There are a number of interesting aspects to Laurence O’Bryan’s debut thriller, THE ISTANBUL PUZZLE, not all of them related to the novel’s plot. For starters, the back cover of the ARC I’ve been sent tells us that O’Bryan is ‘the second writer to be discovered through the Authonomy programme’. It’s also the first book I’ve ever seen to mention an author’s Twitter followers, claiming over 13,000 on behalf of @LPOBryan (as it happens, the number is now in excess of 15,000). The emphasis on marketing capacity is further enhanced by the fact that THE ISTANBUL PUZZLE has its own book trailer and a number of story-related puzzles for readers to solve. All in all, it’s an impressive set-up for a debutant writer. But what of the story itself, I hear you yodel. Well, the blurb elves have been wittering thusly:
Buried deep under Istanbul, a secret is about to resurface with explosive consequences … Alek Zegliwski has been savagely beheaded. His body is found hidden near the sacred archaeological site of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. When Sean arrives in the ancient city to identify his colleague’s body, he is handed an envelope of photographs belonging to Alek and soon finds himself in grave danger. Someone wants him dead but why? Aided by British diplomat Isabel Sharp, Sean begins to unravel the mystery of the mosaics in the photographs and inch closer to snaring Alek’s assassin. Evil is at work and when a lethal virus is unleashed on the city, panic spreads fast. Time is running out for Sean and Isabel. They must catch the killer before it’s too late. An electrifying conspiracy thriller which will entice fans of Scott Mariani, Sam Bourne and Dan Brown.So there you have it. Is Laurence O’Bryan the Irish Dan Brown? Only time, that notoriously doity rat, will tell …
Meanwhile, if you’re in the mood for a taster, you can read the first chapter of THE ISTANBUL PUZZLE here …
3 comments:
Declan - a confession
Thanks for mentioning The Istanbul Puzzle. I must admit I was as surprised as you are that Harper Collins mentioned my Twitter followers on the proof copy as well as comparing me to Dan Brown in the Amazon blurb! Imagine!
My Twitter problem is obvious. I've actually come to enjoy it and spend far too much time Tweeting. Sob! It is a reckless confession I know, but unfortunately I've always had a tech addiction and have yet to get the cure.
As for marketing efforts I must confess here too that I got tired after 12 years of writing and getting rejected and decided to embrace the dark side. Commercial fiction is what I write now and I hope some day to earn enough to make a living at it.
Whether I succeed only time will tell, as you rightly point out, and the odds are stacked to the roof, but I'm going to put it out there on the way and leave the hiding in the garret to others.
Perhaps the writing should be enough, but I know John Grisham toured bookshops for years pressing his books into people's hands, so I have no shame in doing the same in the digital age. Does any one disagree? Should Irish writers embrace the tools of commercial fiction or disdain them?
Are you a writer if you have no readers?
Hi Laurence - Maybe the tone of the piece was off to you, but I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with any aspect of your book, marketing included. More power to your elbow, sir, and I hope the book gets a fair wind when it arrives.
Cheers, Dec
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