Author Archives: richardcrompton

The Honey Guide – paperback launch!

Posted on June 18, 2013 by richardcrompton

The Honey Guide will be available in paperback in the UK from July 4th. The new edition comes with a new cover. What do you think?

Posted in ON WRITING | Tagged books, crime fiction, detective, detective stories, Honey Guide, Hour of the Red God, novel, The Honey Guide, writing | Leave a comment

Interview on KBC

Posted on June 12, 2013 by richardcrompton

My interview on KBC radio is now online. If you have an hour to spare, follow the link here…

Posted in KENYA, ON WRITING | Tagged books, crime fiction, detective, Honey Guide, Hour of the Red God, The Honey Guide, writing | Leave a comment

International reviews – India and Australia

Posted on June 10, 2013 by richardcrompton

The Honey Guide (US title: Hour Of The Red God) continues to gain attention around the world. The New Indian Express says it is an “outstanding debut that has all the hallmarks of an efficient police procedural… It’s also a … Continue reading →

Posted in NOVELS | Tagged Australia, books, crime fiction, detective, detective stories, Honey Guide, Hour of the Red God, India, New Indian Express, novel, On Writing, Sydney Morning Herald, The Honey Guide, writing | Leave a comment

Review by Khainga O’Okwemba

Posted on June 7, 2013 by richardcrompton

I was honoured to have The Honey Guide / Hour Of The Red God reviewed in The Star, Kenya, this week by the distinguished writer, Khainga O’Okwemba. O’Okwemba is president of Kenya PEN and a celebrated poet.

Posted in KENYA, NOVELS, ON WRITING | Tagged books, crime fiction, detective, detective stories, Honey Guide, Hour of the Red God, kenya, Khainga O'Okwemba, Maasai people, nairobi, publishing, The Honey Guide, writing | 1 Comment

Brand ‘Maasai’?

Posted on May 28, 2013 by richardcrompton

My novel deals directly with the issues facing the survival of the tribal identity of the Maasai people in a changing world. Today the BBC has a fascinating article about the concept of ‘Branding’ the Maasai name and image. “Those … Continue reading →

Posted in AFRICA, KENYA, ON WRITING | Tagged africa, BBC, East Africa, kenya, Maasai, Maasai Mara, Maasai people, Tanzania | Leave a comment

Review from UAE

Posted on May 26, 2013 by richardcrompton

The Honey Guide / Hour Of The Red God is getting attention worldwide. The latest review is from The National (UAE): “With a plot as full of twists as the Kenyan streets he describes, The Honey Guide has readers ensnared … Continue reading →

Posted in ON WRITING | Tagged books, crime fiction, Honey Guide, Hour of the Red God, The Honey Guide, writing | Leave a comment

Posted on May 21, 2013 by richardcrompton

This Saturday, 25th May, I will be chatting to Khainga O’Okwemba on KBC English Service Radio’s literary programme, The Books Cafe. Listeners in Kenya can hear it on 95.6FM and everyone else can stream it live here. The show starts … Continue reading →

Posted in ON WRITING | Tagged books, Books Cafe, crime fiction, detective, detective stories, Honey Guide, Hour of the Red God, KBC, kenya, novel, The Honey Guide, writing | Leave a comment

Review – Seattle Times

Posted on May 12, 2013 by richardcrompton

It’s a long way from Nairobi to Washington State, but the Seattle Times have got hold of a copy of Hour Of The Red God, and their review (an “absorbing and vivid debut”) is here. Check out all my other … Continue reading →

Posted in NOVELS, ON WRITING | Tagged books, Crime, detective fiction, Hour of the Red God, novel, review, Seattle Times, writing | Leave a comment

Arrived Down Under!

