Early Release

We’re into the final six weeks of the year and the push for Christmas is on. Truth be told, it’s been on since the end of August when our local shops began stocking Christmas cards and decorations.

Not to be outdone, the tenth STAC Mystery, Christmas Crackers, is due out on November 26th. Thanks to complications with the way Amazon work it’s already on sale. More than that, it’s currently ranked about 4,500 in the overall Amazon charts, and the last time I looked it stood at #64 in the crime, thrillers & mystery/British Detectives Top100.

It’s not the first time this has happened. Costa del Murder was at #3 in that same chart the day before it was officially released. There’s very little Crooked Cat can do about it. We’ve seen it take days for a book to appear on the Amazon site, so when you’re planning a release you have to ensure that the title is uploaded well in advance. Where Christmas Crackers and Costa del Murder are concerned, it took Amazon only a matter of hours.

Christmas Crackers is a collection of mysteries, and it’s unusual in that Joe is not the centre of attention in all the tales. Sheila and Brenda have their moments of glory, too. In the following excerpt, the girls are talking to author Donna Corley.

***

The three women were sat off to one side of the St Hilda Suite, a room which harked back to a more genteel era. Potted plants lined the walls, intricate, wrought iron tables, all painted white, filled the perimeter of the hall, leaving a large space for dancing, and there were posters all over the hotel advertising tea dances.

“Joe’s not the only one,” Brenda insisted. “We’ve had our moments, haven’t we, Sheila?”

Her best friend chuckled. “True enough. We’re not just pretty faces. Brenda, tell her about that business at the bank.”

Brenda blushed. “Oh, that wasn’t me. I rang Joe, and he told me what to look for.”

“Yes, but you were the one who solved it,” Sheila insisted.

“It wasn’t hard to figure out,” Brenda admitted. “Not like the Rotterdam Ferry or the one you were involved with, Sheila.”

Donna placed her recorder in the centre of the table again. “Come on, Brenda. Tell me what happened.”

“Well, it was a long time ago. Not long after my husband passed away.” Brenda licked her lips and warmed to her story. “Back then, Gemma, Joe’s niece, was a detective constable and I think it was one of the earliest cases she worked on. I often wonder if I had a hand in her fast rise to sergeant.” She sighed, wistfully. “Listen to me. I’m waffling. I spent most of my working life in the bank on the High Street. After Colin died I decided it was time for a change, which is how come I ended up working for Joe. But that first year, I received an invitation to the bank’s Christmas party, on the 23rd, and I thought it would be a chance to catch up with old friends and colleagues.”

***

What happened when Brenda went to the party at the bank? You’ll have to read Christmas Crackers to find out.

Christmas Crackers, STAC Mystery #10, is published by Crooked Cat Books, officially released in all e-formats and in paperback on November 26th.