The kindle edition of DEATH UPON THE LONESOME WILD is now available to pre-order through Amazon at £6.99 in the UK. The paperback edition will also be published on 3rd November at £10.99 in the UK. Other Amazon territories will have their own pricing. Click the photo below to take you to the UK kindle listing.

DEATH UPON THE LONESOME WILD – The sixth Gertrude Harrington Mystery

With her brother and American sister-in-law in tow, Gertrude heads north to the tranquil peace of the Lake District village of Haven Bridge to visit her estranged sister, Gladys. Unsure of the welcome she will receive following the tragic death of Gladys’ daughter, Gertrude is reluctant to make the trip.

In the same village, a film crew has descended to make a movie based on the poem ‘Lucy Grey’ by William Wordsworth. Star of the film, Etta Le Fay, is the new bride of the local land owner, Sir Grenville Westhaven. The director, Antony Perevault once lived at the village, but was ostracised decades earlier by a scandal involving the Westhaven family.

Gertrude has barely set foot in the village before Etta Le Fay disappears, and then the murders begin.

All is not quite as it seems within the once peaceful Lakeland village, and life will never be the same again…

It’s finally almost here. DEATH UPON THE LONESOME WILD will be published on Monday 3rd November.

More details coming soon…

It’s always difficult to know where to begin with these updates when there has been such a long gap since my last one.

Since my last novel, Death on the Queen Mary, came out in autumn 2021 a lot has happened, but conversely not a lot has happened.

Much of my time is taken up with my full-time job, which although thoroughly enjoyable is equally exhausting. I’ve more recently taken on an Assistant Manager role, which was originally a temporary secondment but has now become permanent. Most days after working a full shift I’ve had no inclination to sit down and write, preferring to just chill out and watch TV and play with the dogs.

Speaking of dogs, last year we lost our beloved Golden Retriever, Sam, which completely knocked us for six. And this was on top of having to have our lovely ginger tom Tobey put to sleep the previous year. All of this added to my disinclination towards continuing to write.

We got a new puppy a few months ago, a gorgeous Samoyed called Harvey. He’s a total goofball, completely adorable and also a bit of a handful. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

At the beginning of the year I had a severe case of kidney stones. It was as excruciating as the trapped nerve I suffered a decade ago and incapacitated me for several weeks. It was actually during this time that I did finally complete the first draft of Death on the Tracks, which will eventually follow publication of the next book, Death upon the Lonesome Wild.

On top of everything else, we have been doing quite a few renovations to our cottage which have been time consuming.

It was always my intention to publish a new novel each year, but I don’t think Death upon the Lonesome Wild will be ready now until summer or autumn of 2024.

Throughout the pandemic, I somehow managed to avoid contracting COVID, but unfortunately that changed this month! Everything tastes of bilgewater and everything smells like it’s in a different room to me! And the aching… and the coughing…

Lovely – not!!

You can now pre order the Kindle edition of Death on the Queen Mary, the new Gertrude Harrington Mystery, on Amazon for £2.99. It will be released on Monday 1st November.

Click the photo below to follow the link to Amazon UK. (Also available in other Amazon locations)

coming November 1st 2021 in paperback and kindle formats

It’s finally ready, after a long, long year.

The fifth Gertrude Harrington Mystery sees Gertrude’s brother Gerald coming over from America aboard the luxury liner RMS Queen Mary. Passengers include Sir Basil and Lady Cassandra Allingham, Priscilla Farnsworth, and Esme Billington plus their respective children, all of whom are implicated in the theft of a highly coveted emerald and diamond diadem which once belonged to Queen Anne.

An overheard conversation leads Gerald to believe one of the other passengers is in danger, and then a murder occurs. But who is the murder victim? A case of mistaken identity, or something more sinister?

Fate and chance bring the implicated parties to Clyst St James, where they encounter the formidable mind of Gertrude Harrington.

But can she get to the bottom of the mysteries before someone else dies?

Published on Monday November 1st, the paperback edition will cost £8.99 and the kindle edition will be £2.99. Available in all Amazon markets. The paperback will also be available to order from any High Street Book Retailer.

And for those who have yet to catch up with Gertrude Harrington, the first two books in the series (Death on Swift Wings and Murder by the Book) are now available on kindle at the reduced price of 99p, whilst the other two books (A Small Dose of De’Ath and Maid for Murder) are still £1.99

Hello everyone.

