The Lizard

Following his ex-girlfriend to Greece, getting mugged, being offered a job and taking part in lots of partying, things go downhill for Alistair when the body of a missing tourist is found and he gets the blame. A thrilling tale that will keep you captivated until the end!

Elli had been asking Alastair Haston,
a German and philosophy student at St. Andrews University all term if he’d go to Greece with her to visit her uncle in Athens. He said yes.
Then she broke up with him.

Haston was obsessed with Ellie.... devastated that she left him, Haston decided to go to Greece alone without her.
He had something to prove to Ellie - mostly to himself.

Nothing goes as planned. Haston arrives Paros.
Problems started immediately upon arrival in Greece, for Haston.
Being mugged -(passport and money taken)- wasn’t the only crises Haston faced.
A crazy adventure brings....
Haston was framed for six accounts of murder on the islands of Paros and Santorini, as well as the murder at sea of two officers on a police launch.
He spent four weeks under police watch at an infirmary — due to an injury and seven months in a high security prison, awaiting first bail which was denied, on account of him admitting to killing two others in self-defense.

The good news though - Haston wasn’t ridiculously obsessing every waking hour over Ellie finally.
Ha... he had bigger fishes to fry!
“The truth was, I’d moved on and was starting to feel whole again; not one of the mad or brave who would change the world, but rather a necessary cog and cohabitant of planet Earth, tumbling unfettered and
unjudged through time. No further need for self-definition than simply to be there. Like a lizard on a rock”.

This book is a crazy ride - filled partying, sex, violence, depravity, and mayhem.
It was a thriller with personality and heart — taking us on a fierce and tender journey.
What happens on the islands in Greece stays on the islands.

Quick fast read - reads like watching a crime/thriller movie.

“Nothing comes from nothing. Be it fate or free well, life boils down to continuous binary code: never-ending series of choices; yes or no; in or out; fight or flight. Until death ends the equation. Humans overcomplicate it; we invent shades of gray, hover in a limbo of moderation and seem in intelligence. Only the mad and the brave change the world. The rest look on in wonder.
Haston went to Greece to embrace the binary code, to get off the sidelines and become a player. To live in the moment. Or, as Ellie put it, to become his own man.

Thank you Netgalley, Muswell Press, and Dugald Bruce Lockhart

3.5 stars

In 1998 student Alistair Haston is dumped by his Greek girlfriend Ellie, a fellow student at St Andrews University in Scotland. Ellie finds him too wimpy and pliable for her tastes, students of moral philosophy don''t tend to be thrill-seeking Alpha males. .Determined to prove her wrong ,and to try a new direction in life ,he decides to follow her to her home in Greece ,where before the split they were due to spend a holiday together .

That's the beginning of Dugald Bruce-Lockhart's new thriller The Lizard, and thriller it certainly is. As soon as he arrives in Greece Alistair indulges in the kind of hedonism that he would never have dreamed on in Scotland as he falls in with a group of hard- drinking,hard partying fellow travellers on a ferry to the island of Paros after being taken under the wing of Ricky, an Australian who will play a big part in Alistair's life.
Alistair wakes up on Paros with no shirt,no money,no passport, having wet himself and next to a puddle of his vomit having no idea how he got off the ferry,let alone anything else......not the ideal start to a holiday it has to be said.
From then on his misadventures mount until Ricky appears in his life again offering him an easy job with good money.....which is when his problems really begin. From that point the moral philosophy geek enters a life of drugs,sex and general debauchery thinking himself lucky to have such a good friends as Ricky and his German employer Heinrich. Nothing is as it seems and the tale turns to one of murder and a realisation by Alistair that he's been set up.
It's hard to believe that this is Dugald Bruce-Lockhart's first novel, a lot of Alistair's continual misadventures stretch belief but the scenes are so well written that what in some instances might seem ludicrous are exciting and tense . As Alistair went from bad situation,to worse situation,to dire situation while somehow hanging there I was reminded very much of Simon Kernick's books where likewise there's no let up in the action.
Not only is Bruce-Lockhart a great thriller write but he also describes the stunning Greek islands beautifully and they come alive in the reader's mind.
I really enjoyed The Lizard and look forward to reading more of his books, this is his first and I very much doubt the last. If you enjoy well-written action tales you'll love this. There is explicit language and graphic violence so please be aware of that if either of those is an issue for you.

