"Paying the Piper" - New out today.

I loved Hamelin's Child when I read it.  Now here is the sequel - brand new out today. 

 Michael is piecing his life back together after his time spent as a rent boy. But it's hard and although he's been clean of drugs for months, the nightmares are still too real and he can't come to terms with Lee's death and Eddie's impending trial.

Sometimes other people's troubles can seem easier to deal with. When Michael meets Amanda at the cashpoint, it's a chance to focus on someone other than himself, and finding Amanda's missing husband and baby may just be his salvation.

But the shadows of his past won't let him go. The bank account they've set up for him is full of easy cash and Eddie's old boss Carl can help Amanda. And suddenly Michael is in deeper than he ever imagined possible.

This psychological thriller is a sequel, set six months after the events in Hamelin's Child and contains adult material.

http://www.amazon.com/Paying-the-Piper-ebook/dp/B00B7SBWPQ/

Hamelin's Child: 

Michael Redford died on his seventeenth birthday – the night Eddie picked him up off the street, shot him full of heroin and assaulted him.

Now he’s Mikey and he works for Joss. With streaked blond hair and a cute smile, he sleeps by day and services clients at night. Sometimes he remembers his old life, but with what he’s become now, he knows there is no return to his comfortable middle-class background.

Then he makes a friend in Lee. A child of the streets, Lee demands more from friendship than Mikey is prepared to give. But the police are closing in on them now and Mikey’s not sure anymore who he really is – streetwise Mikey or plain Michael Redford.

Hamelin’s Child was long-listed in the UK Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award. A thriller set in the seedy world of London's drug rings, this book contains strong scenes and adult material.

My review for Hamelin's Child:
written some time ago:

One of the most utterly gripping books I’ve ever read. It made me angry what happened to Michael. It seemed so shocking – but when I thought about it, getting a girl addicted to drugs has been a favourite method of pimps to acquire girls for many, many years. It is not new because Michael is male. Yet it seems so much more shocking. 

I was with Michael all the way.  Hamelin’s Child is an extremely good book.

and another review: 

review: A Strong Story From a Strong Writer, March 29, 2011

By 

Mike M "Reading Fool" 
Amazon Verified Purchase,  This review is from: Hamelin's Child (Kindle Edition)

 Hamelin's Child is an outstanding read. I came across the title in a forum discussion and was interested enough to download a sample, and from that decided it was worth the purchase. I started reading it the same day and didn't stop until it was finished. The story is about a 17-year old boy who falls into the clutches of a couple of villains who drug him over a period of weeks and force him into homosexual prostitution. There is some explicit sexual activity in the book, but not for the sake of being lurid. It is critical to the plot as the protagonist (Michael/Mikey) slowly loses touch with his former self and his addiction takes control of his life. While the subject matter is dark, Michael is a character you will care about. Even as he makes unwise choices and immerses himself in the very lifestyle he hates, he manages to hang onto his soul. DJ Bennett is an excellent writer, and she does a wonderful job fleshing out her characters, especially Michael and his sister, Mary, who never gives up on her brother even as her own life veers off course. The author resisted the temptation most writers have to wrap everything up in a pretty bow at the end, but I still find the conclusion satisfying. If you like a bit of rawness in your reading as I do, I highly recommend this book.

Other very good stories available as ebooks, and cheap.


Well,  I was about to recommend two other books by an excellent author. Indie published, and very reasonably priced - 'Plague'  and 'The Ultimate Choice' by Lisa Hinsley.


But  -  if you have not bought them yet, you will have to wait.  This is what is on her Amazon author page:

Lisa C Hinsley's career has been varied, working as an architectural technician, a pet sitter, a pharmacy supervisor and most recently a carer/companion for elderly ladies, all the while writing when she can. Born in Portsmouth in 1971, Lisa grew up in England, Scotland, and America. She now lives on the Wirral, in northwest England, with her husband, three children, and four cats. Her hope is not to be thought of as the American cat lady, but some things are just inevitable.

Lisa's novels Plague and The Ultimate Choice have featured regularly on the UK Amazon bestsellers charts and are soon to be rereleased in the USA by publishers Simon & Schuster.

             I knew she was a great writer! 

http://www.amazon.com/Lisa-C-Hinsley/e/B003E2VRCG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

She has two other novels still available - you'd best buy them quick before Simon and Schuster grab them as well.  The major publishers tend to charge far higher than Indie publishers for ebooks.