The Istanbul Puzzle-The Jerusalem Puzzle-The Manhattan Puzzle
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The Manhattan Puzzle has been approved for publication all over the world Oct 10, 2013. Follow this blog for updates. And pre-order anywhere here.
The Telegraph had this to say about The Istanbul Puzzle: “A brisk plot . . . which draws the reader into a conspiratorial rapport. He’s come late to fiction. Clearly he means to enjoy it.”
The Lancashire Evening Post had this to say: “An impressive debut; well written, beautifully descriptive, and with a smart dialogue and a compelling air of menace throughout.”
The Irish Independent said: “This stylish conspiracy thriller is a Turkish delight. O’Bryan’s compelling debut thriller combines plenty of stirring action with fascinating historical detail.”
Norma Britton, a reviewer on Amazon had this to say about The Jerusalem Puzzle: “I really enjoyed The Istanbul Puzzle but O’Bryan’s follow-up The Jerusalem Puzzle is far superior.”
You can listen to the 1st chapter of The Istanbul Puzzle here, in a 3 minute recording.
You can listen to the 1st chapter of The Jerusalem Puzzle here, in a 3 minute recording.
The Istanbul Puzzle, the first novel in the series, has been sold for translation into 10 languages. It was also, for a number of weeks in 2012 , a No 1 Bestseller on Amazon. Each book in this series stands alone as a complete novel. The Istanbul Puzzle was shortlisted for the Irish crime novel of the year 2012.
To order The Istanbul Puzzle in your region click here.
To order The Jerusalem Puzzle in your region click here.
Or click these if you read Spanish or Italian.
The Secrets of St Paul’s Cathedral
The present St. Paul’s is believed to be the fifth Christian church on the site since the first Saxon cathedral was built by Mellitus in 604. Before that the city spent a period sparsely occupied following the expulsion of the Roman civilian administration in 409 recorded by Zosimus. It is uncertain whether the site of St. Paul’s was a Christian site when Londinium was under Roman rule, but it may well have been, and it certainly would have been the site of a Roman temple before that.
As to what happened after the decline and fall of the Roman Empire archeologists have found evidence that a small number of wealthy families managed to maintain a Roman lifestyle until the middle of the 5th century, inhabiting villas in the southeastern corner of the city. It was during this period that the legendary Arthur, the once and future king, drew the sword from the stone in the churchyard of St. Paul’s.
a
Diana of Versailles, 2nd c marble
What existed there before the Roman’s chose the site for a temple is even harder to prove than any of the above. It is likely that a late iron age hill fort existed on the site and there may indeed have been an ancient grove there at one point. It is likely too that the site had cult or religious significance and that it was part of a network of Druidic sites. What the names of the gods or goddesses worshipped there were we can only guess. What rituals and sacrifices took place there we can only imagine.
According to Strabo, druids stabbed a victim with a sword and divined the future from his death spasms. According to Julius Caesar, the slaves and dependents of Celts of rank would be burnt along with the body of their master as part of his funerary rites. He also describes how they built wicker figures that were filled with living humans and then burned.
It is known too that Druids supervised such sacrifices. According to Cassius Dio, Boudica‘s forces impaled Roman captives during her rebellion against the Roman occupation, to the accompaniment of revelry and sacrifices in sacred groves. Boudicca burnt Londinium to the ground in AD 61 when she captured the city. Were defeated Roman centurions sacrificed on Ludgate Hill?
Whether any of these things happened is only wild conjecture. Whatever the truth, the mystical significance of St. Paul’s is hard to argue with. Two thousand years of sacrifice and prayer cannot be ignored.
Looking forward to reading this when it comes out. (you found me on twitter). This is my favorite genre of books – mystery, archaeology, artifacts, etc. I look forward to it. – Sher
Thanks Sher…me too!
nice blog! accidentally signed up for a free copy of the book when i thought i was subscribing, though i *would* like to be entered into the drawing.
chila
Great trailer – am looking forward to reading it (and it comes out on my birthday!) best of uck with it.
S
That should obviously have read luck. Uck would be a different thing altogether
Thx Sile, Really appreciate your kind thoughts. Happy Birthday early for 19 Jan and I hope you enjoy it!