Thanks to Dugald Bruce-Lockhart , Muswell Press and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Well, thank goodness that's finished so I can breathe again. This was just the thing to take my mind off coronavirus. Alastair Haston is a student of moral philosophy and German at St Andrew's University. He has been dumped by his girlfriend Ellie but knowing she is visiting Greece, he decides to go there as well and 'bump' into her. The best laid plans and all that. Of course he doesn't bump into Ellie. Instead he meets Ricky, a charismatic Australian and before long he's partying so hard with him he wakes up in a pool of his own vomit and piss on a beach, his money and passport gone. Things rapidly go from bad to worse with Alastair making a series of bad choices and losing his moral compass.

There are plenty of twists and turns throughout this novel, most of which I didn't see coming. And that's high praise from me. I usually spot them from about page 11. This would make a brilliant film. The beautiful setting of the Greek islands and a pacy, thrilling (albeit pretty unbelievable) plot guarantee success.

Be warned though. There are explicit scenes of violence and sex so if that's not your thing, then best stay clear. I really enjoyed it even though I skipped over the more graphic scenes. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an interesting book to read. I fell into it really quickly, was carried along by the story and the writing and was taken in by the situation. By the end of the book though, I felt it had swerved into the unbelievable, The main protagonist becomes over the course of the book a sailor, a seducer, a calculating mercenary in a foreign land instead of a weedy, scared student. It was too big a change for me to find it believable. The violence was stark and emotionless, unexamined.
I enjoyed it overall!

The Lizard is an interesting story. Though I enjoyed this book, I am not sure if any of the characters are likable,they are realistic. Our “hero” is a college student on vacation in Greece who meets the wrong people. They steal his passport and money,leave him stranded. He gets caught up in a dangerous scheme to make money that leaves him stranded once again,and as a suspect for murder. His vacation turns into a quest.l like stories that put you in the situation and make you ask what you would do. This is such a story.

3.5 stars

Meet Alistair Haston. He’s very conventional, sits on the sidelines of life and so indecisive he misses the opportunity of going to Greece with his girlfriend (now ex-girlfriend) Ellie. So, for once in his life he decides to follow Ellie and have an adventure and hopefully win her back. However, I don’t think this is quite what he has in mind. Take one very naive patsy on a boat to a Greek island, befriend him, get him blind drunk, steal from him and later snare him with the prospect of easy money and then drag him into a murky, dangerous, illegal, sick, corrupt world beyond his wildest dreams. For a wimp, he has to become an all action man after meeting Aussie Ricky who is ‘all reptile’. Alistair tells his own story and it’s a wild one....

There are some good thrilling moments in the storytelling, a few twists, surprises and the odd heart in the mouth episodes. Alistair encounters so much as he is duped, tricked, beaten, threatened, imprisoned and faces down the barrel of a gun. There are some occasional touches of dry humour interspersed with the action which alleviates the tension. Some of the characters are easy to picture and are well portrayed. The ending is really good and I appreciate the uncertainty.

However, I have some problems engaging with our hero as he seems so hapless and then suddenly discovers skills such as piloting a boat, windsurfing, firing a gun, fighting dirty and so on which is definitely not the man who starts this journey. He sure finds hidden depths! The storyline has a lot of potential and there are some really good moments but sometimes it falls a bit flat and one dimensional and any sense of danger is lost as our narrator goes round in circles. The flow is uneven and there’ll be really brisk accelerated pace then it slows often to include flora, fauna, wildlife, geographical features and some swifts into the scene. Now I love a swift but in this case they interrupt the story!

