SEAT 97: wrong place, wrong time: the mystery of a very public murder
A man who had it coming, or mistaken identity?
People are finding their seats for a soul concert when a shot rings out. David Barron crumples to the floor. Next to him, journalist Nick Colton and his wife, Greta, step in to help.
The assassin quickly escapes from the building. Realising this might be the scoop of his life, Nick rushes after him.
Although the man evades him – perhaps a good thing, seeing as he is holding a gun – Nick is determined to find the killer. Despite the misgivings of the police.
So who was David Barron and why was he shot? Why was he holding the lethal ticket for Seat 97?
Can you work out the mystery?
This is a totally gripping standalone crime mystery set in London that will keep you guessing.
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Author Bio – Tony Bassett, a former Fleet Street journalist, has had seven crime novels published so far.
This latest book, Seat 97, introduces Nick Colton, a journalist who is swept up into a murder investigation. It is a standalone novel which may possibly lead to a series. The book is published by London-based independent publishers The Book Folks, who specialise in crime fiction.
Tony is best known for his Midlands series of crime novels featuring DCI Gavin Roscoe and DS Sunita Roy (Murder On Oxford Lane, The Crossbow Stalker, Murder Of A Doctor and Out For Revenge, all published by the Book Folks).
He first developed a love of writing at the age of nine when he and a friend produced a magazine called the Globe at their junior school in Sevenoaks, Kent. When he reached his teenage years, growing up in Tunbridge Wells, his local vicar staged one of his plays, about Naboth’s Vineyard.
At Hull University, Tony was named student journalist of the year in 1971 in a competition run by Time-Life magazine and went onto become a national newspaper journalist, mainly working for the Sunday People in both its newsroom and investigations department.
His very first book to be published, the crime novel Smile Of The Stowaway, was released in December 2018. It concerns a Kent couple who harbour a stowaway and then battle to clear his name when he is charged with murder.
Then, in March 2020, the spy novel The Lazarus Charter, was released. It involves foreign agents operating in the UK. The book has kindly been endorsed by Marina Litvinenko, widow of the murdered Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, and by Stan and Caroline Sturgess, parents of the innocent mother-of-three poisoned with novichok in Salisbury in 2018.
Tony has five grown-up children. He is a Life Member of the National Union of Journalists. He lives in South-East London with his partner Lin.
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My thoughts: this was a really interesting, fast paced and clever crime read. When the man next to him at the Royal Albert Hall is shot dead, chaos erupts, but smart thinking journalist Nick gives chase to the gunman. He ever gets a snap of the getaway car.
The story of a lifetime, or so it seems, as Nick carries out his own investigation, despite the police disapproval. He seems to be able to get a lot more information out of people – even though he’s a journalist, his proximity to the victim seems to make people willing to open up. He gets a lot more than the police do.
A second murder muddies the waters, the victim was also at the fateful concert, but Nick carefully untangles that one too. The police come across as a little bit slow, Nick’s finding the clues and answers on his own, and their whole team aren’t getting anywhere as fast. Luckily he’s a nice guy and shares his findings.
I really enjoyed this book, and could see it easily becoming a series. Nick’s a great protagonist, and clearly has a nose for investigating knotty cases.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 