Press

Reviews and features on fiction, essays, and other work by Nicholas Litchfield.

Review of When The Actor Inspired Chaos and Bloodshed by Nicholas Litchfield appears in BBC News – South Yorkshire; Blackpool Gazette; Burnley Express; Lancashire Post; Lancaster Guardian; The Star; Wigan Today (Wigan Observer and Wigan Post); and Yorkshire Evening Post.

Borrow the Night / The Fifth Caller by Helen Nielsen (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) reviewed in Booklist and the Lancashire Post.

Review of Lowestoft Chronicle issue #4 at Library Journal.

Review of Swampjack Virus by Nicholas Litchfield in the Blackpool Gazette; Bridlington Free Press; Burnley Express; Chorley Guardian; The Clitheroe Advertiser and Times; Fleetwood Weekly News; Garstang Courier; Lancashire Post; Lancaster Guardian; Leigh Observer; Leyland Guardian; Longridge & Ribble Valley News and Advertiser; Lytham St. Annes Express; Pendle Today; Pocklington Post; The St. Helens Reporter; The Visitor; Wigan Today.

Starred review of Nobody Lives Forever/Tomorrow’s Another Day (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) in Booklist.

Review of An Adventurous Spirit: A Lowestoft Chronicle Anthology Edited by Nicholas Litchfield in Kirkus Reviews and Seattle Book Review.

Review of Intrepid Travelers: Lowestoft Chronicle’s 2013 Anthology Edited by Nicholas Litchfield in the Lancashire Post.

Review of The Tooth and the NailThe Wife of the Red-Haired Man by Bill S. Ballinger (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) in Bookgasmand  Martin Edwards’ Crime Writing Blog.

Reviews of Rage At Sea / A Party Every Night (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) in Bookgasm, Paperback Warrior, Crime Time, and Wisconsin Bookwatch.

Review of Other Places Edited by Nicholas Litchfield in Wigan Today, the website of the Wigan Post, and the Wigan Observer.

Best-selling author James Reasoner reviews Other Places (Nicholas Litchfield, ed.), Intrepid Travelers (Nicholas Litchfield, ed.), and Lowestoft Chronicle issues #13, #17, and #56 at Rough Edges.

Review of Invigorating Passages Edited by Nicholas Litchfield in the Burnley Express.

Review of Portrait in Smoke / The Longest Second by Bill S. Ballinger (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) in the Lancashire Post, and Wisconsin Bookwatch.

Review of Lowestoft Chronicle at Austrian national radio station FM4.

5-star reviews of Lowestoft Chronicle issue #10 and #26 at The Review Review.

Reviews of Lowestoft Chronicle issue #6 and #11 at Newpages.com.

Reviews of The Baby Doll Murderers / Killer Take AllFrenzy by James O. Causey (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) in Paperback Warrior and GeorgeKelley.org.

Afar magazine ranks Lowestoft Chronicle #1 on its list of best free travel journals.

Review of Devil May Care / Sinner Take All by Wade Miller (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) in Bookgasm.

Review of A Place to Pause: A Lowestoft Chronicle Anthology Edited by Nicholas Litchfield in Kirkus Reviews

Review of Stairway to an Empty Room / Terror Lurks in Darkness by Dolores Hitchens (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) in NB.

Review of Footsteps in the Night / Beat Back the Tide by Dolores Hitchens (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) in Bookgasm.

Review of Woman of Cairo / Dear, Deadly Beloved by John Flagg (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) in Bookgasm and GeorgeKelley.org

Review of The Lover / The Mistress / The Passionate by Carter Brown (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) in Bookgasm and NB Magazine.

Review of Steal Big / The Big Caper by Lionel White (Introduction by Nicholas Litchfield) in Bookgasm.

Review of The Big Grab / The Savage Breast by John Trinian (Introductions by Brian Greene and Nicholas Litchfield) in Crime Time FM podcast.

Reprint of my interview with Mark Jacobs (from Lowestoft Chronicle issue #51) by Peace Corps Worldwide.

Blurbs:

When The Actor Inspired Chaos and Bloodshed offers a suspense-filled and yet humorous look at the stressful demands of film-making through the lens of fame-hungry artistes, zealous directors, and everyone caught in the crossfire. It’s a red-hot treat for book lovers looking for a refreshingly different take on the international thriller. Pulsating with danger and menace, and infused with sharp-edged English humour, this excellently exotic adventure is the literary equivalent of a made-for-Hollywood big screen delight!”
—Pam Norfolk, Yorkshire Evening Post

“Fans of edge-of-the-seat thrillers filled with exotic settings, non-stop action, and a cast of ambitious artistes battling fears, egos, insecurities, and daily disasters, will relish Nicholas Litchfield’s pulse-pounding novel, When The Actor Inspired Chaos and Bloodshed.”
—The Star

