Spring, 1949.
All of Puddledown is excitedly preparing for the upcoming wedding of Helena Fairfax, the Viscount’s daughter, to Walter Evans, a farmer’s son. The unlikely love match is the talk of the town, but Hugo Wainwright and Tommy Granger are dealing with a distraction closer to home. Tommy’s family have announced their intention to visit.
Hugo wants nothing more than to impress his friend’s sister and mother, but Tommy’s brother-in-law, the Rev. Daniel Stone, makes it clear from the moment he arrives he has no time for Tommy. Hugo never considered himself a violent man, but Daniel’s constant dismissal of Tommy brings all his protective instincts to the surface.
Then the letters start arriving.
The community is torn apart as malicious notes are pushed through doors all over Puddledown, and when Hugo receives one, Tommy starts to panic. The police have no suspects, so it’s up to Hugo to expose the culprit before the wedding is ruined and Tommy’s family leave, perhaps never to return. Can he solve the mystery, or will the veiled threats of an anonymous stranger drive Hugo and Tommy apart forever?
Release date: 06 April 2015
43,000 wordsBook One: The Dead Past
Runner up: 2014 Rainbow Awards Best Historical Gay Romance
Puddledown, England, 1948. Hugo Wainwright has been denying his attraction to men his whole life. When he stumbles over a murdered body in the woods, the ensuing investigation throws him in with Tommy Granger, the police inspector’s prime suspect. Certain of Tommy’s innocence, Hugo vows to clear the name of the man he’s falling for, but Tommy has his own secrets; secrets with deadly consequences.
Hugo Wainwright thought life in Puddledown had returned to normal, following the discovery of a murderer two months ago. Then the Viscount’s daughter goes missing, and more than one person is keeping a close eye on the cabin in the woods. As the net closes, Hugo has a decision to make: will he be brave, or will he take the coward’s way out?
