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

Dead is Good by Jo Perry – review

Dead is Good by Jo Perry – review

Dead is Good Jo Perry Fahrenheit Press 9/July/2017 In most fiction, the death of the protagonist would be the end of the story, but in Jo Perry’s Charlie & Rose series (previously ‘Dead is Better’ & ‘Dead is Best’) it’s the starting point for a series of books...
Strike A Pose

Strike A Pose

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hqh7lwaNKw&t=9s I watched Strike a Pose – which is available on Netflix now – twice this week, and cried both times. I found it both heartbreaking AND inspiring, the sadness coming from the idea of people not quite...

Death of a Devil – Week One

Well hey there. It’s been a while. What have you been up to? Me? Oh, I wrote a book. Another book. I think – save for a post celebrating Danny’s first birthday –  I last posted here when I was in South Africa last October. That was the week I started work...

Not The Booker Prize Long Long Longlist

  OK, this is huge news (for me). I’m on the Long long (long) list for the Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize, and it’s the first time I’ve ever been on a good list, as opposed to one of those “People we’ll round up when our day comes” ones. I am genuinely excited....

Christmas is Heaven

  Christmas is my favourite holiday; a way to banish the darkness, celebrate the sheer excess of life, and remember – with tears and smiles – the times and people past. Our house fills with memories and memorials at this time of year, and with the...