Head Boy

by Mark Wilson

A twisted novella from the author of Bobby's Boy and Naebody's Hero.


It's not easy being Head Boy.

Follow Davie Diller for seven days as he navigates his way through his turbulent life. A scheming bastard in and out of school, Diller screws, drinks, snorts, cons and kills his way through the Lanarkshire underworld and attempts to survive the attention of his local drug-lord, Hondo, who's less than impressed by Diller's growing debt and status; He's also having a busy week at school.

A brutal and wickedly funny novella inspired by The Prodigy's 'Smack my Bitch Up’ music video and by John Niven's 'Kill your Friends'.

Contains strong language and graphic violence throughout.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2013

About the author

Mark Wilson is the Amazon-bestselling author of ten works of fiction and one non-fiction memoir.
He also writes Psychological Thrillers under the pseudonym, CP Wilson.

Mark's short story 'Glass Ceiling' won first prize in May, 2015 on Spinetingler's Short story competition and will be included in Ryan Bracha's Twelve Nights at Table Six. dEaDINBURGH reached the quarter finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in 2014 and is a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, 2015.

Mark's works include:

Coming of Age - Bobby's Boy (Lanarkshire Strays).
Pyschological Thriller (Novella) - Head Boy (Lanarkshire Strays).
International Thriller - Naebody's Hero (Lanarkshire Strays).
Science Fiction Thriller - The Man Who Sold His Son (Lanarkshire Strays).
Horror novels - dEaDINBURGH: Vantage, dEaDINBURGH: Alliances, dEaDINBURGH: Origins, dEaDINBURGH: Hunted.
Satire: On The Seventh Day
Psychological Satire: Wake Up And Smell The Coffin
Autobiography - Paddy's Daddy

Mark also writes Crime Thrillers under the pseudonym, CP Wilson.

Mark's acclaimed Lanarkshire Strays series are standalone novels and feature Mark's home county. Lanarkshire Strays is also available as an omnibus edition.

His novels have been well received and feature Scottish characters and locations.

Mark has several other stories in progress:


Alice - A Psychological Crime Thriller - Due February, 2017
The Headnet - Sci-Fi Dystopic Nightmare - Due Easter, 2017
AMSTERDAMned - Horror - Due 2017

Mark currently teaches Biology in a Fife secondary school and is founder of Paddy's Daddy Publishing, a company he set up to assist Scottish authors. He writes in his spare time, in lieu of sleep.

You can visit Mark at markwilsonbooks.com or facebook.com/markwilsonbooks
You can also connect with Mark on twitter: @markwilsonbooks

Reviews

[Phil Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book.
My first Mark Wilson book....I love a good violent, sadistic main character and Mr Wilson provides us with an excellent one here in Davie Diller. ..son of a local copper, his life at school doesn't show any clue to the ruthless drug dealing killer who is challenging the local drug lord to be top dog in Lanarkshire...no one suspects a thing until a teacher decides to do a bit of digging round himself..I'm hoping there's more to come from our Davie

[Rory Costello · Rating 2 out of 5]

Certain books -- such as "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "A Clockwork Orange" -- have a sociopath as their central character. Yet they overcame this major central challenge and succeeded brilliantly. Patricia Highsmith and Anthony Burgess were breaking ground in 1955 and 1962, respectively. Highsmith managed to evoke an odd sort of sympathy for Ripley. Burgess accomplished a literary feat. "Head Boy" is not in this category, sorry to say.

It's by no means bad -- Mark Wilson writes skillfully. However, it just left me cold. I didn't find anything about Diller that engaged me, as opposed to Ripley. "Clockwork Orange" was flashy but also had depth.

[Book-shelf Shelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Mark Wilsons books and was eager to get stuck into this one. I certainly wasn't disappointed by this new piece of work, however I have to say I did find it slightly graphic in some places. Having said that it is totally warranted and justified, even needed for the story to come alive and be realistic.
The story is brilliantly written and gripping from the start, the action, drama and sense of unknown is evident on every page. Every word is believable and will have you questioning most people you know. Fantastic book and one i am very grateful to have read.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this gritty novel won as a Goodreads giveaway. This is the tale of English teacher and son of a copper Davie Diller who usually manages to "keep his inner b*****d under control". Gripping you by the throat this tale drags you through seven days of Davie's life unravelling, twisting and turning with to an absolutely gripping climax as he struggles to avoid the murderous intent of the local drug barons and the attention of Muffin, the police drug sniffer pooch. Horrific and hilarious in turn, an amazing read.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has taken me a while to get the time to read this, but I should have got to it a long time ago. Different to the authors other work but I must say I love it. Twisted, evil, dark but again with the power to pull you into the lives of the stars of this book. "Pure dead brilliant" we all know a wannabe Diller!!

