The Clearwater Tales Volume Two

Posted on 27/09/2025 by Jack Marsh

The Clearwater Tales Volume Two

Now, this is only an idea at this stage, but once I have finished ‘A Depraved Indifference,’ I may start on another volume of the Clearwater Tales. If I do, it will take the same format as volume one, with a few characters from Clearwater, Larkspur and Delamere meeting up en route to somewhere (Cornwall, probably, for Christmas), and each one telling a short story. The tales will then have to be linked by someone or something.

I made a start when I was between Delameres a few months ago, but then stalled because I wasn’t sure I’d chosen the correct five characters to meet by accident. I think I will have to ask readers which five they think should make an appearance…

Anyway, today, I thought I’d let slip a few words from this potential project so you can see what you think. Actually, see whether you can guess who the characters are. In this clip, Harry is the stationmaster, and there is a quiet lad alone in a corner of the station waiting room. The other two are big characters from one of the series, but can you guess who? (This isn’t complete or edited, it’s just a snippet, for fun.)

Chapter I

THE PROLOGUE, PART ONE

In which our players chance upon each other in a winter fog at a remote junction that was once a halt.

On Saturday, 23rd December 1893, the Morning Post reported: Exceedingly dull weather has prevailed at nearly every station, thick mist of fog being reported at a large number of them, both on the coast and inland…

(Later, in the remote, fog-bound station waiting room…)

One stood warming himself at the fire with his back to the room, and Harry was unable to see his face, though from his posture and clothes, he also took him to be on the young side. The other, on seeing Harry at his post, rose from the armchair he had taken and floated across the room. At least, that was how the approach looked, for the man was so… It was difficult to find the word at first, it hovered somewhere between captivating and frightening. Captivating because of his dark skin and eyes, his broad and open smile, and the precise manner in which he slipped off his gloves. He was frightening for the same reasons. The eyes held and refused to let go. Harry had not met many men with such tanned features, and the way he removed his gloves made him appear as if he was about to commit a strangulation. Despite all that, the word he settled on was regal.

‘Good evening.’ The dark man greeted him with a calm tip of the head, and in a voice as smooth as his skin. ‘May I trouble you for coffee? I see no menu.’

‘Evening, Sir. That’s right. The menu is whatever I have brought to share, but I always have tea, coffee and cocoa to warm my passengers.’ Now realising the man was a gentleman, Harry took him into his confidence. ‘I also have something a little stronger for the menfolk, but we mustn’t tell the magistrate.’

The stranger smiled. ‘I understand,’ he said. ‘You have my silence on the matter, Sir. Myself, I was brought up in a faith that forbids me from taking alcohol.’

‘I see.’

‘However, just because I was brought up beneath it doesn’t mean I allow myself to remain smothered. Therefore, if you have a shot of whisky, feel free to drop a splash in my cup. The largest you have, as I feel we may be in for a long wait. Correct?’

‘That you are, Sir,’ Harry sympathised. ‘I will make you as comfortable as I can for the evening. Take your seat. I will bring it across, and if there is anything else, just say. I have some hampers made up if you’re on a long journey, and I only charge cost price.’

‘You are kind,’ the swarthy stranger declared, and Harry preened at the compliment.

The new arrival at the fireplace had turned and now stood with his hands on his hips, parting his long overcoat and revealing a slim, some would say athletic body that was made statuesque by the not-quite-fashionable tightness of his clothing. Harry took no offence. He had once had such a physique, and comparing his now to his guest’s, decided the blond man was not yet married. What he was, however, was inquisitive, because he stared at the silent boy for some time before sighing, as if disappointed at not being noticed. From there, he watched the swarthy man at the counter, and all the way back to one of the fireside armchairs, before deciding where to sit.

He chose the opposite armchair, and as he sat with his coat and legs thrown open, his eyes never left the darker man. Harry raised an eyebrow at the provocative behaviour, while the other man smiled politely, and produced a newspaper from his luggage.

The samovar water had come to temperature by the time the two spoke, and with no other sound than the clock, the flames and the water burner, it was no trouble to hear their conversation, which Harry listened to out of concern for his passengers, and not to learn gossip. On a night such as that one, when there was a long wait, it also helped to pass the time.

‘Excuse me, mate…’ The younger, blond one opened the discussion. ‘Yeah… Hello?’

‘Good evening. May I be of assistance?’

