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On The Table Read, “The Best Book Reader Magazine in the UK“, author Tony McHale describes Edge of Civilisation, his new thriller set in Bradford, West Yorkshire. It revolves around the disappearance of several teenage girls, all of which were living in care homes or in vulnerable situations. When two of the girls turn up dead, Detective Inspector William Wordsworth, the investigating officer, realises that they’re dealing with something he’s never encountered before – The Dark Web
Book Signing
Tony McHale’s book signing is at the Bradford Waterstones on 30th April 12-2pm. It is an open invitation so anyone can come along.
BAFTA Winning Tony McHale
Published on 26th April 2022, Tony McHale’s visceral thriller, Edge of Civilisation, is not only a compelling read but brings together the wordsmithing expertise the author has honed whilst writing for many of our favourite crime series including Silent Witness and Waking the Dead; and as a co-creator and executive producer of Holby City (for which he won a BAFTA).
Based in the author’s hometown of Bradford, the Dark Web takes centre stage in this well-conceived thriller, with the author taking the reader deep into the workings of this bleak world and those that haunt it.
A page turner that shocks and thrills in equal measure, Tony McHale’s main protagonist, the very relatable DI Wordsworth, literally jumps from the page with his unrelenting determination to solve the case. And whilst his tenacity costs him dear in this novel, he is most definitely a character that readers will be keen to meet again.
Edge Of Civilisation
Detective Inspector Wordsworth has been called in for an interview with the Internal Investigation Unit. They are making enquiries into his handling of Operation Clayton, an extensive operation originally sparked into life by the disappearance of fifteen-year-old Jodie Kinsella.
The case, while at first seemingly run-of-the-mill involving a runaway teenager, soon became so much more. It was immediately evident to Wordsworth and his partner DS Redhead that Jodie was just one of a number of teenage girls that are missing. If it hadn’t been for Jodie’s disappearance, then there would have been little chance that anybody would have ever seriously looked into the other missing girls.
Their detective work leads them eventually to three boys from wealthy, influential families who all attend a local private school and all had a connection with Jodie and the other missing girls. Do they have a teenage serial killer on their hands? And more importantly: if he can find the culprit, can Wordsworth even make a conviction stick in the face of institutional discrimination?
About Tony McHale
“Wordsworth’s pursuit of the abductors is relentless and ignoring a warning from the men he’s chasing; he suffers a serious personal tragedy. Edge of Civilisation is how Wordsworth feels as he goes deeper and deeper into the machinations of The Dark Web.”
Tony was born in Bradford, educated at Hanson Grammar School and then the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama. He worked extensively as an actor at various theatres including Birmingham Rep, the Belgrade Coventry, Chester Gateway, Chesterfield Civic Theatre, Q20 Theatre Company and Windsor Theatre Royal. Film appearances included A Bridge Too Far, That’ll Be The Day, The People That Time Forgot and The Rain. On television he appeared in a wide range of shows such as The Liver Birds, Terry and June, The Cost Of Loving, Chance Of A Lifetime, Game For A Laugh, Beadle’s About and Coronation Street (playing Ernie Bishop’s murderer). He was also a co-presenter on Sky By Day.
He went on to develop his skills as a stage director, responsible for such diverse productions as On Golden Pond, Laburnum Grove, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Rape of the Belt, Abigail’s Party, Bent, Verdict, The Three Sisters and several musicals including Skool’s Kool, Salad Days and Cabaret.
As a radio drama writer his work for BBC Radio 4 includes Still Life, No get Out Clause, Get It Off your Chest, Son From Soho, Overheard, Network and Dead In The Water.
Tony has both directed and produced dramas for television but is best known as a screenwriter. He has literally hundreds of hours of screen credits to his name. These include Silent Witness, Waking The Dead, Dalziel and Pascoe, Trial and Retribution, Murphy’s Law, Second Sight, Dangerfield, Perfect Scoundrels, Boon, Out of Hours, Saracens, All Change, EastEnders, Eldorado, Casualty, The Bill,Beech Is Back, plus his own thriller series Resort To Murder and Headless. Tony also co-created the long running series Holby City and was the programme’s Executive Producer, during which time he was the recipient of a BAFTA.
Tony has been involved in creating TV series in India, Dubai, Egypt, South Africa and New Zealand.
Recently he directed the stage musical All Or Nothing, wrote and directed a series of TV commercials and during lockdown wrote and directed a comedy thriller for the successful Zoom show WonderBirds.
He is currently working on new ideas for TV and film, as well as his stage productions of his spoof rock horror musical Bloodbath The Musical and a new stage play, Slow Train A-Coming.
His first novel, the thriller, Beck Le Street, is still available on Amazon.
Tony also has his own production company, Sanctuary Films, has lectured all over the world on screenwriting, directing and producing and is also the proud recipient of an Honorary Fellowship from the Rose Bruford College and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bradford.
Find more from Tony McHale
Published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, Edge of Civilisation (ISBN: 978-1-80378-002-3) is published on 26th April 2022 and is available in paperback (£10.99) and Kindle format.
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