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Jim McGrath

Goodreads Author

Born

Dublin, Ireland

Twitter

Jim McGrath@jimwba1966

Genre

Thriller, Crime, Suspense

Influences

Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler, Ian Fleming, Arthur Hailey, W.D. Win ...more

Member Since

May 2016

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Jim was born in Dublin and moved to Handsworth, Birmingham when he was five. From an early age he knew that one day he would write about his adopted home. After writing eight non-fiction books he wrote his first novel A Death in Winter: 1963 in 2015. He has written three further books in the Collins and Clark Series; A Death in Summer: 1965, Death in Spring: 1968 and A Death in Autumn: 1968.

Jim has plans for a further five Collins and Clark novels and a stand alone book featuring Agnes Winter set in 1941 during the Birmingham Blitz.

A lifelong supporter of West Bromwich Albion, Jim and his friends coined the Albion's unofficial motto 'They'll always let you down.' - AND THEY DO REGULARLY!

Jim is married with two grown up children, two grand ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Hi, I am a Leadership and Management Assessor up to Level 7 with ILM & CMI. I send your book out to all my students on course as a guide to assist their learning on the knowledge. This has been by far the best management theory book so far, easy to read and just enough information. I have the 2nd edition which has much more included. Will you be bringing out new editions of the other little books?

Jim McGrath Hi Cheryl,

Many thanks for your message. I'm delighted that you have found The Little Book series so useful for your students. I haven't got a new mana…moreHi Cheryl,

Many thanks for your message. I'm delighted that you have found The Little Book series so useful for your students. I haven't got a new management book on the go at the moment as I've been busy finding a publisher for my novels (Unashamed plug - If you like police thrillers check out A Death in Winter: 1963 which is available as an ebook now and a paperback from November 22. It's contains a wide variety of killings and jokes in it).

With the management books I usually need something to spark an idea then I check out if Pearson's think its financially viable. I don't have an idea at present but that might change tomorrow (If you have something in mind let me know). As for second editions that's always up to the publisher and they base their decision purely on sales to date. I've got to say I would love to redo and extend the Questions book.

If your students have to write a research project or dissertation you might want to take a look at Your Education Research Project Companion. Although I was required to have the word Education in the title the book is really about social research of any kind including management. It's also written in an interesting and novel way.

Finally many thanks for becoming a follower. I need all the friends I can get.

Best wishes,

jim (less)

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Jim McGrath I don't believe in writer's block.

There are many days when I sit down to write and have nothing in my mind except for the title of a scene. What happ…moreI don't believe in writer's block.

There are many days when I sit down to write and have nothing in my mind except for the title of a scene. What happens in the scene is a mystery to me and will forever remain so unless I start writing. It is only when I start to write that my mind can access the tacit knowledge that I hold in my subconscious. Here resides the half forgotten emotions, events, incidents, books, films, plays, conversations and dreams that are the raw materials of the writers craft.

Just staring at a blank page will not access this store of information you have to engage in the writing process. Give yourself permission to write a load of rubbish and then start writing. Pretty soon you'll find yourself in the zone and it is your characters and not you that are driving both the narrative and the conversations they are having.

Trust in the power of your subconscious and surrender to it.

Take care

Jim (less)

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Combine Editions
Jim McGrath’s books

Average rating: 4.21 · 151 ratings · 38 reviews · 40 distinct works

	A Death in Winter: 1963 4.43 avg rating — 54 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Death in Spring: 1968 4.55 avg rating — 11 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Death in Summer: 1965 (Collins & Clark Book 2) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Death in Autumn : 1968: A Collins & Clark Story 4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Little Book of Big Management Theories and How to use them liked it 3.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Your Teacher Training Handbook by Jim McGrath (Goodreads Author), Anthony Coles really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2010 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Death in Winter: 1963 (Collins & Clark Book 1) 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Your Education Masters Companion by Jim McGrath (Goodreads Author), Anthony Coles really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2015 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Boys of Ewald Park really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Your Education Leadership Handbook by Jim McGrath (Goodreads Author), Anthony Coles it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2012 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Jim McGrath's Blog

Return from the dead

Hi Folks,
Happy new year to you all. I hope you had as good a Christmas as Covid would allow.

I've not been well for about six months but I finally got to see a specialist and the the new regime of medication she prescribed is starting to work. One of the side effects of PSC is that as the liver starts to decline nasty stuff gets into the bloodstream and effects your brain. Thinking becomes foggy Read more of this blog post »

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Published on January 17, 2021 08:45

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Jim is Currently Reading

Jim McGrath is currently reading

Gone Girl

by Gillian Flynn (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Mar 25, 2017 04:50AM

Quotes by Jim McGrath (?)

“What he lacks in intelligence he makes up for with ego.”
― Jim McGrath, A Death in Spring: 1968

tags: crime-fiction, humourous, insult-to-intelligence, policemen, put-downs

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“Oh sod me, Sir, not another bloody Paddy. Even a Brummie is better than another Paddy.”
― Jim McGrath, A Death in Winter: 1963

tags: commedy-insults, crime, humour-life, police-thrillers

0 likes

“Last time I was on the welcome Wagon, I was holding some guy by the balls for 15 minutes while the inspector explained why should leave (Birmingham) and go home... It were really painful.

I bet it was.

'Yeah I got terrible cramp in me fingers, but he were very attentive.”
― Jim McGrath, A Death in Winter: 1963

tags: crime-fiction, humour, police-thrillers, work-banter

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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The Life of a Boo...: May 2016 Monthly Reading Challenge	61	266	Jun 02, 2016 04:07PM

Jim’s Quotes

“If Morrow worked with herself she'd try and sit a few desks away.”
― Denise Mina, Still Midnight

25 likes

“Don't go on holiday to Blackpool, it's fucking horrible there.”
― Denise Mina, Field of Blood

6 likes

“It was Lord of the Flies without table manners.”
― Denise Mina, The Dead Hour

2 likes

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
― Albert Einstein

tags: attributed-no-source, human-nature, humor, infinity, philosophy, science, stupidity, universe

148701 likes

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
― Oscar Wilde

177804 likes

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