The new Devonshire Mystery, A Must-Have Murder, is currently available to pre-order.

The next adventure for Dan and Alan is finally here, so as it makes its way into the world, here’s another snippet to give you a flavour of the book.

A Must-Have Murder – Snippet 2

If you’d like to see an excerpt from the previous chapter, the first snippet is here.

Note: At this point in the story, Dan and Alan have arrived at the house of a potential client, Zadie Barrington, where they were met by Zadie’s assistant, Natalya. Natalya was a favourite with early readers of the book. From Ukraine, Natalya is decidedly feisty, and I hope you enjoy meeting her.

Excerpt From Chapter 2

“Zadie is in her studio. Upstairs is much better, it has been…” Natalya gestured impatiently at the uncarpeted staircase.

“Renovated?” Alan suggested, and Natalya nodded gratefully.

“Yes. Renovated. Exactly.” Natalya sighed and her expression softened. “Forgive me, gentlemen. It has been a hard day, but please, come up, and everything will be explained. Do not stand on the fifth stair. It isn’t safe. The man was supposed to fix it, but…” she shrugged.

“We’ll mind our step,” Alan said with a smile.

Natalya gazed at him. “You’re making a joke.”

“Sort of,” Alan admitted. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologise. Follow me.”

Dan and Alan did as they were told, making their way up the stairs in silence. The fifth tread was badly split, and Dan stepped over it with exaggerated care. When he reached the landing, Dan said, “I see what you mean about that step. It can be hard to find good tradespeople. We met your decorator outside. How are you finding him? Is he reliable?”

Natalya grunted in disapproval. “Very slow, I think. He drinks tea instead of working. I tell him this, but he doesn’t listen.” Natalya drew a long breath, flaring her nostrils, then she added, “You should know that Zadie does not like to be kept waiting. She has a livestream at four, and we must fix her hair and make-up before then. She cannot be late. Do you understand?”

“Yes. We’ll be as quick as we can,” Dan replied. “We also have a schedule to keep.”

“Okay,” Natalya intoned. “Follow me.”

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Natalya led them along a landing and halted by a stripped pine door. “One second,” she said and slipped inside, closing the door.

Dan heard a raised voice, then Natalya reappeared, looking chastened. She opened the door wide and said, “Zadie will see you now. Please, come in.”

“Thanks.” Dan armed himself with a smile and strode into the room, momentarily taken aback at the change in decor. The room was much larger than he’d expected, but it held relatively little in the way of furniture. A narrow desk was accompanied by a small, round-topped stool made from the same pale wood. Beside the desk, several metal stands held lights and large circles of reflective material, and one tripod was fitted with a small camera surrounded by a ring light.

White bookshelves lined one wall, each shelf filled with colour-coordinated hardbacks, and in the corner, an old wooden filing cabinet was crowned with a pale blue Anglepoise lamp and a typewriter in a matching colour.

The ceiling was dotted with inset LED lights, and since the walls were pure white, the overall effect was of dazzling illumination and open space.

But there was no sign of Zadie Barrington.

Before Dan could ask, Natalya lowered her voice and said, “She likes to make an entrance.”

Sure enough, a door at the back of the room opened and a tall woman in a striking lilac dress swept into the room, her head held high. Despite her dignified expression, Zadie was clearly very beautiful, and all eyes were on her as she strode to meet Dan and Alan, her hand extended. She shook each of their hands in turn, holding on for longer than was necessary, her intense gaze lingering on their faces.

“Hello,” Dan started to say, but Zadie held up a hand to stop him.

“Wait. I’m getting a vibe. It’s very strong.” She nodded as if deep in thought, then she pointed at Alan. “You. I’m glad you’re here. I’ll be safe with you.”

“Oh, erm, I’m only here to assist Dan,” Alan said, but Zadie shook her head.

“Not as far as I’m concerned. You’re vital.” She turned her attention to Dan. “And you. You’ll be good at this. I can tell.”

“I’ll do my best,” Dan replied. “But forgive my manners. We haven’t even introduced ourselves.”

“Yes, you have. You’ve already told me everything I need to know.” Zadie smiled, and Dan found himself disarmed by her sincerity. Even so, he couldn’t allow himself to be swept up by her charm. Zadie might become a paying client, and he had to remain objective.

Alan had no such qualms, and he was standing taller, a broad grin on his features.

“I’m Alan, and I must say, what an amazing setup you have here.” He gestured to the typewriter. “Is that an Olivetti Lettera 32? I have the same one at home.”

“Of course, you do,” Zadie said. “Did you know that Cormac McCarthy had exactly the same model? It was sold at auction some time ago, and it fetched over £200,000.”

“I didn’t know that. How fascinating. I bought mine at a junk shop. I paid about twenty quid for it.”

Zadie laid her hand on Alan’s arm. “That typewriter called out to you, didn’t it? We don’t like to admit it, but objects have power. They can be totemic, representing so much more than they are.”

“I think I understand what you mean,” Alan said. “Does your machine have an exciting history? Is it valuable?”

Before Zadie could answer, Natalya said, “I bought it on eBay. It was very cheap.”

Zadie glared at her. “It’s worth is so much more than mere monetary value can describe.”

“Whatever you say,” Natalya replied. “You wanted something to match the lamp, and that’s all I could find.”

“You’d better go,” Zadie snapped. “Go on. Quickly.” Zadie pressed her fingertips to her temples. “Oh God! I’ve got a headache, and it’s no wonder with all your negativity flooding the room, Nat. I just can’t bear to have you around for a moment longer.”

Natalya smiled sweetly. “Fine. Does that mean you don’t want me to help with your hair and make-up?”

“Don’t be silly. You know I can’t manage without you. I just need a break from you for five minutes. Please, go and make yourself useful. Keep an eye on that decorator. Make sure he’s not dawdling.”

“Fine.” Natalya marched from the room, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.

——–

That’s the end of this snippet, though the chapter is, of course, much longer. If this sounds like your cup of Darjeeling, see below for a universal link to all stores. At the time of writing, the book is available to pre-order, so you can be order it now but you won’t be charged until it’s released on 22 December. Some stores are taking their own sweet time to list the book – I’m looking at you, Apple books – so if it isn’t in your favourite store just yet, please try again later.

Find it online at: books2read.com/amusthavemurder  

Happy reading!