‘Russian Roulette’ by Keith Nixon

Published by Caffeine Nights Publishing,
17 November 2014.  

Konstantin Boryakov has just arrived in Britain - in Margate, to be precise. When he tries to ask the way to his digs, Dave the Rave and his thugs try to mug him; his new landlord is less than welcoming. They are soon very sorry ...

This series of short stories stars Konstantin, who is more like  a force of nature than a character, unstoppably able to take down anyone stupid enough to tackle him. He has an ex-wife and daughter in Britain, although his daughter doesn’t know him, and his ex-wife has no idea he’s here; he also aquires a side-kick in the curvy shape of Fidelity Brown, aka Plastic Fantastic, dominatrix with a past, and the spiky relationship between them is one of the delights of this book. Unfortunately it cuts short in the middle, as the author moves from a connected series of stories (the first four, two-thirds of the book, run on together) to three stand-alones; in Infidelity we catch up on Fidelity’s past, and the last two star Konstantin alone, with Close Contact showing an incident from his past, and A Chorus of Bells giving his present. The dialogue is wonderfully sharp, the violence is inventive, and the jerky prose brings Konstantin’s thoughts to life.

A hard-hitting gangster noir for those with a wry sense of humour.

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Reviewer: Marsali Taylor

Keith Nixon has been writing since he was a child. Keith is currently employed in a senior sales role for a UK based high-tech company.Keith writes crime and historical fiction novels.
His crime novels are published by UK based indie house Caffeine Nights. Keith's highly regarded black comedy crime debut, The Fix, garnered much critical acclaim and was followed up in November 2014 Russian Roulette where the enigmatic, ex-KGB tramp, Konstantin Boryakov got his own platform to cause trouble and mayhem again. Konstantin I'm Dead Again - was published May 2015. You can find Keith on various social media platforms:

Twitter: @knntom
Facebook: Keithnixonauthor
Blog: keithnixonauthor.blogspot.com

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland's scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland's distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.  Marsali also does a regular monthly column for the Mystery People e-zine.