A Mind Polluted by Martin Geraghty @MartinGeraght1 Blog Tour @crookedcatbooks #MyLifeInBooks

His world falls apart…

Triggered by overhearing a confession from his mother's lips when he was a young boy, Connor Boyd carries the burden of the secret through his life.

Is falling in love his saviour? Or will he embark on a journey down a self-destructive path which ultimately leads to his version of justice?

Will he concentrate on his future, or be consumed by his past?

A Mind Polluted by Martin Geraghty was published by Crooked Cat Books in March 2018. As part of the Blog Tour, I'm delighted to welcome the author to Random Things today. He's talking about the books that are special to him in My Life In Books.

My Life In Books - Martin Geraghty

Growing up with four sisters and two brothers, visits to the library soon became something special to me. A place of refuge. Scouring through piles of books whilst enveloped by a silence that was alien to me. My love of books and reading has stayed with me despite the various changes that have occurred throughout my life. Let me take you through the books, that for various reasons, have left a strong impression on me.


Roald Dahl-Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The first book I can recall reading. A children’s classic. I can always picture the grandparents huddled up together in the same bed. Roald Dahl wrote so many fantastic books. I have managed to pass on my love for his books to my six-year old son.

John Steinbeck-Of Mice and Men. I studied this in English at secondary school. The first book that had the power to transport me to the time and place that it was set. I felt so much empathy for Lennie and anger at the injustice of it all.


JD Salinger-The Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield remains one of my favourite characters from all the books I have read. Such a compelling character. The first-person narrative was so powerful. I felt like I was in the dormitory watching Holden make a pest of himself to his room-mates or on the train witnessing him offload cock and bull stories to the mother of a fellow student. A book that I pick up time and time again to read little passages that I find highly amusing.


Fyodor Dostoevsky-Crime and Punishment

Dostoevsky transported me to 1860’s St Petersburg and the collection of rogues and drunks all trying to survive as best they could. The vivid description of Raskolnikov’s pathetic little room and his feverish dreams. An amazing book that paints the picture of one man’s descent into convincing himself that he could carry out the perfect murder and a fascinating game of cat and mouse between Raskolnikov and Inspector Porfiry Petrovitch.

Hans Fallada-Alone in Berlin. A fantastic writer, remarkable when you take into account that for the majority of his life he suffered from mental health issues, drug abuse, alcohol dependency and the constant threat of persecution at the hands of the Nazi’s because one of his books was made into a movie by Jewish film-makers in the USA. The characterisation in this novel is outstanding. Following the death of his only son in the war, the main character, Otto Quangel, begins a campaign of futile resistance in Nazi Berlin, leaving postcards with anti-Nazi messages in various locations causing fear and distress to the unfortunates who come across the cards. One of the greatest depictions of Nazi Germany.


Honore De Balzac-Eugenie Grandet. Balzac is a fantastic story-teller. Wealth, greed, social climbing and power are constant threads throughout his novels. Another writer who brilliantly describes character, time and place. The arrival of Charles, the handsome cousin of Eugenie Grandet, changes everything and ends in tragedy.


Marcus Zusak-The Book Thief. Death narrates the story of a nine-year old girl Liesel who is sent to live with a foster family as her parent’s have been taken to a concentration camp.
This book blew me away. Incredibly powerful, beautifully written with fantastically clever narration.

Gail Honeyman-Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Loved the characters in this book. One of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in recent years. Eleanor Oliphant is such a weird and wonderful main character. And the ending!!!


David Keenan-This Is Memorial Device. One of the most original pieces of fiction I’ve read. A collection of mis-fits and members of bands tell their stories about growing up in the late 70s/early 80s in Airdrie, a small town outside Glasgow. Dream-like and intoxicating. Very, very clever. A book and author that I hugely admire.


Graeme Macrae Burnet-His Bloody Project. Another highly original piece of writing. We are made aware that the main character is guilty from the outset. However, the novel uncovers what drove him to commit the despicable acts he is guilty of. Fantastically constructed and thought-provoking.

Martin Geraghty - May 2018

Martin Geraghty is a forty-five-year-old from Glasgow. He is a self-employed Private Investigator who claims his profession is not remotely as interesting as it may seem. Human beings and how they react to the various curveballs that life throws at them is generally what inspires him to write. He has had work published in various litzines including Razur Cuts and Glove. When not writing or playing amateur detective, he can be found on a golf course or indulging in his chief passions, food, wine and music. A Mind Polluted is his debut novel.

Website: http://www.martingeraghty.co.uk/

Twitter : @MartinGeraght1