It’s been a busy few months for me. On top of work, DIY, decorating and gardening, I have been cracking on with the next few books in the Gertrude Harrington Mysteries series.

Death on the Queen Mary is close to ready for publication this autumn. (More on that later.)

I have now started with the editing of the book that follows, Death upon the Lonesome Wild, which sees Gertrude finally visit her sister Gladys up in the Lake District. Needless to say, this visit doesn’t quite go according to plan when one of the stars of a movie being filmed in the vicinity goes missing and the body of a local turns up dead. It’s a good job Gertrude is on hand to help – but old wounds are reopened, and life might never be the same again for Gertrude and her family.

I am also around two thirds of the way through the follow up to Death upon the Lonesome Wild, Death on the Tracks, which brings Gertrude and death back to County Kingworthy.

With the publication of Death on the Queen Mary drawing ever closer, I thought I’d share with you all the cover – and also a sneak peek at the prologue.

Enjoy.

Death on the Queen Mary – Prologue

Gertrude Harrington loved the mornings in Clyst St James. She loved the peacefulness that enveloped her as she struggled to escape the clutches of sleep; she loved the clean fresh air, filled with the scent of flowers and freshly mown lawns in the summer and the smell of fallen leaves and the remnants of last night’s bonfire in the autumn; and she loved the smells from the nearby farms that reminded her how much living in the countryside meant to her.

She had never lived in a town or city and had no desire to do so. Born and bred in Clyst St James, she had lived her entire life in the quintessentially English village and had always – jokingly – maintained that they would have to carry her out in a box.

On this particular morning, the early September rains had washed away the dust of the hot summer, leaving behind only the glorious smell of fresh earth. It was a sign of new beginnings, and Gertrude felt at peace with her recent decisions.

At times she couldn’t fathom the enmity that drove some people to kill. There had been so much killing nearby in recent years that she had contemplated – albeit very briefly – the notion of moving away from the area. But reason had made her realise the folly of such thoughts: there was likely death around the corner wherever she lived. It was just the way of things.

And so, she decided to remain where her heart lay, and carried on with her life amongst the friends and family who meant so much to her.

Gertrude was well liked within the village. She had, for a year or so now, run the village Tea Room, which gave her ample opportunity to inveigle her way into the lives of those she didn’t know and root out the secrets that people might otherwise have told to no-one. Gertrude was an expert at asking all the right questions, making people feel so at ease they might even reveal their guilt of killing someone. There was just something about Gertrude’s manner that people trusted. Her smile never failed to reach her eyes whenever it appeared on her face – which was often. She was, quite simply, the very epitome of a jolly, robustly proportioned spinster who was an exceptionally attentive listener, a woman who enjoyed her food and also the company of others.

Less so in recent times, sadly.

With death all around, it could only have been a matter of time before murder lay itself squarely at her door, and now she had lost a brother as well as a niece. It was hard to bear at times, but life had to go on. She’d overcome the effects of her niece’s murder by immersing herself in normal everyday tasks, and so it was once more now her brother was gone.

As she pottered about her kitchen, having thrown open the top part of the stable door to let in the morning air, she considered her recent decisions. They had been tough to make, but she knew it was for the best.

As much as she felt fulfilled, helping Chief Inspector Lennox to bring to justice several killers, including those who murdered her brother and niece, he had understood completely when she’d told him that she wanted to spend some time concentrating on developing new menus for her popular Tea Room. And then had come the news that her brother Gerald was coming over from America, and Gertrude had asked Lennox not to call on her until after his visit.

Lennox himself had taken the opportunity to return with his wife to Paris, where they had honeymooned a quarter of a century ago, and although he and Adele had been back in England for over a month, he’d been true to his word and not called upon Gertrude’s assistance.

With the Aga stoked and warming nicely, Gertrude was lost in her thoughts as she prepared the breakfast, which she would take up to her sister Glenda and brother Geoffrey.

She slammed down the teapot hard against the butler sink, fighting back tears as for the umpteenth time she forgot that Geoffrey was gone. It was just Glenda and her in Spring Cottage now. She didn’t think she would ever get used to the fact that she would never again see her brother’s happy face as she brought him his breakfast. Life went on for sure, but it was so hard at the moment. He’d only been gone a few months, and the hole he left in Gertrude’s life would never be filled.