‘Just passing the time, really. Fancy a chat?’

‘I am not averse to a conversation, Sir, but I may not be very interesting. Would you like a newspaper instead? Or a book?’

‘No thanks. Unlike you, I’m not a very good reader.’

‘Oh? You can tell how I read?’

‘I can tell you read fast, and you’re heading towards Cornwall, like I am.’

The darker man looked around his feet where his luggage stood, and then back at the blond.

‘I have no labels on my luggage… How?’

‘You’re reading last week’s copy of the West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser,’ the other replied. ‘Now, I got to admit that London’s my gaff, but I’ve been in this business a few months now, so I’ve got me nose in and out of a few riddles. From what I remember, that newspaper’s only printed in Truro. I dare say a few copies find their way to London and other places, but not immediate, like, if at all. I say that, ’cos if there’d been one out today, you’d have had a copy. Maybe. Just a guess, ’cos I don’t know where you’re coming from. Like I said, I’m passing the time.’

The second stranger seemed entertained and impressed. ‘Your deducement is correct, Sir. I am, indeed, on my way home to Cornwall.’

‘Yeah, alright. We’re going to be here for some hours, mate, so maybe we can do away with the Sir, business?’

The darker man was probably of Arabic extraction, Harry mused as he added whisky to the man’s coffee. The lighter one was from London, or nearby, south certainly, and yet, the Arab was better spoken. A prince, perhaps, he thought as he made up the tray, adding, for good measure, two glasses, some water, two slices of his wife’s fruit cake, and the half bottle of scotch. They could have it; he had plenty more. By the time he delivered the tray, and his guests had gratefully accepted his offerings, the men were on surname terms and chatting quietly.

Today Back Then (1892)

Posted on 25/05/2024 by Jack Marsh

Sometimes when I can’t think of anything to write, I need to go looking for inspiration. Today, being in the state of not knowing what to write here, I went looking for inspiration in the British Newspaper Archives. I thought I’d have a look and see what was in the newspapers this day in 1892.

The London Evening Standard, as with many newspapers, leads with births, adverts and listings, as many front pages did in those days. Their top-left advertisement was for a funeral service, and that was followed by the birth of a daughter to Mr J A G Bengough of Gloucestershire. It’s not until page two that you get to the tightly packed columns of text and political news.

There were no headlines, as such, and every single letter and number had to be placed in the printing frame by hand, and backwards. It still amazes me that newspapers looked like this and were put together by hand.

Also on this day in 1892, a Wednesday, you could have had the choice of newspapers. In London, where I am looking, I have the Standard, the Morning Post, The Sportsman, Globe, Pall Mall Gazette, St James’ Gazette, Islington Gazette, Sporting Life, the Hackney and Kingsland Gazette, the Public Ledger and Weekly Advertiser, and the Commercial Gazette, among others. That last one had an image on its front page, so I went to examine it in more detail. It was this:

An advertisement for the Zeeland Steamship Company, running between England and the continent twice daily by paddle steamer. However, because I lived in the house my character Larkin Chase lives in in the Delamere Files series, I opted to look at the Hackney and Kingsland Gazette, to see what was happening in my ‘hood’ 132 years ago today.

Again, a front page of advertisements for church events, schools, doctors, breweries, and many other businesses, because although only a few pages long, the H & K Gazette needed income from advertising to survive. House and shop sales cover page two, some theatre news, and then, finally, some local news. A woman didn’t like the people at the Cock pub in Mare Street and smashed their plate glass windows. Damage estimated at £25.00, the culprit was committed for trial. Then, there’s a strange thing where, it seems, the Salvation Army was using the plight of London’s match girls to sell their own matches. Their advert/piece states that if we all used Salvation Army matches, the ‘poor match girls in East London would be saved from much suffering, anguish, disfigurement and often death.’ I mean, talk about layering it on a bit thick, not to mention being hypocritical.

Later on, there is some cricket information which would have pleased Doctor Markland, a whole column dedicated to the Conservative and Liberal Unionist electors, and then some interesting deaths. A 71-year-old sleepwalker fell from a window (suspicious), and at 10.20 in the morning, a middle-aged man expired while pushing his heavy barrow through Stoke Newington, poor chap. Doctor Markland would have had a field day with the next short story. It concerns a man who, while watching a cricket match, was struck on the head by the ball and later died. There will be an inquest.

