Dear Reader,

The Mystery of Rookery is my first book in the Rookery series.  They are Famous Five adventure yarns for grown-ups – an eclectic mix of thriller, ghost story, history mystery, and cold case murder, but instead of lashings of ginger beer there is the thread of romance and the odd sexual romp to fizz it all up!

Rookery is real, (I’ve simply changed the name).  Set high on the cliff tops on the beautiful seaside island of the Isle of Wight, still happily meandering its way through the 1950’s and 60’s.  It’s like stepping back in time to our childhood holidays by the sea; the perfect setting for my books. 

The stories are part true, part mystery, part myth and yet far more real than Robin Hood.  I want you to remember how we all felt long ago when we were given a new adventure story to read during the summer holidays, when mortgages, children and supermarket shopping were all far into the future. 

That’s why I call them Famous Five Adventure Yarns for Grown Ups – to help us remember.  But they aren’t just escapist stories; they are also about growth – personal growth, building self-esteem from within.  Identifying this essential need, which sadly, is often not being met in our everyday lives.

Just like my protagonists who learn from the impact of events as they happen – cause and effect, and who learn to make choices – you learn too.  You also have a choice; you can read the novel conventionally, or you can supplement what you are reading with interactive visual clues.  You will be able to see what our heroine sees at the same time as she does - you may get the answers before she does, or you may get them at the same time, either way you will feel good by the end.

The central protagonist in the Rookery series is an American called Kate Hadley.  Late thirties, two children, marriage on the rocks, crushed expectation, lacking confidence; she is lost in a land of illusion.  Through her first adventure while reading some old letters found in the attic of her new home – Rookery Manor, written when taxes were high and smuggling was rife, she resolves a two hundred year old mystery, which has huge implications for her in the present.  Her learning has begun and she finds her sense of self, her direction, her roots, what is really, really important to her.

I hope you enjoy the first few chapters of The Mystery of Rookery with its interactive additions.  Thank you for reading it and being part of this new concept. Your feedback is very important, so please email me and let me know what you think.

Best Regards,