Tuesday, April 6, 2021

By Invitation: Harriet Steel and 'High Wire in Nuala'

I'm delighted to welcome Harriet Steel and her highly-rated historical mystery novel, 'High Wire in Nuala' to Writers at the Gate.

Read on to find out more...

 



About the book...

High Wire in Nuala is the ninth book in The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, a series of vintage-style mysteries set in Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) in the 1930s and spiced with colourful characters and a dash of humour.

In this instalment, much to the delight of the locals, a colourful Russian circus rolls into town, but the fun ends abruptly when, on the opening night, a tragic accident takes place.

Inspector Shanti de Silva and his wife, Jane are among the crowd to witness the accident. Or was it an accident? De Silva senses murder, and soon, he’s juggling with the evidence.

Will the trail lead to the circus’s dashing stunt rider and master of the horse, Alexei Goncharov, or to Alexei’s brother Boris, its boisterous ringmaster? Throw a string of jewel thefts and some deadly snakes into the mix and the list of suspects grows.

De Silva will need to keep his wits about him to unravel yet another absorbing puzzle in this charming and addictive mystery series.


      • Publisher : Independently published (18 Oct. 2020)
      • Language : English
      • Paperback : 196 pages
      • ISBN-13 : 979-8698191933
      • Dimensions : 12.7 x 1.24 x 20.32 cm


'High Wire in Nuala' is available now on Amazon HERE


 

About the author... 

Educated in the New Forest and London and subsequently graduating from Cambridge with a BA in Law. I practised for many years as a solicitor before becoming a writer. I published several historical novels and a collection of short stories before turning to crime with The Inspector de Silva Mysteries. I live in Surrey with my husband and when I’m not writing, I like to visit art galleries and read about history, activities that inspire my writing. I’m also a keen traveller (although of course, that has to be of the armchair variety at the moment) and an enthusiastic gardener.

Website: www.harrietsteel.com

Harriet on Twitter: @harrietsteel1


Brief interview...

What was the inspiration behind the book?

I had been interested in the idea of writing a mystery series for quite some time when a memorable visit to Sri Lanka and the people I met there provided the inspiration that enabled me to turn that idea into a reality. It’s a fascinating country, rich in wonderful scenery and wildlife, and I was convinced it would make a splendidly atmospheric setting for my stories. I decided to set the series in the 1930s, often called the golden age of detective fiction, as I wanted to write traditional-style mysteries that would entertain and intrigue my readers but also leave them with a smile on their faces. The dark side of the mystery genre is not for me.    

Can you describe your route to publication from concept to completed novel? 

I wrote the opening book in the series, Trouble in Nuala, in 2016 shortly after I returned from Sri Lanka and published it the same year. I was enjoying myself so much that the book almost seemed to write itself! Since then, I’ve found that once I have an initial idea, the best way forward is to write a fairly detailed outline of the plot. I don’t always stick to it faithfully, but it gives me something to work with and helps to avoid the problem of feeling badly stuck that I think most writers suffer from at times.

When I started out as a writer, I did a short course in creative writing with the OCA and was lucky enough to have a marvellous tutor. She always stressed that one of the two most important things about writing was “show not tell”. The other thing was never to have a scene in your novel unless it advances the plot or contributes to the creation of character or atmosphere. I’ve tried to follow that advice ever since.

I publish independently and as of a couple of years ago, exclusively on Amazon which I’ve found works best for me. I’ve had the good fortune to find a marvellous cover designer who also does the layouts for my paperback editions, and also a great editor and proofreader. Over the years, I’ve learnt quite a lot about book production and marketing but fortunately where audiobooks are concerned, the rights were bought by an American company, so the work was done for me.

What ideas do you have for any future books?

Readers seem to be loving The Inspector de Silva Mysteries and I still enjoy writing them, so I plan to continue for the moment. The tenth book, Cold Case in Nuala, should be out next month. As an added incentive to continue, the books have recently attracted the attention of a TV production company. It’s early days and I can’t reveal any more, but maybe one-day Inspector de Silva and his world will be brought to life on the small screen.


The full catalogue: More great books by Harriet Steel




Submit Your Book

If you would like your book showcased - See the Submit Your Book page for full details. 





 


No comments:

Post a Comment