On my book shelf at home, sits a title I bought a few years ago called "The Clearing". It was written by Alabama based author Anne Riley who, at the time, released the novel herself and it made waves back in 2011 - 12 as an exciting YA entry filled with suspense, action, engaging characters. Having sought to pursue a publishing deal with an established house, Anne Riley spent the next few years working diligently on her writing and her pitches - all the while raising a young family and forging a career as a teacher. Now, all that hard work has paid off and I write this on the eve of Anne's debut release for Spencer Hill Press - an equally exciting YA actioner called Pull.
(image credit: Spencer Hill Press).
From the cover notes; Rosie Clayton witnesses a mugging on her first night in London—and then the scene rewinds itself. She finds herself standing in the same place again, with the mugging happening just like before, except this time a stranger steps in and stops it. There's no way the same incident can have two outcomes. Rosie thinks she’s losing her mind, until just a few days later, the stranger saves her. The stranger, Albert, and his band of misfit crime-fighters, have the special ability to Pull, which allows them to rewind just enough time to undo a recent event. Someone is hunting Albert and his crew– and now that Rosie’s been seen with them, she’s a target too. Rosie is left with no choice but to trust Albert to keep her safe. As Rosie learns more about this unbelievable ability and the people – if you can call them that – who want them dead, she discovers that the group’s desire for her blood might be more than mere coincidence. Each step into this magical side of London introduces Rosie to a family history that she never knew existed, and dangerous forces that could unravel her world in an instant. Her family may be the reason they’re all being hunted—and she may be the only one who can figure out how to save them. Sure, between the lot of them, they have a few shots to get it right. The thing about Pulling, though, is you have to be alive to do it.
(image credit: Anne Riley).
With its London setting and its exploration of the other worldly abilities that Anne Riley has bestowed on her cast, Pull promises fans of taut, YA fiction - and broader science fiction - a unique and refreshing thrill ride. Anne Riley's immediately accessible style, her attention to crisp and quick fire dialogue and her skill at world building. In the run up to the release of the novel, Anne Riley's commissioned a trailer that typifies all the great things I have come to know about her style and, in the context of generating a buzz for this release, it hits a home run.
In addition to the trailer, take a look at this very cool interview Anne put together in support of the novel.
I really like Anne Riley and I think that Pull has the potential to be a major success for her. It's well deserved. Having followed Anne for several years now, she strikes me as an author who is really passionate about her work - and her work ethic. In Pull, she has crafted something really special.
The Accidental Assassin by Nichole Chase My rating: 4 of 5 stars Ava McKenzie is a creature of habit. Life is passing her by and she has nothing to show for it. She’s had the same job since she started college, she orders the same dish every time she goes to her favorite restaurant, and only reads books from authors she knows. There is nothing new or surprising in her life… until her best friend marries a man from London. When her newlywed friend asks her to house-sit while she honeymoons, Ava jumps at the chance. She thinks this could be the very thing she needs to shake up her life. Ava throws herself head first into her new lifestyle; she wants to try everything, go everywhere, and never get stuck in a rut again. Of course, offing a man in a car garage hadn’t been one of the things on her list to try. Owen Walker spends every day in a new place with a new case. As one of the most renowned assassins in the world, he has his choice of marks—and he’s never failed in a mission. When a new hit takes him back to his hometown, he looks forward to spending time somewhere familiar. What he isn’t expecting is to help an attractive, confused American woman find out how she’s ended up on a hit man’s list. As Ava and Owen dodge bullets, will they be able to escape their undeniable attraction to each other? Or will all of that chemistry blow up in a shower of hot and dangerous sparks?