Don’t feel too bad about the amount of editing as Joseph Heller went through about 9 redrafts of ‘Catch 22′. And he devised a paper plan similar to yours. So you are in good company. ‘Vanity Fair’ published an article about Heller and the torments he went through to get ‘Catch 22′ into shape. Can’t remember the edition number but it was this year. Congratulations on being a published author.
Thx Susan. 9 is v good going. I think TIP has had about 25! I will look for that article too.
Yea! You’ve done it! Will your book be available in the US?
YEA!!!! You’ve done it! Doing a happy dance for you. Will your book be available in the US?
I hope so! Will find out in the next few weeks! Wouldn’t want all my US cousins missing out!
Congrats on the book! Super happy for you
Your blog is great Laurence. It must feel wonderful to have that whole writing/editing journey behind you. I can’t wait to crack open a copy!
Sounds interesting. You tracked me down on Twitter. best of luck and I’d love to see a copy of the book when it’s out. I am working on a detective novel myself
Hi Laurence,
Congratulations on your book. It sounds fascinating. I love puzzles and mystery.
Very best wishes.
Love
Valentina.
Thanks for following me on twitter – your book sounds really great! I LOVE atmospheric thrillers. Definitely hoping I win a copy, but if not, I’ll have to beg the publicists at HarperCollins for a review copy
All best! And congrats! I’m sure it has to be beyond exciting to write a book and see it come to it’s fullest fruition – published and into the hands of hungry readers
April @ My Shelf Confessions
Hi April, Many, many thanks for all your comments. I hope you win too! And email me at lpobryan at googlemail.com so I can pass your address on with a recommendation to Harper Collins to receive a review copy. You have a great site too! L
It sounds really exciting! Been born and raised in Istanbul, love my city! And all that time when we read the Da Vinci Code and books like that, I thought, “Someone should write about Istanbul, the cradle of civilizations, it bares much more mystery than any other part in the world!” so there you go
looking forward to reading it!
Hi Canan…thanks for your comment. I fell in love with Istanbul the first time I visited! It has mystery and an intense beauty. I hope you enjoy the novel!
Great looking trailer. Good luck!
Thanks Rainy! All the best to you and all for the holidays!
This sounds like a fabulous book. Wishing you the best with it.
Thank you for following me on Twitter. And now I have found you interesting blog. I know that I will like your book a lot. I have been in work during Christmas time ( I am neonatal-nurse) but tomorrow begins my days off from work and I can start to read book that I got from Christmas present.
So greetings from Finland and I wish you Happy New Year!!!
Love Maarit
Hi, I admire nurses so much. Your dedication is wonderful! I will shut up now! Anyway, I hope you enjoy your time off, your new book, and The Istanbul Puzzle when it comes out! A very Happy New Year from Ireland, where it is warm and breezy today!
What interests me is the earlier secrets of St. It is uncertain whether the site of St. It is likely that a late iron age hill fort existed on the site and there may indeed have been an ancient grove there at one point. What the names of the gods or goddesses worshipped there were we can only guess. What rituals and sacrifices took place there we can only imagine. He also describes how they built wicker figures that were filled with living humans and then burned. Two thousand years of sacrifice and prayer cannot be ignored. And he devised a paper plan similar to yours. Congratulations on being a published author.com so I can pass your address on with a recommendation to Harper Collins to receive a review copy. And now I have found you interesting blog. I know that I will like your book a lot. The Istanbul Puzzle starts when Sean Chancellor discovers a friend and colleague has been beheaded in Istanbul.Daily rental house & residence in istanbul / turkey günlük daire today.
Congratulations on the book.I am very surprised on your chapters of the book how you added
the most important themes of ISTANBUL as you have lived for years.I am waiting for your
book with excıtement.Thank you for adding me on Twitter.Reading a book about the city where I am born and grandfathers lived is very strange feeling .Nobody had the idea before
it is left to you with a reason.
I love mysteries and the book trailer looks great. What suggestions or insightfulness would you give to a new author? I just published my first non-fiction book.
