Sepultura

A Personal Update

Jan 19 2018

It has been over a week since I released my fourth novel, the black comedy Sepultura. The early reviews have been very positive, and there are now a fair few up on Goodreads. I particularly like these comments, all of which are taken from Goodreads reviews.

A superb addition to Portman’s eclectic, wonderful corpus — Sean

… I already need the sequel! — lexlooksatbooks

I couldn’t help but observe with relish Dyson’s latest interactions with the philistines who haunt his waking hours — Wendy

Click here to see the reviews.

On another subject a couple of days ago I started reading my first book of 2018. Skagboys is a work of Transgressive Fiction by Irvine Welsh. Its length (500 pages), Scottish vernacular, and the utilisation of some passages presented in a handwritten font will no doubt result in it taking a while to read. But I am thoroughly enjoying it so far.

This a bit random – I have a cheese recommendation for you, and it is an exceptional one at that. Perhaps you have tried it already. If not might I suggest you get hold of a Black Bomber at your earliest convenience. Black Bomber hails from Wales. This cheddar like cheese is a delight on the palate. I only recently discovered Black Bomber. It is now my favourite cheese.

Here is some I prepared earlier posing alongside Tuscan salami.

Sun is in something of a rarity in England at this time of year (some would say at any time of year). Here is a picture of my dog basking in the morning sun shining through the window. Trigga is a Hungarian Vizsla.

Have a good weekend.

Sepultura Publication Day

Jan 12 2018

My black comedy Sepultura was released yesterday. Click on the links to see the first reviews of Sepultura on Amazon UK and Goodreads. Sepultura is available as a paperback (£6.99/$10.99) and eBook (£2.39/$3.22) from all major retailers.

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

Dyson Devereux is a busy man, with a challenging new job at Paleham Council and a young son. He would be coping just fine were it not for crass colleagues, banal bureaucracy and contemptible clothes. He is not going to take it lying down.

Because beneath Dyson’s charming, Italian delicacy-consuming veneer lurks something sinister. As his personal and professional lives threaten to spiral out of control, will Dyson’s true nature be revealed?

Compulsive and brimming with satirical wit, Sepultura is a caustic black comedy featuring an unforgettable sociopath.

“My kind of black comedy. You’ll either love Dyson, or love to hate him” — Sandra Seymour, Author of Breed: Slayer

“A satirical gem” — Reader

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

Sepultura is available as a paperback and eBook ($3.22/£2.39) – Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Kobo USA, Kobo UK, Barnes & Noble & others.

Sepultura Countdown

Jan 05 2018

Sepultura will be unleashed on the world this Thursday (January 11th).

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

Compulsive and brimming with satirical wit, Sepultura is a caustic black comedy featuring an unforgettable sociopath.

“My kind of black comedy. You’ll either love Dyson, or love to hate him” — Sandra Seymour, Author of Breed: Slayer

“A satirical gem” — Reader

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

Click here to see the first reviews for Sepultura on Goodreads.

Here is a short extract:

After discarding two pamphlets advertising tacky funeral programme cards, I peruse a brochure from a local gravestone manufacturer. Having decided that the company’s creations are fit for public consumption, I hand the brochure to Sullen Goth with instructions to add their details to the database.

The next item needing my attention is a draft letter to the Scully family, one of whose number resides in Cressingham Park Cemetery. His gravestone was torn down on the orders of Health and Safety, for no other reason than it was tilting seven degrees to one side more than their irksome requirements permit. The living Scullys are less than impressed … My office telephone is ringing. I pick it up.

‘Good morning Burials and Cemeteries.’

‘Hi Burials and Cemeteries.’

‘Who is this?’

‘Come on blood, you telling me you don’t recognise my voice?’

Sepultura (release date: Thursday, January 11th) is now available for pre-order from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Kobo USA, Kobo UK & Barnes & Noble.

Sepultura Front Cover Reveal

Dec 15 2017

My fourth novel, Sepultura, is being released on January 11th. Last week I revealed Sepultura’s blurb. Today, I am pleased to unveil the front cover:

I believe it is an accurate reflection of Sepultura’s subject matter. I hope you like the front cover as much as I do. For anyone who missed it last week, here is the blurb.

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

Compulsive and brimming with satirical wit, Sepultura is a caustic black comedy featuring an unforgettable sociopath.

“My kind of black comedy. You’ll either love Dyson, or love to hate him” — Sandra Seymour, Author of Breed: Slayer

“A satirical gem” — Reader

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

Sepultura (release date: January 11th) is now available for pre-order from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Kobo USA, Kobo UK & Barnes & Noble.