[April Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a very clever book! I can't explain without spoilers, but trust me, this is a must read.

[Ryan Bracha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Davie Diller's adventures in crime are a filthy, violent and often downright nasty peek at a Scottish underworld. On the surface to the untrained eye Diller is a model citizen, son, and friend, but what lies beneath is a murderous, cold, calculated criminal with designs on taking the drug dealing world by the throat. He's given a week to raise a hundred grand for Hondo, an aging drug baron intent on eventually handing over his empire to his dopey son Lionel, but he sees Davie Diller as a very dangerous hurdle in the transition, and sets to make life increasingly difficult for him. Throw into the mix the overzealous and, pun intended, old school, teacher, Mr Bowie. Bowie is a man who seems to be the only person on Earth who sees Diller for the vicious thug that he really is, and sets about proving his theories to the world.

Diller himself is truly detestable in my opinion. But it really looks like it's mutual, he seems to hate any, and everybody around him, including you, and he doesn't care if you're upset by that fact. He descends upon you like a vampire, sucks any good thoughts out of you, and you end up rooting for him as he murders and shags his way around Lanarkshire without a second thought. This then, is down to Mark Wilson's skills as a wordsmith. His Diller creation is in equal measures compulsive and repulsive. You already know this by only a few pages in, you know what he's likely to do, but you want him to. Wilson humanises every other character in the book, even down to the bit players and extras, but with Diller he's created a monster. A cold, harsh, bastard of a character, who will not stop in his mission to succeed, and woe betide anybody that thinks to stand in his way, be they friend or foe.

Aside from this major point, what lies beneath this is a story of relationships. Most prominantly that between a father and son. Hondo, for all of his faults, is a devoted dad. So too is Davie Diller's policeman dad Douglas. Mark Wilson, from what I know of him, takes a great pride and joy in being a dad, and it shines through this work like a beacon. In the process he manages to humanise murderers and scumbags when he strips back the layers to simply that of a dad worrying for his offspring's safety and well being.

All in all, the content is stomach churning, the language foul, and the entertainment levels at an extreme high. Honestly, my advice is pick it up, and let Davie Diller drag you kicking and screaming into the depths of his damaged mind. Recommended reading.

[Sarah Faichney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Wilson is a cracking storyteller, with each book more satisfying than it's predecessor. I love that you never know quite what to expect and that he doesn't box himself into a certain genre, as he is clearly a skilled and talented author. It's great to read something which has local points of reference and for that I thank Mark, and also Des McAnulty (Life is Local), for putting Lanarkshire firmly on the map.

Davie Diller is an emotionally inept young man and a scary bastard. I think I quite fancy him! I was particularly pleased to see PTSD feature in the novel and be handled in a respectful and realistic manner.
I devoured the entire book in one sitting. This novella introduces a strongly drawn protagonist and an excellent supporting cast. Toe-curling acts of violence sit alongside laugh out loud humour in a style reminiscent of Brookmyre. Great stuff.

[Craig Furchtenicht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Head Boy had all of the key elements in place to make the perfect book for my reading tastes. Davie Diller, the dynamic anti-hero pulled my by the short hairs into a world of unsavory characters and dark situations. The main character pulls off the ultimate deception that even the most observant reader does not fully comprehend until the very end. I applaud Mark Wilson for his refusal to pull any punches and the courage tell the story in a way that a weaker-willed author probably would not have dared. From the violence that begets even more violence to the main characters own self-awareness of his deeply sociopathic tendencies, Head Boy made for one hell of a ride.
My only gripe is that Mr. Wilson owes me a few hours of lost sleep due to the fact that I could not put this book down at night.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are all at the mercy of our detachment from feeling. Desensitized to violence, to behavior that in reality is very different. The art of fiction being a carrier at times for subconscious mental illness in full graphic cartoon detail. This book is in a way brilliant but also lacks feeling hense it is a self realizing sociopathic reality of itself. Fast paced and hard hitting, humorous but in a sort of accidental way as it comes across at times more than a bit exaggerated for the sheer shock value of it. The story is graphic and imagination vivid. Characters are like a paint bomb in a can of soup. Detestable yet fascinating full hypercolour realizations of they're own worst fears. It feels a bit psychotic and pulls no punches. Not for the faint hearted!

