Necropolis Trilogy | Guy Portman's Blog

A Peek Inside Golgotha

Nov 08 2019

There is only 24 days to go until the release of my darkly humorous crime novel, Golgotha (release date: Dec. 3). My maths is correct, right?

Today, I am pleased to unveil a short (467 word) extract, which I feel encapsulates the book’s dark tone. Click here to read it.

For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, here is the blurb:

You can’t keep a good sociopath down.

Dyson Devereux is languishing in prison awaiting trial for murder. Languishing wouldn’t be so bad were it not for the irksome inmates, crowded conditions and distinct lack of haute cuisine.

Only Alegra, his sometime paramour and frequent visitor, shares his desire to see him released. The problem is, she wants Dyson freed so they can start a new life together. But all Dyson desires is to get back home to his treasured mementos.

As judgement day draws ever closer, can Dyson keep up appearances long enough to win his freedom? And at what cost? For hell hath no fury like a sociopath scorned.

Golgotha is a funny, fast-paced crime comedy novel, boasting a sardonic and sinister sociopath at its helm.

“Sociopathic comedy at its best” — Adam Riley, Comedian

“Deeply dark and irresistibly funny. If you like dark humour, you’ll love watching Dyson unravel” — Sandra Seymour, Author

Golgotha is the final instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy (#1 Necropolis & #2 Sepultura). As is the case with its predecessors, Golgotha can be read as a standalone novel. It will be available as an eBook and paperback.

Click here to read the extract. Have a good weekend.

Fun, Furnishings & Frippery

Oct 25 2019

It’s Friday again. They seem to come around real quick. As for the ‘Friday Feeling’, it’s conspicuous by its absence here. Not that I’m complaining; I’ve had my fun for the week. While far from exhilarating, it was fun all the same. The fun:

1). The burger on Tuesday lunchtime.

2). A glimpse of sunshine in what has been an otherwise desolate stretch of weather for us UK inhabitants.

3). A conversation with an attractive female which might lead to more. ‘Illusion is the first of all pleasures’ – Oscar Wilde

We all indulge in labours of love, right? Well us writers certainly do; or the vast majority at least. One of my labours of love is writing reviews of every book I read. It’s a time-consuming process, but one I insist upon. I am currently behind on my reviews. Once the England vs All Blacks Rugby World Cup Semi Final ends tomorrow, I will start catching up on them. I have four to do. Here they are:

Moving on … I have been living without curtains for over two years. In their place, I have used drapes and/or towels cellotaped to the walls. This week my curtains finally arrived. Want to see them …? Probably not, but I’m going to show you anyway. Open …

Closed …

So, that’s the Furnishings part of this blog post’s title out of the way. As for the Frippery; they’re the ornate brass balls at the ends of the curtain rail. Have a good weekend.

Golgotha Blurb Reveal

Oct 11 2019

My black comedy Golgotha will be unleashed on the world on December 3rd. Today, I am pleased to unveil the blurb, some early endorsements and more besides. The blurb:

You can’t keep a good sociopath down.

Golgotha is the final instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy (#1 Necropolis & #2 Sepultura). As is the case with its predecessors, Golgotha can be read as a standalone novel. It will be available as an eBook and paperback.

Golgotha is now available for pre order as an eBook from selected retailers Here are the retailer links – Amazon US, Amazon UK, Kobo US, Kobo UK, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble.

Golgotha has recently been added to Goodreads. Click here to add Golgotha to your to-read list. Have a good weekend.

Dark Humour Books, Culinary Delights & More Besides

Oct 04 2019

This a breakfast I had earlier in the week. It’s called egg hash and I highly recommend it.

As for me I’ve been catching up with some reading of late. I just finished Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut. I actually preferred this quick read to the author’s seminal work, Slaughterhouse-Five. Next up is this comedy crime caper. I often drink green tea while reading.

These are the books I have left to read in 2019. Some of this pile appeared in one of my recent posts, but it has since had two additions.

For a nation traditionally blighted by substandard instant noodles, these have been a welcome arrival. Not sure what their fate will be in the face of a no-deal Brexit. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

I am prone to doubling up on chocolate eclairs.

Like Dyson Devereux, the protagonist in the Necropolis Trilogy, I am an avid consumer of Italian delicacies. Amongst those eaten this week were these carciofi (artichokes) and prosciutto wrapped cheese.

Golgotha, the third instalment in my black comedy trilogy, will be released on Dec. 3. It will see the return of the sociopathic Dyson Devereux. Golgotha has just been uploaded to Goodreads. If you could add it to your TBR list, it would be much appreciated.

