Where is STAC #13

 

Thirteen is supposed to be unlucky, isn’t it? Well, that’s certainly the case when it comes to STAC Mystery #13. I have never had so many problems with a title.

It was due at the publisher (Crooked Cat) before Christmas for release in the New Year. But when I read through it in December, it reminded me of car that wasn’t running quite right. It needed a fix and I couldn’t see where. Then, right at the death of the year, it occurred to and I set to work putting it right.

Everyone knows what followed next. I was floored by a combination of flu and pneumonia. That took out virtually the whole of January, but even so I continued to work on A Theatrical Murder, as far as my woolly mind would permit, and suddenly, it was finished. All it needed was another read through and it could go to editor, Maureen Vincent-Northam. I even emailed Maureen to advise her it was on its way.

That was on February 4th. On February 7th, I emailed her again to tell her what I had was a Grade I load of rubbish. There were huge chunks missing from it and other passages which made little or no sense. It was symptomatic of my addled brain during those weeks when I was really ill, and there was no way I could inflict it upon editors, publishers and especially readers in that state. So I went back to the drawing board.

At its core is a good tale, and it’s one which I hope will keep you guessing. It doesn’t need a complete rewrite, but it needs quite a bit of work, and I have abandoned everything else in an effort to get this done.

I can only apologise to those readers waiting for this title. It will be with you, and soon. So keep the faith and it will be with you ASAP.

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