Who Burned Down The Lazy Luncheonette?

 

At the end of Death in Distribution, we learned that The Lazy Luncheonette had been torched. At the beginning of A Killing in the Family, we learned that Joe blamed a certain property developer. Finally, at the beginning of A Theatrical Murder, we learned that although the insurance company have settled up, they’re eager to get their money back from the arsonist.

But there’s a problem: they don’t know who burned down the old Lazy Luncheonette.

The answer will be coming your way by the summer (hopefully).

By ‘hopefully’ I don’t mean I don’t know where I’m at with it. I’m just not certain I can get it written, edited, polished and presented to Crooked Cat by the summer.

Over the last few days, I’ve been in lengthy discussions with my good friend, editor and advisor, Maureen Vincent-Northam, and Trial by Fire (working title) will take the Sanford 3rd Age Club Mysteries in a slightly different direction. We will not see the club off on a weekend jaunt. Instead the tale is set in Sanford and nearby Leeds. Neither will Joe be working with just Sheila and Brenda. He will have professional help in the shape of insurance investigator, Denise Latham.

The other favourites will still be there, including the newly promoted Detective Inspector Gemma Craddock, Joe’s long-suffering niece, and the tale will bring Joe back into contact with an old adversary, Raymond Dockerty, now a Detective Superintendent, with his sidekick Detective Sergeant Ike Barrett.

It’s likely to be slightly darker than the usual Sanford 3rd Age Club Mysteries, but that doesn’t mean to say there will be no humour. Joe’s surly cynicism would make it impossible for him to get through any investigation without one or two chuckleworthy comments. For example:

“We have help, Joe.”

“Who?”

“Denise Latham.”

“She’s helping? I’m doomed.”

Trial by Fire represents a change from the titles I had planned to put out. Both Maureen and I felt that the books were becoming repetitive; something which was noted in several reviews on the last few titles. Trial by Fire is designed to re-invigorate them, and I hope you will approve.

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Trial by Fire: coming to a Kindle near you by the middle of the year.