Wiping away her tears, Gertrude checked the teapot and was annoyed to find she’d caused a great big crack from the base to the lid. Cursing, she displayed an inherently uncharacteristic show of anger and threw the teapot against the far wall, where it shattered into dozens of sharp china shards.

Within moments she regretted her actions and proceeded to clear up the mess, wincing as her back protested. You’re not getting any younger, Gertrude Harrington, she mused ruefully. Age had all too quickly caught up with her, and she suddenly felt every one of her sixty-plus years.

She was just tipping the remnants of the teapot into the bin when Glenda came rushing downstairs, rubbing her eyes to eradicate the residue of sleep. ‘I thought I heard breaking glass,’ she said, slightly out of breath. ‘Have we had another break-in?’

Gertrude offered her youngest sister an apologetic smile, shaking her head. ‘I had an argument with the teapot, that’s all. I was annoyed with myself, actually.’

Glenda tied the rope belt of her dressing gown and ran a hand through her sleep-rumpled brown hair, stifling a yawn as she did so. ‘Why? Are you now regretting your decision to stop helping the Chief Inspector?’

Gertrude continued preparing the breakfast. ‘It’s only a temporary break, Glenda. Just for a moment I forgot that Geoffrey is no longer with us. I was going to prepare three cups of tea.’

Glenda came over and hugged her sister, eliciting an appreciative pat on her hands. ‘It’ll be all right, eventually. It’s just going to take time, that’s all. Anyway, Gerald will be here soon enough, so best not to get out of the three-cup habit just yet.’

Gertrude picked up on the emotional timbre to Glenda’s voice and sensed that her sister was on the verge of tears, so she changed the subject. ‘I was thinking perhaps I might take Gerald to go and visit Gladys.’

Glenda’s intake of breath caught Gertrude off guard. She hadn’t expected Glenda to be against her decision, but that was the impression she garnered from her sister’s reaction. ‘You disapprove?’

Glenda shook her head. ‘No, of course not. It’s just, well, none of us have been to visit her since she left – not even when Mabel died. We should have, but we didn’t. Don’t you think she’ll resent your visit?’

‘Not in the slightest, Glenda, especially if I take Gerald. I haven’t told you this before, but I’ve been corresponding with Gladys for years. Less so, admittedly, since Mabel died, but several times a year I write to her – on her birthday and on Mabel’s. She has a young son, you know.’

Glenda’s face displayed her surprise at this news. ‘I wasn’t aware of that. Gertrude, if you’ve been in touch with her all these years, why didn’t you tell the rest of us? Why keep it a secret?’

Gertrude sighed, placing two cups of tea on the table. ‘Careful, there’s loose tea in the cup,’ she said as Glenda grabbed one and took a sip. She remained tight lipped about her sister’s question, but she knew Glenda’s tenacity wouldn’t let it go. ‘What do you want me to say, Glenda? Do you want me to say that I feel guilty about keeping in touch with Gladys? Well I’m sorry, but I don’t. She’s my sister – she’s our sister. What she went through was abominable. She should never have been made to feel that she should leave.’

Gertrude peered close into Glenda’s face, searching for any sort of response. She wasn’t at all surprised to see the shock in Glenda’s eyes. ‘Yes, Glenda, I know everything. I know what happened to Gladys, and I know what you did. I’m amazed that you’ve managed to keep it secret for so long. I imagine it must have been so difficult, living with the guilt of fratricide. It must have been eating you up inside, but you never let on.’

Glenda’s bottom lip trembled as she fought to find the right words to express her regret, but even before she spoke, Gertrude silenced her. ‘Perhaps I should have eased that burden by letting you know I was aware of the events, but somehow I couldn’t. Gladys told me everything before she left. She made me promise not to let on that I knew, or that we were corresponding. She felt guilt, you see. She thought everything was her fault, and she wanted to avoid a scandal. I kept my promise to her, for better or worse.’

Glenda’s face remained cold. ‘It was for the better, but you’re wrong about one thing. I wasn’t eaten up with guilt about my actions. I haven’t once lost any sleep over it. What kind of person does that make me, Gertie?’