Overall, this isn’t a bad book by any means, there is a lot I like about it and parts that are really good and I’ll definitely want to read more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Muswell Press for the ARC.

A mystery and thriller all in one! Fast-paced and exciting and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end!

After the first chapter of The Lizard I was very pessimistic about this book, the first person narrator was already annoying me and i just wasn’t convinced by the initial scenario. If you feel the same, please don’t stop reading!
The twists and turns that follow are genuinely exciting, with a well drawn (if predominantly unlikeable) characters, and an escalating sense of danger and horror. I rattled through this in under 24 hours - it is a proper old school page turner, with a real sense of the hot Greek summer coming over throughout. I’d recommend this as perfect beach read, but given how the year is currently panning out i’d say it’s perfect for escapist reading to take you away from the lockdown.

You may want to rethink a holiday to Greece after reading this book!

Alistair Haston is a university student whose life is going fairly well until his girlfriend Ellie dumps him. To start with Alistair comes across as a weak and love sick puppy. Deciding to go to Greece to surprise his ex girlfriend in the hope of winning her back. I was a bit dubious about whether I was going to like him or not but have to say, he took me by surprise.

I had absolutely no clue what was in store for me within these pages. When Alistair starts his journey to the island, alarm bells started to go off. I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to travelling, apart from good old fashioned common sense. Things seemed to be a bit to easy for Alistair to start with and you know the saying that if something is to good to be true, then it usually is. This was certainly the case for Alistair.

It isn’t long before Alistair is in deep, deep trouble. At times I wanted to give him a good slap but who wasn’t young and reckless once? The story whilst already quite sinister, started to get a whole lot darker as well as thrilling. It has an almost cat and mouse feel to it.

The Lizard is a dark and tense read with a great setting which the author brought to life in my head. The story starts off at quite a steady pace, picking up through out and it turns into a race against time whilst Alistair tries to prove his innocence. I picked this book up not expecting to be so hooked that I ended up reading it in one afternoon. I have to say I really enjoyed this debut novel and will look forward to more from the author in the future.

A teenage lad , Alistair , after splitting from his girlfriend Ellie because he can't decide about going on holiday to the Greek Islands decides to go by himself and surprise her later on . He meets up with some people on a ferry to the first island and gets drunk . This leads to him falling asleep and having all his money and passport stolen . He decides not to report it and manages to get a job on a building site . One of the lads from the boat called Ricky meets him and offers him a job recruiting people to model for his boss , an artist . They all get involved in drunken drug fuelled parties but after one everybody disappears from the villa leaving Alistair abandoned . A body is found and Alistair becomes chief suspect and goes on the run from the police . He meets up with another man ,Roland ,who is trying to find out what happened to his brother who disappeared earlier , all his research has led him to suspect Ricky and his boss , but there is also evidence of police corruption . He is eventually dragged in to meet up with Ellie again who has unsuspectingly been drawn in to Ricky's web and he tries to rescue her .An exciting story with many twists to the plot .

This debut does what you’d imagine any thriller would do - it thrills. Alistair travels to the Greek Islands one summer - for some reason, this is set in the 80s, in the days pre-Euro - to track down his ex-girlfriend, Ellie. Evidently, Alistair is obsessed with Ellie but before he finds her, he gets caught up in something much more sinister.

Bruce-Lockhart creates a cinematic read here. I can imagine The Lizard being made into a film: the constant heat of summer; the picturesque harbours; the wild scrublands of some islands’ interiors. However, as a book, I found it cliched and, quite often, lacking in originality.

Alistair evidently finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time - and it’s his drive to make a lot of money, quickly, that contributes to what happens. The premise is interesting but the characters, from Alistair himself to Ricky, Leo and Roland, to name but a few - are fairly implausible and wooden. For me, the first-person narration doesn’t help. Alistair, an undergraduate at St.Andrews, had an unconvincing voice. I just don’t think he is portrayed as he should be, if could be.

