Adam Croft

Although Brits are likely to know what I mean by the term ‘Marmite book’, those from other country may not have a clue what I’m talking about. This is where this link will help you. It seems my début novel, Too Close For Comfort, is causing something of a stir on the internet. Aside from being the number 1 Amazon best-seller and a top-ten best-seller on many other stores including the Apple iBooks store, it seems to have polarised opinion quite drastically.

Pleasingly, there are those who love the book. At the time of writing, there are six five-star ratings and four four-star ratings on Amazon, all with wonderfully kind comments about the book. I’ve also had numerous emails from people I don’t know who have taken the time to find my contact details on the internet and tell me how much they enjoyed reading the book. This has made me incredibly proud and more than a tad emotional on a few occasions. I have even received financial donations from strangers and readers who thought the book was well worth paying for, and many of the donations were greater than the cost of a trade paperback. The world is full of lovely people.

Unfortunately, the world is also full of people who don’t like the same things as other people. That is what makes the world go round. Personally, I hate Marmite. You may love it. Naturally, there are also people who hate my book. With almost 10,000 sales under its belt, it wasn’t entirely unexpected that I would get a few duff reviews as well. (I’ll let you in on a little secret: I make no bones about the fact that I don’t like the book. It’s nowhere near my best writing, which is why I’m busting a gut to get the next one out as soon as possible.) Much of the criticism, ironically, has been about the exact same aspects of the book as the greatest praise. That signifies to me that the plot isn’t factually weak, the characters aren’t factually stereotypical, and the writing isn’t factually simple. These are simply opinions, and no single opinion is any more valid than the other. The fact that many people love all of these aspects is no more true than the fact that there are many who hate them.

Of course, there are those who are somewhat scathing about a book for which they’ve parted with no money, but that’s another story for another day. The fact of the matter is that everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am refreshingly pleased that all criticism of the book has been purely based on opinion, offset by even more people who have loved the very same aspects which have received criticism. One man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure. There are those who said the writing was simple. Yes, of course it’s simple; it’s a crime thriller, not a romantic love epic set in seventeenth century France. The praise I’ve had for the simple, fast-paced style has been wonderfully encouraging. Again, no one opinion is more valid than the other. Some people think it’s wonderful, and some people think it’s drivel. Both opinions are completely valid and none more true than the other. I’m proud to be a polarising writer, doing something different and bringing pleasure to a lot of people instead of writing the same flowery dross which fills every I’ve-been-on-a-creative-writing-course author’s books on bookshelves all over the world. Style and form are important, and there is no right way to write.

The fact that so many people have loved the book is hugely encouraging and I would like to personally thank each and every one of you. You’ve made a man incredibly happy and proud. And to those who dislike Marmite and Too Close For Comfort, it’s a shame it’s not your style of book and I hope you will take a look at my second book, Guilty as Sin, when it is released in the coming weeks. Personally, I think it takes a completely different thread and expands in so many ways which the teaser-book of Too Close For Comfort didn’t. All criticism has been taken on board and used to craft a much better second novel. Of course, that’s just my meaningless opinion

EDIT: Although reading reviews is always enlightening and encouraging, I very much like hearing directly from readers. Please do get in touch via Twitter, Facebook or email. All details are on this site.

My book, Too Close For Comfort, has been out for some time now so I thought I’d update you all on the progress so far. Sales have been really encouraging – particularly for a self-published book; the eBook version alone is selling at the rate of a copy or two every hour. Paperback publishing has been taken up by Amazon who will be offering it direct through their warehouses in the coming days with a new ISBN and distribution to libraries around the UK. Reviews have been very encouraging, too:

“This book makes for a truly great read. The characters of Knight and Culverhouse keep you riveted as they try to solve a murder mystery which will keep you guessing until the very end. They are gritty, real to life characters which the story allows you to feel close to, then takes you in another direction altogether with its witty one-liners and dark humour. I love how this story kept me gripped, especially the gruelling twist, which you won’t see coming. I can’t recommend this enough.”

“I really enjoyed reading this book. The dynamic between the central characters of Knight and Culverhouse is great, and there’s a good cast of supporting characters that really add to the depth of the story. The plot is fast-paced and packed with action, including a killer twist at the end I genuinely didn’t see coming. Great stuff.”

“A good thriller – the main character grew on me as the story developed and there were some good one liners.”

“This book makes for an excellent read. The plot line is thrilling and it kept me in suspense the whole time. The characters were interesting and all had great qualities. I would definitely read it again.”

Readers will be pleased to know that I’m already working on the second instalment of the Knight & Culverhouse series, with the next novel due later this year. It’s shaping up to be a rather juicy, in-depth book – probably about four times the size of Too Close For Comfort.