S.A. Reid's Blog

Careful for spoilers! This is only intended for readers who have finished the book.

I know that sometimes your e-reader will stop on the magic words “The End” and start showing you new books to read. So, if you didn’t make it to the Afterward in Bones Buried Deep (Dr. Benjamin Bones Mysteries #4) that’s not surprising. You can find it by accessing the Table of Contents, or you can read it here, below.

I hope you enjoyed Bones Buried Deep. Life circumstances took me away from Birdswing for much too long, and I found it wonderful to sink back into the English summer of 1940. Here are a few notes on the story.

Regarding the child evacuees, my descriptions were informed by an excellent book called How We Lived Then: A History of Everyday Life during the Second World War by Norman Longmate. It’s a highly readable little book that relies on quotes from real Britons to describe what we now call “The War at Home.” You might be amused to learn that the scandalous story from Barking about the child who conversationally used the “eff word” is taken straight from this oral history.

In Plymouth, there was indeed a Jewish community on Catherine Street and probably at least one Jewish officer on the police force. Its synagogue is the oldest Ashkenazi synagogue still in regular use in the English-speaking world. In future books, DC Daniel Pearl will return (every amateur detective like Ben Bones needs a friend in the criminal justice system), and I’ll write about how Catherine Street changed because of the war.

The blackout gear given to Ben by his mum was no flight of fancy on my part; every item was available at Selfridge’s, London.

In the course of the story, I had to touch on some very ugly history regarding the “blood libels” against the Jewish people. Much of my information came from Tales of the Diaspora: A History of Anti-Semitism in England by Anthony Julius. It’s a scholarly book and not an easy read. Many details that might strike younger readers as outrageous—like Sir Howard’s letter claiming Ira Grossman was dirty and smelly—are real calumnies circulated at the time.

Regarding the Duke of Cornwall Hotel, it was first brought to my attention in Juliet Gardiner’s indispensable Wartime Britain 1939-1945, where she wrote it was “always thick with fascists.” Some of the characters, like Sir Howard Flatt-Collins and Major-General Layton, are based on real people I met in the pages of Hitler’s British Spies: The Secret History of Spies, Saboteurs, and Fifth Columnists by Tim Tate. I wish I could say there were no retired English generals who longed to overthrow Churchill’s government and see their fellow citizens hanging from lampposts, but alas, at least two such men existed.

Chapter Twenty-Three’s title, “The Suspicions of Constable Enys,” is a play on The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher, a popular TV series based on the book by Kate Summerscale.

Finally, regarding the phony ration card sold to Pearl’s Aunt Davida, crime boomed in Britain during the war, rising by sixty percent, according to some estimates. And, of course, there were murders—but in Birdswing, Ben and Juliet will always stand ready to take the case.

Cheers!

EMMA JAMESON

May 2024

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Welcome to WordPress! This is your first post. Edit or delete it to take the first step in your blogging journey.

So 2021 was a good year for writing for me (I put out three books!!) but 2022 is what I call the Year of Trying Harder. (Okay, the Year of Actually Trying, though that is too much of a tip-off re: my general attitude.)

In 2022, I’ve recommitted to my Facebook author page, revitalized my newsletter (please do sign up if you haven’t already!), and now I’m recommitting to Instagram with my new handle. I hope you’ll join me!

The post I’m Back… appeared first on Emma Jameson.

My new book, A DEATH AT CANDLEWICK CASTLE (Jem Jago Mysteries #2) is available now. What’s it all about?

Off the coast of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly are a balmy haven with never-ending beaches and aqua-blue sea. But unbeknown to the happy tourists and cheerful locals, someone is about to commit a terrible crime….

Librarian Jemima Jago’s summer is off to a delightful start. By day she works on cataloguing the oldest library in Cornwall, and by night she can be found catching up over tea and chocolate biscuits with her old friend Pauley Gwynn.

When the body of Hermie Castleberry is found on the beach at Candlewick Castle, Jem’s perfect summer is turned upside down. Jem doesn’t want to get involved, but when somebody close to her is arrested for murder, she springs into action to clear their name.

Jem soon discovers that Hermie had already ruffled a few feathers in St. Morwenna, and she’s worried that the police seem to have overlooked other suspects. Could Jimmy the scorned salesman or Seth the shifty scout leader have killed Hermie? As she hunts down more leads, she butts heads with the handsome Sergeant Hackman. If their relationship is purely professional, why does Jem blush every time she catches his eye?

