Alan Parkinson
ALLi Author Member
Location: United Kingdom
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Crime, Thriller
Alan Parkinson was born in Sunderland in the seventies and spent his formative years growing up in Southwick. Leg It He wrote his first novel, Leg It, during a career break in 2001 and finally published it 10 years later. Leg It has gained a cult following for its humorous depiction of childhood in Southwick in the eighties, and has been sold in countries as diverse as America, India and Japan. Idle Threats His second novel, Idle Threats, a comic tale of an armed siege in a call centre was released in August 2015. In December 2015, following the success of Idle Threats, Alan gave up his lucrative career in the software industry to become a full-time writer. Life In The Balance His third novel, Life In The Balance, was released in June 2017. The tale of socially awkward Manuel Frost who records good and bad deeds in a ledger, balancing them out each day. Events spiral out of control until he must perform the ultimate balancing act. Troll Life Troll Life, a tale of an internet troll who is forced to come off benefits and work in the call centre he has been trolling was released in October 2018. Burying Reggie Burying Reggie, was published in October 2021and tells the story of an ordinary man forced into extraordinary circumstances when his family is put in danger. Burying Reggie has been Alan’s fastest selling novel to date. As well as his novels Alan plans to release a modern etiquette guide based on his humorous blogs and has had a number of short plays performed. His monologue, Parting Shot, was part of Sunderland Stories which was shortlisted for a North East Culture Award in 2021. He was Festival Coordinator on the Sunderland Creative Writing Festival 2018 as well as delivering an editing workshop and appeared at the Sunderland Literature Festival in October 2018. He also did an online reading of Idle Threats as part of the 2020 Summer Streets Festival. In 2019, Alan was one of the inaugural recipients of the Sunderland Culture Creative Development Fellowship.
Alan Parkinson's books
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Crime, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Paperback, Hardback
How far would you go to protect your family, when the truth could get you all killed? When an easy-going lorry driver uncovers a dead friend’s secret, he has to decide whether to bury it before it buries him. Jack Ferris is happy. He has his business; he has a loyal gang of mates; he has his pigeons, and he has a wife and daughter whom he adores. But when his best friend Reggie dies suddenly, Jack stumbles onto a secret that could destroy everything. As threats close in, Jack finds himself caught between loyalty, survival, and a dangerous criminal underworld he never asked to be part of. With gangsters on his tail and secrets unravelling fast, Jack must decide: speak up and risk it all, or stay quiet and live with the consequences.
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Crime, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Paperback, Hardback
He hid his life behind a screen, but life had other plans. Now he has to fix it...one call at a time. When a notorious internet troll is unmasked, his world collapses. Kicked off benefits and forced to take a job at the very call centre he used to torment, he's suddenly face-to-face with the real people behind the screens, and the consequences of his online life. But changing your ways is harder than it looks, especially when your worst enemy is staring back at you in the mirror. As his past comes knocking, redemption begins to look a lot like revenge. Troll Life is a sharply comic tale of redemption, revenge, and reluctant self-discovery. With the dark wit of Christopher Brookmyre and the satirical bite of Carl Hiaasen, Alan Parkinson’s fourth novel dives into the twisted world of online trolling and the daily grind of call centre life, where...
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Crime, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Paperback, Hardback
In a world that refuses to balance, one man’s obsession with right and wrong could cost him everything. Manuel Frost keeps a secret ledger of good and bad deeds—and he’s obsessed with balancing the books. When life doesn’t add up, he takes justice into his own hands, with chaotic and hilarious consequences. Caught between a domineering mother, a sharp-tongued boss, two bickering ex-cons, and a meddlesome cat, Manuel’s world spins wildly out of control. Can he fix the damage he’s caused—or is he just making everything worse? A darkly comic tale of morality, misadventure, and mishaps, Life In The Balance is Alan Parkinson at his funniest and most unpredictable.
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Crime, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Paperback, Hardback
A call centre, a hostage crisis, and three people who thought their chances were gone. Sometimes, the worst day of your life is the one that saves you. Liam is unravelling. Trapped in a soul-crushing call centre job at Phonetix Mobile, he spends his days absorbing the anger of strangers and his nights wondering where it all went wrong. Bumper’s life is falling apart. His business is sinking fast, the debts are piling up, and the bottle has become his closest companion. Jodie’s fighting for a fresh start. Unemployed, struggling, and desperate to build a better life for her son, she’s just one phone call away from either a breakthrough, or a breakdown. Three strangers, each on the brink. Their worlds collide in the most unlikely of places, during an armed siege that forces them to face their darkest fears, and the question none of them are ready to answer:...
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Crime, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Paperback, Hardback
After vanishing for fifteen years, Peter Wood returns to the hometown he abandoned, where old friends, buried grudges, and a reckoning with his past all await. Fifteen years after he disappeared without a word, Peter Wood is back in Sunderland. But is he here to make peace with the past, or finally confront it? Pete’s childhood was full of laughter, loyalty, and secrets he couldn’t outrun. Leaving felt like his only option. Coming back might be his last chance to make things right. But old wounds run deep, among friends, foes, and the ghosts of who he used to be. Leg It is Alan Parkinson’s sharply funny debut, blending heart, humour, and a touch of crime. Switching between schooldays and the present day, it’s a fast-paced, nostalgic tale about second chances, growing up, and the price of walking away.