Corrupt
politicians. Where would we fiction writers be without them?
There are
allegations flying around at present about certain individuals in government in
Malta, most notably after the car-bomb assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana
Galizia.
Malta is steeped
in history – and conflict – and well worth a visit. I’ve lived there, and
subsequently visited several times since. Yet, like everywhere else, there’s a
dark side…
Apparently, in
the last ten years or so Malta has suffered about fifteen mafia-style
assassinations and car bombings, and accusations of corruption, bribery and
money-laundering currently prevail.
My cross-genre
crime/vampire/black magic thriller Chill
of the Shadow has its share of corrupt individuals. Here’s an excerpt from
pp115/116:
Grech entered
the room and welcomed the four men and a woman, all dressed in black. They sat
in a circle on easy chairs, and sipped drinks supplied from the cabinet at the
curtained window.
The wall lights were dimmed,
subduing the place in shadows. In the centrr of their circle was a round wooden
coffee table; lying on its carved surface was a thick large book, its binding
tinged a pale yellowing pink in the poor light.
There were three empty chairs in the
circle. As Grech sat in one of them, he said, “Zondadari will be down shortly.
And Spellman’s due in a half-hour. Then we can discuss the arrangements for his
ceremony.”
The woman spoke first. “Is Zondadari
going to be of any use to us?”
“Most certainly, Selena,” Grech
replied. “He is powerful, knows how to suborn any potential trouble-makers – in
particular, dangerous political opponents. He and his acolytes can go into
places we or our feeble manifestations cannot. And usually he’s the height of
discretion.”
Selena’s dark eyes widened.
“Usually?”
“Yes,” chimed in Spiteri, breathing
heavily as he leaned his obese frame forward. “Sometimes. The other day one of
his bloodless corpses was discovered.” He raised a pudgy, ring-laden hand.
“Don’t worry. I covered the tracks. Mind you, I had the devil’s own job getting
the file hidden away in old HQ records.” His double chins wobbled at the
memory.
Selena persisted. “I thought he
promised to be more careful – at least till after the election?” Her thin red
lips – enhanced by a grey lipstick outline – pursed cruelly.
David Bugeja, dressed in black
corduroys and a silk shirt, sat with his legs stretched out under the table.
Although he was a politician, he more resembled a film or theatre director,
someone involved in the make-believe of the arts rather than the lies of
politics.
Bugeja eased himself up in the seat,
sighed and said, “We all break promises, don’t we?” And he eyed Selena
maliciously.
Not for the first time, Grech
wondered if there had been anything between those two. “Zondadari tries,” Bugeja concluded, “poor bastard.”
Spiteri’s thick lips curled wetly in
obvious distaste. “You feel sorry for – for him?”
“Yes, James, I do.” Bugeja gestured
vaguely with his long thin hands. “He didn’t ask to become a vampire, you know.
He told me the story about his joining the undead – it’s terribly tragic.”
Spiteri sank back and guffawed.
“It’s an eternal curse, true,”
conceded Selena.
Grech loudly cleared his throat.
“Can we get back on track?” He addressed the gaunt greying man on his left,
another politician. “John, is the police department in our pocket yet?”
John Camilleri’s hand rubbed his
designer stubble and he suddenly seemed uncomfortable. “Ready for the
election?”
“Yes, John,” said Grech with
diminishing patience, “the coup we’ve all been working toward.”
Camilleri fidgeted, his dark brown
eyes evasive. “Well, no. Not in our pocket, exactly.”
“What exactly, then, John – if you
would be so good as to tell us?” The tone in Grech’s voice was impatient,
bordering on menace.
“I fear those days are gone. There
are plenty of police who’re incorruptible–”
“Detective Sergeant Attard,” Petri,
a shipping magnate, broke in. “Isn’t he becoming a nuisance?”
Selena shook her head. “He was. But
I think you’ll find he’s suddenly lost interest in the black arts. We paid him
an instructive visit tonight. He’ll be in plenty of pain, but he’ll live.”
“Good,” said Grech. “His death might
have been difficult to cover up just now.”
“There’s always the traffic
accident,” mused Selena. “That’s worked in the past. We’ve rid ourselves of a
few troublesome thorns in the Coven’s side.”
“True. But until we’ve gained power
in these islands, we have to tread with a modicum of care. The time will come
when we can rid ourselves of all the Attards.”
“The reporter,” asked Bugeja, “is
she getting too close?”
“No.” Grech smiled. “She’ll be fully
under control very soon. I have Zondadari’s word on that.” The door opened.
“Ah, talk of the devil,” – they laughed, though some of the merriment was
strained – “and he will appear.”
Zondadari stood in the doorway and
eyed the group. “Gentlemen. Lady. Shall we begin?”
***
This cross-genre
thriller is set in present-day Malta and has echoes from pre-history and also
the eighteenth century Knights of Malta.
Malta may be an
island of sun and sand, but there’s a dark side to it too. It all started when
some fishermen pulled a corpse out of the sea... Or maybe it was five years
ago, in the cave of Ghar Dalam…
Spellman, an
American black magician, has designs on a handpicked bunch of Maltese politicians,
bending their will to his master’s. A few sacrifices, that’s all it takes. And
he’s helped by Zondadari, a rather nasty vampire.
Maltese-American
investigative journalist Maria Caruana’s in denial. She can’t believe Count
Zondadari is a vampire. She won’t admit it. Such creatures don’t exist, surely?
She won’t admit she’s in love with him, either...
Detective
Sergeant Attard doesn’t like caves or anything remotely supernatural. Now he
teams up with Maria to unravel the mysterious disappearance of young pregnant
women. They’re also helped by the priest, Father Joseph.
And there are
caves, supernatural deaths and a haunting exorcism. Just what every holiday
island needs, really.
Where there is light, there is shadow…
Some reviews extracts:
Kay Lesley Reeves (Spain)
I'll never look at bats in quite the
same way again. An original twist on vampire legend with a hint of
tongue-in-the-cheek humour.
I visited Malta many years ago and Morton’s
description is spot on. In fact his research is so exact that half-forgotten
memories soon came flooding back and I found myself walking those ancient
streets once again. A dark and classical tale with excellent twists that will
keep readers enthralled.
Angela M.
… has a strong structure and is full of
rich writing and action. The plot has page turning twists and the main
characters are likeable, especially the female lead. I hadn't read a vampire
book in a while and was reminded of how intensely gruesome they can be. While
this one has its squeamish moments it's not atypical for the genre, and I can't
help liking a well written book! The Malta setting was perfect, making this a
great escape read.
E. B. Sullivan (California, US)
Set in picturesque Malta (the book)
offers the reader a refreshing twist on the popular vampire genre. Mr. Morton
weaves a story with multiple surprises. From the beginning, his plausible and
complex characters lure the reader deeper into his yarn. In particular, Maria
and Michael are hypnotic, compelling, and seductive. The desire to learn more
about these romantic and dashing figures makes this book a true page-turner.
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