The US Review of Books (USRB) praised “142 Wellington Place” by Tim Selvadurai because the “novel sports a capital “N” for nostalgia, and readers who appreciate that may well become followers of this artful author” 

Tim Selvadurai’s “142 Wellington Place” is praised by Joe Kilgore of the US Review of Books, acknowledging that “along the way, readers are nudged, rather than dragged, into the bizarre events surrounding one man’s demise and the wake of misfortune it leaves behind. Before it’s all over, multiple suspects pile up, a courtroom drama ensues, and revelations come surprisingly to life.”

In Ceylon, Tim Selvadurai was born (now called Sri Lanka). He was educated both in his own country and in England. At the UN’s Nairobi headquarters, Selvadurai spent 25 years working with UNESCO, UNDP, and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Then, he and his family moved to Canada, where he currently resides. His debut book is this one.

Although “142 Wellington Place” is a very short book, it is jam-packed with excitement that can be found amid lust, deception, and several fatalities. The enjoyment comes from realizing that criminal capers can still be written deftly, intelligently, and compellingly without the use of profanity-laced banter, graphic violence, and moral ambiguity in which even the heroes occasionally commit atrocities.

This story of immorality, betrayal and horrific death is set in England a year before the stormy 1960s would bring in a world of radicalism, insurrection, and unceasingly boisterous rock and roll. It unfolds with a high degree of accuracy and commendable amounts of restraint. A philanderer, his close buddy, his resentful wife, prostitutes, cops, blackmailers, housekeepers, and an apparent suicide that might perhaps be a murder are all involved in this story.

Here’s an excerpt from the US Review of Books that highlights:

“Author Selvadurai displays a particular talent for capturing storytelling of an unfortunately bygone era. Writing in the first-person view of his protagonist, he realistically peels back the layers of his plot with a pace that neither lunges nor lingers, a style that feels wholly appropriate for the place and period in which it plays out, and a degree of subdued grace that has seemingly been abandoned by most of the current chroniclers of deadly deeds. This novel sports a capital “N” for nostalgia, and readers who appreciate that may well become followers of this artful author.”