Necropolis Has A New Blurb

Nov 10 2017

My fourth novel, Sepultura, is being released on January 11th. It is the sequel to the satirical black comedy, Necropolis. Today, I am pleased to share with you Necropolis’s new blurb. I believe it is a better representation of the book than the old one. I hope you like it.

What is a sociopath to do?

Dyson Devereux’s life appears to be on track. He has a way with the ladies, impeccable good taste, and as the recently promoted head of Burials and Cemeteries at Newton Borough Council, a job that demands respect.

But Dyson is becoming annoyed with his drug-addled girlfriend’s decline, fed up with his banal work colleagues, and incensed by Newton New Cemetery’s gaudy memorial structures.

When Dyson suspects someone of having a darker past than him, he has a chance for redemption. Will he seize it, or is his destiny to be a life of toil in Burials and Cemeteries?

Brutal, bleak and darkly comical, Necropolis is a savage indictment of the politically correct, health and safety obsessed public sector.

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

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

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

Click here to see the reviews and ratings for Necropolis on Goodreads.

Sociopaths in Literature

Oct 27 2017

This post is devoted to sociopaths and psychopaths in literature. Click here to discover the differences between the two. Sociopaths and psychopaths have long fascinated us. One of the reasons for this is that we wonder what we could accomplish if we were not burdened by that obstacle that is a conscience.

There are numerous examples of sociopathic personalities in literature. These include:

The Prince (1532) by Niccolò Machiavelli — the reader is urged to be sociopathic

Othello (1603) by Shakespeare — the character Iago

Macbeth (1606) by Shakespeare — Macbeth

Persuasion (1817) by Jane Austen — Mr. Elliot

Vanity Fair (1848) by William Thackeray — Becky Sharp

East of Eden (1952) by John Steinbeck — Cathy

Here are some books with sociopathic/psychopathic protagonists that I have reviewed, and one that I have written.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

My Review: Alex is an eccentric 15-year-old delinquent with a penchant for classical music and drinking milk. He and his fellow ‘droogs’ assault, rob and…(more)

The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson

My Review: Twenty-nine-year-old Lou Ford is a Deputy Sheriff from the West Texas town of Central City. Lou is a hard-working and simple character with a fondness for clichés…(more)

POP.1280 by Jim Thompson

My Review: Sheriff Nick Corey’s problems are mounting. There are the troublesome pimps, the nagging wife and mistress, and the forthcoming election that could see him replaced…(more)

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

My Review: American Psycho is a highly controversial novel that brought its author Bret Easton Ellis instant fame. The book is written from the perspective of a young Wall Street financier…(more)

Sepultura by Guy Portman

Publication Day – Thursday, January 11th – Dyson Devereux is a busy man, with a challenging new job at Paleham Council and a young son. He would be coping just fine were it not for crass colleagues, banal bureaucracy and…(more)

Jul 14 2017

I am pleased to announce that my fourth novel, Sepultura, will be released on Saturday, December 2nd. Sepultura is the sequel to the satirical, black comedy, Necropolis. It sees the return of Necropolis’s sociopathic protagonist Dyson Devereux. I will be revealing more information over the forthcoming months.

For a limited time only I am continuing to offer a free copy of Sepultura’s prequel Necropolis to everyone who signs up to my newsletter. Click here to do so.

Click here to see the 46 reviews and ratings for Necropolis on Goodreads.

A black comedy of true distinction

Dyson works for the Burials and Cemeteries department in his local council. Dyson is intelligent, incisive and informed. He is also a sociopath…

Here are a few snippets from Necropolis:

To look upon Irene is to stare into a looking glass, into a world of cheap retail outlets, suburban cul-de-sacs, Sky television itineraries, frozen Iceland trifles and Co-operative Funeralcare plans.

To my left a Lithuanian gravedigger idly picks his nose. To my right a mortician plays Sonic on his iPhone. Next to him a bereavement councillor’s afro-styled head lulls to one side. In the row in front a morgue rat, his head resting against his shoulder, snores loudly, a stream of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth.

Alice, not his real name, works in the mailroom. I call him Alice because he looks just like the ageing rocker, Alice Cooper. Like the real Alice he sports a mane of black hair and wizened, heavily lined features, but for record sales read envelopes…

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A Personal Update

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Sepultura Publication Day

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Sepultura Countdown

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Sepultura Front Cover Reveal

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Necropolis Has A New Blurb

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Sociopaths in Literature

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Sepultura

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