‘It makes you someone who loves their family enough to want to protect them from harm.’

‘But I killed someone, and I don’t feel any remorse. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. If I had, then Gladys would still be part of this family.’

Gertrude sighed sadly, her mind drifting to other events from the past: another death, another time – another guilty party who deserved everything they got. But did their guilt assuage hers? ‘Everything happens for a reason, Glenda, even the dreadful things. I feel guilty sometimes about being the one who got Mabel the job up at the Hall, but if I hadn’t, even though Mabel might still be alive I’d most likely still be Lavinia’s cook instead of running the Tea Room, and our lives would all be drastically different – and not necessarily better. Gladys is a part of our family, Glenda. Do we see or hear any more from Gerald or Gretchen than we do from Gladys?’

‘That’s different. They’re on opposite sides of the world.’

Gertrude nodded. ‘Travelling the world is becoming easier, but it’s still very expensive and time consuming, and communication by anything other than letter is just as bad. I feel that the time has come to mend our fractured family, so I’m starting with Gladys, and Gerald’s imminent arrival is most fortuitous.’

An impatient sounding knock upon the front door interrupted their conversation, and since Gertrude was dressed and Glenda was not, the elder sister went to find out who it was. Gertrude was surprised to find herself signing for a telegram, which she opened with haste once she’d closed the front door again.

‘Who was it?’ said Glenda as Gertrude returned to the kitchen. She glanced up to see her eldest sister holding the opened telegram, and immediately sensing bad news, she stood up sharply. ‘What is it? What’s happened?’

Gertrude held out the piece of paper. ‘We shall have to change our plans. We’re to expect more visitors.’

Glenda grabbed the telegram and read the words contained within. She emitted an unhappy groan. ‘Gerald’s bringing his wife and her grandchildren!’

Gertrude nodded ruefully as she recalled vividly the first and only time she had met Gerald’s American wife. ‘It would seem we’re in for a bumpy ride.’

It’s been a while since my last post. Apologies for that.

The year has been tumultuous, to say the least. The coronavirus has taken its toll on so many of us in so many different ways – time being just one of them. It’s hard to believe as I write this that we are now well into August. It’s almost as though everything from mid-March onwards hasn’t existed – a blink and you missed it year. But let’s be honest – is 2020 a year we would want to look back on with any fondness?

But, it’s not all gloom and doom. Maid for Murder, my new novel, is finally done and dusted. I had hoped to have it ready much earlier this year, but a whole lot of my time has been taken up on the front line with my other job, the regular one that currently pays the bills, and so I’ve not had a great deal of freedom for writing.

I am excited to announce, though, that Maid for Murder, the First Gertrude Harrington Prequel (and the 4th Gertrude Harrington Mystery overall) will be out at the end of the week.

This novel tells the story of how Gertrude came to meet the then Inspector Lennox for the first time, and how she came to leave the employ of Lavinia Rushbrook. More importantly, it includes the truth about how Gertrude’s niece Mabel died, and how this tragic event shapes Gertrude for the books that have already been released.

I am now in the throes of writing once more. Following on from Maid for Murder, next year’s Gertrude Harrington Mystery is already written and is currently being proof-read and critiqued, and I have one more book in hand after that, which requires editing and a few tweaks here and there. But for the moment, I am now diving back into an unfinished murder mystery which once again features Gertrude.

I will hopefully begin updating this site a little more frequently now as life slowly drags itself back to some vague semblance of normality.

Watch for more details on the release of Maid for Murder over the course of this week.

The promotion for free kindle editions of Master of the Scrolls and Death on Swift Wings has now ended.

This morning, the second books in the Sawyl Gwilym Chronicles and The Gertrude Harrington Mysteries series are available on kindle at half price until Friday.

So head on over to the pages on this website for The Master of Prophecy and Murder by the Book, then follow the links to take you to their relevant Amazon UK & US pages where you can pick up the e-books for 99p/99c. But only until Friday.

As promised, there will be a ‘weekend’ promotion for two of my books.

From 8am on Friday 24th April until 8am on Monday 27th April, both Death on Swift Wings and Master of the Scrolls will be available for free on kindle from Amazon US & UK websites. Head on over to the relevant pages for these books here on this website for links to get your free e-books during this limited time offer.

And watch out on Sunday for news of a further promotion next week.