Complementing my interviews, today’s Author Spotlight, the three hundredth, is of diplomatic mystery and non-fiction author William S. Shepard. If you would like to take part in an author spotlight, take a look at author-spotlights.
Now residents of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the Shepards enjoy visits from their daughters and granddaughters, fine and moderate weather, ocean swims at Assateague, Chesapeake Bay crabs, and the company of Rajah and Rani, their two rescued cats.
Prize-winning mystery writer William S. Shepard is the creator of a new genre, the diplomatic mystery, whose plots are set in American Embassies overseas. That mirrors Shepard’s own career in the Foreign Service of the United States, during which he served in Singapore, Saigon, Budapest, Athens and Bordeaux, in addition to five Washington tours of duty.
His books explore this rich, insider background into the world of high stakes diplomacy and government. He evokes his last Foreign Service post, Consul General in Bordeaux, in Vintage Murder, the first of the series of four “diplomatic mysteries.” The second, Murder On The Danube, now also available on Kindle, mines his knowledge of Hungary and the 1956 Revolution. In Murder In Dordogne Robbie Cutler, his main character, is just married, but their honeymoon in the scenic southwest of France is interrupted by murders. The most recent of the series, The Saladin Affair, has Cutler transferred to work for the Secretary of State. Like the author, Cutler arranges trips on Air Force Two – now enlivened by serial Al Qaeda attempts to assassinate the Secretary of State.
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And now from the author himself:
The Master Detective Trio – Combining History with Mysteries
Mysteries have always appealed to me, from the Sherlock Holmes stories that I devoured as a teenager to the Raymond Chandler and Agatha Christie books that expanded their audience through movie and television adaptations. As I began to consider writing my own mysteries, the thought naturally arose to study the genre itself. Where did mystery stories begin? Who invented them, and what was the audience?
First, “The Great Detectives: From Vidocq to Sam Spade,” traces the detective story from its origins. The reader learns enjoyably how the detective story began and developed. And there are some interesting byways – just where did the name Sherlock come from, anyway? And who did murder the Sternwood chauffeur in “The Big Sleep?” One Nobel Prize winner, William Faulkner, couldn’t figure it out when he was writing the screenplay. And so he asked the author, Raymond Chandler, who didn‘t know either!
Then, “Coffee Break Mysteries” is a collection of twenty short mysteries, for those days when the reader just doesn’t quite have enough time to begin that new novel! The settings are varied and interesting, beginning with “The Plot to Poison George Washington.” Just how would you have voted as a member of that court martial in New York City in 1776? The London of Charles Dickens, Salem, Massachusetts during the witchcraft hysteria, and a 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue ghost story are all found here.
In “More Coffee Break Mysteries: The Sherlock Holmes Edition,” there are twenty new short mysteries to solve. If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan, like me, you’ll be pleased to find five brand new adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, all of which were approved by the literary estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Enjoy some new sleuths we well. We’re sure you won’t give away the real identity of “Martha,” who solves crimes while writing an advice column for the local newspaper!
And so, from history to current mysteries, I hope you’ll enjoy “The Master Detective Trio.” Comments and reviews are valued.
My Ebook “The Master Detective Trio” combines three Ebooks. You can of course buy them individually, but why bother when the trio combines all three for less than the usual cost of two? And through July, it is priced at a bargain 77 pence! You’ll find it at The Master Detective Trio eBook: William S. Shepard: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store and the Amazon.com: Kindle Store.
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You can find more about William and his writing via… http://www.diplomaticmysteries.com.
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We look forward to reading your comments.
Morgen 'with an E' Bailey 
This blog is elegantly put togther. It’s a privilege to share a few thoughts on writing. Don’t forget that the 77 pence bargain for “The Master Detective Trio” lasts only through Wednesday.
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Thank you, William. Great to have you here again.
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Hi William, Glad to see you’re still plugging away at this strange old game. Me, too. Nice post.
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Thank you, Gerrie. I’ll pass your comment to William.
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A strange game it really is! There are so many characters peeping over my shoulder as I finish the second draft of the next novel in the Robbie Cutler series, tentative title “The Great Game,” that I can hardly keep them straight. Each wants a larger role than presently assigned. They need a school marm with a ruler to wrap their unruly knuckles!
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Sounds like a collection of short stories in the making there, William. 🙂
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Quite possibly, but not all of the characters being created are good people – the villains want to have a larger stage for their villany as well. They really are most trying sometimes, but they also have a lot to teach, if one just listens carefully. Sometimes a character’s suggestion leads to a more satisfying result than the author’s preconceived idea, as I suspect we all know!
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Stories are always more interesting when the bad guys are bad. 🙂
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