To me, Nichole Chase has become the literary equivalent of a sure thing. As a story teller, she has consistently delivered with each title she has added to her CV. You are guaranteed an engaging and entertaining tome and you can expect that Nichole will give you something new. She does not tread the safe path nor stick to the same formula. She is a risk taker, extending herself in both genre and style and it has been meteorically successful. Having earned the rare distinction of being a New York Times best seller is testament to that. The Accidental Assassin is testament to that also and I think it is Chase's most accomplished work to date. Part action, part thriller, Assassin takes the fish out of water scenario and offers it up anew in a frenetic chase story that evolves masterfully through the dual protagonists, Owen and Ava. Chase's grasp of action and tension is confident from the get go. The mystery and conspiracy elements unfold beautifully and keep you guessing throughout and there is a sexual energy between the two leads that burns seductively towards a satisfyingly electric, erotic encounter later in the book. When we first meet Owen and Ava, a mutual attraction is evident but as their arcs evolve, we find a pair of characters who feel trapped in their respective existences - playing it safe by sticking to what they know. This is used as a primer that draws them towards each other and though it is a subtle thread, I found it really appealing. One of the most effective devices Chase uses throughout the story is the first person narrative which she shares equally between Owen and Ava. By switching between the two chapter by chapter, Chase builds the narrative and drives the plot forward in a way that I found engaging. I felt invested in both of them. One could argue that this type of switching has the potential to be confusing but Chase handles it beautifully. The Accidental Assassin ticks all the boxes for me. It's a smart and sexy thrill ride that is signature Nichole Chase and it was a pleasure to delve into. DFA. View all my reviews
"The following is a post I originally wrote in September 2010. It's actually one of my favorite pieces. I have happened across some additional information in recent weeks thus I've added to the article and updated it"
I am someone who finds it difficult to calm my mind. It is always working, always processing things and I have experienced many a restless night because of it. I have an obsessive interest in trivia. Like - I like to often drop the useless bit of trivia that Fletcher Christian - that infamous Bounty mutineer from long, long ago had syphilis. I don't know how I know that, but I do. I'm the guy who stays behind at the cinema, after the movie has finished because I like to watch the credits to spot who the cinematographer was or who the girl in the back ground was in a particular scene because I know - I JUST KNOW - that I have seen her in some other film in an equally obscure background scene.
I predicted a long time ago that Uma Thurman was going to be big...now that's freaky isn't it. I mean, why the F*** would I bother with that little freaky nugget??? And so it happens that I know just about every backing vocalist who has ever paired up with British rock icons Pink Floyd since the early 1970's. This particular piece of useless information is especially that...useless but I can't help myself.
Such is that, which is my mind. And of all the backing vocalists who have ever graced the stage with this most favored bands of mine, one - in particular - has intrigued me to the point of being a little too screwy. I speak of course of Rachel Fury. I first sat up and took notice of the singer Rachel Fury as a 14/15 year old back in 1989 when my father came home from the video store armed with a VHS version of the world beating 'Delicate Sound Of Thunder' concert, complete with the girls wearing those figure hugging outfits and the long, sultry gloves. From the moment I saw her, I was completely besotted by Rachel Fury. I have watched that concert over and over again in the proceeding years just to indulge in her performance - her vision. I thought her contribution to "Great Gig In The Sky" and her duet with David Gilmour on "Comfortably Numb" were sublime - hypnotic. Her captivating dance during their performance "Momentary Lapse Of Reason" that hooks me every time. I have to profess my love for this woman.
Rachel Fury performs "Great Gig In The Sky" on the Delicate Sound of Thunder Tour, 1988 which featured some of the most impressive visual art by Storm Thorgerson.
Why it was that I forgot about her for 18 odd years afterwards is something I can't explain. I guess I grew up, stepped out of my adolescent brain and became a cynic. But my love for Pink Floyd has never waned. A few short weeks ago, going through my music collection, I fished out David Gilmour's superb third solo album "On An Island". I was in the mood for the atmospherics of that album and I was - of course - not at all disappointed. Here you go - here's another piece of useless triva - David Crosby and Graham Nash performed backing vocals on that very album. Listening to the sounds of Gilmour and Wright, Carin and Pratt - and Crosby and Nash's contributions - something was suddenly touched off in my mind, an almost long forgotten memory of that beautiful woman from so long ago.
