risk this trip being the last they’ll ever take.

Available in ebook and paperback: Riptide | Amazon