Audiothing asked Bruce Beckham:

Bruce, are your Inspector Skelgill books stand alone, or do I need to start the series from book one? Regards Bec

Bruce Beckham Hi Bec

Thanks for your question - it's a very pertinent one!

The short answer is that - yes - they are stand-alone mysteries.

However, they are set in chronological order, and so perhaps there is a small degree of 'context' that informs developments in each successive novel.

In general though, I don't think there is anything you would need to know from earlier books to understand (and hopefully enjoy!) a later one.

I read 'Rabbit is Rich' by John Updike and thought it was brilliant - only to discover it was the third in a very closely linked series of 4 books.

You give me the opportunity to highlight one point that will not be apparent: I wrote 'Murder in Adland' ten years before the second in the series. It was only when the Kindle edition began to take off that I realised this was where I needed to concentrate my efforts: (most) reviewers were clamouring for more! But in that interval I significantly changed my writing style (and hopefully competence!). I am currently writing the fourth DI Skelgill mystery, which should be published in Spring 2015. After that, I intend to revisit Murder in Adland to bring it into line with the rest of the series.

Best wishes

Bruce

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