There is a lot of action in The Lizard and the final twist (probably fairly impossible without a further twist) is quite ridiculous, although it does leave the reader thinking: okay, but what if...?

I think some people will love this book. I can see the easy-reading-on-a-beach appeal but it just doesn’t work for me. Each to their own, I guess.

Alistair Haston (with a silent 'H'), gets dumped by his girlfriend before she heads off to Greece on holiday. So he decides to go travelling (not stalking) in Greece. But, he gets mugged somewhere between Athens and Paros and loses his money, passport, etc.

When a charismatic Australian that Alistair met on the ferry shows up and offers him a lucrative, cash in hand job Alistair jumps at the opportunity. Quickly wrapped up in a world of alcohol, sex, drugs and videotapes Alistair ends up in the frame for a series of horrific murders and on the run from the police.

This book starts with Alistair being quite a bit of a wimpy, whiny, entitled, pathetic loser. He then displays a remarkable and unrealistic ability to survive on nothing. However, when the Aussie turns up the book picks up pace really well and is quite a page-turner. I was eager to see what would happen next and how the book would end. Speaking of which, the end had a tasty little twist that I hadn't seen coming.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I believe it is a first novel for the author. It's a great debut and I'm interested in where the author goes next.

I received a free, pre-release copy of #TheLizard by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Published by #MuswellPress this book is available from 7th May 2020.

This was a very well written, fast paced book, which definitely lays on the more disturbing side of books! It you’re like me and love those dark, brutal reads, then you will absolutely love this book! It’s intense, chilling, thrilling, and shocking, and unputdownable throughout! I would never have guessed that it was a debut author, but him using real life experiences really helped show reality in the book! It wasn’t quite a 5 star read for me, but one I do highly recommend!
Will make sure to buzz it up on all the different platforms and use my low Amazon reviewer number on release date!

I love debut authors and he is one you don't want to pass up because he's written a fast paced roller coaster if a story that will have you glued to your seat. A very promising first book from an author I absolutely will keep my eye on. Happy reading!

This debut novel caught my eye when I saw it had an endorsement from one of my most favourite authors, William Boyd, so I knew I had to go check it out! After requesting it on Netgally I was contacted by Fiona on behalf of the publisher Muswell Press asking if I would like to take part in the blog tour. Fantastic!  So, with the book's synopsis, the fab endorsement and a blog tour spot, I couldn't wait to get reading!

Wow!  What a roller coaster of a ride this book took me on!

We meet Alistar Haston, a young university student set out for the Greek Island after being dumped by his girlfriend Ellie.  He's determined to show her that he has spontaneity and a bit of 'get-up-and-go' and sets off into the sun in the hope that she may take him back.  Travelling light he hopes to take each day at a time, working his way across the islands to earn enough for a place to stay and enjoy himself.

However, after a somewhat drunken encounter with some other young people, on a ferry, he realises he has lost not only most of his cash but also his passport.  Determined not to give in at the first hurdle, and be sent back home, he stays and finds himself sleeping out in the open air and in need of work a little more faster than anticipated.

Bumping back into Ricky, one of the guys from the ferry, Alistar is offered the opportunity of making some cash, quite a lot of cash, working with Ricky for a German artist.  Even though he's at first not sure about the offer, he soon decides to throw caution to the wind and off he goes.  These first few chapters of the book are quite racy.  Full of parties, sex, drugs and alcohol the book begins it's sinister story and the character of Alistair starts to get drawn into it's dark world.

For me, this book then started to be a thoroughly tense, pacey and gripping thriller that I couldn't put down.  At every turn Alistair's situation gets more and more nightmarish as he discovers at every turn just how much trouble he has found himself in.  The other characters in the book add great interest and believablity to the story and the pace gets faster and faster as we find our protagonist on the run and in fear of his life.