The discovery of another victim, this time in the island’s picturesque harbor, leaves Jem reeling. Can she catch the culprit before the sun sets on summer in St. Morwenna?

A charming cozy mystery from the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Emma Jameson. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin, and Agatha Christie will adore A Death at Candlewick Castle.

The post A Death at Candlewick Castle appeared first on Emma Jameson.

Hi, all! If you’re here, it means you’ve noticed the security issues are fixed! Here is the YouTube version of the recent Zoom interview I did on my friend Cyn Mackley’s Facebook Live feed. We’ll be discussing my most recent novel, A Death at Seascape House, Cyn’s recent reissue, Big Break, Sabrina Flynn’s newest book Beyond the Pale, and Rebecca Regnier’s Widow’s Bay Series.

I get nervous onscreen these days, so you can see I’m debuting my Veronica Lake look. Meanwhile, Cyn lives in an animated mansion, which doesn’t surprise me. Sabrina shares her secret identity as a lockpick, and Rebecca behaves like the confident professional she is, impressing us all and making me want to comb my hair into both eyes!

The post ICYMI: Cyn Mackley interviews Sabrina Flynn, Rebecca Regnier, and Emma Jameson appeared first on Emma Jameson.

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re enjoying the spring. It’s wild and rainy where I am, and I’m finally getting around to updating my blog at last. Where have I been? Finishing Jem Jago #2– A Death at Candlewick Castle. It’s 100% finished and now entering the editorial process. It’s even up for preorder on Amazon! I know, right? This is a first for me.

Here’s the lovely cover for A Death at Candlewick Castle (Jem Jago Mystery Series #2):

Many people on Facebook have been asking when I’ll have information about the next installments in the Lord & Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series and the Dr. Benjamin Bones Mystery Series. I hope to have substantive news soon. In the meantime, enjoy the merry month of May and a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who’s given this new series a try!

The post Coming Soon: Book #2 in the Jem Jago Mystery Series appeared first on Emma Jameson.

I watched every episode of WandaVision like the Marvel fanatic I am–one who’s been cooped up for a year with no movies, no less. Of course, I’m always novel-writing and helping out with my elderly parents and spoiling my cats, etc.. But there’s always time for Marvel.

I enjoyed the series as a whole, and for me, the finale worked just fine. But naturally, people are taking to Twitter, etc., to vent their deep dissatisfaction with this or that. As far as I’m concerned, a lot of it is wildly overstated and unfair. I mean, I agree that some of the special effects looked a bit rushed in the finale. I also agree that even playful, well-intentioned stars should know better than to outright lie while hyping their show. IMHO, Paul Bettany’s co-star joke was cute and clever, but Elizabeth Olsen probably shouldn’t have cranked up viewers for a “Luke Skywalker” shock reveal. In Pandemic World, we take TV much too seriously to appreciate the humor.

Having said that, I think the best advice we can all take for future Marvel TV shows is a play on comic book Wanda’s famous command:

There’s a substantial group of Fox X-Men movie fans who feel betrayed that Evan Peters, who played the Foxified version of Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past, was cast as Agatha’s possessed “Fake Pietro,” or “Fietro.” They feel like they’ve been jerked around, since Peters’ version of Quicksilver was one of the highlights in a series that had its ups and downs.

I have two ideas. I won’t call them theories, because obsessing over I-Know-What-Comes-Next theories is really counterproductive to truly enjoying a story as it unfolds. But now, after it’s done and we have all the information, it’s only natural to ponder the evidence and imagine where it might lead.

Idea 1:

Agent Jimmy Woo mentioned “his guy,” a person in witness protection. That person wasn’t revealed, and might not be important. But it could also be this guy, living under the hopefully fake name Ralph Bohner. Who knows–maybe he’s a mutant, too.

Idea 2:

Obviously, the editorial decision was made not to have Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Avengers: Age of Ultron) reprise his role as Wanda’s lost twin, Pietro. Since he’s revealed to be a fake, WandaVision‘s producers could have used ANY actor for the role. But if they had used someone completely random, I think we all would’ve been screaming at the TV, “Wanda, why are you so bloody stupid?” With Peters in the role, Wanda temporarily accepts this Fake Pietro and so, for awhile, do we. Casting Peters was a very deft way to make the audience respond to Fietro as Wanda does–with a mix of hope and disbelief.