“Litchfield’s intense and topical drama sizzles like charred meat over hot coals, eventually erupting into a massive blaze of mesmerising chaos. Amidst the thrills and spills, readers encounter a cast of well-defined characters whose actions and voices manage to rise above the risible film script.”
—Lancashire Post

“An excellent analyst of noir writing, Nicholas Litchfield has now written a terrific mystery novel of his own. Hessman’s Necklace combines the impeccable plotting of The Maltese Falcon with the canny post-modernism of Chinatown. In it, a flawed ladies’ man, an enigmatic beauty, and an acquisitive man of the cloth join a hunt for an artifact that exposes fault lines of corruption and perversion in 1950s America. Suspenseful, savvy and self-referential, Nicholas Litchfield’s Hessman’s Necklace soon will be added to the canon of enduring noir novels.”
—Laurence Klavan, Edgar Award winner, librettist of Bed and Sofa

“Ray Stokes walks the meanest streets of noir territory in Nicholas Litchfield’s Hessman’s Necklace. But those streets soon become a cursed, corrupt path as he is sent by his boss to steal a valuable necklace. It should be a simple assignment, but when Stokes encounters it around the neck of a woman as hard as the diamonds themselves, his descent into darkness truly begins. A cracking great read!”
—James R Benn, author of The Phantom Patrol

Hessman’s Necklace is an engaging romp through a time of stylish noir, the late 1950s, an era of wise guys, whiskey, and wild women all tangled up in crimes that often turn violent. The cars are fast, the talk is tough, the guns blaze. Nicholas Litchfield lovingly recreates an atmosphere in which tough guy Ray Stokes, jaded crook and cocky ladies man, gets more than he bargained for. He is out on the road, on the hunt for a valuable necklace last seen around the neck of a beautiful woman. Will he get what he’s after? Meantime, what – or who – is after him? This gripping story is well worth the read.”
—Mark Jacobs, author of A Handful of Kings and Stone Cowboy

“A fast-paced, well-plotted and gripping 21st century espionage thriller…Litchfield paints a pitch perfect portrait of a delightfully offbeat US spy who bucks the trend by coming out of the heat and into the cold. Swampjack Virus, with its ironic undertones, charismatic cast and nail-biting suspense, takes us on a high-speed, rollercoaster journey from the opulent colonial lake houses in New York State to the slate-grey industrial towns and bleak back lanes of England. Don’t miss the all-action adventure…”
—Pam Norfolk, Lancashire Post

“Bond fans take notice: With Swampjack Virus, Nicholas Litchfield has penned a fast-paced spy-guy thriller filled to the brim with suspense and old-school intrigue. Swampjack Virus will leave readers shaken, stirred …and thirsty for more.”
—Matthew P. Mayo, Spur Award-winning author of Stranded and Tucker’s Reckoning

Hessman’s Necklace is a fast-paced enjoyable read. I pictured the anti-hero Ray as what a young Philip Marlowe might have been like, if Marlowe was hungover, had fewer moral scruples, and had turned his skills to crime instead of detective work. We can’t really approve of his behavior, but because Ray’s target is other even-more hardened criminals, we urge him onward as he narrowly avoids one disastrous situation after another. Like Marlowe, he takes punches, literally and figuratively, and keeps on getting up, and we root for his luck to hold. Danger is never far away, and there are taut scenes of violence and impending violence. An America, not so far in the distant past, but culturally distinct from today, is evoked in gritty streets, diners, and seedy motels. I won’t give it away here, but trust me, the ending is fraught with suspense and surprises.”
—Robert Garner McBrearty, author of A Night at the Y and The Problem You Have

“Swampjack Virus possesses all the qualities of a classic thriller. It is taut, intense and engaging from start to finish. Litchfield gives us a tale well worth our time.”
—Michael C. Keith, acclaimed author of The Next Better Place

“How did I not know about the Lowestoft Chronicle? If you’re late to this travel and literary parade as well, check out Nicholas Litchfield’s superb online journal specializing in all things to do with travel, literature, and the overlap between these life-nourishing activities.”
—James R. Benn, acclaimed author of the Billy Boyle World War II mystery series

“Once again, editor Nicholas Litchfield, an English-born author who lives in Western New York, has put together an entertaining compendium of original and amusing travelogues, poetic reflections, and tales of far-flung adventure that range from science fiction and fantasy to mystery and crime, offering something for all tastes.”
Blackpool Gazette

“I’m delighted that a place exists for this kind of travel writing. Nicholas Litchfield has put together something very special, something to celebrate, enjoy, savor.”
—Jay Parini, internationally bestselling author of The Last Station and The Passages of H.M.