I loved the ebb and flow the book had, slowing down to introduce new characters and to be allowed the time in the novel to evoke the vibrant setting.  I was taken away, in my minds eye, to the heat and dryness of the island and to swimming in the gorgeous blue sea, only to be whisked back to the story line when another twist is presented taking the book even further into this nightmare of a holiday.  I also thought that the author cleverly uses the year of 1988 to explain why Alistair perhaps doesn't do some of the things to help himself out of a situation that would be available to him now.

All in all I found this a dark, sinister but also highly entertaining and pacey thriller and as the story gets faster and faster, it concludes with a dynamite of an ending with a really great twist at the very end which may offer up a chance of another book??  If not I really look forward to reading more from this author.

Inspired by a trip to the Greek island of Paros taken by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart in 1988, The Lizard charts the events of a deadly summer. Heartbroken and obsessed by a breakup with his first girlfriend, Alistair Haston follows her to Greece to rekindle their relationship. But on a ferry from Athens he meets Ricky; a magnetic Australian called 'the Lizard', who offers him a cushy job on the island of Paros. Soon swept away in a cocktail of hedonistic pursuits, Haston is immersed in a sun-drenched world of sex, alcohol and drugs. But when the body of a missing tourist is found, Haston's world collapses and he is sent on a desperate run for his life…

This is a rich and atmospheric read and you can feel the unease with each turn of the page. The perfect escapist tale in which the island is described in such beautiful detail you almost feel you are there feeling the heat of the sun and smelling the saltiness of the sea breeze. Dugald pens an utterly compelling and pacey thriller which lures you in from the first few pages. A word of warning: there is a lot of sexual activity that goes on throughout the story, so if you are easily offended you may want to take a pass on this. All in all, this is a taut, tense and superbly crafted debut and I can't wait to see what he writes next. Many thanks to Muswell Press for an ARC.

The Lizard was inspired by a solo trip which Dugald Bruce-Lockheart took in 1988, during which he slept rough on beaches and rooftops and ended up getting chased by a local gang – at knifepoint! – around the island of Paros.

As soon as I was told it was loosely based on a real experience I couldn’t resist giving it a go, even though this is not the type of book I normally pick up.

The best word to describe the first quarter of the novel is hedonistic, and it’s definitely on the racier end of the spectrum. Alistair’s ferry trip on the way to Paros is debauched, and the parties at Heinrich’s mansion spiral further out of control as Alistair films the sexual antics of the attendants. If you’re someone who is opposed to reading books which include a lot of casual sex then I would recommend staying away from this one, as it is a huge part of the novel: Alistair works recruiting models for Heinrich to paint and gets a bonus if the models sleep with Heinrich – who also pays them for the pleasure of sleeping with them – so the sexual aspects of the story are not easily avoidable.

However, things quickly go from wild to absolutely WACKY. Alistair is arrested and discovers that Heinrich hasn’t just been painting the models. They have been turning up dead, and Alistair has been set up to take the fall for their crime. He manages to escape from prison and intends on heading to the British Embassy in Athens, until he receives a picture of Ricky with Ellie. Can he save her before she becomes their next victim, without losing his own life in the process?

This novel has so many twists and turns that you feel as though you’re on a rollercoaster, and every time you think the ride is nearly over you discover a whole new stretch of track filled with loop-the-loops and plummeting drops. Your stomach will be in your throat, your heart will be racing, and it will be impossible for you to put this book down.

Meanwhile, the location is described beautifully, the vibrant nature of the Greek islands thrumming through the pages. Considering there aren’t going to be any summer holidays happening this year, this is the perfect way to get a taste of warmer climes and escape from the ceaseless rain of another British summer.

If you’re longing for an escape to the sun but have a taste for a gritty crime novel, The Lizard is the perfect combination for you. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel, and it’s certainly put Dugald Bruce-Lockhart on my radar as one to watch out for in the future. As far as I’m aware this is a standalone, but it has a cheekily open ending so there is the possibility that he could revisit some of the characters in the future. I for one would be completely up for that!