For years I had (erroneously) deduced that her name was in fact Margaret Taylor - she looked like a Margaret. I quickly realized I was wrong. The information on her is sparse as to be almost non existent. But after a few hours of clicking around, this is what I came up with...
Rachel Fury is (or was) a session singer who first appeared on the radar in the mid 1970's. Born Rachel Brennock in or around 1961, Brennock began her acting career in 1971, appearing in various TV shows and films, a number of which, such as Mr Horatio Knibbles (1971) and Robin Hood Junior (1975), were produced under the UK Children's Film Foundation. At the same time, Brennock was building a career as a singer.
(images courtesy of Olie from Prague).
In 1972, under the name "Weeny Bopper"; she recorded the single "David, Donny and Michael", a Pye Records release intended to capitalise on weeny bopper enthusiasm for David Cassidy, Donny Osmond, and Michael Jackson.
By 1978, having adopted the stage name Rachel Fury, Brennock had established herself as a noted London session singer, known for her "sassy 'Ronettes' sound."
Through information gleaned from British guitarist Alan St.Clair - a noted musician in the punk and new wave movements at that time, Rachel Fury toured regularly with St.Clair and Howard Devoto (of Buzzcocks and Magazine fame). During this period, Rachel had her first significant exposure when she featured on the chart topping "Buggles" tune "Video Killed The Radio Star" in 1979.
Rachel Fury poses with Alan St. Clair and Howard Devoto c. 1983
Rachel Fury, date unknown (image courtesy Col Hancock).
The next significant snippet comes from some information on the noted music producer, James Guthrie, who was associated with Pink Floyd and in a relationship with Fury at the time.
After the tumultuous disintegration of the band following "The Final Cut" album, and the acrimonious split between David Gilmour and Roger Waters, it appears Guthrie introduced Rachel Fury to Pink Floyd as David Gilmour and Nick Mason were preparing to continue recording under the band's name. Fury's talent as a session singer must have impressed the band because she is credited as a singer on the re-imagined Pink Floyd's 1987 album "Momentary Lapse Of Reason" and was contracted to tour with the band for the world beating "Delicate Sound Of Thunder" tour between 1987 and 1989.
Rachel Fury and James Guthrie (date unknown).
During rehearsals with Durga McBroom.
In April 2022, three members of the original DSOT tour line-up were brought together by music documentarian J.T. Curtis for a fascinating and wide ranging discussion about their time with Pink Floyd on tour. At the 20 minute mark of the discussion, the conversation ventured into reminisces about Rachel where her band mate, Durga McBroom, revealed that, during rehearsals for the tour in Canada, only Rachel and Machan Taylor had been picked as backing singers. It was after a suggestion by David Gilmour that the section needed a little more "colour" that auditions were held for a third singer and Durga McBroom emerged as the third siren of the trio.
During this same conversation, both Durga and Machan relate that there was an initial animosity between Rachel and Machan during the early rehearsal sessions, which Machan put down to a "youthful egotism". After Durga McBroom was brought on, she was tasked by the producer with sorting the trio out. Her position in the middle of the trio throughout the duration of the tour was more than just a creative decision. Despite this, Durga, Machan and saxophonist Scott Page all agreed that they had a fantastic experience on the Delicate Sound Of Thunder Tour and that they grew close throughout the 14 months between 1987 and 1989.
Various Pink Floyd message boards have suggested there may have been some sort of romantic "thing" between David Gilmour and Rachel Fury during the 87-89 tour. Commenters refer to concert footage suggesting an "innate" chemistry between the two. I read this as drawing a very long bow and I prefer to think that it is more a case of there just being a good vibe between all the members of the mid 80's Pink Floyd line-up. Again, in the 2022 conversation, Durga McBroom rubbishes any suggestion that anything romantic happened between Rachel Fury and David Gilmour. "I knew exactly where Rachel was putting her butt at night," she recalled.
