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Book Reviews Female Detectives Novels Private Detectives

Mr Bazalgette’s Agent

Mr Bazalgette’s Agent is the first British detective novel to feature a professional female detective. Written by Leonard Merrick and published in July 1888, Mr Bazalgette’s Agent slipped into obscurity partly because the author disliked the book and set about buying and destroying all the copies he could lay his hands on. However, despite the occasional use of words that we now find offensive, history has been kinder to the story and the book is now regarded as a novel of some worth.

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Mr Bazalgette’s Agent chronicles the adventures of twenty-eight-year-old Miriam Lea. Unemployed, Miss Lea responds to an advertisement placed by Mr Alfred Bazalgette’s private detective agency. She secures a position with the agency and her first task is to find Mr Jasper Vining, a banker’s clerk, who has absconded with a large sum of money. The trail leads to Europe and the diamond mines of South Africa, familiar territories to the author, Leonard Merrick.

Leonard Merrick was born in London in February 1864 as Leonard Miller. His family were prosperous and young Leonard enjoyed a privileged education. In his late teens Leonard Miller changed his name to Merrick when he embarked on a career as an actor. The profession did not satisfy him so he turned to writing. His first novel, Mr Bazalgette’s Agent, was not a critical or commercial success. Even so, he persevered eventually achieving success and the accolade ‘the novelist’s novelist’, offered by J. M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan. Despite receiving rewards and accolades, Leonard Merrick was admired more by his fellow writers than by the public, which is something many authors of today can identify with.

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Hannah's Diary Sam Smith Mystery Series

Family Honour Pre-Order

Available now at the special pre-order price of £0.99/$0.99, Family Honour, the latest Sam Smith Mystery, an intense psychological tale wrapped in a moral dilemma.

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When the biggest villain in the country makes you an offer you can’t refuse, what should you do? In my case, I decided to accept that offer, made by Mr Vincent Vanzetti. Vanzetti hired me to find his missing daughter, Vittoria, while threatening reprisals should I fail in my task. While searching for Vittoria, I had to deal with the other members of the Vanzetti clan: Sherri, Vanzetti’s second wife, at twenty-two the same age as Vittoria. Sherri was an ‘actress’, a porn star with ambitions to appear on Reality TV; Catrin, Vanzetti’s granite-hard ex-wife, the power behind his criminal empire; and V.J. Parks, Vittoria’s boyfriend, a boxer, a young man in his prime, in training for a shot at the world title.

Meanwhile, closer to home, it was decision time for yours truly and my lover, Dr Alan Storey. Alan was keen on marriage while I was still coming to terms with my past and years of physical abuse. Could I find the courage to finally lay the ghosts of my past and pledge my future to Alan?

Family Honour, the story of a villain and his family, the story of a moral dilemma. Should I kill in the name of justice, or should I allow a villain to walk free? In answering that question I discovered a lot about myself and the person I longed to be.

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Hannah's Diary

A New Service For Readers

With millions of books on Amazon alone to choose from, where do you start? You could accept the titles that Amazon promotes – books published by ‘major publishers’, or through Amazon themselves. Or you could wade through the thousands of new books released each week. In terms of finding a good read, all of the above might not be that appealing. However, now there is a third way. Read on.

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A group of authors known collectively as The Writers’ Cooperative have created A Reader Recommends as a Facebook page and website. The page came about from a general discussion between authors. With millions of books to choose from, where should readers go to make their selection? They thought it would be a nice idea to assist readers in the selection process by highlighting their favourite books and by showcasing books from talented up-and-coming authors.

The authors in  The Writers’ Cooperative nominate their favourite books and these books are allocated a place in the schedule. They also accept nominations from authors not associated with the Cooperative and they have a weekly slot for these books. Their aim is to present the reader with a wide variety of quality books, all genres, styles and subjects are considered. The one thing they have in common is the q-word, quality.

