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In my research for The Case of the Hydegild Sacrifice, the latest in my Major Gask Mysteries, I found an unexpected link to the legendary Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Few names in American detective history carry as much mystique as Allan Pinkerton and his remarkable operatives. The man who founded the agency in the mid-19th century was a Scot by birth, like my Major Gask character, an abolitionist by principle, and a relentless seeker of...

My theme is ‘Learn from History or you are doomed to repeat it’ and my latest book was sparked by my personal experiences of living in the USA and the increasing violence we are seeing in American politics today that, I think can trace its origins back in time. My latest book in the Major Gask Mysteries series, the Case of the Hydegild Sacrifice, explores the dark secrets and atmosphere surrounding perhaps the most notable manifestation of this culture; the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in...

A couple of items this time: I've received the first reviews for the Hydegild Sacrifice. I thought I'd share one from Reedsy:

LOVED IT!

A humorous and thrilling mix of historical fiction and classic mystery. Major Gask and Rait make a delightful team!

SYNOPSIS

A Dangerous Web:
The next chapter in the adventures of Major Findo Gask and Erroll Rait begins not with a bang, but with a whisper - a whisper that draws them into the darkest corners of American history. Arriving in Washington DC, the two...

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln www.grunge.com

The scene is a common one, projected on televisions every day of the year and replayed in cinemas and other media repeatedly. A man – or woman – of high office is surrounded by men in sober suits, usually wearing sunglasses, buds in their ears and communications devices in their hands. Out of sight but ready to make an appearance are handguns. Snipers probably patrol nearby roof tops. The bullet-proof car...

On December 4th, the Case of the Hydegild Sacrifice was released. At the same time I was speaking to an interesting group at the Bristol Central Library in England and shortly afterwards was on a Zoom call with the Tregolls Book Club in Cornwall, England - a lively and engaging discussion. My latest book is the next adventure in my Major Gask series and it is perhaps the most intriguing so far.

I'd guess that most people are aware that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by an actor in Washington...

In my book, the Case of the Beth-el Stone, my heroes sail on the Duncan Dunbar from Australia to England, a ship captained by Henry Neatby. Like all of my novels, I weave real people and real events into my stories and Captain Henry Neatby was indeed a real person who captained the Duncan Dunbar in 1858, although the murder investigation in which he participated in my novel in 1864 is fictional.

Neatby must have been an interesting character, one of a breed of men at the time who stood apart...

As my regular readers know, I believe that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. With this in mind, I look— not without some trepidation— at current world affairs.

The Ceasefire in Gaza: A Fragile Peace

Donald Trump is basking in the "glory" of a ceasefire in Gaza, proclaiming an end to war. While I condemn both Israel and Hamas and welcome a long-overdue ceasefire, I am not sanguine about what this foretells. It bears the hallmark of another simplistic solution to a...

A Morning of Fire and Grief

On the morning of 28 October 1939, as Europe was gripped by the opening months of the Second World War, a different kind of explosion rocked the quiet villages along the Firth of Forth. Deep underground at Valleyfield Colliery, near Newmills in Fife, a blast tore through the workings, killing thirty-five miners, injuring many more, and leaving a wound that still echoes through generations.

For me, this is not just history. It’s family. I am the nephew and namesake of...

I’m often asked, “Why and how do you write about crime and detectives in the 19th century?” The answer, I think, lies in a combination of early influences and personal history.

As a youngster, authors like Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Wilkie Collins had a profound impact on me. Add to that my father’s service with the Metropolitan Police, stationed at Leman Street—right in the heart of Jack the Ripper territory—and the fascination feels inevitable.

Classic crime and...