Lucy, thanks for your comment. I really appreciate it. My suggestion, apart from the obvious of never giving up, is to give pace to whatever you write. Make it move along. That’s what most readers want these days. All the best!
Hello
My mum recently purchased your book and she was very excited about the information you had about Istanbul as I will be going there within the next couple of weeks she photocopied the infomation and I love your description of the place. As stands this is quite an important journey for me as its connected to me, my name of course Sophia but I mainly its because I’ve only just meet my dad a couple of years ago he is in Thessaloniki but funny enough my half sister is called Irene, now we knew of Sophia but not Irene so in fact we are sister churchs! Anyway I thought you would find that interesting, another point is my late Grandma was from Constantinople and had to leave so it has big connections for me. Anyway if you like you can follow my profile, I too want to be a writer but not really published more for people to read me as if you have words its boring keeping them to yourself and frustrating! Most of the time I’m chucking it all in the bin! Anyway.. I will look forward to reading your book and I’ll let you know when I write about my time in Istanbul.
PS your book looks amazing I am always full of wonder and seem to only be able to learn through books.. I will get a copy so as to read in the city, Its something I often do with books as I find it is more poignant when read in the place it was written for.. they always travel with me books, as writing is motion is is the very energy of life!
Hi, I really do hope you like The Istanbul Puzzle. It is very interesting that your name is Sophia and your half sister is Irene. I am sure you will find the historical elements inspiring and I hope you enjoy your journey to the city. Do let me know what you think when you are finished and good luck with your writing. Never give up!
Waiting to read this book.. Indian edition not available. Imported edition only @ hefty price – very hefty for a fiction book. Sorry, Laurence… Fiction (Indian Editions are normally available @ 250 – 350 tops. Flipkart rates your book @ 500+ mrp, 471/- after discount)
Obviously, in due course of time Indian Editions will come out… and am waiting eagerly for the same. All the best…
I hope we get an Indian publisher soon. A lot of people are interested in India. I’ll post any news up as I get it.
Just finished reading The Istanbul Puzzle……a really good read that I did not want to end…You made the reader feel they were actually there.I feel I should now visit Istanbul and soak up the atmosphere you created in your book …well down and look forward to your next book
Terry
Thanks Terry, really appreciated.
Lawrence, you are a marvel! As always, you leave your readers wanting more. Kudos, my friend!
Thanks Amarissa for all your wonderful support.
Pleasure is all mine. Simply giving credit where credit is due.
Man, 133 rejections to get your work published, respect to your tenacity man!! Fairplay to you!!
Love your website! I am going out now to get The Istanbul Puzzle. I spent many years working in Turkey.
connie conrath
Thanks Connie! I hope you enjoy it!
Brilliant,well done Larry,excellent book,it’s now in our local library,looking forward to the next one! Mike Jago [ your hampshire cousin]
Thanks Mike. Very much appreciated. The Jerusalem Puzzle out Jan 17 and a launch in London if you can get up to it! Details later. Best to all.
Found the Istanbul Puzzle on Amazon while looking for a guide book to take on a short trip to Istanbul last weekend, so downloaded it on my Kindle. It was the ideal book to read in Istanbul (even though I didn’t find the day in Istanbul guide until I got back).It is certainly a marvelous city and as you say the people are wonderful too. Maybe I should plan a trip to Jerusalem for next year.
Jerusalem is a very different kettle of fish! Great if you like history & religion, not so good for shopping or fun. V interesting though and thanks, truly, for your support and comments.
Thanks to You for Your Book! I find interesting the Theme of the Puzzle!
Thanks so much for your comments! I really appreciate every comment.
Congratulations! Wishing you the best and can’t wait for the book.
Found your book on amazon by accident. What a discovery. Excellent read. Can’t wait for the Jerusalem puzzle
Thanks Phil. Just finishing it now, getting to the exciting bit! I hope you like it when it arrives.
Got it man!haven’t finished but seems intresting
Read Istanbul Puzzle while sailing through the Dardanelles and sea of Marmara to Istanbul I really enjoyed the book. I look forward to the next. Congrats.
That sounds like a great holiday and a wonderful way to read The Istanbul Puzzle. On Jan 17 The Jerusalem Puzzle will be available. It continues the story. Thanks for your comments and support.