The last page of the publication takes us back to advertisements and notices. So, when people ask me where I get my ideas from, very often, they come from browsing through these old newspapers of the past. If you are interested, the British Newspaper Archive can be found here.

Don’t forget the Historical Novel promotion is still running, highlighting various books and periods, and all are available on KU. Click the pic to uncover all the covers.

Work in Progress: 1892

Posted on 29/11/2023 by Jack Marsh

The latest update is a brief one: I am now working through the last draft to check the proofs, and Andjela has sent me the full cover. Except the link to the file transfer site got lost in my spam folder and now I’ve found the email, it comes without the link, so I am waiting for another. It’ll take me a while to check through the MS and then have the pages set out ready for publication, but you’ll definitely be able to get hold of this feel-good Christmas collection well before Christmas Day.

If you are a member of my private Facebook group, Jackson’s Deviant Desires, you will be able to get a free copy, and I will let you know how in the group pages when the time comes.

Meanwhile, I must now get back to ‘Follow the Van,’ the third Delamere Files instalment. I have put it off for a while to work on ‘1892’ and some other (paid!) writing work I had in. In this case, it was a set of stories for two German magazines. They get translated into German but also appear in the magazines in English. These are twink adults-only magazines published in Germany and on sale throughout Europe. I won’t provide links, but if you want to search them out, one is called PornUp and the other is called DreamBoys. Both are top-shelf magazines, so watch how you investigate!

That aside, I aim to be back following the van by the end of this week when 1892 will be ready for laying out, and I can forget those stories and concentrate on where I was.

Meanwhile, don’t forget the Clearwater Calendar will be on sale only until the end of the year, and don’t forget to join my private FB group so you can claim a free copy of 1892 as soon as it is ready.

Work in Progress: 1892

Posted on 22/11/2023 by Jack Marsh

Again, it has been a quiet week with not much to report other than this:

‘1892’ is going off to be proofread later this week, and I am waiting for the full cover from Andjela, but that should be with me soon too. Then, I will have one last read and contact the layout guys about setting out the pages.

1892 will be free for a limited time to members of my Facebook group, Jackson’s Deviant Desires. Soi, if you are not a member of that group yet, now’s the time to join. Any members of the group will be able to get a free digital copy, as long as it’s within the advertised time frame (I’ll let you know nearer that time), and after that, it will be on sale in the usual way.

I’ll release the full cover before long, so if you haven’t seen it yet, you don’t have too long to wait.

Here’s the blurb for ‘1892’ to keep you hanging on the edge of your (railway carriage) seats.

1892

The Clearwater Tales

Volume One

Five characters from the Clearwater, Larkspur and Delamere Mysteries find themselves taking the train to Cornwall for the 1892 Larkspur Hall Christmas Eve ball. To pass the time, they each tell a story from their past.

Sitting in their carriage is a stranger who listens to their stories of detection, mystery and prophesy, and recognises some of the people involved. As they near their destination, the stranger realises he is more involved with his fellow passengers than they know, but who is he? Where is he going, and why?

(1892 can be read as a short, standalone novella, and there’s no need to have read the Clearwater, Larkspur or Delamere series to enjoy the story. However, you might gain more from reading 1892 if you already know the characters and their histories.)

1892, Follow the Van, and an Update

Posted on 18/11/2023 by Jack Marsh

Hi folks.

I usually do a work-in-progress update on a Wednesday, but today, I thought I would update you on the current WIPS and other matters. Let’s start but going back to the future, and 1892.

1892

This will be my next release. A set of short stories that currently has this draft blurb:

Here’s a snippet of the excellent cover as designed, as always, but the marvellous Andjela V.

You can just see the top of the head of the five characters, so you may be able to guess who appears in this collection if you don’t already know. There are two characters from Clearwater, two from Larkspur and one from Delamere, plus two other characters. One is the railway steward who caters for his passengers in the private-hire saloon, and the other is the mystery man who appears in one book attached to the Clearwater series and is mentioned a couple of times in others, but he’s from a long way back, so hopefully, you’ve forgotten about him and will get a nice surprise at the end of the book when his story becomes the sixth. Actually, his story is the whole journey, but… Well, you’ll see in time.

