About Derek
Derek Farrell has, since childhood, told stories.
Of course, back then they were called lies, and usually got him in to trouble, but nowadays his stories, humorous poetry and song lyrics are entertaining people from Kansas to Crawley.
Derek grew up in a small terrace close to the Guinness brewery in Dublin’s Liberties neighbourhood, where the smell of roasting hops alternated with the yeasty fermentation of the mash, and the cry of the seagulls was interrupted occasionally by the snorting of an escaped cow on the rampage from the abattoir at the bottom of the street.
To date, Derek has completed three novels. His latest novel is a contemporary Cosy-Noir mystery story called Death of a Diva. The book features his wonderfully human detective Danny Bird, and it’s been described as “Like The Thin Man meets Will & Grace via Ab Fab. In Bermondsey.”
Derek’s literary heroes include Agatha Christie, P.G. Wodehouse, Lawrence Block, Joe Keenan, Steven Saylor, Scott Fitzgerald, Jonathan Harvey, Doctor Seuss and anyone who actually drags their arse to the desk and writes, Goddammit!
His jobs have included: Burger dresser, Bank teller, David Bowie's paperboy, and eventually Investment Banker on the 80th floor of the World Trade Centre. Time in high finance, has given him an opportunity to observe people, to understand the persuasive power of language and to develop an insight into the workings of the criminal mind, whilst allowing him to live and work in Hong Kong, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Prague and London.
And all the time, he’s been telling stories.
You should get to know him.
Twitter: @derekifarrell
Here are my most recent posts
by Derek | Sep 20, 2019 | Reading, Reviews
I’ve a tradition around Christmas time each year. I don’t really know when it started; perhaps it was in childhood when I’d often get an anthology as a Christmas gift from an aunt or uncle who knew I was the bookish nephew, but didn’t really know what type of things I...
by Derek | Sep 13, 2019 | Uncategorized
There’s a reason why mother told us not to talk to strangers… Carrie’s best friend has an accident and can no longer make the round-the-world trip they’d planned together, so Carrie decides to go it alone. Violet is also travelling alone, after...
by Derek | Aug 30, 2019 | Uncategorized, Writing
The Danny Quadrilogy The Danny Bird Mysteries are set in Contemporary London, which I treat as both a real and a fantastic place. When I started writing the books I looked around for a part of London that I knew well enough to be able to sketch it, but I deliberately...
by Derek | Aug 16, 2019 | Uncategorized
Claustrophobic, brilliantly written, damn good page turner Framed. Imprisoned. Pregnant. Jenna thought she had the perfect life: a loving fiancé, a great job, a beautiful home. Then she finds her stepdaughter murdered; her partner missing. And the police think she did...
by Derek | Jun 15, 2019 | Uncategorized
…puts on best t-shirt. Awaits process servers. So last year my esteemed publisher Fahrenheit Press issued a T-Shirt celebrating Bloody Scotland. Bloody Scotland, apart from being something that English Torys call the country to the North, is one the Premier...