[Keith Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very different from other Mark Wilson books I've read, not that that is a criticism, far from it. Head Boy is a hard hitting, at times chilling story about Davie Diller a head case if ever there was one. He's a sociopathic monster whose sole aim is to satisfy his murderous urges. What sets Head Boy apart is Davie comes from a good background, his father a copper, his mother a teacher.
It's very well written, engaging, sharp and graphically descriptive. The ending is well done too, absolutely not what you'd expect.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot tell you how excellent this novel is. Fresh, witty, original, brutal and funny. I was totally absorbed in the tale of our 'Head Boy' and his double life. On one hand, respected son of the local police chief and school teacher, on the other, a brutal up and coming drug baron. I really can not say anymore only that it really has to be read, if only for the superb twist in the tale. I have read three novels by Wilson and every single one has been completely different and completely brilliant!

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so far from anything id normally read, However i was engrossed quite quickly. The story is believable and has you wondering what will happen next, having lived in Bellshill i could picture this vile character and some of the others as they went around spreading misery to anyone they came in contact with. Mark writes with a realistic approach to the area and people living there he neither exaggerates or plays down the drug seen as it is in Bellshill and other areas in Scotland.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

All kinds of descriptive evil going on here, thanks to a sociopathic "head boy" who has his fingers in a lot of pies that he's struggling to keep under his control. It isnt jaw dropping,nail biting ,squeaky bum type material but I think I like it just enough to see where book number 2 takes us. Being Scottish myself means that reading it and hearing it in Central Belt 'ish accent can be quite comical as there's just no accent that's funnier than Scots. I'm looking forward to book number two.

[D A Devlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

Really good Scottish story with that twisted sense of humour, look forward to reading more from the author. Hope you enjoy

[barry lindfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trainspotting twit

If you liked Train Spotting then this is a book for you. A look at the underbelly of West Scotland drug trade.

[J.R.R.R. Arrtin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark anti hero based stuff - which I found really enjoyable.

Might be a little bit wrong, but in terms of reading pleasure, very right :-)

[Rowena Hoseason · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if… Trainspotting and The Wire had a sleazy one-night-stand? ‘Head Boy’ would be their illegitimate offspring. It’s a drunk and disorderly romp which wittily depicts Scotland’s decaying post-industrial urban environment and the area’s street-creeping, purse-snatching, drug-pushing lowlife inhabitants.

The central character – Diller – is snarkily smart, wickedly entertaining in his open acknowledgment that he’s a stone psycho killer with no good reason to be bad.

Diller maintains a squeaky-clean superficial exterior while gouging, maiming and manipulating his way past thugs and wiseguys. When he’s not snorting, stabbing or shagging, he’s keeping up appearances at school and with his parents – who couldn’t be nicer middle-class folks, a schoolteacher and a CID police officer…

A cast of credible supporting characters underpin the bitter-bleak humour and the cutting edge violence. Without lecturing or hectoring, author Mark Wilson sneaks insightful social commentary in parallel to the rasping savagery and devious dealings.

This is a raucous, rapid read which really clips along – and Wilson has the creative chutzpah to pull off a couple of utterly audacious writing stunts to boot.

The cracking dialogue has a convincing ring of north of the border authenticity. At first I was a little concerned that it’d all be written in dialect and slang, which gets old real fast, but the style soon settles into a comfortable rhythm. It never lets you forget where the action takes place but doesn’t unnecessarily interrupt the flow.

If I’ve one criticism of Head Boy, it’s that there’s a missing epilogue. The story starts with a wildly entertaining prologue, with Diller musing over his sociopathic disposition while waiting for an anger management counsellor. I’d really hoped the ending would feature Diller’s encounter with Colin the counsellor, but no such luck. And that felt a little bit like the story wasn’t quite finished.

Of course, it may well continue in another of the author’s ‘Lanarkshire Strays’ stories. There are three other separate tales, set in the same area but which break the crime-thriller boundaries to explore other genres. If you like the sound of Head Boy, then cut to the chase and grab the omnibus edition cos you'll definitely want more like this...
8/10

There's more about this and other thrillers over at
https://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress...

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Head Boy is a rollicking mash-up of a book, a head-on collision between American Psycho and Ferris Bueller’s Day Out. Set in the post-industrial wastelands of Scotland’s old steel belt, the author gives us vivid characters (the ex-steelworker turned drug kingpin Big Hondo is particularly memorable) and a relentless page-turning narrative with the kind of unpredictable and unconventional story-telling we’ve come to expect from the great HBO/AMC TV of the 21st century. A white-knuckle ride of a novel.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Novella, quickly gets you to like the characters (even when the are unlikeable), and draws you into the story. It hurtles along at a great pace to a climax, with a great twist at the end.

Well worth a read