Department 12

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I went and wrote another book.

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I originally conceived this Substack as a platform for my fiction writing. My first articles were movie reviews, which I’ve left up for posterity. It soon became apparent, as I wrote more about policing, the project (as envisaged) wasn’t really going to fly.

Well, it did. Sort of. Just not in the way I imagined.

I ended up writing for UnHerd. Turns out there’s an appetite for original policing commentary, which occasionally feels like live-blogging the Fall of Rome.

I still write fiction. I appreciate it’s not why the majority of people read this Substack, but some do. I keep my writing here free; In return, I humbly ask you endure a spot of advertising; I hope that’s fair enough. If you’re a thriller reader who’ d like to support the Dominic Adler Substack, it would be marvellous if you checked it out.

Since 2013, I’ve been published by indies and outfits like Lume. I’ve written for short story anthologies. I’ve self-pubbed three novels. Like most writers, I’ve received enough rejection emails to fill a virtual e-skip. I’m not regurgitating the ‘woe is me’ thing about how tough publishing is. Nobody asked me to write, after all. Yes, the market’s crowded. Yes, there are too many self-pubbed books. Yes, trad publishing can be impenetrable. I’m absolutely awful at the whole marketing side of self-pubbing. I’ll still keep writing though; like many writers, I can’t not write. It’s an affliction.

Here’s the blurb for my latest book, ‘Department 12.’

Allegra Page is found dead from an overdose of fentanyl-spiked cocaine, trafficked into Britain by the ruthless Albanian shqiptare. But Allegra’s mother is Olivia Page, the Home Secretary of a failing, bankrupted government.

Wracked by grief, Page learns of a secret unit. Department 12. Half-forgotten. A relic from Britain’s murky past. Department 12 is sanctioned to perform the unthinkable - extrajudicial killing.

And, if Olivia Page so chooses, she can unleash them on organised crime.

If she dares.

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I had lots of fun researching this one. I disappeared down an international narco-crime rabbit hole. And, if you’re a regular to my Substack, you’ll spot a few of my favourite topics; corruption, societal collapse, niche para-politics and back-stabbing politicians.

If I were asked to describe Department 12? I’d say it was dark and violent, but leavened with sardonic humour. It’s a hardboiled crime story meets revenge thriller, with ‘Slow Horses’ style espionage undertones.

Department 12 is available here, on Amazon (including Kindle Unlimited). I’ll be doing giveaways here with signed copies too, as I’ll eventually release the book on print-on-demand.

Cheers,

Dom

Thanks for taking the time to read this infomercial! Now, back to our regular programming…

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