Wrong Way Around

by Cal Smyth

You’re supposed to do the crime first, then go on the run. They did it the other way around…

Adrift in Tokyo, photographer Colin and hostess Linda hit if off - in a whirlwind of passion, they marry in Vegas and head to Mexico for a life of adventure. But when money runs low, they end up in London – grey skies and dead-end jobs turning their dream sour. Until an incident with Linda’s sleazy boss leads to a lucrative blackmail scam that reignites their passion...

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Cal has lived in Serbia, Japan, Mexico, Italy and the UK. He has met wanted criminals, dealt with visa scams and escaped NATO bombing. The Balkan Route & The Woman with a Bullet in Her Leg are part of his Balkan Noir series, published by Fahrenheit Press.

In 2015, he was awarded a Literature Wales Writers’ Research Bursary for The Balkan Route. Cal interviewed a police inspector in Belgrade and was assisted by a linguist with a bullet in her leg who provided insights into the Serbian underworld. He turned her story into a real-life thriller.

Cal has an MA in Screenwriting, teaches Creative Writing and Writing Media. In 2019, he was awarded a Royal Literary Fund Fellowship as an author to help university students with their writing skills.

Reviews

[Tim Prosser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read and put me in mind of the great Jim Thompson, very noir, but with a modern twist. The writing is pared down and lean and moves the plot along at a cracking pace. There’s nothing wasted here. The two central characters are not exactly likeable, quite the opposite, but fascinating especially the super vamp Linda. I think we’ve all come across a Linda at some stage in our lives and have the emotional scars as testament! The breakdown between both characters and mutual hostility was like watching a car crash in slow motion, and the crime spree added brilliant colour and was perversely humorous. The narrative is crammed full of sex, money and great observations on human nature. I particularly loved the travel arc: Tokyo, Mexico, and London, in an odd way it mirrored the emotional development of the characters. I really recommend this. I’m really looking forward to the writer’s second book to see where he goes from here.

[Aleksandar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping!!!