Screenwriter Billy Ivory has praised Steve Orme’s crime novels  Storm Deaths and Storm Bodies, drawing comparison with renowned authors John Harvey and Reginald Hill.

Billy is a Nottinghamshire screenwriter whose recent work includes the script for the film The Great Escaper which starred Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson. Steve met Billy and wrote an article on him for Country Images magazine which you can find here. He expressed an interest in reading both Storm Deaths and Storm Bodies.

He said he finally read them while on holiday in Cornwall “and REALLY enjoyed them. (Miles) Davies is a terrific creation and the sense of place (as well as the grinding pressures of local journalism which I recognised from my dad’s experiences) is fabulous.

Billy Ivory

“It did remind me of the Resnick novels [by Nottinghamshire author John Harvey] and I loved the flashes of deadpan humour too which brought to mind Reginald Hill. Really terrific.”

Storm Bodies has been going down well with reviewers including one who compares Steve with best-selling authors M W Craven and J D Kirk.

Blogger Miriam Smith who gave it four stars wrote: “Steve Orme is a very good writer, with all the basic requirements for a police procedural more than adequately covered, along with a gruesome storyline to keep the darkest of reader entertained! Should he keep on with this style of plot line, he is going to become notable among crime writers, the likes of M W  Craven and J D Kirk, and I for one, will be following him for further books written! I can happily recommend Storm Bodies for fans of crime thrillers and hope to see Miles and his team again soon.” You can read the full review here.

Julia Wilson reviewed both Storm Deaths and Storm Bodies. She described Storm Deaths which she thoroughly enjoyed as “thrilling contemporary crime suspense that gripped me from the start”. All the characters were “well drawn and believable”. She said Storm Bodies is “a totally gripping crime suspense that I just could not put down”.  It’s “crime fiction writing out of the top drawer”. She feels Storm Deaths and Storm Bodies “deserve to be a television series. They both have all the elements for a crime suspense that would translate perfectly onto the small screen.”

United States blogger Aibibyreads who gave it four stars said Storm Bodies is “fun to read and exciting, and I definitely didn’t want to put this book down! It was captivating, and I look forward to reading more of Steve Orme’s writing.”

Five-star reviews on Amazon include one from Jenny Cooper who said: “I’d already read and enjoyed Storm Deaths. This was even better, a real page-turner, I didn’t want to put it down. Looking forward to the next one.”

The website Novels Alive gave it 4.5 stars. The reviewer said: “Detective Inspector Miles Davies is no stranger to skating the rules in order to get results, but he’s under extreme pressure to solve a challenging set of cases. Storm Bodies features the hunt for a serial killer amid discarded body parts and intense media coverage. Author Steve Orme serves up a fast-paced story based in England.

“As a main character, Miles is both thorough and methodical. His engaging personality enhances his role while also showing his frustration. This is especially in contrast to the main reporter, Tony Goodson, who is a chameleon searching for a headline.

“The story’s deep dive into both police procedure and journalism added a fascinating dimension. The author’s experience as a reporter shows in the depiction of various scenes. Storm Bodies pits a detective against a wily serial killer in a thrilling tale of suspense.”

You can order signed copies of both novels through this website. Simply send an email through the “Contact” page. Alternatively you can get the paperback or ebook version from Amazon.

• Both books are now available from many stores around the world. Here’s a link to Storm Deaths and here’s a link to Storm Bodies.