I am truly, deeply happy for you, happy that you’ve achieved this success that every writer dreams of – being a published writer/author. Remember this though; please don’t lose your humility! You sought followers out on social media as an “up-and-coming-writer” – for lack of a better phrase. You’re invariably set to hit the big time. Don’t go the way of now famous authors who refuse to remember the days when they were struggling to get their foot in the door. Now, they spurn struggling authors they left behind, they ignore them in the social media now that they’re big shots. That’s the single greatest threat to writers today; fellow writers who’ve made it big but who aren’t caring enough about struggling writers. Good luck with your book!
Francis, I hate writers who pretend to be above everyone too. I will always support new writers, for free, as long as I am alive. Thanks for making this point. You are 100% right. Laurence
Interesting bit about St. Paul’s! Seems like I’m always reading something about Roman-era archaeological sites turning up in someone’s back yard.
BTW, re the Druids, have you read The White Goddess by Robert Graves? I’m nowhere near scholar enough to judge his work but there were all sorts of interesting tidbits in it.
I read most of Robert’s work, but not that – yet! Thanks for your comment.
Read The Istanbul Puzzle whilst on a business trip to Poland. I thoroughly enjoyed the tale, the locations and the characters so much that I couldn’t put it down. Waiting patiently for The Jerusalem Puzzle now!
don’t know how you found me, but now I’ve found you…Loved Istanbul, looking forward to the Puzzle.
Looking at and feeling the itch, I love ah!If you have the ability, I will definitely buy!
Thank you for your kind comment! I hope you enjoy it…L
Ahh.. I love reading mystery books..
Hi Laurence,
I’m an archaeological expert, antiquarian and author!
In particular I’m an expert the Byzantine, Roman, and the Anatolian civilizations!
And I have some books too!
So, I believe, I can find a lot of things in your book!
As a friend on Twitter, and from Istanbul, congratulations!
Filiz,
It is great to meet you. I think you will enjoy The Istanbul Puzzle. It is coming out in Turkish in October too. It includes the secrets of what may lie hidden beneath Hagia Sophia!
Enjoy and let me know what you think.
Laurence
Nice work.
Your book sounds so interesting! Keep up the awesome work..
There are even darker secrets in Celtic history. Why does Conan the Cimmerian have dark hair? Why does Slaine have dark hair? Why do many Celts have red hair? Why do nearly all Celtic/Irish men have Y-haplotype R1b?
I only wish I had more time to read. Then I’ll be able to finally get around to this series. Though actually when it comes to series I get impatient. I may wait to read ‘The Istanbul Puzzle’ until the second book comes out and then I can read them one after the other :0)
Dan,
Sounds like a good plan. The Jerusalem Puzzle will be out on ebook Dec 3! I hope you enjoy them!
The trailer looks amazing- I can’t wait for the book- good luck
From Italy my appreciate to read your book …waiting the next … amazing job!!!
Hi Laurence. Greetings from India!
So I got the Istanbul puzzle to read during my extended weekend (monday through wednesday off). I’d imagined that the book would get me through the 3 days. So I started reading it on Saturday evening, & by Sunday night, I’d finished. Now I can’t wait for January!
Thanks! What part of India are you in? I hope to go there next year!
just finished reading the the istanbul puzzle,excellent action/adventure novel
Good stuff! Wowzilicious!
Have bought the book…..now, to find the time to read it…..
Hey Laurence, as a fellow adventure/mystery author, I just wanted to congratulate you on your books and wish you much success with your upcoming release. It really looks great! Also wanted to salute you for your efforts in promoting your books rather than just sitting back and relying on HC’s marketing. Way to go!
Hi David. thanks for visiting and commenting. I’m a believer in getting out and telling people about the stories, as I am sure you are too. I also enjoy connecting with people, hearing what people want to say. All the best from Dublin.
Thx for the kind sentiments on twitter…your intriguing tales give people like me, who need a distraction, the perfect outlet…do NOT STOP…
Hey Laurence – congrats from one Harper C author to another! I just wanted to ask a question about your trailer. Did you make it yourself? And do you think trailers are worth the effort?
