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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Public executions were not abolished out of tenderness towards the criminal. They were abolished because of the effect on the people watching, and the dangers of making human death a source of commercial entertainment. Here's Charles Dickens in The Times, after witnessing an execution in 1849.

"I have seen, habitually, some of the worst sources of general contamination and corruption in this country, and I think there are not many phases of London life that could surprise me. I am solemnly convinced that nothing that ingenuity could devise to be done in this city, in the same compass of time, could work such ruin as one public execution, and I stand astounded and appalled by the wickedness it exhibits. I do not believe that any community can prosper where such a scene of horror and demoralization as was enacted this morning outside Horsemonger Lane Gaol is presented at the very doors of good citizens, and is passed by, unknown or forgotten. And when in our prayers and thanksgivings for the season we are humbly expressing before God our desire to remove the moral evils of the land, I would ask your readers to consider whether it is not a time to think of this one, and to root it out.

I am, Sir, your faithful Servant.
Charles Dickens".

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Oh, and Reacher's back. I've missed the big lad. #💙📚 #booksky

The cover of Exit Strategy by Lee and Andrew Child.

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Felt a bit under the weather yesterday so treated myself to a log fire and @susiedentwords.bsky.social's Death Writ Large - and enjoyed it so much I bought a copy as a gift for someone else! 📚💙 #booksky

The cover of the book Death Writ Large by Susie Dent

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Brother K @konchognorbu.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

“The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment.” ~Pope Leo~ #NoDeathPenalty

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I met Archer professionally. He was every bit as awful as I suspected he would be. Utterly shameless too, which I wasn't expecting.

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

He constantly threatened staff with: "Do you know how stupid you will look when I write about this?" I refused to buy his book. Well, I did until I saw it on display in Waterstones. 'No harm in having a flick through' I rationalised. First name I saw was mine. The bastard had me.

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

One of my most satisfying moments was catching him bullshitting. "Governor, are you calling me a liar?!" "Archer, you're a convicted liar."

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I met Archer professionally. He was every bit as awful as I suspected he would be. Utterly shameless too, which I wasn't expecting.

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Mic Wright @brokenbottleboy.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The part of your brain that determines how much bullshit you can tolerate at any given time should be called the fucks capacitor.

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Technology Connections @techconnectify.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

"Are you selling me a solution or a dependency?" is a question I think more people should ask.

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Ooh, Operation Mincemeat, the inspiration for Black on Blue: "But this is the nation that dressed up a dead tramp as a Royal Marines captain ... [and] fooled Hitler into thinking the Allied forces intended to invade Greece rather than Sicily" The Final Vow by @mwcraven.bsky.social #booksky 📚💙

amazon.co.uk

Black on Blue (Governor Finn Black Book 2)

Black on Blue (Governor Finn Black Book 2) eBook : Scott, Tony C.: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Just spat out my tea: "Any organisation that gave the power of arrest to as many sex offenders, racists and ne’er-do-wells as the Metropolitan Police seemed to needed spin doctors on call 24/7." The Final Vow by @mwcraven.bsky.social 💙📚 #booksky

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Kate Elliott @kateelliottsff.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I am not first and will be far from the last to say this: I have purchased so many books because I saw them recommended or publicized here on bsky. I cannot urge you all enough to KEEP TALKING ABOUT BOOKS. I know it's easier to talk up someone else's book, but this also means you, the shy author.

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

* A flare up of PTSD meant I've been on a strict diet of cosy crime until recently - and The Mercy Chair was VERY dark... #booksky 💙📚

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Finally reading @mwcraven.bsky.social's The Final Vow* - immediately after finishing Mark Billingham's What the Night Brings. Both published last summer and both mention Wearside Jack and cassoulete. Coincidence, or the result of two friends talking serial killers over a French meal? #booksky 💙📚

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Prof. Catherine Rowett, ex MEP @catherinerowett.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

The solution to prison crowding is not more prison cells. Burnham needs to look at why the prisons are full and address the causes. Here are some. 🧵

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Well, after two years of battling AI-idiocy I've finally found someone to design my book covers - and what a terrific job he's done! If you need anything similar he can be found at: mrjalco.co.uk #booksky #GovFinnBlack 💙📚

The cover of Locked Black by Tony C. Scott featuring a black silhouette of a man carrying a rifle looking out over HMP Armley in Leeds with an explosion in the background. The first of three crime novels with Governor Finn Black as the protagonist.

The cover of Black on Blue by Tony C. Scott featuring a black silhouette of a man looking out over Castell Dinas Bran in Llangollen. The second of three crime novels with Governor Finn Black as the protagonist.

