The Midnight Man video

Vincent Van Gogh lived in London for a while in his youth. His experiences there in that turbulent, and sometimes mysterious city, one that Van Gogh likened to a ravenous beast, became the inspiration for THE MIDNIGHT MAN, published by Severn House. It's a story of murder, madness and ghosts. Blending fact and fiction, it imagines the dramatic events that engulfed the artist in 1888.

Here is the link to THE MIDNIGHT MAN video that features the extraordinary maze of streets that Van Gogh would have known - and which would become the haunt of Jack the Ripper.

The Midnight Man video

To mark the imminent release of THE MIDNIGHT MAN in paperback I've made a short film that looks at the London streets that were familiar to Van Gogh in his youth. I talk a little about the writing of the book and there is a short reading. To view the film hit the link:

Writing the novel was a labour of love, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those who've written to tell me how much they enjoy the book, including some who have told me this is their favourite Simon Clark novel of all. Cheers and thanks again.

So... THE MIDNIGHT MAN, what's it all about, then?

Two things give you an immediate taste of a book - the cover and the description (often called a ‘blurb’ - suggestive of an unfortunate, yet spectacular, spillage).

I’d been to the supermarket to hunt for one of my favourite films, LUST FOR LIFE, starring Kirk Douglas. I didn’t find the DVD but it ended up one of those trips where I find myself picking up a lot of stuff I didn’t even need (garlic olive oil, spare shoelaces, novelty fridge magnet). But I got home to find a pleasant surprise, an e-mail from the publisher with the finalized cover copy for the novel, and here it is:-

THE MIDNIGHT MAN
1888. The Yellow House, Arles: Vincent van Gogh paints works of transcendent genius, while in London a killer launches a reign of terror.
Nidabi is attacked by her sadistic master but is rescued just in time by saintly Pastor Hux, a man who befriended Van Gogh many years ago. On a mission to help those most in need Hux is relentless in his attempts to save the souls of those he rescues.
In Arles, Van Gogh is helped by prostitute Ty and they quickly form a special relationship. Both are outsiders and she struggles to protect the artist as his passion to create threatens to shatter his mind.
But why are these two men haunted by the spectre of failure? How can loyalty endure in the face of evil? Soon a deadly momentum will draw two old friends back together – into a withering storm painted in madness, fear and death.

The Midnight Man Journal

Van Gogh, ghosts, murder and madness...

THE MIDNIGHT MAN is the title of my novel due out in hardback from Severn House in April in the UK and July in the US. THE MIDNIGHT MAN is set in 1888, the most turbulent year of Van Gogh's life when he lives in the Yellow House in Arles. Here, his fragile health collapsed and he cut away part of his ear just before the Christmas of that year.

During the research for the novel I found a wealth of material about Vincent Van Gogh on the internet: films, websites and so on. So, in part, this blog charts the the development and publication of the novel, outtakes from the story itself, and it also acts as a gateway for all those fascinating gems that feature Van Gogh on the internet.

During the coming weeks, I plan to add more website links as well as charting the progress of the novel from a bunch of files here on my computer to the published book. As I write, I'm waiting for the cover of the book. I'm promised it will be wonderful. When it arrives I'll post it here along with the link to a short web film that features Van Gogh.

Vincent Van Gogh's work and life story had a huge impact on me, and probably helped shaped who I am and what I do. In short, I'm a fan, a huge fan. So this is where as I get chance to celebrate the life and genius of one of the greatest artists - ever!

Severn House link www.severnhouse.com