Volta

When Briony Campbell confesses to killing her boyfriend, a straightforward crime of passion soon turns into a baffling mystery. Haunted by demons from his past, lawyer S.J. Robin is assigned to the case. But as confusion - and the body count - rises, he's forced to question who is guilty and who is innocent. Can he see justice served and hold on to the woman he loves?

About the Author :
Nikki studied for her BA and MA at Roehampton, University of Surrey. Published work includes: the thriller, Ellipsis, (2010); Her chapbook, exits/origins (2010);poetry collection Hope, Alt, Delete, (2017). One of Nikki's poems was also featured in The Blackpool Illuminations (2016);poetry collection (2020). Her novel, Volta, won the Virginia Prize 2020. Awards: -Novel, Volta, winner of the Virginia Prize 2020. -Shortlisted in the London Writers' Competition in 2003 for poetry. -Won the Promis Prize for poetry in the London Writers' Competition 2005. -Novel, Ellipsis, shortlisted for the Ideastap Inspires programme in 2014. Nikki is Managing Editor of streetcake magazine, which she started with Trini Decombe in 2008. streetcake publishes an online issue every 2-3 months and in 2019, launched the streetcake experimental writing prize for 18-30 year olds, supported by the Arts Council England. She also runs writing workshops. She grew up in inner city London and attended state school in Camden. Nikki has been in love with words since she wrote short stories in her scrapbook at primary school and discovered what a metaphor was.

Review :
An original and disturbing psychological thriller that never lets up.--Sally Spedding "Author " Dudley's indulgence of what the poet Charles Bernstein has called 'writing centered on its wordness' gives her poems their depth, their energy, their humour and their resistance of closure.'--Colin Herd "Poet " It's a tale that will keep them wondering, gasping, thinking, smiling, grimacing, rereading. What more can a reader ask for?'--Mike Lipkin "Noir Journal " Nikki's energy rustles behind each line, as she plays with familiar words and makes them at once more explicit and more unknown.--Judy Darley "SkyLightRain blog "; “Talking of S.J., he is a fantastic character. Scarred in everyway possible, we’re told from the off that he is dealing (or not, as they case actually is) with something in his past, and as time goes on, the full extent of his trauma is revealed, with the aforementioned parallels drawing him to Briony and her to him, leading to plenty of drama as the novel unfolds.” – Emma Rowson, blogger; “The characters are all so well developed, really interesting and colourful, each with their voices. Briony really made me wonder; Nikki Dudley has so skilfully written her that I was as bad as the other three on whether I believed her claim or not. I hopped from one side to the other constantly. I loved getting to know these four and was sorry when I had finished the book. A crime thriller that refuses to be a run of the mill book and stands out with the fabulous characters that Nikki Dudley has created. I would easily recommend Volta to anyone…in fact, I have already!” – Sharon Beyond The Books; “Nikki Dudley’s latest novel shows that things are not always as they seem… The twist in the narrative is skilfully done and will keep the reader guessing until the very end.” – Ruth Dugdall, author of Nowhere Girl.