A wonderful romp through the British countryside! Written in a unique style of British humour at its best, Lord David had me laughing out loud at every line!

A wonderful romp through the British countryside! Written in a unique style of British humour at its best, Lord David had me laughing out loud at every line!

Chris Thrall is the author of 'Eating Smoke: One Man's Descent into Drug Psychosis in Hong Kong's Triad Heartland' - a memoir

As someone who has written about his own experience in this manic metropolis, I was delighted when fellow author Mike Smith forwarded me a collection of short stories he'd been working on along with the polite request `If you enjoy reading them, would you mind providing a quote for the book cover?' Did I enjoy reading them?! I thought they were thoroughly intriguing, well-written and humorous too. Moreover, I felt these long-awaited vignettes of Hong Kong life during the expat days would deservedly prove an instant smash with anyone with an interest in this enigmatic and endearing enclave ... and eleven weeks and counting as a Number 1 bestseller speaks far more than I can. But here is my humble addition to this insightful and engaging account:

"... Former policeman Mike Smith has done the Fragrant Harbour proud, weaving rich threads into the all-too-sparse tapestry of existing expat literature. Exquisite opium pipes, `un'-stolen bicycles, big-business bluffs and bar girls who are not quite what they seem - not to mention a generous lubrication of Scotch - `In the Shadow of the Noon Day Gun' will have you laughing aloud, hastily turning pages and saying to yourself `Only in Hong Kong!' ..."

Chris Thrall is the author of `Eating Smoke: One Man's Descent into Drug Psychosis in Hong Kong's Triad Heartland' - a bestselling memoir.

What a stunning debut by an all-round talented individual.

The synopsis: a young and beautiful Marti MacGibbon is set to make it big on the LA comedy circuit, indeed already has an appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson lined up and ready to thrust her into comedy gold with the likes of Barr, Belushi and Pryor - but the exact same qualities that make a candidate for genius see her exploring the `other' side of life, namely the narcotic underworld and a drug called crystal meth. In short, it's a sidetrack that sees Marti on a substance-fueled quest to understand who she really is before tapping into the rich vein of her potential and her unique, witty and far-out personality.

The book begins with a gripping portrayal of her sex-trafficking at the hands of the Japanese Yakuza criminal organization, a terrifying yet matter-of-fact account that is in itself material for a whole book. From there, the story weaves through a cameo of interesting, dubious and often downright dangerous characters and locations as Marti's attempt to find herself gradually spirals to an all-time low.

One particular line in the book - and I won't cite it as I don't want to spoil it for the reader - is a promise that she makes to her daughter. It had tears pouring down my face, as I understand the journey Marti went on and the belief-in-self that an individual must possess to make such a declaration having come home from a personal war that most others will never understand.

Full credit to an amazing person, an accomplished author, one who has managed to laugh all the way up from rock bottom. Thank you.

Chris Thrall is the author of `Eating Smoke: One Man's Descent into Drug Psychosis in Hong Kong's Triad Heartland'- a memoir

What can I say? Not much when I'm gobsmacked - which is why I'm glad I've got a keyboard to speak for me. First off, I'm not the kind of reader to buy a book in this genre - not that I'm choosy or judgmental, I just normally read real-life stuff about blokes stuck halfway up a mountain with only a Swiss Army Knife to keep them warm, or hostages chained to a radiator in Beirut. When I came across `Forever Sunshine' in an internet forum and it rang bells with my interest in social issues - domestic violence, child protection, crystal meth (I'm a community worker) - I decided to give it a punt ... and I'm so glad I did. I rate my authors on how much they make me detract from day-to-day life and disappear to my reading space (propped up on one arm in bed, nine o'clock being a far more engaging read than ten o'clock) and this book had me retiring at every opportunity. In a nutshell, Cherisse, a young, pretty and hard-working student with bills to pay, realizes that she is out of her depth when faced with dealing with her sister's abusive husband and the sociopathic violence he unleashes upon his family without hesitation. In steps Sergeant Brandon Nicholson, a cool, calm and pragmatic young police officer who is completely unphased by the abuser's threats and who does a good job of both protecting and supporting Cherisse - and her sister - and hiding his romantic intentions towards her. With wonderful descriptions of Brandon's clean pressed shirts, alluring cologne, and their meetings over coffee, I wasn't quite sure which character I was most enamored to - just brought back all those feelings of the relationships I had as a young man serving my country! The plot was so true-to-life with its twist and turns and in-depth narrative, that having finished the book I felt compelled to email Collette Scott and congratulate her on what an experience she had gone through and survived - she told me it was FICTION! What?!!! What incredible writing for a first-time author! And when reading the last line in the book I think that someone must have been peeling onions or smoking Camel or something because my eyes got all kind of watery ... for the ending of all endings! Thank you, Collette Scott!