Follow the Van

Meanwhile, I am beavering away in the same year but on a different book, the Delamere Files Book Three, ‘Follow the Van.’ I’ve been doing some research into Victorian music halls and theatre for this one, and one day, I’ll do a blog post about that research. I’ve almost finished reading about the Gaiety Theatre (now gone), and am about to start on another which, although a novel, is written by a historian, and it’s about the music hall artist, Dan Leno (1860 to 1904), real name George Wild Galvin. That’ll be interesting background.

Symi, Greece

Meanwhile, here in the real world, we’re approaching the winter months, but so far, have been very lucky with the weather and temperature. The island is quieter now there are very few tourists about, and many businesses have closed for the winter, but enough remain open for us locals to carry on regardless. We’re now discussing bringing the duvet out of summer hibernation, and dusting off the heaters, though I’d rather keep them unplugged for as long as possible. Fuel costs and all that. (We don’t have central heating or gas, so everything is electric.)

In a week or so, Neil’s off to visit his brother in Vienna, leaving me home alone with two books to work on plus my daily freelance work, and we’re both off to Athens for New Year with our best friend and our godsons. There will no doubt be more about that adventure when we get back, and in the meantime, if you’re interested to read more about where we are, and what we do here all year round, you can check out my five-day-a-week blog, Symi Dream. Just click that link and you’ll be in my madcap, sometimes lively, sometimes rather mundane, life here on a small Greek island.

And now… Back to the future (publications) and more work on Follow the Van. Everyone sing along: My old man said follow the van, and don’t dilly dally on the way…

Works in Progress X 2

Posted on 15/11/2023 by Jack Marsh

This week’s update concerns two works in progress.

1892

It’s rather a dramatic title for a short collection of short stories, but I rather like it. I’m mad about the cover Andjela has done, and I’ll be revealing that in a few days. Meanwhile, Neil and Jenine have been beta reading and checking over the MS, and the feedback so far is positive. Once they’ve finished, I’ll get back to a final draft, which means we’re on target of a release before Christmas as promised, with members of my private Facebook group being able to receive a free digital copy before it goes on sale.

Follow the Van

While 1892 is, for me, on pause, I’ve returned to the third of the Delamere novels, ‘Follow the Van.’ This story sees the continuation of Jack and Will Merrit’s change in fortune, and when the story starts, they are happily ensconced in their new home and jobs as private investigators.

This book takes the world of the music halls as its backdrop and gives me a chance to expand Jack and Will’s past a little more by having them learn some home truths about their father. You might remember that Samson Merrit died a couple of years before ‘Finding a Way’ started. Samson was a music hall artist who died on stage while performing with Marie Lloyd. He is invented, but I am reading about characters of the music halls (later termed variety here and in the USA) and the world of the London theatre at the turn of the century. Fascinating for someone like me who’s always been interested in the theatre.

Follow the Van is still in its early days, but I am on chapter seven, first draft, and have brought in Ben Baxter the sex-mad, ex-renter, stable boy and groom, to help jolly the story along, and give Jack another diversion. My planned writing today includes getting ‘Bax’ from Knightsbridge to a compromising position in a Limehouse stable. Not sure how I’m going to do that, but it’s going to be fun working it out.

I’m back on Saturday with more news and chat. Don’t forget to scroll down and check out ‘On Wings of Song’ by Anne Barwell, as featured last week, and, if you’ve not yet found them, you can start the new Delamere Files series right here. (Click the pic.)

Work in Progress: 1892

Posted on 08/11/2023 by Jack Marsh

That’s the title of the anthology of short stories I am working on, and getting ready for Christmas – or before. I don’t mean ‘Work in Progress’ is the title, but ‘1892’, because that is the year in which the story takes place. Within it, are five short stories as told by five characters from the Clearwater world.

I have one more tale yet to write and then a lot of editing and correcting, making it better and tidying up. With that done, I can return to ‘Follow the Van’, the third Delamare files story. My aim is to have the last short story of ‘1892’ drafted this morning, or at least half of it. It’s all in my head, it just needs extracting, typing, and making better.

‘1892’ will be available to buy before Christmas, but I will also be giving it away in ePub or PDF form to anyone who is in my private Facebook group ‘Jacksons Deviant Desires.’ You can click over to that and join if you’re not already in the group.

And don’t forget, the Clearwater calendar is on sale, but only for another few weeks. Click the pic to get the link.

Jackson Marsh Author

Gay Historial Mystery

Tag Archives: 1892

The Clearwater Tales Volume Two