There are no restrictions for inclusion on A Reader Recommends, although spammers are frowned upon and their posts will be removed. Everyone else is welcome. The aim is to connect readers with authors, introduce readers to new and classic books, and enrich the reading experience for all who love books.

A Reader Recommends is an exciting new venture for writers and readers. Books posted on the Facebook page can reach over 1,000 readers. Some services charge hundreds of dollars for that sort of coverage, but A Reader Recommends is free. Click this link, like the Facebook page and discover a new author and a great book today.

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The Writers' Cooperative

Diana J Febry

Diana J Febry

This week I am delighted to feature the very talented Diana J Febry on my website. Diana writes intriguing mysteries that hold your attention from first page to last. Her latest book is Point of No Return, and here are some details, supplied by Diana.

Point Of No Return is the third outing for DCI Peter Hatherall and DI Fiona Williams but as with the first two each book can be read as a stand alone mystery. They are called to James Palmer’s farm to investigate a spate of vandalism on his property. After a bomb explodes in the garage and a prime suspect disappears they realise this is much more sinister than it first appeared. As with all my books my primary intention is to entertain and write the type of books I like to read. The underlying theme in this book is disguise and the double-life we all lead to some extent playing the different roles that make up who we are. The reader should realise by the mid-point of the book who the culprit was but not who they are today. Yes – I do like to play with my readers but I always play fair and leave a trail of clues hidden within the story.

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Questions & Answers

Do you use a pen name?

Yes. Diana J Febry was my mother’s maiden name. She died when I was in my early twenties and it somehow seemed appropriate and a way to remember her.

How do you enjoy to spend your time when not writing?

Now my children are grown up (or think they are) my constant companion is Albert my dog. I also have two horses Mr Paddy and Jaeica who are stabled on the Duke of Beaufort’s Badminton Estate. The four of us wander through the woods and parkland on the estate while I daydream thinking up new story ideas.

Name someone who had a strong childhood influence on you.

My maternal Grandmother was very much before her time. She had been a nanny for the Codrington family & travelled the world with them in the early 1900s. She told wonderful tales of her adventures & believed in “doing your own thing.”

Do you know what is going to happen at the end of the story before you sit down to write?

I don’t right at the start but because of the type of books I write once I’ve completed the first draft it is difficult to make major changes. To be fair to my readers I am very careful with the time-line and make sure when all is revealed at the end that characters were in the correct place at the relevant time for events to have happened the way I’ve suggested.

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The rural setting for Diana’s stories

Some quotes from reviews

“A Classic Mystery to Keep You Guessing.”

“Point of No Return is a wonderful tale of murder, revenge, and suspense. The characters are full of the flaws we love to empathize with. The plot is full of misdirection and red herrings that make the mystery a real page turner.”

“Point of No Return is an excellent read, a fast-paced police procedural with a strong sense of place. Indeed, the sights and sounds of the countryside are evident on every page and draw you into the intimacy of a rural setting.”

“Point of No Return is a great British mystery – a highly enjoyable read. You will enjoy it even if you usually prefer fast-paced reads.”

“A very suspenseful story with a great cast of characters, plus a complex plot that will keep you guessing till the very end.”

Twitter ref – https://twitter.com/DianaJFebry

Diana J Febry (@DianaJFebry) | Twitter
The latest Tweets from Diana J Febry (@DianaJFebry). An accidental writer of mysteries with quirky characters. Avid reader & reviewer. Hobbies – live theatre, horses and dogs. South Gloucestshire, England

Categories
Cardiff Novels Private Detectives Sam Smith Private Eye

Sam Smith Omnibus

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Pre-orders for the first Sam Smith Omnibus are starting to roll in. This book, featuring the first three Sam novels – Sam’s Song, Love and Bullets, and The Big Chill, will be published on Kindle on 6.6.2015. Currently, the book is available at the special promotional price of $4.99/£3.49. If you are interested in this book please take advantage of the promotion now before the full price is applied to the title http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UDIO6CC