Chris Thrall is the author of `Eating Smoke: One Man's Descent into Drug Psychosis in Hong Kong's Triad Heartland' - a memoir

Beneath this awesome book cover lies a stunning debut by talented author, Zachary Black. In `Body Bags and Shallow Graves', full-time stoners and social dropouts Tom and Flaco - South London's answer to Cheech and Chong - find themselves way out of their depth in a hilarious and intelligent plot that twists and turns sharper than any British gangster film. Rizlas, roaches and raves; boozers, beer and body bags; dodgy dealings and drugs - lots of drugs - this book is for anyone who's ever known a guy, who knows a guy, but wished they hadn't ... and it's exceptional!

Chris Thrall is the author of `Eating Smoke: One Man's Descent into Drug Psychosis in Hong Kong's Triad Heartland'- a memoir

What a talented debut by this stunning new writer. As a former commando and avid reader and writer, I thoroughly enjoyed ploughing through these well thought out snippets of war, so much so I felt I was in each scene. And, there is so much more to each cleverly put-together scenario than you think - but I'm not going to spoil it for you! Next book, please!

Chris Thrall is the author of 'Eating Smoke: One Man's Descent into Drug Psychosis in Hong Kong's Triad Heartland' - a memoir.

When a beautiful and determined Clea Myers sets out to make it big in Hollywood, you know something deep inside her just ain't quite right, and it's all credit to her as she bravely forays into the unknown in an attempt to balance and make good her new life.

In a town noted for its superficiality and juxtapositioning of rich and poor fused with the downright extreme, Clea's adventure immediately sees her fluctuating between two different lives, and what follows is a fascinating and candid exposure of her descent into Hell.

Addiction is an insidious beast at best, addiction to crystal meth is a journey to the edges of the human existence and sanity with incidents that are nigh on impossible to recount to those who haven't been there. Clea Myers has, and she's had the tenacity to come back and blow us away with this well-written memoir.

Chris Thrall is the author of 'Eating Smoke: One Man's Descent into Drug Psychosis in Hong Kong's Triad Heartland' - a crystal meth memoir.

Having come out of a long stretch in Britain's most vile penal establishments, Harry Shaw is one hell of a bloke - no thanks to the outdated Victorian punishment meted out to the interesting yet socially excluded characters in this cleverly laid-out memoir. It's due to the belief invested in them by the former participants, staff and, eventually, the prisoners themselves making up the RAPt - the Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust - program.

This book blew me away from the first page. I wasn't sure what was on the cards and what I got I never could have expected. Following a brief introduction to prison life that reads like the TV series `Porridge' before playing out like a scene from the film `Scum' the book begins with a series of hilarious yet depraved anecdotes of crime committed by a host of colourful criminals, the likes of whom, if you haven't come across similar types in person, you'll relate to from numerous British gangster films, both serious and farce.

There is Roland and Mackey - the `Clever' Brothers - a couple of heroin-dependent scammers whose comical attempts to fund their habit show you how not to commit crime. And Terry, a middle-aged pot-bellied comedian and wideboy, who after his daily intake of twelve pints, half a bottle of cognac, a Ruby Murray, ten pills and a good few lines of Charlie, regresses back to the belief he can still jiggle it on the dance floor and impress the women. The list goes on, and as I said - with a sad undercurrent and some distressing societal truths - it's both corrupt and comical. You might find yourself thinking, `Why are we being introduced to these artful dodgers?' And I won't spoil it for you. However, I can say that as the story flicks back inside the manky walls of HMP and these busted individuals start to appear in Harry's wonderfully descriptive narrative as it heads towards some serious soul-searching, you start to appreciate what a well thought out, astutely written and balanced book this is.

Chris Thrall is the author of: `Eating Smoke: One Man's Descent into Drug Psychosis in Hong Kong's Triad Heartland' - a memoir.

I had the pleasure of meeting author Shannon Young in the country she is passionate about - China! - so I wasn't at all surprised to find the memoir of her Beijing Olympic experience as delightful as she is. As with most folks, I've watched the Olympic opening ceremonies and subsequent athletic prowess from the comfort of the couch, always wondering what it would actually be like to be there in person witnessing such a seminal moment in the participants, supporters and supporting cast's lives. Now I know! And I thank Shannon for that. I also thank her for her passion for travel, her astute writing, for being an incredible ambassador for the USA, and for ratifying my experience of China, i.e. that the people of Beijing are extremely helpful and friendly, receptive to westerners, and not at all austere as you might believe from the Media. NEXT BOOK PLEASE!

Chris Thrall is the author of 'Eating Smoke: One Man's Descent into Drug Psychosis in Hong Kong's Triad Heartland' - a memoir.