A great debut from this author. The way the Greek Island are described is divine. There are some violent and sex scene but don't let this put you of.
A strong four stars.

A fast paced thriller with some good twists and nice Greek scenery.
Thank you to netgalley and Muswell Press for an advance copy of this book

This is one hell of a book! A book that has absolutely everything and more. I enjoyed every minute of reading The Lizard! Every time I picked this book up, I was transported to Greece in the 1980's; turquoise seas, street bars and restaurants, mopeds, parties, clubs, pubs, villas, boat tours, yachts, island hopping with strangers met along the way.

Alastair Haston is heartbroken when his girlfriend Ellie suddenly breaks up with him. They'd planned a summer together in Greece and he suddenly finds himself with no plans and the prospect of spending his summer alone and pining after his ex-girlfriend. On an impulse, he decides he's not going to be that guy; that he's going to be the person Ellie doesn't expect, the person he thinks Ellie wants. And so, he makes the trip to Greece on his own with the ulterior motive of bumping into her in Greece in the hope that upon seeing him, she'll realise she wants him back.

Upon his arrival in Greece, Alastair is immediately thrown into a world of strangers, alcohol, drugs and debauchery; the "highs" of island life. Waking up the next morning with the monster of all hangovers, he can't remember what happened the night before and worse still, his money and passport have been stolen.

Alastair's journey over the summer is incredible. Everything he stumbles into is worlds away from the life he lived before. He finds himself in scenarios that he could never have dreamt, doing things he'd never have imagined he'd be capable of. And when he finds himself in prison, accused of a crime he didn't commit, suddenly Alastair needs to fight to survive, to clear his name and make it home... alive.

The Lizard is fantastically written. The first Dugald Bruce-Lockhart book that I've read and I enjoyed it immensely! The story development is brilliant, everything is meticulously planned with characters and relationships developed throughout with fantastic pacing and detail throughout.

I genuinely cannot recommend The Lizard enough! An exceptional plot that grows and grows with twist after twist right til the very end. Extremely enjoyable and entertaining and a welcome change from books I've read before - I think I'll remember this book for a long time - and one I'll most likely read again one day. 5 huge stars!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart and Muswell Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Young guy heads to greece in order to try and win his girlfriend back but...well then it starts to spiral out of control and it's like watching car crash tv as far as Alastair is concerned. He decides to let his hairdown and gets mugged. Then it's all like an episode of Banged up Abroad - you know at the beginning when everyone is dancing and life is so sunny and they are relatively carefree?

This is what not to do when abroad...well when anywhere really. the guy has some bad luck but he's not the sharpest tool in the box. It does make for a thrilling read mind! There is some violence and sex scenes which are a bit uurgh but in the main, there is tension and then some!

So much to like here.People heading for their year abroad need to read this as a warning

The author wisely summarises the whole story in its title as a furtive creature sitting alone on a rock; with one eye on security,other,on next meal & had took inspiration for the book from his real life experience on his solo trip to Greece in 1988.
Alastair Haston, a German & philosophy student at St. Andrews University, everything was good in his life until his gf, Ellie dumps him. Being obsessed with his gf he travels to Greece where she is on vacation to prove himself worthy & win her back.

Upon arrival at Paros, he gets mugged & loses everything from passport to money. Then only he meets a magnetic Aussie, Ricky known as 'The Lizard' who offers him a high money making job under a big villa owner,Henrich & due to in high need Haston accepts that offer. His job is to recruit model who will let them painted naked by Henrich & he gets bonus if the models agree to sleep with him and model also get paid. Soon he is dragged in a world of drugs,alcohol & wild sex,forgetting Ellie.

