Books | Guy Portman's Blog

Emergence Blog Tour

Feb 25 2023

A blog tour for my latest novel is commencing on Monday. If you like darkly humorous crime, you’ll love Emergence.

The Blurb:

There’s no stopping this young sociopath.

Teenager Horatio hates his mother’s boyfriend, and there is nothing his long-suffering single mum or half-sister can do about it. The tension soon boils over into school when he attacks the class bully.

While suspended, Horatio has plenty of time to plot revenge against the man he holds responsible for all his problems. It won’t take the adventurous adolescent long to stumble across a depraved and degrading solution.

Now all he needs to do is keep deceiving the psychiatrist and wait for an opportunity to strike.

This suspenseful story will appeal to aficionados of psychological fiction and darkly humorous crime.

Please consider adding Emergence to your TBR. Emergence Goodreads Link.

My Latest Release – Emergence

Jan 27 2023

I have penned another book. Emergence is being unleashed on the world next Tuesday, Jan. 31st. Emergence is #4 in the Necropolis Series.

Here is the blurb:

There’s no stopping this young sociopath.

Now all he needs to do is keep deceiving the psychiatrist and wait for an opportunity to strike.

This suspenseful story will appeal to aficionados of psychological fiction and darkly humorous crime.

…………………

Emergence is now on Goodreads. And it has already garnered some great reviews. If you are a Goodreads member, please consider adding it to your TBR.

Emergence Goodreads Link

Here are snippets from some of the reviews.

‘I was hooked from the start’

‘Sublime!’

‘Flawless and superbly written. Very highly recommended.’

Have a great weekend.

The Necropolis Series (Launch: Tuesday Aug. 30)

Aug 26 2022

There are only four days to go until the relaunch of the Necropolis Series. #1 Necropolis is being released as a new title. #2 Sepultura and #3 Golgotha have been revamped with new blurbs and brightly coloured covers, which will appeal to aficionados of darkly humorous crime fiction.

Necropolis – Public sector worker Dyson Devereux has just discovered there is a large reward for the capture of a genocidal fugitive. And Dyson knows where to find him..

Sepultura – Dyson’s personal and professional lives are spiralling out of control. It is only a matter of time until the suave public sector employee explodes.

Golgotha – Dyson is in an Italian prison awaiting trial for murder. All he wants is to be back in the UK with his treasured mementos.

‘A veritable masterclass in darkly satirical sociopathic black comedy’ – DLS Reviews

‘… a mordant delight’ – Adam Riley, Comedian

‘I love this type of crime novel where you get to spend quality time inside the head of a killer’ – Felcherman Reviews

Click here to see the 102 ratings and reviews (4.15/5) for #2 in the Necropolis Series on Goodreads. #1 Necropolis will have a new Goodreads page when it is released next week. Have a great weekend.

Guy

The Necropolis Series – A Mix Between The Office & American Psycho

Aug 17 2022

It’s been the best part of a year since I last wrote a blog post. The time has just flown by. That’s me aboard my new wheels. As you can probably guess from the ride-on mower, I reside in the countryside. But I used to live in London.

At some point in all our lives, an experience has led to us embarking on a new path. The Necropolis Series (Aug. 30) has its origins in my young adulthood. At the time, I was getting into darkly humorous Transgressive Fiction (e.g. American Psycho, Fight Club). As luck would have it, my reading matter coincided with a stint working in the public sector for a local council. The insipid work and uninspiring environment contrasted markedly with my burgeoning reading habit. This fed into my innate sardonic nature.

Years later, when I moved to the country and started writing in earnest, this indelible period was to manifest itself in the creation of the Necropolis Series’ protagonist – cultured council worker and compulsive murderer, Dyson Devereux. He’s sort of my alter-ego. Only I’m not as sociopathic, or suave.

In #1 Necropolis our anti-hero is running the Burials and Cemeteries department at Newton Council, a less than salubrious fictional borough in Greater London that is a world away from Knightsbridge. He revels in his caustic observations levelled at his mundane colleagues, who are oblivious to his dark past.