The cover of Black Gold by Tony C. Scott featuring a black silhouette of a man looking out over Sullom Voe in Shetland with a fire burning in the background. The third of three crime novels with Governor Finn Black as the protagonist.

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I do love @stuartmacbride.bsky.social's Logan but my heart really belongs to Roberta. Now We Are Dead is only 99p on Amazon today too, so why not indulge in 401 pages of foul-mouthed genius? 💙📚 #booksky

The cover of Now We Are Dead by Stuart MacBride

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Blimey - I thought I was being harassed with a couple coming through every day!

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Yeah, I knew I shouldn't but I was bored and wanted to have a play with them. 😂

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Hmmm When I sent him screenshots to prove there was no such discussion on Goodreads: "I wasn't referring to discussions about your book specifically." He claims to be ex-HarperCollins and sent me a link to a genuine profile on Reedsy. Be careful out there, it's a bloody minefield. #booksky

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Received a very plausible email: "I came across Black on Blue through the Goodreads Online Discussion Group." I asked him for a link; if there's a discussion then I'd love to join in. "I have been actively engaging ... I must admit that I am no longer able to locate that specific discussion link."

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

"It may shock the layman to learn that there may be parts of the world in which possible murders may go untried." *Finn raises his hand* "And Shetland?" #booksky #Shetland #BlackGold

youtu.be

What Happened When a Murder was Committed in the Arctic?

YouTube video by Fact Quickie

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

What a fantastic title for a (great) book. #booksky

The cover of Spies and Other Gods by James Wolff

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

F*** that nice write-up I got in the Guardian. This is my all-time favourite review of one of my books.

"I am loving this book, I have genuinely laughed out loud when reading this book, which is a big achievement by the writer as I am mostly miserable."

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

There is no operational justification for this, which just leaves deliberate cruelty. Who'd'a thunk, eh?

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

David @thefatfryer.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Prison as rehabilitation? What sort of daft idea is that? Excuse my sarcasm.

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

This. Treating prisoners decently literally doesn't have a downside - not even financially.

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Ian @hubnut.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Brilliant reply to an utter cock.

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

In HMPS, a great deal of training time was (rightly) devoted to the perils of appeasement.

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Carlton Boyce @motoringjourno.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

As an ex-prison governor I have carried out thousands of adjudications. There was already a power imbalance but this skews things in a grotesque way. Alternatives? Invest in helping prisoners to address the cause of their offending when they're in prison. 1/3

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Juanma is Creating Lightly 🎨🖌😬 @creatinglightly.art · 09/07/2026

Mr. J does a lot of different kinds of art. And they're all amazing. I have one framed myself! Do business with him 🔥

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

It might have taken me two years to find @mrjalco.bsky.social but by heck I'm glad I did! I can finally start to get rid of the horrible AI ones I used as placeholders... So, if you need art - any art, he's very talented - please do try him.

The new cover for Locked Black. After two years of fuckwittery, I finally found an artist who feels as strongly about not using A.I. as I do.

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Look what you're missing. #booksky #GovFinnBlack #BlackGold #indieauthor 📚💙

Review of Black Gold by Tony C Scott on Amazon

Title: Bravery at 60 degrees north

Review: Rollicking swaggering audacious delight - from the very first page when I realised that it wasn't a dismembered *fish* we were talking about.

In fact pretty much the whole way through, it was gobsmacked joy at the absolute nerve of the writer "did he actually just do that?". There are magnificent set pieces deftly handled; the locations true to life; the characters are engaging and the dialogue pitch-perfect.

And if the bad men are killed a little more than is really necessary - well that's all to the good, isn't it? Do the job properly, after all - as the man says "God save me from f****** amateurs".

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

We're just normal men @wejustinnocentmen.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

We’re just innocent men

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Reposted by Governor Finn Black

Bernard O'Keeffe @bernok1.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

I went back and reread the entire Inspector Morse series by Colin Dexter. What did I discover? Quite a lot about Morse – and rather more about my own crime writing than I expected. Inspector Morse Revisited: bernardokeeffe.com/inspector-mo... #crimefiction #inspectormorse @thecwa.bsky.social

bernardokeeffe.com

Inspector Morse Revisited

On re-reading Inspector Morse I don’t often re-read books. This may be because when I was an English teacher re-reading books pretty much came with the territory, and the pain of …

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Funnily enough I've just bought the Morse books again to reread. Looking forward to rediscovering him!

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Methinks they weren't top-tier assassins.

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

I'd nick this for my next book but no-one would believe it.

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Governor Finn Black @govfinnblack.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

The dangerous people you’ll ever meet are the ones you live with. Not migrants.

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