It is because of the good vibe between band members whilst on tour that an additional side project was cobbled together that Rachel Fury participated in. "The Fishermen" was conceived by David Gilmour as a loosely fashioned band that would play secret gigs at various venues throughout the DSOT tour.
Throughout the course of the tour Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason (along with the full cast of touring musicians - including Fury herself) performed secret club gigs to blow off steam, have fun, and “jam”. It is interesting to consider that both the early Floyd, and Gilmour’s previous band Joker’s Wild performed quite a few blues, R and B, and pop covers including songs as diverse as Aretha Franklin's "Respect", Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff" - and get this - The Sugarhill Gang's "Rappers Delight". The gigs were often staged completely off the cuff and they weren't promoted at all. They were said to be a diversion from the tightly structured performances of the DSOT sets. Bootleg recordings have surfaced in recent years of some of these ultra-rare performances and undoubtedly - Fury's voice and talent would be resplendent on them. I mean - could you imagine how cool it would be if Rachel Fury was the one singing "Respect"?!!
(Update - November 2021; Having received a kind message from Machan Taylor - one of the original DSOT backing vocalists - I have been able to confirm that it was not Rachel singing "Respect" on the bootleg recording. It was in fact, Machan herself - with Durga McBroom sharing backing vocals. Rachel Fury was not present during The Fishermen recordings).
Liner notes from a bootleg recording of The Fishermen in Copenhagen c. 1988 (http://www.hokafloyd.com)
It is after the successful DSOT tour that Rachel Fury drops off a precipice. It seems that no-one - least of all her DSOT colleagues - knows what happened to her. Over the years, I have reached out to Machan Taylor, Durga McBroom and Guy Pratt and while they were all kind enough to reply, they either couldn't - or wouldn't - reveal anything useful The only singer from the DSOT trio to continue with Pink Floyd was the equally fabulous Durga McBroom (who is credited on "The Division Bell" album and appears in the "P*U*L*S*E" tour line-up). Machan Taylor remainsactive in the music industry.
Lorelei McBroom, Gary Wallis & Rachel Fury circa 1989 (? Venice).
The last snippet of significance I can find is a mention that by 1995, Rachel Fury had given up singing altogether and had become involved in the animal rights movement.
Rachel Fury, her enigma is powerful - with Lorelei McBroom & Gary Wallis, circa 1989.
I consider it a tragedy that a singer, with the obvious talent and magnetism that she possessed, could have so comprehensively disappeared from the public consciousness. It is clear Fury was on a trajectory to become a solo performer with, at least, the profile of her contemporaries such as Lisa Stansfield, Marcella Detroit and Sam Brown (who - it should be noted appeared on Pink Floyd's follow up P.U.L.S.E. tour in support of "The Division Bell" album).
I live in hope that Rachel might surface one day.
Perhaps she is living on ... I dunno ... Guernsey perhaps? Happily married with a couple of kids, still looking beautiful and running - say a successful vet practice ... ??? Would she, one morning, open her laptop while sipping her coffee and indulge in that little thing that I'm sure we've all done and Google herself? She might see this and decide to respond? Either that or she's dead, a hippie who renounces all forms of modern technology or she's just not that into all this worship...
*sigh* I take heart in the knowledge that I am not alone in wondering just what happened to this beautiful siren. All over the world, people just as (crack potted) dedicated as me are posing the same question. Where did she go? Does she still sing? Is she actually alive??
One can but live in hope...
Update - October, 2025: Article expanded with new imagery of Rachel from the mid 70's and some fascinating anecdotes from three of the DSOT touring band taken from a 2022 interview.
DFA.
Dean's new collection of reflective essays - including a revised & updated version of "Oh Beautiful Fury" is available now in print and digital from Amazon in print and digital from Amazon.