You can’t keep a good sociopath down.

Golgotha Goodreads link. Have a good weekend.

Another Week Bites The Dust

Sep 20 2019

It’s Friday again. They sure come around fast. Last week I unveiled the front cover for Golgotha (release: early Dec) the final instalment in my black comedy Necropolis Trilogy. If you missed it, here it is again.

On another subject, today I came across these three Roe deer on my morning walk.

They didn’t seem too alarmed by my dog and I. Evidently they were not aware of how keen on venison we are. Trigga was fixated on this tree in my garden for ages yesterday. Likelihood is a squirrel had gone up it, or it contains a late season pigeon nest.

The garden is still growing pretty quick, and having ignored it for a few weeks, the time has come to get back to work.

What with all the dog walking and gardening, I have been losing weight. So, it’s out with the healthy stuff …

And in with the high calorie fare. You can’t beat vegetable samosas and onion bhajis.

Three chocolate brownies down; two to go.

A book delivery arrived yesterday. It’s a good feeling receiving new books; if you’re a bibliophile like me that is. For the most part, my reading matter currently comprises the genres I write in; namely dark humour and Transgressive Fiction. While Dark Places doesn’t fit into those categories, it is dark fiction. I will be reviewing them here and on Goodreads in due course. All I need now is some bookshelves to store this ever-expanding reading matter.

A reminder that Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales From The Future is free at all retailers. My satirical book of vignettes finally received a decent batch of reviews on Amazon US this week. It appears my book is a bit like Marmite. People either love it or hate it.

And that’s it for this week. Have a good weekend. And if your nation is playing in the Rugby World Cup, I wish you the best of luck, unless your from Tonga that is.

Golgotha Cover Reveal

Sep 13 2019

Today, I am pleased to unveil the front cover for my forthcoming black comedy, Golgotha (release date: early December).

I am impressed with the design the team at Ebook Launch came up with. It captures the book’s tone perfectly. Golgotha is the final instalment in the popular Necropolis Trilogy. It will see the return of darkly humorous sociopath Dyson Devereux. I look forward to revealing the blurb and more besides in due course.

The first two instalments in the trilogy are #1 Necropolis & #2 Sepultura.

800 Ratings and Reviews on Goodreads

‘The book (#1) is full of razor-sharp satire’ – Crime Fiction Lover

‘… a magnificent foray into the mind of a sociopath’ – DLS Reviews

‘… a mix between The Office and American Psycho’ – Amazon Reviewer

If you like dark humour you’ll love the Necropolis Trilogy

Retailer Links (eBook & paperback) – Amazon US Amazon UK Kobo US Kobo UK Kobo CA Barnes & Noble Smashwords

Have a good weekend.

Sepultura Has A New Blurb

Sep 06 2019

As many of you are aware, the third instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy will be unleished on the world late this year (date to follow). The darkly humorous Golgotha will see the return of sociopath Dyson Devereux. I look forward to releasing more information in due course.

Today, I am pleased to unveil the new blurb for the second part in the trilogy. Those who have helped me modify the blurb for Sepultura are of the opinion that the new version better describes the book, particularly the conflict which lurks at the heart of it. And I agree with them. Here it is.

A sociopath’s work is never done.

Dyson Devereux is a busy man, with a challenging new job in the council’s Burials and Cemeteries department and a young son. Life should be fine.

But amid the mindless minutiae of his workplace, Dyson is fast losing patience with his crass colleagues and their contemptible clothes. Something’s got to give, and it’s not going to be Dyson.

Because unbeknown to those around him, beneath Dyson’s charming, Italian-delicacy-consuming veneer lurks something sinister. As his personal and professional lives threaten to spiral out of control, how long can Dyson keep his true nature under wraps?

Sepultura is a hilarious black comedy exposing the banality of public-sector bureaucracy.

“Hysterical. Takes dark humour to a whole new level” — Martin Allen, Author of Weed.

“A satirical gem” — Adam Riley, Comedian

Necropolis Trilogy retailer links – Amazon US, Amazon UK, Kobo US, Kobo UK, Kobo Ca

I know comments and likes aren’t functioning properly on this blog presently. I plan to rectify this soon. Have a good weekend.

Torrential Rain, Black Comedy & Comfort Food

Jun 21 2019

The UK has been deluged with torrential rain for the best part of the last two weeks. We needed it I am told, as the ground was very dry. The good news for me is that with all the rain my lawn has finally started growing, the bad news is that it resembles a swamp.