#1 Necropolis, #2 Sepultura, #3 Golgotha (Relaunching on Aug. 30)

#4 Emergence is being unleashed later this year.

Click here to join me on Facebook. Hope to see you over there. Enjoy the rest of your week.

Guy

Squid, Siamese, Sweets, Staropramen & Swifts.

Oct 08 2021

I do like alliteration, at least when it comes to blog posts. The Squid in the title refers to the Korean Netflix series ‘Squid Game’. Half the world is watching the show at present, as am I. The most memorable part for me was the cookie cutting game. Never would have thought cookie cutting could be so fraught.

‘Siamese Twins’ is the book I am poised to start, but just haven’t quite got around to yet. 2021 has not been a prolific reading year thus far.

Now for the sweets. Are you a fan of cheesecake? For some reason I was under the impression I couldn’t stand the stuff. That all changed when I tucked into this specimen complete with icing.

Starting the day with a nougat pastry is not the norm. However, last Saturday was an exception.

Staropramen is a Czech beer, which is often sold quite cheaply in the supermarket despite it being what could be described as a premium beer. You’ve probably had it before. It’s pretty good.

Time for the swifts. These swifts stopped off by my house on their migration south. At least I think they are swifts, they’re not swallows. They were here last year too. It surprises me that they spend so much time flying about. One would have thought they’d use the time to rest, unless of course they are training for the long journey ahead.

Have a good weekend.

3 Good Books I Read Recently

Sep 24 2021

I am away this Friday, so I have scheduled this book-related post in my absence. Here are three good books that I have read recently. Click on the links to read my reviews. While these are all very different books, they all contain dark themes.

The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy

This poignant, compelling and depressing bildungsroman-type novel is imbibed with an apocalyptic tone. The Crossing is the second instalment in The Border Trilogy.

My Review: Billy is a hardy sixteen-year-old living in rural New Mexico. One day he finds a she wolf caught in a snare. Having opted against shooting it, he attempts to return the animal to her …(More)

Dead Men’s Trousers by Irvine Welsh

Themes include drugs, sex, drinking and music. The familiar band of reprobates, hilarious antics and incisive Leith vernacular more than compensate for the dearth of plot.

My Review: The Trainspotting crew are back for another adventure. These days Mark Renton is a successful manager of DJs. Begbie is a famous artist, living the dream in California. Sick Boy hasn’t changed much …(More)

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

This fast-paced and suspenseful book adeptly weaves the oft-told Central American migrant tale with human interest, in the form of a mother and son.

My Review: When Lydia’s journalist husband and family are murdered by a cartel, she and her eight-year-old son are forced to flee Acapulco. The pair embark on an epic journey north to the US, where the …(More)

It’s That Friday Feeling

Sep 10 2021

The week has flown by, can’t believe it is the weekend already. We’ve had something of an Indian summer here in southern England. It’s over now, but was nice while it lasted.

With the lack of rain, my pond has become covered in toxic green coloured algae again. Looks like something out of Ghost Busters.

Trigga waiting for his afternoon walk.

Another day, another green tea served in my Italian 90′ Panini mug.

I am still reading Razor Girl. Looking forward to finishing it and moving on to my next read, which will be this.

Wednesday was the final day of the Indian summer. It seemed the perfect time to sweat off the cornettos and Haagen-Dazs I’ve been consuming of late. So we went for a run.

I was recently given this piece of gym equipment. It fits perfectly in the corner of the garage.

In other news, I have a new headline for my book, Tomorrow’s World.

The Future Is Here. And It’s Absurd.

Links: Amazon US, Amazon UK.

Have a good weekend

Misanthropic Ramblings

Sep 03 2021

If I had as many interactions with people as I do deer, I would be considered a sociable creature. Take this morning for instance. Was barely out my garden when I stumbled across these three. Fortunately, deer don’t comment on the weather or I’d be sick to death of them by now.

And here are yesterday’s.

And Wednesday’s.

You get the point. Admittedly, some of them are no doubt the same deer. My dog doesn’t chase these deer (roe) if I tell him not to. The muntjack (little deer – invasive species from the Far East) are a different story. Muntjack are like a red flag to a bull for Trigga.

