Insight – Page 83

In the wake of having recently reviewed the writing of others, and formatting for another writer, I thought it was time for a little self-indulgence.

My latest novel, Amsterdam Calling, was born from a simple idea. Knowing that I had visited Amsterdam several times, I was asked by a friend to describe the city and some of its many attractions.

I developed the plot from there.

In a similar style to some of my other work, I used two main characters to create an interactive partnership from early on in the tale.

Dan is an investigative journalist from the UK, who, for reasons that rapidly become apparent, feels the need to, ‘lie low’ for a while.

Crystal is a fashion designer from the USA, but her heritage lies in the Netherlands. She flies from Chicago to New York to attend the reading of her father’s will, and is handed two letters by the family lawyer. Crystal decides to visit Europe for the first time, to find her roots; in Amsterdam.

The two travellers meet at Amsterdam Airport, Schiphol, and continue the journey to the city together.

As Crystal starts to uncover her family’s history, she realises that her distant relatives were heavily involved in the Dutch Resistance movement during the German occupation in WWII. A neo-Nazi extremist group takes a keen interest in the American, and they stalk her.

While touring the city with his new acquaintance, Dan discovers that as a result of his recent revelations in a Sunday newspaper, somebody has been tasked with bringing him to account, and not in a good way.

As the story develops, the reader is taken on a tour of many places of interest, in and around Amsterdam, including some of the finest museums in the world.

I delayed publication of the book for over a month, whilst I awaited permission from certain establishments to use their copyrighted names. I think it was worth the wait, and now as sales get underway, I await my first reviews.

Why not sample the beginning of the story on Amazon.co.uk, or Amazon.com …

This story is a humorous and satisfying read for both sexes. In my opinion, when you strip away the genre, there are three types of fiction: bad, good, and believable. Heather Hill has created here one of the most believable, funny and heart-warming tales I’ve read in a long time.

As a writer, I read a wide range of genre, and I am critical of various aspects of the writing. In this uplifting tale, the reader is treated to good imagery, natural dialogue, superb characterisation, sense of place, and a plot that will make many honest men and women do some soul-searching.

We get to know the main character Bernice through excellent first-person point of view narrative. She is attractive, but isn’t gorgeous, and she is witty, but doesn’t do a stand-up routine. She is a mother. She is honest to a fault and has hang-ups about her personality and body as she goes into her 40’s.

It’s natural to think of characters like ‘Shirley Valentine’ and ‘Bridget Jones’, but Bernice is a combination of those two – on a particularly good day.

I use email and telephone calls for added depth in my own work, so for me, the inclusion of Facebook entries was insightful, and they are hilarious. Although porn is the poison in the relationship, it is dealt with tastefully – no pun intended.

Bernice’s love for her husband knows no bounds – or does it? That is the question posed early on, but through great writing, it isn’t answered until the end.

For me, this tale ticked all the boxes, and I rate it five-star.