Due to the wet conditions Trigga has been spending much of his time on the sofa. But now with dryer weather forecast, he will be able to while away his days in the garden once more.

As for me, I have been dealing with the monsoon by eating a lot of comfort food including a substantial amount of salted fudge aka ‘Dentist’s Nightmare’.

I have also been watching some of the latest episodes of Black Mirror on Netflix. I am flattered that some readers have compared the show to my darkly humorous book of snippets about the future – Tomorrow’s World.

The unremitting deluge has done wonders for my reading. Next Friday I will be sharing the reviews of the books I have read thus far this year. Perhaps you will discover something that interests you.

I am currently polishing off the third draft of Golgotha, the third instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy. The books feature darkly humorous sociopath and sometime public sector worker Dyson Devereux. This is the ad on BookBub for Part 1. It has proven appealing to potential readers.

Have a good weekend.

A sociopath can only keep up a façade for so long.

6 Dark Fiction Reading Recommendations

May 31 2019

As you may know I am an avid fan of dark fiction. Here are 5 dark fiction books that I have read and one that I have written.

Definition: Dark fiction is concerned with the sinister side of human nature. It is often distinguished from the mainstream horror genre in that it tends not to be fantasy-orientated. Dark fiction may contain elements of black or satirical humour.

Fire In The Hole

This is a compilation of nine short, authentic and atmospheric, American-based, crime-themed stories. The book is named after its longest title, Fire In The Hole. Click here to read my review.

Survivor

Survivor is an innovative and erudite social commentary, brimming with satirical observations and irreverent humour. It is without doubt one of the author’s best efforts. Click here to read my review.

Wasting Talent

Leone utilises innovative writing techniques and a frenetic prose style to weave this graphic tale about drug addiction. The story centres around young guitar virtuoso Damien Cantwell. Click here to read my review.

The Road

The Road is a near unrelentingly bleak, minimalist post-apocalyptic novel about a man and his young son travelling south, in the hope of finding something better. Click here to read my review.

In Wolves’ Clothing

This first-person transgressive work features a troubled member of an anti child trafficking organisation. The book successfully broaches a subject matter that is anathema to most people. Click here to read my review.

Necropolis (#1 Necropolis Trilogy)

Brutal, bleak and darkly comical, Necropolis is a darkly humorous work featuring sociopath and public sector worker Dyson Devereux. It is the first instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy.

Floods, Felling Trees, Black Comedies and Comfort Food

May 10 2019

Yesterday afternoon, I finished the second draft of my forthcoming novel, the black comedy Golgotha. It is the final instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy, featuring darkly humorous sociopath Dyson Devereux. It is now in the hands of beta readers.

Having polished off the draft, I woke up in a cheery mood this morning, but a flood in my kitchen put an end to it. The dishwasher pipe is leaking, again. Last time I was able to stop it, this time I can’t. There is water everywhere, and only the plumber can save me now.

The best approach on failing to rectify a problem is to make a tactical retreat. After abandoning my efforts to hold back the flood, I sojourned to my study to drink coffee and eat Maltesers.

Here is a shot of some other indulgences from the week gone by.

It is quite noisy here today what with tree surgeons removing a tree in my garden. It was a case of nice tree, wrong place. Hopefully its demise will result in my house getting way more light.

The Council have permitted me to fell a couple of trees on the condition that I plant two new ones to replace them. I take my carbon footprint seriously, but I do not want more trees. The whole idea of getting rid of the trees was to have a less congested garden. I plan to get around the issue by planting bonsai trees.

There is the sound of crunching gravel. Someone is approaching. It better be the plumber and not another Jehovah’s Witness … Yes, I am in luck. It is time to go. Have a good weekend.

If you are looking for something to read, check out my soon to be completed Necropolis Trilogy. If you love dark humour, you’ll love Necropolis. And if you don’t, you probably won’t.

Click here to see the 155 ratings & reviews for #1 Necropolis and #2 Sepultura on Goodreads.

#1: What is a sociopath to do?

#2
A sociopath can only keep up a façade for so long.

‘The book is full of razor-sharp satire’ – Crime Fiction Lover

Tag - Necropolis Trilogy

A Peek Inside Golgotha

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Fun, Furnishings & Frippery

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Golgotha Blurb Reveal

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Dark Humour Books, Culinary Delights & More Besides

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Another Week Bites The Dust

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Golgotha Cover Reveal

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Sepultura Has A New Blurb

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Torrential Rain, Black Comedy & Comfort Food

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6 Dark Fiction Reading Recommendations

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Floods, Felling Trees, Black Comedies and Comfort Food

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