But after few weeks situation turns when body of a missing tourist is found. In few days he is being convicted of not one but 4 murders including models he recruited; victims are raped, murder,the whole act is recorded & being sold for high pay;Turns out that villa & wild parties were rented in his name. Situation gets worse when he has to run from the jail & get to Ellie because now she may be the next victim.

Even though I really enjoyed it, this novel freaked the hell out of me. I'm not sure if I'll recommend it to everyone as the story,plots,twists etc are so dark & violent. So, if you're not used to reading that level of dark things you should pass it. In 1st quarter, you're gonna face all the wild sex, parties, dark events; 2nd Q give start to actual story bring along all most brutal acts followed by 3rd Q with major thrills & twist. Still it ended at amazing twist, with a feeling of 'it ended?where is more?'

This thriller will make you think twice before going traveling solo abroad.

Alistair is an average twenty-two-year-old British student unable to overcome a breakup with his girlfriend Ellie. He becomes so obsessed with getting Ellie back that he follows her to Greece where she is vacationing with her family. However, everything that could go wrong does just that; Alistair is robbed of all his possessions at a drunken cruise party and instead of reporting it to the police, blinded with the need to find Ellie, he stays and gets some odd jobs... That is, until he unknowingly becomes involved with a powerful criminal organization and gets framed for a number of crimes. With the police being paid off by the criminals, Alistair has no choice but to play the game much bigger than himself.

There were for sure some holes in the story that require you to suspend your disbelief, which I don't want to spoil here. However, "The Lizard" is full of unexpected twists and turns which, paired with the gorgeous setting of the Greek islands, is a brilliant combo, Thankfully, the resolution with Ellie was realistic and not cheesy or overly romantic. And finally, I really liked the fact that the author kept the suspense high all throughout, including the chilling ending which makes me want to scream for a part two.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An intense novel about a student who takes a step out of his comfort zone in order to win back his ex girlfriend, and finds himself sucked into a foreign criminal underworld. Well written and gripping.

This book was good on many levels. It was well-written. The pacing was excellent, constantly pulling you further into the hero's saga. The characters were well drawn so that I could submerge myself into the story. I loved the idea that it was born out of the author's past experience bumming around the Greek island of Paros and getting chased by a gang of knife-brandishing locals.
So, we have Alistair Haston, heading off to Greece, chasing after his girlfriend, Ellie, who dumped him. He is robbed on a ferry and loses everything (passport, money) and doesn't want to report the theft because it will interfere with his staying on the island and proving to Ellie that he is not the do-nothing guy she left. He meets Rick, a fellow traveler from Australia who offers him a job, no ID needed, recruiting models for Rick's eccentric employer to paint. Haston accepts. He soon finds that painting is the least of what the employer has on his mind and, after being drawn into a world of wild parties, drugs, sex and violence, discovers that he has naively and willingly walked into horrendous personal danger.
What didn't work for me was Haston's abrupt transformation from boring student into a wild and reckless party guy. Nor did the amount of beatings and abuse that he took. I found the gratuitous violence to be a distraction from a good plot.
Would I read this author again? Yes. He's a good writer. I'd try him again.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Muswell Press for the ARC copy in return for my honest review.

The Lizard by British actor/author Dugald Bruce-Lockhart is an intriguing story set in Greece during the late 1980's. Be warned this story contains violent sex scenes and lots of drug use. Alistair Haston, a British University Student gets dumped by his girlfriend Ellie. He decides to follow (stalk) her to Greece on their Uni break. On his arrival Alistair is mugged and has to rough it for a few days. Soon after he is offered a job by an artist to recruit models. This innocent job turns into something more sinister. I really enjoyed this dark thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy.

Being at the end of the second month of lockdown, I gobbled up The Lizard in record time! This was the injection of excitement I needed. I felt the hot Greek sun on my skin and took part, vicariously, through a deadly survival course as experienced by Alistair Haston, a university student off on holiday after his girlfriend breaks his heart. Why Greece? Because that's where Ellie wanted to take him before crushing his dreams. He hopes to run into her there and disabuse her of any thoughts she may have entertained about his lack of fitness as a boyfriend.

