I am currently at 82,000 Holywell Street… Well, 82k words written for ‘Holywell Street’, the Delamere book number eight. Funnily enough, the plot revolves around number eight Holywell Street, mainly so I can say here’s book number eight Holywell Street as though it’s an address as well as part of the sequence. Also, according to the 1891 census, that address was vacant, as were others around it, so I can be more creative with its description. I suspect the buildings were left empty for a good reason, like they were falling down, because the street was demolished in 1901. It was quite picturesque by all accounts and some buildings there were from pre-1700 or very early 1700s.

Anyway, I am having fun and working through the climax, which isn’t really a climax in the usual sense. There’s no death-defying leaps of faith, zip lines onto music hall stages, or people falling off burning towers. What there is, though, is a bit of fun (I hope) as part of the ‘towards the end’ section is seen from Ronny’s point of view, and we know what a little oik he can be. As that’s going on, I am waiting for the first draft of a new reel to come back from the guy who is working one up for me, and I am about to send off for a new pencil sketch to go in the front of the next book. I am also considering the cover, though the final draft won’t be ready for some weeks yet. Meanwhile, I believe Holywell Street will be my 48th book, including my ‘living on a Greek island’ books and those written under my real name. I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s what I do! This is one of my shelves and contains all the Jackson Marsh titles, except for ‘Bobby’ which is on the shelf above.

Hello everyone, I am back from my travels and I have started back to work on ‘Acts of Faith’, the Delamere Files book seven.

We had a great time away, despite Neil going down with the flu and me having a dodgy allergic reaction to something I ate in London. We caught up with my old cabaret partner, had lunch in Garrick Street, went to see ‘The Book of Mormon,’ surprised my nephew on his 30th birthday, Neil’s sister too, and my brother, I called in on my mother and stepfamily, and we stayed overnight in a pod in Gatwick airport. Now, we’re back, and both have colds, but we’re battling on.

I have some photos of Clearwater-related places in London that I took while I was there, and I will share them with you in time.

Today though, as my Wednesday work-in-progress blog, I wanted to run by you the first draft of the blurb for the next book. This, like the 1st draft, is still a work in progress, but this should be enough to give you the gist of the story and whet your appetite to know more. As for the writing, I am at 75% and am coming up to the smoking gun realisation, crisis and climax. It’s all in my head. It’s just a case of getting it down. So, here’s the blurb – and I’ll be back on Saturday.

Acts of Faith

The Delamere Files Book Seven

Jackson Marsh

When the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police assigns a personal case, failure is not an option. However, what starts out as a simple mystery soon turns into something far more complicated. An opera singer dead in her bath, a Smithfield butcher skinned alive, an unknown man found locked inside a steam locomotive… What is the connection?

With Benny Baxter’s help, the Clearwater detectives begin investigating the gruesome and seemingly unrelated murders, fully aware that failure could spell disaster for the agency.

Bringing in a handsome young constable seems to do little to aid the investigation, but Baxter recognizes in PC Inning a man trapped in a loveless marriage, with desires that lie elsewhere. As Baxter strives to prove his worth both in the case and in winning Inning’s affection, his search for a better life and love takes a chilling turn. He makes a horrifying discovery: the killer may be far closer than he ever imagined.