Here is an arboretum I visited last weekend. Note the fencing around the trees. It’s to stop the deer eating them.

Here is a shot of my desk. My summerhouse cum office is proving to be a tranquil working environment. I have written 1.5 books so far this year. Of course rewriting may be necessary.

Currently, I am reading a crime caper by Carl Hiassen, the famous humour author. It is proving to be something of a revelation, having never read any of his books. I think I prefer more subtle humour. It’s laid on a bit thick for me, though I appreciate how easy to read his writing is, and the pacing is impeccable.

Have a good weekend.

8 Palahniuk Novels Reviewed.

Aug 06 2021

Here are eight Chuck Palahniuk books that I have read. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Choke

Choke is in essence a social commentary about our innate craving for attention and the fundamental nature of addiction.

My Review: The protagonist, Victor Mancini, is a sex addict employed at an eighteenth-century historical re-enactment park. Victor attends various sexual addiction support groups, where he …(more)

Damned

Damned is a a light-hearted satire of hell, punctuated with comical details, pop-culture references and Theological irony.

My Review: The protagonist is thirteen-year-old Madison, the daughter of wealthy alternative parents. The privileged Madison studies at an exclusive Swiss boarding school and spends her holidays alternating …(more)

Doomed

After escaping from Hell Madison Spencer (protagonist of Damned) is forced to spend a year languishing on Earth as a ghost.

My Review: Doomed is the sequel to Damned and part two of a proposed Dante inspired trilogy. It sees the return of Damned’s protagonist – the plucky, post-life, plump, periphrastic … (more)

Fight Club

The book’s narrator becomes friends with an anarchist by the name of Tyler Durden. The duo form a fight club.

My Review: The protagonist, who remains nameless, is an insomniac leading a bland corporate existence, investigating accidents for a car company, whose only concern is profit … (more)

Haunted

This series of short stories explore a variety of themes, including the media-obsessed nature of society.

My Review: Haunted is about a group of writers, who have been assembled by the conniving Mr Whittier to attend a writers group. The location of the retreat is in an isolated theatre with … (more)

Invisible Monsters

The book’s premise, the superficial vanity of the beauty industry, is used both to explore the unattractive side of human nature.

My Review: Shannon McFarland is a catwalk model, who is the centre of attention wherever she goes. That is until she ‘accidentally’ blasts her jaw shot off with a gun whilst driving down the highway. Shannon is left …(more)

Rant

Rant challenges our own traditions by demonstrating how we contort our recollection of events in accordance with our desires, motives and beliefs.

My Review: Rant is the oral history of Buster ‘Rant’ Casey, recounted by an array of people including his relations, friends, enemies and lovers. Rant’s childhood companions from the …(more)

Survivor

Survivor is an innovative and erudite social commentary, brimming with satirical observations and irreverent humour.

My Review: Tender Branson, the last survivor of the Creedish Church cult, has hijacked an aeroplane, which is now flying on autopilot. His objective: to dictate his life story onto …(more)

Meals, Mangetout & More

Feb 26 2021

There have been some impressive skies here of late.

When I haven’t been staring at the sky, I’ve been writing, reading and eating.

Kebabs + beer = a great combination.

And here’s a shot of something healthier. It’s a tuna salad containing six ingredients that I made earlier.

Books and green tea is another favoured combo.

There is less than two weeks to go until the release of my latest book – Mangetout. This quick read will appeal to all fans of darkly humorous crime fiction.

Trouble has a habit of finding some people.

These sharp, shocking and suspenseful stories are a must read.

Have a good weekend.

Category - Books

Emergence Blog Tour

Like this:

My Latest Release – Emergence

Like this:

The Necropolis Series (Launch: Tuesday Aug. 30)

Like this:

The Necropolis Series – A Mix Between The Office & American Psycho

Like this:

Squid, Siamese, Sweets, Staropramen & Swifts.

Like this:

3 Good Books I Read Recently

Like this:

It’s That Friday Feeling

Like this:

Misanthropic Ramblings

Like this:

8 Palahniuk Novels Reviewed.

Like this:

Meals, Mangetout & More

Like this:

Category - Books

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: