Book Blast! Spiral – the latest thriller from Khaled Talib
I spent ten years managing the external public relations account of the South Australian Tourism Commission in its Singapore office. It inspired me to write my fourth thriller, Spiral.
It tells the story of Laurence Turner, a pharmacist from Sydney, who becomes wracked with guilt after his fiancé dies on a sailing trip. The tragedy is followed by yet another fatal incident when he dispenses the wrong medication to a customer. He moves to the Clare Valley in South Australia for a fresh start, but when he stumbles across the dead body of a visiting American reporter, things take a turn for the worst.
The case explodes into far more than Laurence could ever expect with the arrival of a beautiful American woman, Skyler Hawthorne. Her troubles put Laurence in the path of both domestic and foreign agents, including a dangerous Russian spy who believes Laurence is hiding a secret.
Researching Spiral
Spiral is a multi-genre mystery thriller that involved plenty of research before I put my words on paper. I had explored the various regions in South Australia, including Kangaroo Island, and decided to begin the story in Clare Valley where we find the protagonist working now as a grape picker.
I had visited Kangaroo Island on several occasions, and one of the scenes in the novel is based on a true incident after witnessing a platoon of penguins marching past my hotel in Kingscote around midnight.
The funny thing, I spent my entire life using eucalyptus for certain ailments (the family get from Indonesia). While visiting Kangaroo Island for the first time, I thought the smell of leaves from certain trees felt familiar. Little did I know…
About Author Khaled Talib
Khaled Talib is a former magazine journalist and public relations, consultant. He has authored four novels since 2013. Born and raised in Singapore, the author is a member of the International Thriller Writers. You can learn more about him at www.khaledtalibthriller.com
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