I’m pleased to be able to introduce the latest DI Frank Lyle Mystery series novella Old sins cast long shadows.
The story first came to mind during a scene towards the end of Murder in the Wings where newly promoted DS Thomas Fox takes his boyfriend, James Lyle, to meet his family.
Whether we admit it or not, where we came from and our parentage is important to us. In this day and age where women don’t necessarily marry before having children illegitimacy does not carry the stigma it did in the past.
As I went on to write Best Served Cold and the A winter Murderland novellas collection, Ds Fox’s story and the ambiguity of his past began to obsess me to the point where I was unable to concentrate on anything else. Therefore I was forced to put Dead on Arrival on the back burner.
I came to the conclusion that DS Fox’s story needed to be told and diluting it by making it part of the main story arc would not do it or the character justice. After DI Lyle himself, Ds Fox is my favourite character in the series and his relationship with James Lyle endears him to me even more. I somehow knew that James would turn out to be gay as far back as Heir to Misfortune where he first meets Thomas, then a uniformed police constable, at a police cordon after the courthouse is bombed on the day triple murderer and paedophile Bob Kenyon appeared in court to enter his plea.
I knew early on that DS Fox’s history would not be straightforward. Any good fiction series has at least one questionable paternity storyline. This is mine.
I have really had to step outside my comfort zone whilst writing this as I’ve had to explore controversial issues such as childlessness and surrogacy, as well as the longing for a child you are unable to have. This part was especially difficult for me since anyone who knows me well is aware that I have absolutely no personal ambitions towards motherhood.
This story has excited me from start to finish & I’m very proud of it. Of course I always hope that the newest DI Lyle book will be the one to launch me to international stardom. After all E L James managed it with a poorly written trilogy with two dimensional characters and a flimsier than muslin plot and, unfortunately she is raking in the money which is an insult to all Indie authors out there who can actually write decent erotica. Anyone who doesn’t know what trilogy I’m referring to, well where the hell have you been for the last few years?
This story finally reveals what really happened the night of the fire that killed Thomas’ mother, Yvonne, and her husband, Dr Barry Fox’s identical twin brother, Matthew.
The story moves around in time a little. It begins at the end of 1966 and goes into 1967 and then moves forward to 1993, the “present day” of the DI Lyle series before returning to the night of the fire. No doubt some inept 1 star reviewer will claim they didn’t get it but, as every Indie author knows, those who can, do: those who can’t write 1 star reviews.
Here is the blurb for Old sins cast long shadows
It would be advisable to read A Winter Murderland before purchasing this novella
. Although he is already emotionally raw from almost dying in the line of duty and having to confront a painful aspect of his past, DS Thomas Fox is soon to be faced with yet another shocking revelation.
This time it’s personal as it threatens to blow Thomas’ life irrevocably apart and change the dynamics of the relationships he has with those he loves forever.
As Thomas and his boyfriend, James Lyle, reel from the fallout they are forced to revisit the past where an emotionally devastating blow to Dr Barry Fox and his wife, Sylvia led the future Ashbeck District Coroner to make an irreversible choice
Old sins cast long shadows is an Irish and Danish proverb; not from the Bible as I originally thought. I felt it was a very appropriate title.
You can now purchase your copy of Old Sins cast long shadows here
It will soon be available for Nook, itunes and Kobo as well as in paperback.