FASCINATED to hear that JK Rowling has branched out into crime fiction with her wounded Afghan veteran turned private investigator Cormoran Strike.
Most striking was news that THE CUCKOO’S CALLING rocketed 156,000% in the Amazon chart after Harry Potter creator Rowling admitted she was the author of the book which was published in April under the name Robert Galbraith.
The book received positive reviews when it first appeared but it has only taken off since Rowling’s revelation. The newspapers are full of it. Twitter has gone crazy.
At least this proves that there are good books hidden away in the 1.5million titles offered by Amazon, waiting to attract attention.
Cormoran and my character Danny Lancaster have a lot in common. Both served in Afghanistan, Both were wounded. Both are trying to scrape a living as private investigators.
I can’t be sure but if I was a betting man I’d say Danny’s fees are cheaper. His books certainly are.
The Amazon ebook of The Cuckoo’s Calling is £8.49.
Danny’s debut – THE WRECK OF THE MARGHERITA – is currently 98p
DEATH SQUAD is £2 and the latest Danny crime thriller – ROUGH DIAMOND – is £1.98
Even though Danny and Cormoran are fiction, they both draw attention to life after combat. JK’s status will raise that even higher and it is a subject worth raising.
If only Danny could generate publicity like that…
Oh, did I mention my real name’s Bill Shakespeare?
