An adrenaline-fuelled ride – a compelling glimpse into a life spinning out of control.

‘A gritty fast-paced urban tale about three teenagers who steal a car – it crashes and changes their lives forever.’

Scroll down to read an extract from SPIDER

*********************************************

LATEST NEWS

look out for ……

DEAD BOY TALKING

(Pub 21 June 2010) ISBN: 978 1905537-20-4

a new novel by Linda Strachan

Josh has twenty five minutes left to live.

Yesterday he stabbed his best mate and now it’s happened to him. Lying alone in a pool of blood Josh hasn’t much time to think, but there are things he can’t get out of his head.
Where is Skye? What happened to his missing brother? And how did he end up like this? As his life slips away the events of the last twenty four hours start to look very different…

Review of Dead Boy Talking

*************************************************************

SPIDER

Shortlisted for the RED BOOK AWARD and  on the long list for the Catalyst Book Award and the  Lancashire Book Award

REVIEWS for SPIDER
Herald - Fast paced and uncompromising

The Irish Examiner - A triumph of teenage fiction.
In Spider the author skilfully juggles the voices of three very different teenagers – Spider, Andy and Deanna in a pacy, touching story that never palls ….. the Run – ie racing through a narrow alley in a stolen car – and the consequences of that, are what bind the story in a compelling, insightful intertwining of credible characters.

The Scotsman –
You can almost hear the wheels spin, smell the tyres burn.
When the accident happens it’s with a sickening inevitability. We then share the thoughts of the main characters as they await recrimination and attempt both physical and mental recovery. Spider believes it’s entirely his fault for drawing others into his web. Strachan, however, allows the reader to see a bigger picture of leaders and their followers.

Armadillo - Linda Strachan is such a compelling writer.

*****************************************

Extract from SPIDER

How did I get here?
Dreams..? Nightmares more like.

My life was sorted. Well, I thought so – I was pretty stupid. Ducking and diving here and there, thieving – just small things, twocking the odd car for a Run. A real peach of a girlfriend – rich too – and I had a reputation as a bit of a hard man.What more could I ask?
Some might say I got exactly what I was asking for and maybe they’re right.
I just don’t know or care any more. Thought I was so clever; but you can’t hide from some things and when your nightmares come true….
I had one last night. A nightmare. I didn’t sleep much, so it must have been in one of those moments when you just drift off. But it was so bad I woke up screaming silently, shaking and sweating, tears streaming from my eyes, not sure where I was.
But that’s probably not surprising, is it?
It was shadowy and dark in my nightmare and I was looking at Deanna. She was crying and I couldn’t get her to stop. There was something in her arms but she wouldn’t let me see it. Her hand was covering it and when she lifted her hand for a moment it was dripping with dark red blood. She started yelling at me.
“See what you did, Spider!” I wanted to shout back that I didn’t do it; I didn’t mean it to happen.
I wanted to tell her that I was sorry, so sorry….

Purchase

(UK) Order from Amazon.co.uk
Also available in book stores

published by Strident Publishing