It’s been quiet over here—and when you see this post, you’ll understand why. Not only have I been dog-sitting an animal of extreme musical likes and dislikes, putting the final polishing touches on Dead Wrong (release date February 26th), but today the Kindle Scout Campaign for Gentlemen Don’t Murder launched. It is all go.
Gentlemen Don’t Murder is my take on the vintage detective fiction I loved growing up. It is a modern take on the classic whodunnit, featuring a struggling artist with a penchant for crime, his ex-best friend who always has an agenda of his own, and an ambitious police detective who doesn’t let little things like gentlemanly feeling or social standing get in the way of solving a crime.
While there is the twisty plot and an extended cast of characters you are used to from me, there is no romance. While Peregrine is gay, the fact that this series is set in Edwardian England, plus the nature of Golden Age detective fiction, means that the focus of this series is very much on the mystery element—although there is lots of relationship drama. I’ve decided to publish this series as G. Kevern as a way of helping readers differentiate between my romance and non-romance works.
I’ve also decided to take a chance on Kindle Scout. This is basically The X-Factor for books. You put up your book, readers can take a look and if they like it, nominate it, and that the end of a thirty day period, Amazon will review the success of your campaign and decide it they want to offer you a publishing contract. I’m keen to put my work in front of a bigger audience, and your help here would be hugely appreciated. Take a look, nominate if it takes your fancy, and, most importantly of all, please share with anyone you think would be interested. You’ll be helping me out a lot–and if you nominate Gentlemen Don’t Murder, and my campaign is successful, you’ll receive a free copy of it when it’s published. Win-win!
Gentlemen Don’t Murder on Kindle Scout.
1910, Basingstoke.
Peregrine Fogg hoped his first commission would launch his career as an artist—not involve him in a murder investigation. His client, self-made millionaire Elmer Tarr, ruthlessly pursues his social ambitions at the cost of his family relationships. As the wedding of Tarr’s youngest son approaches, long-buried tensions resurface. When Tarr is murdered, Peregrine must choose between the truth or his future as an artist.
Jim ‘Jackdaw’ Dawson knows this is the case that will propel him out of obscurity and into the ranks of the London detectives but his class-conscious superior refuses to believe Tarr’s wealthy family could be involved in his death. Dawson suspects the key to solving Tarr’s murder is the keen-eyed artist. To catch the murderer, he’ll need to persuade Peregrine to overcome a lifetime of playing by society’s rules. But Peregrine is everything Dawson despises. Can he cooperate with a member of the abhorrent upper class—even if he is a poor relation?
A murderer that will stop at nothing.
An unlikely detective team.
A fresh-take on the vintage mystery.
Books After Dark. 