Hi Mark, great to meet you, and all the very best with All Fall Down. It looks very exciting and will be on my ebook list for Christmas.
I made the videos myself, but I think the jury is still out on them. Effective use of Twitter and building a valuable blog would be the key activities in my opinion. Tweet me when the ebook is out @LPOBryan and I will Retweet a link to the book and buyit myself. I have a second blog here that might interest you about social media generally too: http://yourasms.com/
I enjoyed the information about St. Paul’s Cathedral. It meant even more to me, having visited England a few times, St. Paul’s included. There are many things about the place which I did not know. I am assuming it is significant to The Istanbul Puzzle. Sounds like a fascinating read.
It’s a really good read!
Just finished The Jerusalem Puzzle last night. Very good!
Many many thanks! Please review on Amazon! Greatly appreciate even a star rating! All reviews, good and bad appreciated. Have a great holiday, Laurence
Why would I want to order a paperback (pay $8.99 plus shipping) so you would receive only 15% royalties ($1.35 at most) and I wouldn’t be able to hold it in my hand for days and days? Instead, I’m going to download it to my Kindle Fire for $2.99 and enjoy it this evening, In addition, I can highlight my favorite passages and “share” them to the Kindle community and to Twitter and Facebook, too. I’m not sure how HarperCollins calculates ebook royalties, but 15% of $2.99 is $0.45, so I understand why you ask the question. However, my question to you is, Why didn’t you publish it yourself on Kindle and get 70% of $2.99 or whatever you wanted to charge? That’s $2.09, more even than you will get for paperback sales. Just a thought. Good luck with your books!
Catherine Mambretti (“Chalk Ghost,” a mystery only the dead can solve)
Just listened to the first chapter of the Jeruselum Puzzle – really enjoyed it! Will be looking out for it soon.
The Jerusalem Puzzle sounds fascinating! You have all the makings for great success. Conspiracy is where I hibernate. Love secrets, deception, and well-woven subplots. Can’t wait to read…Congrats!!
Congratulations! I’m really excited for you. Your book sounds so intriguing, I can’t wait to read it.
Shared on Twitter and FB. Mail ID – sarathias@hotmail.com
Heya! I hope you do not mind but I decided to publish your weblog:
http://lpobryan.com/ to my online directory website.
I used, ” Laurence O’Bryan” as your web site
headline. I hope this is acceptable with you.
In the event you’d like me to change the title or perhaps remove it entirely, email me at kathleen_bautista@gmail.com. Thank you.
Congratulations, Laurence. Best wishes with your writing,
The LeRue Book Hound is always interested in new books. Glad to hear about your books. Check out our page and add your book. We might mention it on The Book Hound Radio Show!
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your weblog?
My blog is in the very same area of interest as yours and my visitors would definitely benefit from a lot of the information
you provide here. Please let me know if this ok with
you. Cheers!
Yes, Shirley, no problem.
Awesome, I liked thriller, suspense, murder, action….Thank you for adding me @Twitter.
looking forward to reading both books, off to the Lib. I write about Ireland in a fictious Pub, but nothing very serious. Sort of a story teller not a true writer of anything serious. Conley McAnally
I am working on my second book, also a conspiracy, built around a little known fact about the house of representatives. I have taken a similar approach to your Istanbul novel (average guy discovers the plot), and I will be reading your books for the enjoyment and to study your approach. Best wishes for continued success in your writing.
Good luck with it Frans! You can also follow my social media for writers site, with advice for writers on the use of social media here: http://socialmedia4writers.com/
Good info. Lucky me I came across your blog
by accident (stumbleupon). I’ve saved it for later!
Hi Laurence,
I’ve been impressed with your marketing and promotions of your novels.
Thanks again, for the follow on Twitter.
Have a great weekend.
Hi, love this page and looking forward to reading my way through it Laurence. Good luck with all your books.
Thanks Jane for your comment – great to hear that. Best of luck to you too.
My pleasure. And thanks. Appreciated.
Thanks for the follow! Your books appear to be my kind of books. Besides my blog, I review on MEAN STREETS http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/crimefiction so if I can be of any use, please let me know. May your readership explode.