An innovative way to raise enough funds for publication of third novel

Author Chris Smith has lived in Putney for over nine years having moved from Chester the setting for his latest novel ‘Strider Begins: Road to Nowhere’.

It is the third in a series of crime novels featuring Detective Constable Dominic Strider, of Chester CID. The first two books were published a decade ago, and are still available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

Chris is signed to a small independent publishing house and he told PutneySW15.com, "My publisher is a small company which has an innovative way to get books published – crowd-funding. As they don’t have the capital investment that’s available to multi-national companies, they launch Kickstarter campaigns to try and raise enough funds instead".



‘Strider Begins: Road to Nowhere’ starts on the first day when policeman Dominic Strider joins Chester CID. He is immediately plunged into action when he finds a bomb outside Chester Cathedral, primed to detonate in four minutes. With no sign of the bomb squad, he has only one option to avoid disaster – he recklessly picks up the bomb and runs through the crowded city centre streets with it, hoping to throw it in the river before it explodes.

Well, they say you should always start your novel off with a bang!! That’s only Chapter 1.
Who planted the bomb and why? Who murdered a local newspaper reporter and an elderly lady, and what’s their connection to the mysterious disappearance of a treasure trove? Can DC Strider catch the bank robbers and drugs kingpin bringing misery on the city? And why does DC Strider dress up as a Roman centurion to save his best friend’s life?

Chris said, "All these questions and more will be answered in the book. All we need is your support to get it published please!"

£850 is needed to publish the book - you can help support this local author on the Kickstarter campaign which would result in the book being printed next February/March. The campaign is up and running and closes in early December. Chris has already spoken to some local booksellers such as Waterstones in Putney Exchange with a view to possible book signings next year, if sufficient funds are raised.

So why did Chris choose Putney for his home in London? Chris responded: “My wife and I moved from Chester to Putney in November 2009 on the recommendation of my best friend, who’d moved to Putney a few years before. We adore ‘Putters’ – the town has the best transport links I’ve ever known. Having a Tube, overground train service and buses gives you options you never had up North.

“We love that our little town has all the shops we need, a thriving community and a theatre and cinema, but we’re both very concerned at the current spate of empty shops on Putney High Street. We need a mix of independents and chain stores, and especially need someone new in the old M&S building – M&S should never have left!!”


November 22, 2018