Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Daniella Bernett has A MIND TO MURDER!

RHYS BOWEN: I don't know about the rest of you but I am fed up with being stuck at home. I'm itching to travel, especially to get back to my roots and the British Isles. With all the smoke and heat in California I was sighing when I saw Daniella's pictures of Scotland and the Lake District. Oh, to be there now.

So thank you, Daniella, for this brief escape:

 Daniella Bernett:

 

I would like to thank Rhys Bowen for inviting me back to Jungle Reds. It’s so pleasant to stop by for a chat about mysteries in their various guises. The Reds have always been warm and welcoming. I only wish we could linger over a pot of tea and a plate of scones. Oh, the stories we could tell.

 

Perhaps one day we will have the time, but for now I’m delighted to let everyone know that OLD SINS NEVER DIE, the sixth book in my mystery series featuring journalist Emmeline Kirby and jewel thief/insurance investigator Gregory Longdon, will be released on September 19 by Black Opal Books. It’s a contemporary story that will take readers on a journey of deception and treason from London to the Lake District and up to picturesque Scotland.






Before I go any further, I think it is only fair to make a confession. I’m guilty. My crime? I have a mind to murder. My life of crime was launched when I was at a tender age. It started with a love affair with reading, which blossomed into a passion for the written word. This literary seduction led me to become a mystery author. Why this genre in particular? I was enchanted with the idea of creating a puzzle that teases a reader’s intellect and provides an escape. I wonder if Agatha Christie (my hero) felt the same way, when she was spinning her delicious webs of deadly intrigue.

 

It’s human nature to yearn for an escape from the humdrum pattern that our everyday lives can fall into at some stage. A change of scene does wonders for the soul. One can always travel to new places within the pages of a novel. Setting plays a prominent role in this story, as it does in all my books. I consider it an important character all its own. However, while one part of my mind is captivated with the beauty of an area, the other half is seized by a malicious glee because I have discovered the perfect backdrop for a murder. I’m of the opinion that danger lurks in beauty.

 


This is precisely what I found when I visited Grasmere in England’s beguiling Lake District. I never wanted to leave this serene and verdant haven of streams, woods and hills. So, I returned with Emmeline and Gregory. In theory, a sightseeing tour of Lake Windermere is supposed to be an enjoyable way to soak up the scenery. But Emmeline and Gregory overhear a man attempting to hire an international assassin. (I did warn you my mind has lethal tendencies.) They race back to London to warn the authorities. There’s a bit of a problem, though. They have no idea who the wretched victim will be. If that weren’t bad enough, Emmeline pursues a story about shipping magnate Noel Rallis, who is on trial for murder. As Emmeline digs into his illicit business dealings, she learns that he is involved with Lord Desmond Starrett in an unholy scheme called Poseidon. It’s never good when blackmail forms the basis of a relationship. Revenge also leads to all sorts of unpleasantness. Prima ballerina Anastasia Tarasova, Rallis’s spurned lover, threatens to reveal his dirty secrets, as well as the identity of a mole in MI5. Sadly, she forfeits her life before a whisper passes her lips.


 

The chase for the ugly truth drags Emmeline and Gregory up to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. The town, built as a fishing port in the late 18th century, utterly bewitched me. Wooded hills fold the bay into its embrace and brightly painted buildings with shops line the main street. It took only one glimpse of the sleepy harbor for the adrenaline to sluice through my veins. For in my mind, it was no longer a sparkling summer day but gloomy November. An inconsolable midnight sky drenched Emmeline and Gregory with its chilly tears, as a biting wind carried their Zodiac toward the perils awaiting on shore and the lifeless body of a man lay at their feet.


 

Meanwhile, I have always loved the sea. There is something hypnotic and soothing about the velvet hiss of the undulating waves. That’s why I was mesmerized when I laid eyes on the nearby uninhabited Isle of Staffa. The island’s hexagonal columns of basalt rock stand sentinel over a watery underworld that remains an enigma to mere mortals. My writer’s insatiable curiosity was aroused, as our boat passed the yawning mouth of Fingal’s Cave. I heeded its siren call and featured Staffa because instinct told me that if one dared to trespass the cave’s hushed and murky blackness, fatal consequences were sure to follow.

 

In a sane and ordered world, murder is an egregious transgression. But in a mystery, murder takes pride of place. And as I’ve explained, dear reader, you can be certain that I will always find a place for murder.

 



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If Old Sins Never Die piques your interest, don’t miss Lead Me Into Danger, Deadly Legacy, From Beyond The Grave, A Checkered Past and When Blood Runs Cold, the other books in my series, where Emmeline and Gregory put their lives at risk when they’re thrust into imbroglios involving government intrigue, stolen diamonds, looted art and blackmail.  

 

 

Daniella Bernett is a member of the Mystery Writers of America NY Chapter and the International Thriller Writers. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Journalism from St. John’s University. Lead Me Into Danger, Deadly Legacy, From Beyond The Grave, A Checkered Past and When Blood Runs Cold are the books in the Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series. She also is the author of two poetry collections, Timeless Allure and Silken Reflections. In her professional life, she is the research manager for a nationally prominent engineering, architectural and construction management firm. Daniella is currently working on Emmeline and Gregory’s next adventure. Visit www.daniellabernett.com or follow her on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008802318282 or on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4450173.Daniella_Bernett.

 

 

 

29 comments:

  1. I feel the same way, Rhys . . . I’m tired of being home, and I want to go family-visiting . . . .

    Congratulations on your new book, Daniella . . . “Old Sins Never Die” sounds quite intriguing and I’m looking forward to reading it . . . .

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    1. Joan,

      Thank you for your good wishes. I'm glad that my book has piqued your interest.

