In A Town Called Paradox - just published
IN A TOWN CALLED PARADOX is a novel set in the 1950s when the Big Five Hollywood studios descended on small-town Utah to film their blockbuster movies.
Their presence shook up the lives of local residents, changing them in ways that were far stranger than anything put up on the big screen.
Early reviews of In a Town Called Paradox
"There are so many rich strands to this story, and such diverse characters... The book is well researched, well written, and I loved it. It grabbed me and didn't let go... I wholeheartedly recommend it. Five stars." – Barbara W, NetGalley reviewer
"From the first page, the characters and their story take hold of you. In A Town Called Paradox is a beautifully crafted novel that has the propulsive energy of a bestseller. Five stars." – Chris Fortunato, Amazon reviewer and former editor at Berkley Books, Bantam Books and Crown
"The characters are well-developed and three-dimensional. The writing is outstanding... vividly descriptive. When the threads of the story are woven together, they create a wonderful saga. I enjoyed the book immensely and was sorry to see it end. It will stay with me a long time. Five stars." - Daina Brown, NetGalley reviewer
"I was fascinated by the history of Hollywood studios filming in Utah, and I really enjoyed - and had my heartstrings tugged by - the well-developed characters. Four stars." - Paula Boon, NetGalley reviewer
"I enjoyed this book so much. It asked some very interesting questions and I pondered on them a lot. Very Well Done! Four stars." – Patricia F, NetGalley and Goodreads reviewer
"I was captivated by the opening of the book... A very satisfying read. Four stars." - Maryann Miller, NetGalley reviewer
"Three lives intersect... The convergence seems unlikely, but authors Murcutt and Starks pull it off successfully. Four stars." – Reviewer 415900 on NetGalley and Goodreads
"I enjoyed this book… a love story overall. I loved the setting and time period. Four stars." – Jamie I, NetGalley reviewer
"I found the characters inspiring as many of them overcame adversity and loss… There were several great bits throughout the book and I enjoyed reading it." – Alexanderia K, NetGalley reviewer
Reviews of our other books
Click on a RED title for photographs and more information - or (better still) click on a cover to buy the book
A TRUE STORY of high adventure, cultural conflict and political intrigue - set against the mystical background of pre-Chinese Tibet.
"The story is marvelous, a page-turner for readers enamored of true-life adventure tales..."—Climbing magazine.
"A well rendered story, with plenty of twists..."—Kirkus Reviews.
"Absorbing…"—Publishers Weekly.
"An entertaining and well-written book..."—National Geographic Adventure.
"Very well written and an easy read for a rainy day."—Steve Dietrich, Vine Voice reviewer.
"The best book I read this year… This one I will reread."—Gisela Hausmann, author and blogger and Goodreads reviewer.
"A work of scholarship as well as an excellent read."—Asian Affairs.
"The authors tell this engaging tale clearly and skillfully… an incredible true story."—Midwest Book Review.
"Superb… could not put it down... unique and engrossing, with a wealth of detail... Outstanding!"—The RebeccasReads eZine, which gave Lost in Tibet its 'Best in History' award.
"This will keep you reading when you should be asleep."—Laurence Murphy, Amazon reviewer.
"This is a 'must-read'… a true adventure in high and unexplored lands."—Amanda Daflos, former Director, Special Projects, International Mountain Explorers Connection.
"A fine story of courage and diplomacy…"—Booklist.
"Fascinating…"—Losang Gyatso, artist and actor in Martin Scorsese's film, Kundun.
"A well-written and interesting tale... a good story."—Associated Press.
"This is a book that will stay in my memory for years to come!"—Lois G Kemerer, Amazon reviewer.
"This story drew me in right from the beginning…"—Tamdin Wangdu, Executive Director, Tibetan Village Project.
"Well told and easy to read…"—MyShelf.com.
"Would make a good action film..."—Daily Camera.
AN ILLUSTRATED ACCOUNT of a journey the authors took along a strange river in Venezuela called the Casiquiare.
"A pocket-sized delight, full of complex and delightful characters… with easy-flowing prose."—The List.
"This is adventure-travel writing in the grandly eccentric British tradition…"—Amazon review by ealovitt, Hall of Fame Top 100 reviewer.
"Effective story telling…"—Boston's Weekly Dig.
"I love this book…"—Sandy Dhuyvetter, Executive Producer and Host of TravelTalkMEDIA.
"Great read…"—erakor, Amazon reviewer.
"Five out of five stars… an unforgettably vivid travelogue."—Midwest Book Review.
"Bravo to authors Richard and Miriam…" – Goodreads reviewer.
"What a read! Keeps you turning the pages…"—Bonnie Neely, Editor, Real Travel Adventures International and Top 1,000 Reviewer on Amazon.com.
"An excellent book to add to your traveler's library…" – Vera Marie Badertscher, A Traveler's Library website.
"Fulfilled all of my criteria for interesting travel stories…" – Goodreads reviewer.
"Wonderfully entertaining… an extremely intelligent book, very well written… a stunning account that's nearly impossible to put down."—RebeccasReads
"A fast read and a packable companion…"—Daily Camera.
"One of our 'Books to Read before You Travel to the Amazon' - Holbrooke Travel.
"Five stars…very interesting!" – Goodreads reviewer.
"A must read… that swept me away."—Adventure World magazine.
"An excellent overview of what to expect when venturing out as an explorer…" – Goodreads reviewer.
