Currently farm fresh and still bursting with hot-off-the-press country goodness that visibly lowers your cholesterol. CONMAN – another comic thriller – was launched in June 2009. I’ve frankly lost count of how long it took to see the light of day. Can it really have been turned down by Random House (my original publisher) in December 2004? Blimey.
Well, long time or not, it finally arrived as a twist filled page-turning thrill a minute scam fest and a general celebration of everything trickstery.
I don’t know where my fascination with scams, swindles, set ups and switcheroos originated. Earliest recollection is of squirmy bliss filled glee watching Paul Daniels in his “Bunko Booth” on television as a boy. He was in a straw boater and lively waistcoatoon if I remember and it was all about balls n cups and aces up sleeves and matchboxes and silky handerchieves and I was transfixed.
Spent a great deal of my youth sat cross legged on my blue lino floor (parents thought lino was best, as I was into my “arts n crafts.” Lino stained with purply brown splodges – that colour only 400 different shades of plasticine pummelled together can make). And I would palm coins and hide cards and unwrap my Paul Daniels magic tricks – to be performed to the seasonal irritation of visiting uncles and aunts.
Magic eventually faded, but the fascination with the sleight of hand never went away and since then I’ve been a sucker for any movie or novel with a con, a heist or an audacious twist. This was my li’l tribute.
Conman was also my first, anxious, trembling, sticky fumble at losing my “event” virginity. And bless my soul, hold me’ back, bishop, if it weren't a roaring success.
When I was employed at Books Etc as events coordinator I was on the other end of more events than one could shake a show-card at (the plodding, chair-stacking, PA testing, dust-jacket flapping, queue wrangling side).
Gossipy aside: Authors who are an absolute joy to look after: Michael Palin; Jacqueline Wilson, Ainsley Harriot (in fact almost every TV chef is marvellous).
Some authors become unbearable by osmosis – they’re splendid upstanding unassuming types, but they are surrounded by “people.” So I’ve nothing against
Helen Fielding
Dick Francis
JK Rowling
Carl Fogharty
but their people are, frankly, twunts.
Anyhap, that’s a cul-de-sac. I had a “launch” event (ooooh, smell ‘im) at Borders on London’s Oxford Street. (Oooh, more gossip – apparently a shop no-more. Financially rodgered. A few weeks after my event. I’m almost certain the two events aren’t connected). Big crowd, I did an hour’s show and stormed it. Much fun.
Have since done another event for the nice people at Waterstones in Walthamstow. Click here for footage of the night
I also wrote m'self a fake website for the shop in the book to gain some pre-launch publicity. Read the reprinted comic-shop blog here
For news of an event near you (that’s irritating. Why can’t they be near me?) see the stand-up section of this site.
STOP PRESS!
Conman has been nominated for the CWA Gold Dagger Award 2010
Bloody hell.
What more of an excuse do you need? Read it, for Chrissakes!
A few words on...
Conman
The collected
ill-informed drivel
of
Richard Asplin
A few words on the subject
A few words on the subject
Click cover for a judiciously
cropped selection of reviews
Conman is the story of young Neil Martin, a kindly family man. A bit geeky, a bit nerdy. If you met him, you would assume he runs a failing comic memorabilia store in London's Soho. Which he does. In order to bail himself out of a huge stock-ruining, poster sopping basement flood, he needs to claim on his insurance. Which he would do - if he'd remembered to pay his premium.
Terrified of losing everything, Neil agrees to help Christopher - a passing confidence trickster - use his premises for a big sting...
So the con is on and Neil is introduced to the life of the grifter. The swaps, swindles and switcheroos. The colourful patter of marks, mitt fitters, cacklebladders and cold pokes.
But when Christopher's real target is revealed, Neil finds himself plotting, switching, swapping and scamming for revenge, for redemption. And for his life.
