PRO CONNECT
Paul Proffet lives in Cheltenham with his wonderful partner Tanya and a seemingly constant scuffle with indigestion. He works full-time in the private security industry and writes whenever he can. CrossOver is his debut novel and he has recently picked a fight with the sequel.
“A promising, deeply satisfying debut full of action, wit and heart.”
– Kirkus Reviews
In this urban-fantasy adventure, a 44-year-old professional criminal decides to help a mysterious young woman—and gets pulled into a supernatural battle.
Len Doyle is a killer with standards who dislikes today’s nastier crime bosses. He’s plotting retirement until a troubled homeless girl named Briar warns him that “[a] blue suit might kill you today if you let it.” Using this tip, he beats up a Russian boss and his goon who were planning to kill him, then retreats with the mysterious Briar to a country hideaway. He soon discovers that Briar visits a supernatural plane in her dreams, where she’s attacked by demonic monsters and suffers real-life injuries. He also finds that by touching her, he can cross over into her dream and defend her, summoning weapons with his mind. He soon recruits some tough, reliable friends from the old days, and together, they fight a two-front battle with mundane but deadly Russian thugs on one side and nightmare demons on the other. In his debut novel, Proffet offers a brisk, exciting blend of crime action and fantasy warfare. The latter involves magic users, healers, warriors, and cool armor, as in a role-playing game; in both, the fighting is vivid, bloody, and often leavened with black humor. Running jokes, such as a succession of destroyed tea kettles, also help lighten the mood, as does Proffet’s slangy, punchy dialogue, which adds characterization and depth. For example, here’s Doyle’s response when a terrifying, 7-foot-tall, burning demon says that he can smell his fear: “If that’s what passes for an insult around here ya need to modernise, ya deep-fried lanky sack of dog shit.” The novel has some rough edges, but Doyle and his friends are unlikely but apt heroes—exactly who you’d want in a fight—and their camaraderie provides the novel with a big, beating heart: “Bravery and brotherhood above all, that was their creed and they would die to defend it. To them the choice was simple.”
A promising, deeply satisfying debut full of action, wit, and heart.
Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2014
ISBN: 978-1503164307
Page count: 232pp
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
Day job
Close-Protection and Private Security.
Favorite author
David Gemmel.
Favorite book
World War Z - Max Brooks.
Favorite line from a book
"Ain't got time to deal with that shit-wit right now. Even if he has just invented self-cauterising bullets." - The Iron Jackal.
Favorite word
Pustule.
Hometown
Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
Passion in life
Laugh like its the only chance you're going to get!
Unexpected skill or talent
Unfortunately, I blurt 'WIG!' everytime I see a person wearing one. Dinner parties can be very awkward due to it.
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.