About me
Greetings! Thanks for visiting my blog.
My name is Leigh Turner, writer and ex-ambassador. Since 2022 I have been proud to be represented by Caradoc King and his assistant Becky Percival at United Agents. You can buy my books on Amazon or from leading independent bookshops such as Shakespeare & Co in Vienna or the English Center in Salzburg.
I started writing novels in 1986 when I worked at the British Embassy in Vienna. One night, my girlfriend was late for a date. While I waited, I had an idea that turned into my first novel. When I worked at the British Embassy in Moscow 1992-95, someone told me to “write about what you know”. I wrote a thriller set in early 1990s Russia.
The first became my satirical thriller Eternal Life. The second is “in the drawer” – not yet among my first four published books.
My latest novel is my Istanbul thriller Palladium, published Immortal Works Press in May 2022. My next book is my diplomatic and life handbook The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Diplomacy, to be published by Czernin Verlag on 12 April 2023.
To find out more about my writing, click on the “Read More” link below. Otherwise, “Books” or “New Posts” are good places to start. Happy reading!
Latest Articles
Komodo cruise – highs and lows
A Komodo cruise in the rainy season includes ecstatic highs as well as some pretty awful moments. Want a holiday you’ll never forget? This could be it.
20th Century Books: top 100
20th Century Books – one for each year from 1900 to 1999 – which would you choose? How many have you read? And do you agree with the ratings?
Barnaby Rudge – why it is relevant today
“Barnaby Rudge”, written by Dickens in 1841, depicts riots in London in 1780 that echo eerily the storming of the US Capitol in January 2021.
Does Duolingo work?
Does Duolingo work? A professional diplomat tries it out. What is needed to move from Duolingo to fluency?
Christmas books
Christmas books – 15 months after I retired, I have four out. My latest, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Diplomacy” is due on 12 April 2023
“Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up the Bodies”
“Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel, and its sequels “Bring up the Bodies” and “The Mirror and the Light” may seem intimidating. But dive in and you will find thrilling, engrossing writing.
Pleasure Pathways
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