G.B. Ralph's Blog, page 3

The latest Milverton Mystery is out tomorrow

What can you expect from Fright on Stage Right?
Spooky Halloween fun
Ghoulish drag queens
Frightening musical numbers
Audience participation
Released tomorrow

Fright on Stage Right by G. B. Ralph book cover. Pre-order. Released tomorrow. Cobwebs, spider, witch's hat.

Fright on Stage Right by G. B. Ralph book cover and blurb. It’s opening night at the theatre and Addison Harper has front-row seats with Sergeant Jake Murphy. This might just be his perfect date. The variety show promises spooky Halloween fun, ghoulish drag queens, frightening musical numbers, and the scariest thing of all: audience participation. Of course, the unlucky victim dragged from the safety of his seat is a mortified Addison. In a production full of twists and turns, he has no idea what’s coming next but nobody could have anticipated witnessing a sudden, absolutely unscripted, and very real death. A dreadful accident? Or was it foul play? As the curtain falls before a horror-struck audience, Addison Harper finds himself once again in the spotlight at centre stage.

Pre-order Fright on Stage Right

Pre-order Fright on Stage Right and you’ll get it the moment it’s released on 23 September 2025: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon DE, or Amazon AU (NZ).

Or, jump on my free mailing list to find out when the paperback is due out and keep up to date with all my other writerly goings-on....

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Published on September 21, 2025 22:38

1 week until book release: Fright on Stage Right

With only 1 week until we’re back in Milverton for Fright on Stage Right, I thought I’d share the start of Chapter 1!

Selfie in front of a bookcase while holding an ereader displaying Chapter 1

Can’t quite read the text in the image? I’ve copied it below:

Chapter 1 opening linesIt was all for show. Nobody would be getting slaughtered tonight.
That’s what Addison had to remind himself after he arrived at Milverton Town Hall and looked up to find it transformed. Wrought iron lanterns flanked the doors, with lights flickering as if they could go out at any mo...

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Published on September 16, 2025 14:05

RNZ National book review recording: Murder on Milverton Square

Author and book critic Catherine Robertson was on RNZ National Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan today celebrating local authors.

Catherine started the segment talking about the Romance Writers of New Zealand organisation turning 35 years old next month, and how the membership are such a generous and supportive group of writers.

She then went on to discuss three books by Kiwi authors. The first was the wonderfully titled Fangs For Nothing by Steffanie Holmes, featuring cosy mystery elements, ...

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Published on September 16, 2025 01:55

Radio book review: Murder on Milverton Square on RNZ National

Author and book critic Catherine Robertson will be on RNZ National this afternoon with Jesse Mulligan discussing the first of The Milverton Mysteries, but she’s already assured me she “absolutely loved it!”

~~Tune in this afternoon for the full book review just after the 2pm news on your radio or listen live online.~~

Update: The book critic segment was great fun! I’ve picked out some key points and linked to the RNZ recording in this post.

Murder on Milverton Square

Keen to find out...

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Published on September 15, 2025 14:22

Fright on Stage Right: One final read through before submission

I’ve loaded up my Kindle with ‘Milverton4_DraftF_v01_FINAL.epub’ for one last read through of Fright on Stage Right before ebook submission this week and release next week!

I’ll be reading the entire thing (again!) from cover to cover. And I’ll be reading it aloud (to myself / the cat) to catch any squirrelly little errors or clunky sentences that have survived the previous four or five rounds of editing.

Author selfie while holding a Kindle ereader displaying the book cover of Fright on Stage Right by G. B. Ralph. Bookshelves in the background.

Pre-order Fright on Stage Right and you’ll get it the moment it’s released on 23 ...

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Published on September 14, 2025 15:01

One final read through before submission

I’ve loaded up my Kindle with ‘Milverton4_DraftF_v01_FINAL.epub’ for one last read through of Fright on Stage Right before ebook submission this week and release next week!

I’ll be reading the entire thing (again!) from cover to cover. And I’ll be reading it aloud (to myself / the cat) to catch any squirrelly little errors or clunky sentences that have survived the previous four or five rounds of editing.

Pre-order Fright on Stage Right and you’ll get it the moment it’s released on 23 ...

View more on G.B. Ralph's website »

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Published on September 14, 2025 15:01

When should you share a secret?

Addison and Mabel discuss in this timely exchange from Fright on Stage Right…

Conversation indicated by alternating speech bubbles over the heads of two illustrated characters. Younger man on the left, speaking first; older woman on the right, speaking second; then they alternate. ‘All in good time.’ ‘No time like the present.’ ‘Better late than never.’ ‘Time waits for no one.’ ‘One day at a time.’ ‘The early bird catches the worm.’ ‘All good things must come to an end?’ ‘Good try, but not quite.‘ ‘I’m fresh out of time-related cliches.’

To read the other 70k+ words, be sure to pre-order Fright on Stage Right and you’ll get it the moment it’s released on 23 September 2025: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon DE, or Amazon AU (NZ).

Or, jump on my free mailing list to find out when the paperback is due out and keep up to date with all my other writerly goings-on.

Fright on Stage Right (A Milverton Mystery) by G. B. Ralph. Cover image and description/blurb. It’s opening night at the theatre and Addison Harper has front-row seats with Sergeant Jake Murphy. This might just be his perfect date. The variety show promises spooky Halloween fun, ghoulish drag queens, frightening musical numbers, and the scariest thing of all: audience participation. Of course, the unlucky victim dragged from the safety of his seat is a mortified Addison. In a production full of twists and turns, he has no idea what’s coming next but nobody could have anticipated witnessing a sudden, absolutely unscripted, and very real death. A dreadful accident? Or was it foul play? As the curtain falls before a horror-struck audience, Addison Harper finds himself once again in the spotlight at centre stage.

View more on G.B. Ralph's website »

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Published on September 11, 2025 13:36

Two weeks until it’s show time

Two weeks, you say? How frightening!

My copyeditor’s notes came in over the weekend with a mere 1,186 revisions to make! It sounds like a lot (and it is!) but these changes are really going to add that final polish so it’s the best book it can be. I’ve already addressed two-thirds of the notes and will be diving right back in the moment I’ve posted this.

Selfie of a spookily underlit face and a hand with two fingers up. Fright on Stage Right (A Milverton Mystery) by G. B. Ralph. Book cover image and text reading: 2 weeks until it's show time. Bookshelves in shadow in the background.

Pre-order Fright on Stage Right and you’ll get it the moment it’s released on 23 September 2025: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Ama...

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Published on September 09, 2025 14:49

The real-life Milverton Park is 100 years old

A local park with a name that may sound familiar to my readers is about to celebrate its centenary!

October this year marks 100 years since the Palmerston North Borough Council received notification of a gift of 4 acres, 3 roods and 28 perches of land from William Milverton, land that would become the site of Milverton Park.
Manawatū Standard article “Back Issues: Milverton Park 100 years young” posted 6 September 2025