Former Herald journalist Michael Davies celebrates the release of his latest thriller
A FORMER deputy editor of the Stratford Herald is celebrating the release of his latest thriller.
Thin Ice, by Michael Davies, is the newest instalment in a trilogy of novels featuring the protagonist Bill Kemp – described by bestselling author Jeffrey Deaver as “part James Bond, part Philip Marlowe and all hero”.
After subjecting Kemp to a host of trials in the Australian desert with his last book, Outback, Michael now transports him to central Europe at the height of the Cold War, where Kemp is introduced to the dark arts of espionage on the front line of the Iron Curtain.
A lifelong fan of bestselling thriller writer Desmond Bagley, Michael celebrates the author’s legacy with this new adventure featuring his protagonist Kemp. Michael completed Bagley’s first Kemp novel Domino Island for publication nearly 40 years after the author’s death.
He said: “It’s been a real pleasure putting Bill through a new set of challenges – physical, mental and ethical – in an environment that’s very different from his last adventure. I really wanted to put a toe in the water of spy thrillers, and the 1970s setting allowed me to explore some of the rich territory that people like John Le Carré and Len Deighton wrote so brilliantly – as well as Bagley himself, of course.”
The novel is released by HarperCollins on 24th October.
Publisher David Brawn said: “Witnessing Michael’s transformation from editor to novelist has been an absolute delight, with his debut Outback capturing the trademark sophistication and thrills of an original Desmond Bagley book, as well as demonstrating that he has much to offer as a storyteller in his own right.
“Continuing the series with his breathtaking Thin Ice, which is even more ambitious – and dare one say filmic? – was one of the easiest publishing decisions I’ve ever made.”
Michael added: “In writing Outback, I got the chance to create an original novel featuring a Desmond Bagley protagonist. It proved such a joy for me that I really wanted to explore the character further in a setting that would challenge him in different and compelling ways. I’m thrilled to have been invited to complete a Bill Kemp trilogy, especially as his latest foe comes in the form of a Cold War adversary with a whole new set of obstacles to face.”
Since leaving newspapers, Michael has written for the stage, screen, print and online. His debut play won a national playwriting competition, and subsequent work includes the book and lyrics for Tess – The Musical, an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles, which had a workshop production at the RSC’s Other Place.
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