What he gets is worlds away from what he intended but it is the perfect guilty pleasure to sink into with an ice cold beer in hand. This smart thriller is filled with all kinds of low-life criminal happenings and Alistair must change his stripes to survive. Gripping and full of action, this is just what I wanted. I look forward to the next outting by the talented Dugald Bruce-Lockhart. A pulse-pounding adventure is the cure for these difficult times!

Very fast moving story. Brought back vivid memories of my only visit to the Greek Islands many years ago.
Excellent plot and couldn't guess the ending.

The Lizard by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart

This is a thriller that’s bound to put you off from spending your summer island hopping in Greece! Dark at heart and so twisty you never know who trust. Alistair Halton has a broken heart. His university girlfriend Ellie has broken up with him before the summer and has gone to spend her holiday in Greece. Planning to follow her and win her back, Alistair has a very different summer break from the one he expected.

It starts to go wrong when he encounters outgoing Aussie, Ricky after losing his wallet. With no money or passport, Alistair decides to work and earn some cash before presenting himself at the British Embassy for help. However, help comes in the form of Ricky who offers him work at a luxury villa owned by Heinrich, a German painter. It soon becomes clear that the work is a little unusual. Heinrich likes to paint beautiful people so Alistair’s job is to recruit both men and women as artist’s models. But he must also make sure their morals are fluid enough to be open to further work - sleeping with Heinrich for money. He’s surprised by how many are open to the offer, but that’s not the end of the enterprise. Ricky carries a video camera everywhere recording parties and sexual exploits, even those of Alistair himself when he gets lucky at a villa party. After several weeks, and having a few thousand stored under his pillow, Alistair thinks about making his move and going off to find Ellie. Ricky and Heinrich are putting together plans for a huge party, so maybe he’ll leave afterwards. What he sees over the next few days terrifies him and makes him realise he is complicit in a series of horrific crimes. Not only that, but the organisers have carefully made sure he’s on film. Can he ever leave now that he knows everything? Will they ever let him? Worst of all, is Ellie safe here on the Greek Islands?

This is a fast moving plot, full of complex twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. One in particular made me literally jump in my deckchair! The backdrop of the islands is beautiful but also bleak and difficult terrain. Alistair is also at the mercy of a small population who all know each other - tourists stand out and it would be unlikely one would be trusted above a local. In order to complete his quest safely, Alistair has to think like a criminal and commit petty crimes, disguise himself and pit himself against a local, and potentially corrupt police force. Arguably, he becomes as criminal as those he’s trying to escape. The pace meant it was hard to find a good stopping place so there was a tendency to keep reading. Each discovery Alistair makes brings about even more questions, about how long Ricky had been targeting Alistair, who on the police force is working with them and how they’ve evaded capture for so long. I didn’t feel I got to know the characters very well but it’s not that sort of novel. It’s all about the action, the twists and blistering pace. This is a great summer read but be warned; it could put you off making friends at the bar.

Alistair, heartbroken and adrift, departs for Greece in the hopes of "causally" meeting up with his and rekindling their relationship.

On the ferry Alistair meets Ricky, The Lizard, a cocky, flamboyant, freedom-loving Aussie who knows how to have a good time. Alistair has such a good time that he wipes himself out and awakens to find he's lost his passport and is essentially stranded. After some fumbling he manages to get employment and inevitably loses said job. But never fear, Ricky reappears offering work, lodging, sex and drug. What more could you ask for? Well, my guess is, to not wake up and discover your new fly d friends have disappeared and being accused of murder.

This is a fast-paced read and truly a cautionary tale. The writing is clear and fluid and the characters are well developed. The ending for me though did feel a little rushed, but the twist at the end....

This book may not be for "everyone" due to some of the themes (sex, drug use, violence, kink and murders), however I thought the thriller aspect of the story was well done.