"Enjoyable and informative and so much beyond the travelogue one might expect… it's creative non-fiction, it's literature, it's history, it's geography. And it's cracking good fun."—January magazine, which gave the book its 'Best of 2009 Non-fiction' award.
"Absorbing…"—World Literature Today.
"Vivid storytelling, intriguing metaphysical diversions and beguiling questions about the risks of adventure travel…"—Chris Doyle, AdventureTravelNews editor.
"Compelling… five stars." —Amazon reviewer.
Money Doesn't Talk, It Kills
A FAST-PACED crime thriller about money and the twin emotions, fear and greed, that most often surround it.
"Well-written, hard to put down..." – Amazon reviewer.
"Five stars." – Richard Miller, Goodreads reviewer.
"A pearler of a story… very enjoyable read." – writer 2050, Amazon reviewer.
"Very interesting story, well written, hard to put down… fast-paced… realistic plot and dialog. Makes for an entertaining evening read..." Eric G, Amazon reviewer.
"The story takes you on a wild ride… A great airplane book." – Amazon reviewer.
"Five stars. A very well written white-collar crime thriller book… never a dull moment… exciting scenarios… great set of unique characters, settings … could also make great white-collar crime thriller movie, or mini TV series." – Tony Parsons, Goodreads reviewer.
"Could not put it down... can't wait for the author's next book." – Amazon reviewer.
"Very enjoyable read." – Amazon reviewer.
"The book was fast-paced…" – Sharon, Goodreads reviewer.
"A perfect read for a long plane ride... compelling." – Amazon reviewer.
"A good read." – Amazon reviewer.
"The excitement accelerates in Richard Starks' easy read… – Amazon reviewer.
"A perfect read for a long plane ride or a rainy summer day at the beach house." – Amazon reviewer.
"A fast-paced suspense-filled thriller. It showed a clear understanding of what happens to a usually honest person when they step on the slippery slope of dishonest actions." – Carolyn Injoy, Goodreads reviewer.
"This is a good read and well worth your time." – Goodreads reviewer.
AN ACCOUNT of a journey the authors took through Spain – staying exclusively in ancient monasteries (featured in the New York Times).
"Five stars. I absolutely loved this book … entertaining and informative… fun and insightful." – Megan B Ricard, Amazon reviewer.
"Great fun to read - unreligious, but not sacrilegious... an entertaining book." – A Traveler's Library.
"Easy-to-read… made me laugh out loud and piqued my interest to stay in monasteries." – Sondra, Goodreads reviewer.
"Immersion journalism that provides a unique insight…"—Kirkus Reviews.
"A captivating tour of these edifices of spirituality, piety and community." – ForeWord.
"Five stars. Love the book. Exactly the way I want travel writing to be: insightful, humorous, well-researched, and well-lived…" itsallgood, Amazon reviewer.
"Five stars... An engaging 'armchair traveler' book…" – J. Ray, Goodreads reviewer.
"Travel books can get repetitive or dull. Not this one. Even the 'how to' pages are as enticing as they are informative." – CityBookReview.
"What a delightful little book… A nice light read… give it a try." – Barbara, Goodreads reviewer.
"If you have any inclination to try an offbeat way of seeing Spain, this book would give you some options. The authors do a good job of giving step-by-step advice…" – Book Pleasures.
"Five stars." – Tara Million, Goodreads reviewer.
"Nice, low key travel account of couple who used monasteries on one of their trips…" –Kit Cat, Amazon reviewer.
"A relaxed and intriguing read with humorous undertones…" – Stephanie Mayo, ladystravelblog.
"Five stars." – Alicia, Goodreads reviewer.
"Interesting travelogue… makes me want to do the same." – Goodreads reviewer.
"This is a very entertaining book… gives practical information about the way you might go about sleeping with nuns." – Vera Marie Badertscher, travel blogger.
"Five stars." – Gabrielle, Goodreads reviewer.
"I liked this book very much because the authors are not religious…" – Nancy, Goodreads reviewer.
"It's rich in history and covers a decent range of places." – Goodreads reviewer.
A SHORT EBOOK - illustrated by more than twenty photographs – that tells the story of the two authors' journey inside the Arctic Circle.
"Part travelog, part history lesson, nicely mixed together…. this is a fun, informative and quick read and you'll find yourself going back to the photos… I highly recommend it." – Goodreads reviewer.
"A great read that is accompanied by stunning photos." – Stephanie Mayo, author of ladyofthezoos.com travel blog.
"Great little book…"—cositas, Amazon reviewer.
"I could feel the cold…recommended…" – Goodreads reviewer.
"A thoughtful and detailed description of a journey into fairly unchartered territory. The authors provide a glimpse of all the atypical (and for me unknown) aspects of Greenland: history, people, language, food, culture, landscape, and of course the glaciers! The photographs were an added bonus. The authors' sense of adventure and straight-forward writing style left me with a desire to pack my bags and make the trek to Greenland." – Megan, Goodreads reviewer.
"Great reading… Thankyou!" —German reviewer.
"Intriguing… it opened a desire to know more; but isn't that what all good books do? Scrolling through the published works of these authors, I may take a 'trip' down the Orinoco (as described in one of their other books, Along the River that Flows Uphill)." – Rita Skeeter, Goodreads reviewer.
"I highly recommend it…"— Amazon reviewer.
"Great book, short and to the point…" – Amazon reviewer.
"Casual, relaxed writing style … a quick and easy read." – Jessica, Goodreads reviewer.
"Well written… it provides a very nice snapshot of life in that wonderful country." – Peter Antonucci, Goodreads reviewer.