“Other Places is the latest anthology of stories, poems, non-fiction, and interviews taken from the Lowestoft Chronicle, the excellent on-line literary magazine founded and edited by Nicholas Litchfield. If you’re interested in literary fiction, I highly recommend the Lowestoft Chronicle, and Other Places is a great sampling of the sort of work you can find there. Lowestoft editor Nicholas Litchfield always asks interesting questions and puts together a fine on-line magazine of fiction, poetry, and writing-related features.”
—James Reasoner, bestselling author

“Armchair travelers, rejoice! Editor Nicholas Litchfield has released Lowestoft Chronicle‘s anthology for summer 2015, Other Places. The stories and poems vary in tone from dead serious to delightful whimsy, offering something for every taste.”
—Mary Beth Magee, Examiner.com

“Editor Nicholas Litchfield has once again done admirable work in selecting and presenting a memorable miscellany of fiction, nonfiction, and verse that beckons to literary travelers and leads them onward from one entertaining stop to another, smoothly mixing the temptation to linger with the desire to race ahead and see what is next on this intriguing journey.”
—Timothy J. Lockhart, author of Smith and Pirates

“Critic Nicholas Litchfield’s introduction, “The Gangster Novel Writer Who Was Shot with Luck,” provides an engaging look at Burnett and his work.”
—Connie Fletcher, Booklist (Starred review)

“The stories, poems, and essays in Nicholas Litchfield’s latest anthology, Grand Departures, are haunting, idiosyncratic, and unexpected, like the true delights of travel.”
—Ivy Goodman, award-winning author of Heart Failure

“Very happy to be included in the latest Lowestoft Chronicle. This, their summer issue, number 42, is filled with all kinds of quirky fiction, flash, poetry, and non-fiction mixing humor with travel, or is it travel with humor? I swear I’ve witnessed both in this life! I salute Nicholas Litchfield for seeing this fine online journal into print quarter after quarter.”
—Marc Harshman, Poet Laureate of West Virginia

“This is a fine anthology that I found both provocative and enjoyable. Highest praise: it made me want to write short stories again.”
—Luke Rhinehart, internationally bestselling author of The Dice Man

“A refreshingly original collection of sharp tales. In this new collection, editor Litchfield presents a selection of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and interviews about journeys. Overall, it’s entertaining, varied, and clever writing.”
Kirkus Reviews

“If you still aren’t sated by this literary banquet, tuck into Litchfield’s incisive and enlightening interviews with three critically acclaimed, multitalented writers. Other Places is the perfect holiday destination, offering truly original locations, a cast of unforgettable travellers, some fun-filled outings, and plenty of local colour.”
Lancaster Guardian

“Litchfield’s entertaining and gritty novel reads like a 1970s car-chase shot with a handheld camera, full of jolts and scrapes and Technicolor chaos.”
—Adam Berlin, author of Belmondo Style and All Around They’re Taking Down the Lights

“A cinematic page-turner about Hollywood gone by, movie-making, and a throwback to a golden era of hard-boiled stories of noir and shadows, questionable morals, devious sins, and the unforgettable characters that made that world their own.”
—Christopher Cosmos, bestselling author of Once We Were Here and Young Conquerors

“Author Nicholas Litchfield holds nothing back in this edgy romp… Ceaseless action and witty dialogue whip the reader through Dominic’s crazy life at a cyclone pace as the weeks of shooting unreel and the director assures Dominic that he has that ineffable “star quality” (if he only survives). Wounds, copious blood loss, and bruises both real and faked by the makeup artist blur together in this unrelenting peek into filmmaking hell.”
—Linda Boroff, screenwriter of Murder in Fashion

“This tale of a down-on-his luck actor, so desperate for work that he accepts to play the male lead in a film directed by a well-known sadist, is fast-paced, violent and horrifying. It’s a made-for-Hollywood novel that testifies to the author’s familiarity with the conventions of movie-making and his ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats. I couldn’t put it down.”
—Mary Donaldson-Evans, author of Madame Bovary at the Movies

“A refreshingly different take on international thrillers. Litchfield makes the most of his South American setting in this cinematic page-turner that will keep you engrossed to the very end.”
—Timothy J. Lockhart​​​​, author of Smith and Pirates

“Take ambition, greed, and a dash of corruption and mix them thoroughly on a movie set. Place it in a hot climate until boiling, and you will have the recipe for Nicholas Litchfield’s entertaining novel.”
—Sheldon Russell, author of the Hook Runyan Mystery Series

“Litchfield, a British-born journalist and magazine editor living in Western New York, is a regular crime and thriller book critic who has contributed to more than twenty volumes of classic noir and mystery novels from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. This is his second international thriller and features a preposterously good-looking and unapologetic rogue whose quest for stardom is just as disastrous and inept as his hammy acting.”
—Burnley Express