Red Light

by Malcolm Holt

Paula Laskey, a talented young singer, was the victim of a road traffic accident. As she lies in intensive care, unconscious and on life support, Martin Laskey has been informed that his daughter has officially been declared brain dead. The car driver claimed that Paula walked out in front of the car when the traffic lights were on green. He was lying and his friends who were in the car said the same. There were no independent witnesses who could contradict this. Sitting outside is drummer, Frankie ‘Slinger’ Wilson, who had been in a relationship with Paula. When Martin Laskey is forced to make a difficult decision, he takes desperate measures that will lead to Slinger facing his inner demons once again. As the story unfolds, Slinger embarks on a nightmare journey that will have consequences for the car driver, his passengers and ultimately himself. Once he has started that journey, there is seemingly no red light to stop him. Slinger knows that whatever the outcome of his actions, his life will never be the same again.

61 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 11, 2012

About the author

I left my native Yorkshire and moved to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1976. One marriage and four children later I am still there. No-one could ever accuse me of just passing through. During the 1990s I contributed regularly to ‘The Mag’, a Newcastle United fanzine, and I also had articles published in the ‘Sunday Sun’, a regional newspaper.
My first stab at crime writing came in 1998 when my novel ‘In the Nick of Tyne’ was published by Falcon Books. A few copies were sold but it has now become something of a collectors’ item. There may still be the odd copy lurking out there somewhere, if you can find one. My first real success at writing came in 2004 and 2005 with the football books ‘Magpie Memories’ and ‘More Magpie Memories’ respectively, both published by Breedon Books.
Late in 2010 I took very early retirement from the day job, working in community mental health, and decided to resume my love of writing. I had always been a fan of the crime fiction genre, so it seemed a natural direction for me. ‘Hard Drive’, my first book published on Amazon Kindle in February 2012, is a collection of six crime stories from Tyneside.
I will be publishing the crime novellas ‘27’ and ‘Red Light’ in 2012 as well as the humorous novella ‘Bulldozers and Dirt’, closely followed by two fun travel books, ‘Boots, Chaps and Cowboy Hats’ and ‘Fishing for Gators’. It will be a busy year.
I write for fun. I'd never make a living out of it.....

Reviews

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Joe Downing gets distracted whilst driving, causing him to shoot a red light and plough down a pedestrian, he, his girlfriend Yvonne Smith and back-seat passenger Ed Dawson immediately get embroiled in a series of incidents they won't forget in a hurry. The pedestrian is singer Paula Laskey - daughter of solicitor Martin Laskey and girlfriend of drummer Frankie "Slinger" Wilson - a character with a violent past. The consequences from the road accident unfold and Slinger is out to track down Joe, Yvonne and Ed to make them pay for their actions and lies.

This is a short but captivating crime/thriller story which leaves you wondering what choice Slinger actually DID make at the end of the book. It's one of those books that gets you hooked, and then leaves you "hanging" at the end - although I have drawn my own conclusions as to the outcome. Very well done, Malcolm - I look forward to reading some more of your literature.

[Kay Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A momentary loss of attention can change so many lives. It can also lead to a trail of revenge with serious consequences. A great read from the author of '27' and 'Hard Drive'. Keep them coming Malcolm.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the ending! very unexpected

[Lisa-Jaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crime Novella about the consequences of running a red light. Can't say much more without giving spoilers but well written and enjoyable.