Posted on May 12, 2013 by richardcrompton

The Honey Guide has arrived in Australia! Here it is on the shelf in a branch of Dymocks, Sydney. Buy online here. Oscar & Friends in Double Bay and Surrey Hills have a staff review here. The Sydney Morning Herald … Continue reading →

Posted in NOVELS, ON WRITING | Tagged Australia, books, crime fiction, detective, Dymocks, novel, Oscar & Friends, Sydney, Sydney Morning Herald, The Honey Guide, writing | Leave a comment

The Honey Guide competition winner

Posted on May 12, 2013 by richardcrompton

A few days ago I asked for witty suggestions for Kenyan versions of classic books or movies. The prize: a signed copy of The Honey Guide. For example: Machakos To Do About Nothing Citizen Kenyatta The Kabarnet of Dr Caligari … Continue reading →

Posted in KENYA, NOVELS, ON WRITING | Tagged books, competition, kenya, The Honey Guide, win, writing | 4 Comments

Short Story: Below The Line

Posted on May 11, 2013 by richardcrompton

Here’s another short story. This one is a little different. I was interested in how the internet can allow a story to be told from multiple viewpoints in a non-linear fashion. To that end, I have recast a well-known tale. … Continue reading →

Posted in ON WRITING, SHORT STORIES | Tagged comments, internet, On Writing, Short Stories, writing | Leave a comment

Times Literary Supplement review

Posted on May 9, 2013 by richardcrompton

The Honey Guide (US title: Hour Of The Red God) has been reviewed in the Times Literary Supplement (subscription-only). I feel particularly honoured by this review as the writer is Natasha Cooper, aka NJ Cooper, the esteemed crime author. ‘Ever … Continue reading →

Posted in ON WRITING | Tagged books, crime fiction, detective stories, Honey Guide, Hour of the Red God, Natasha Cooper, NJ Cooper, novel, reviews, The Honey Guide, Times Literary Supplement, writing | Leave a comment

Housekeeping

Posted on May 8, 2013 by richardcrompton

I’ve updated my Reviews page to take account of the flurry of positive reviews which have greeted the launch of Hour Of The Red God in the US. And I’ve added an Interviews and Articles page. No prizes for guessing … Continue reading →

Posted in NOVELS, ON WRITING | Tagged books, crime fiction, detective, detective stories, fiction, Honey Guide, Hour of the Red God, novel, On Writing, The Honey Guide, writing | Leave a comment

Interview in BookPage

Posted on May 7, 2013 by richardcrompton

Hour Of The Red God is now published in the US! Get your copy from Amazon, or at any Barnes & Noble, or better still, from your local independent bookstore. BookPage magazine has run a short interview with me (with … Continue reading →

Posted in NOVELS, ON WRITING | Tagged BookPage, books, crime fiction, detective, detective stories, fiction, Hour of the Red God, novel, On Writing, United States, writer, writing | 1 Comment

Wall Street Journal review

Posted on May 4, 2013 by richardcrompton

Hour Of The Red God is reviewed in today’s Wall Street Journal (alongside the new John le Carré novel, which is a great honour). [T]his impressive novel is full of the indigenous sights and sounds we crave in such a … Continue reading →

Posted in ON WRITING | Tagged books, John le Carré, nairobi, United States, Wall Street Journal, writing | Leave a comment

Kurt Vonnegut’s Shapes of Stories

Posted on April 30, 2013 by richardcrompton

I’m a big believer in having a sense of the over-arching structure of your story. Graphic Designer Maya Eilam came up with this brilliant visual representation of Kurt Vonnegut’s concept that stories have shapes. You can see video of Vonnegut’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ON WRITING | Tagged books, infographic, Kurt Vonnegut, Literature, Vonnegut, writing | 1 Comment

Kenya in the NY Review of Books

Posted on April 30, 2013 by richardcrompton

One of the best primers on the present state of Kenyan politics–and a nuanced profile of the new president–is to be found in this NY Review of Books article by Joshua Hammer. In diplomatic cables from June 2009 released by … Continue reading →

Posted in AFRICA, KENYA | Tagged africa, books, International Criminal Court, kenya, Kenyatta, New York Review of Books, Politics, Uhuru Kenyatta | Leave a comment

Win a copy of Hour of the Red God

Posted on April 27, 2013 by richardcrompton

The crime fiction blog Criminal Element is running a competition linked to their review of Hour of the Red God. They have three copies to give away here. Good luck!

Posted in ON WRITING | Tagged books, Crime, crime fiction, Hour of the Red God, mystery, novel, United States, writing | 1 Comment

Review – Mystery Scene

Posted on April 24, 2013 by richardcrompton

A very positive review by Robin Agnew of Mystery Scene magazine: “This is a wonderful first novel, told with a clear eye for the setting and a poetic eye for character. I look forward very much to the next novel … Continue reading →