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  2. I think many of us feel the same way, Rhys. I may not have anywhere I want to go right at this minute, but I wish I *could* go if I wanted to. My father-in-law is talking about visiting him in Florida for Christmas, but The Hubby and I are, "Let's see where the world is by then."

    Daniella, I'm the same way when I visit the Laurel Highlands, which are the setting for my series. Other people see beautiful scenery and I'm all, "What a great place to hide a body!" LOL

    Are the picture links broken for anyone else?

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    1. No, I can see the lovely photos.

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    2. Liz,

      Ah, you're a kindred spirit when comes to natural beauty and the setting for a murder. Sometimes I think it's only me. As for traveling, I miss it terribly. I always enjoy discovering new places and meeting people. You learn so much.

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    3. Daniella, rest assured I have other mystery-writer friends who think the exact same way. :)

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  3. Daniella, I was not surprised to see on your bio that you have published poetry. Even the prose in your post featured very poetic language. I'm going to go find the rest of this series!

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    1. Susan,

      Thank you for your kind words. I always wishes that I could paint, but I can't even draw. I guess I paint with my words instead. I'm delighted that you'd like to dip into my series.

      Delete
  4. Congratulations on your new release! I've not visited the Lake District but have added it to my list. Planning future trips is my only consolation in these dreary times.

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    1. Margaret,

      Thank you for your good wishes. You definitely must visit the Lake District. It's absolutely enchanting. I didn't want to leave Grasmere.

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  5. Daniella, welcome to JRW and congratulations on the release of your new book. I am totally intrigued. We took a nature tour Scotland last year which included visiting several islands known for their birds. It was an exhilarating visit, but we did not have to solve any murders on our trip, except for the mysteries we packed with us. I am very excited to tell you that I am on my way to ordering book #1 of your mysteries.

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    1. Judy,

      Thank you for your good wishes. I loved Scotland, especially the Highlands. Edinburgh is a charming city. I had the pleasure of visiting it twice.


      It's music to my ears that you'd like order Book 1, LEAD ME INTO DANGER. In that you'll travel to Venice and London. Two of my most favorite cities in the world.

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  6. Daniella, Old Sins Never Die sounds wonderful and it's set in one of my favorite places in the world, the Lake District. Can't wait to settle in for a trip back.

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    1. Kait,

      I'm glad that I'll be to take you back to the Lake District. You'll enjoy Tobermory and the Isle of Staffa too.

      Delete
  7. Daniella, the Lake District, Scotland, and London! Three of my favorite places, plus intrigue. That sounds fabulous!

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    1. Deborah,

      I enjoyed visiting these places and twice as much revisiting them as I told my story.

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  8. I know people who won't read mysteries because of, well, murder. I've asked myself that question a time or two, but usually we're left with a sense of justice (of some kind)--we know the WHY of things, which isn't always possible in real life. I thought I had started this series, but now I'm not so sure. I'll have to find the first one and start again.Congratulations on the publication of this one--it will be great to start 'traveling' with your characters. BTW, my grandmother's name was Emmeline--lovely to meet another one!

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    1. Flora,

      Thank you for your good wishes. I've always enjoyed mysteries for the puzzle. Precisely, as you said, I wanted to know WHY the crime was committed and to follow the strategically placed clues to catch the murderer. I hope my series provides hours of happy reading.

      As for the name Emmeline, I've always liked it. That's why I chose it for my protagonist.

      Delete
  9. Daniella, welcome to Jungle Reds! And congratulations on your new book! Your book sounds very mysterious. I love Scotland too. I could imagine murder taking place at Culloden 275 years after the Battle.

    Rhys, I look forward to travelling again. I would love to visit Scotland again. And I have never been to Cornwall. It would be wonderful to see Cornwall in person after watching Doc Martin series.

    Diana

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    1. Diana,

      Thank you for your good wishes. My dream too is to one day visit Cornwall. After reading Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca," "Jamaica Inn," and "Frenchmen's Creek" as well as all the Poldark books, Cornwall has been calling to my soul.

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    2. Diana,

      I neglected to mention that I got close to Cornwall. A few years ago, I visited Tresco, the largest of the Scilly islands.

      Delete
  10. I'm ready to jump in my car and go. Anywhere. Danielle, your series sounds fabulous! I want to visit those places. I'm afraid you are going to send my TBR pile into collapse.

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    1. Pat,

      I'm delighted my books have whet your appetite for intrigue. As for your TBR pile, one can never have too many books. Reading nourishes the mind and soul.

      Delete
  11. Daniella, OLD SINS NEVER DIE sounds like one of my favorite types of reads - thriller, mystery, with a dash of romance. I agree with you - beautiful natural settings are PERFECT for murder! And these days, especially, as we're all staying put at home, it's a particular pleasure to be able to travel vie fiction.

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    1. Julia,

      I'm delighted that my book has captured your attention. In my novels, I like to feature places that have made an impression on me and to make readers feel like they are following in my footsteps.

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  12. Scotland is on my list, had always been on my list, maybe after I retire. I'm still unpacking books from my move so I think I need to wander over to the Kindle side of things to find this series. Jewel thief/ insurance investigator has my attention.

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  13. Deana,

    I assure you Scotland is lovely and the people are terribly nice. I hope you enjoy wandering through my books.

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  14. During the pandemic my husband (who you know, Daniella,) built me a lovely, six-foot black walnut bookshelf. The first shelf holds 200 years of family Bibles and prayerbooks. Shelf number two holds my favorite signed editions, including ALL of your series. I cannot wait to add A Mind For Murder to my collection. Now, if I can only get to NYC again for your signature. Keep writing! You are an amazing talent with decades to go!

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  15. If it's Emmeline and Gregory, I'm in. Your series is just the right kind of escape and intellectual tickle I am always looking for. Congratulations on your newest book. I know it will be a hit.

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