About Derek
Derek Farrell has, since childhood, told stories.
Of course, back then they were called lies, and usually got him in to trouble, but nowadays his stories, humorous poetry and song lyrics are entertaining people from Kansas to Crawley.
Derek grew up in a small terrace close to the Guinness brewery in Dublin’s Liberties neighbourhood, where the smell of roasting hops alternated with the yeasty fermentation of the mash, and the cry of the seagulls was interrupted occasionally by the snorting of an escaped cow on the rampage from the abattoir at the bottom of the street.
To date, Derek has completed three novels. His latest novel is a contemporary Cosy-Noir mystery story called Death of a Diva. The book features his wonderfully human detective Danny Bird, and it’s been described as “Like The Thin Man meets Will & Grace via Ab Fab. In Bermondsey.”
Derek’s literary heroes include Agatha Christie, P.G. Wodehouse, Lawrence Block, Joe Keenan, Steven Saylor, Scott Fitzgerald, Jonathan Harvey, Doctor Seuss and anyone who actually drags their arse to the desk and writes, Goddammit!
His jobs have included: Burger dresser, Bank teller, David Bowie's paperboy, and eventually Investment Banker on the 80th floor of the World Trade Centre. Time in high finance, has given him an opportunity to observe people, to understand the persuasive power of language and to develop an insight into the workings of the criminal mind, whilst allowing him to live and work in Hong Kong, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Prague and London.
And all the time, he’s been telling stories.
You should get to know him.
Twitter: @derekifarrell
Here are my most recent posts
by Derek | Feb 23, 2020 | Reading, Reviews, Writers Life, Writing
It’s often commented that the classic American Noir is basically a Western retold: That the lone Gumshoe making right in a corrupt and lawless world is Shane, strolling into town and restoring fairness. It’s also been noted that crime fiction, in it’s purest, is a...
by Derek | Jan 24, 2020 | Art, Travel, Uncategorized, Writers Life, Writing
When I was – well, let’s say younger, because ‘young’ would suggest I’m now old, and I don’t feel old (though I am old enough to remember New Order when they were called Joy Division. I prefer The Order. More fun.) Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, not being old. Well,...
by Derek | Dec 20, 2019 | Art, Reading, Reviews
It’s been a weird year.Let’s face it: The last few years have been like a never ending bin fire of Nonsense. But in amongst it all, there has – as always – been one constant: The power of books to transport me, to comfort me, to inspire, enervate and help...
by Derek | Dec 7, 2019 | Food, Memories, Writers Life
I wrote this piece four years ago. It’s become a tradition to repost it at this time of year, so I’m sharing it again with some updates. I hope you enjoy it. When I was a child – without fail – November smelled of cinnamon, nutmeg, jewel-bright candied carbuncles of...
by Derek | Nov 22, 2019 | Memories, Writers Life
Me, in the late seventies. Re-enacting a scene from “Whatever happened to Baby Jane?” with my father. It would be twenty years before I’d drive again. Noticeable is the open doors of some of the houses; nobody locked their doors then. Also the almost total absence of...