The other legitimate complaint I’ve heard is, why cast the magnificent and frankly beloved in such a small and ultimately unimportant role? I have one idea.

Wanda’s Mistake is Someone Else’s Origin Story

We know that Dottie (real name, Sarah) suffered mightily during Wanda’s lengthy mind control experiment. Yes, Wanda was psychotic with grief–she genuinely didn’t recall the full import of what she’d done until Agatha forced her to face it. But by Halloween, Wanda clearly had some idea that she was being cruel, based on her conversation with Fake Pietro. When he expressed admiration, she asked, “You don’t think it’s wrong?” in a tone that suggested she was well aware.

Someday, MCU fans will return to Westview. Agatha Harkness won’t be kept down forever. And perhaps we’ll see Agent Woo reconnect with his witness on-screen. Who knows how angry Dottie/Sarah will be after time to fully process the violation she suffered at Wanda’s hands? Especially with someone like Agatha at hand to facilitate that rage?

Okay, that’s all for me. Back to work! Have a wonderful weekend. And if you watched WandaVision and have thoughts, I’d love for you to comment below!

Emma

The post WandaVision Finale –SPOILER-HEAVY Comments! BEWARE appeared first on Emma Jameson.

A DEATH AT SEASCAPE HOUSE

Hi! Hope your week is going well. I’m been extremely busy. There’s a long process to get my upcoming novel, A Death at Seascape House (A Jemima Jago Mystery #1), ready to go on sale April 27th. Today I finished up the copy edit (the part where the publishing team tries to eliminate all typos) and worked on the sequel, which doesn’t yet have a title.

RIP, SNOOPY

We also had a death in the family–sweet Snoopy, the beloved dog of my brother, Jim, his wife, Barb, and our mutual friend, Melissa, who was permanent dogsitter and pup-snuggler-in-chief. Here’s a picture of Snoopy in happier days:

COVID VACCINE SOON TO BE AVAILABLE?

We’re finally seeing people line up to receive the vaccine in my area. I’m not eligible yet, but that may change by next Monday. I certainly hope so!

ANOTHER ISLES OF SCILLY PHOTO

While I work on the books, here’s another image that has served as inspiration:

That’s all for me tonight. Stay safe and well, and hug your pets!

Emma

The post Farewell, Sweet Snoopy appeared first on Emma Jameson.

As you know, I have a new book, A Death At Seascape House, that’s set in the Isles of Scilly. A few days ago, I posted a list of quick facts about this hidden UK gem. Now I’d like to post a short but excellent YouTube video about St. Agnes.

In my fictional world, Jemima Jago, my librarian-sleuth, lives on St. Morwenna, an island that’s EERILY SIMILAR to St. Agnes. Rather like how Port Isaac in Cornwall looks astonishingly like Port Wenn in the beloved Doc Martin TV series.

So sit back, turn on the sound, and enjoy this view of St. Agnes posted by Paul Dinning. To me, it looks just like St. Morwenna.

Enjoy your weekend!

Emma

The post St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly appeared first on Emma Jameson.

So have I mentioned I’m writing a new cozy mystery series set in the Isles of Scilly? It’s called A Death At Seascape House, and it will debut on April 27th. (If you’re interested, you can view the description and even preorder it here.)

There’s so much to learn about the Isles of Scilly. I’d never try to do it one post, or even ten. But here’s a few fast facts you might not know:

The Isles of Scilly are located in Great Britain.

They are possibly one of its best-kept secrets. A land of subtropical beauty, white sand beaches, and turquoise bays–not exactly the first thing you imagine when you think of Britain, eh?

Cornwall is only a couple of hours away.

Ceremonially, this region is part of Cornwall, which I write about in the Dr. Bones cozy mystery series. But these days the Isles of Scilly is a self-administering unit. It could be considered Britain’s smallest county, according to Paddy Dillon, author of Walking in the Isles of Scilly.

There’s a tantalizing pirate connection.

Over the centuries, the Isles of Scilly were frequently a haven for pirates. According to many sources, including Bag O’Rags in Penzance Bay, 112 pirates were once beheaded there in a single day in the year 1209.

More facts, beautiful photos, and teasers about A Death At Seascape House (Jem Jago Mysteries #1) coming soon!

Emma

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