 Today is the day... nothing more to be done... Once release day comes, there is nothing more an author can do except hope that her creation, over which she has agonised for (in my case) 12 long months, is received with kindness. It is bitter sweet because this is the final book in the Harriet Gordon Mysteries... the series arc has concluded. I am not saying it will be farewell to ever to our favourite characters but an adieu for now. Rather than have a release party, I have prepared a video in which I answer reader questions about the Harriet Gordon Mysteries and read a chapter from AGONY IN AMETHYST. Just click the button below to watch the video. ABOUT AGONY IN AMETHYST Curran has been absent in London mopping up the mess from the events of Book 4 and Harriet has found a new position for herself. Now they are back together but Curran has to come to terms with a professional disappointment and the imminent arrival of an important dignitary with whom he has crossed paths in the past. When a school girl dies at a ball, a Pandora's box of dark secrets will be unleashed that threaten to destroy Curran's career ... and possibly the fragile new relationship! AGONY IN AMETHYST is available in print and ebook world wide. Audio is coming (hopefully before Christmas). Early reviews are already up on Goodreads… with thanks to my ARC team. All the current buy links are on the button below, with the exception of my own store from which you can purchase print books with a personalised dedication… Click HERE One final thing… if you find yourself in need of a character list for any of the Harriet books, you will find them (along with a glossary) on my website. Click HERE. It’s one of those things… you get some readers who love them and others who hate them so the website is my compromise! All the best Alison xxx 
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 Yes... the adventures of Harriet and Curran are continuing and this story will see them back in Singapore after their sojourn in Kuala Lumpur. BUT there are forces at work that will continue to make their lives difficult (probably me... the author!). I am absolutely thrilled with the cover for Book 5, AGONY IN AMETHYST (the work of the talented Fiona Jayda Media). The building featured is what is now known in Singapore as the Istana - the Presidential Palace - but in Harriet's time was Government House. You will have to read the book to discover the significance! The book will be released in ebook and print editions on 28 October. Audio will come later. For now you can preorder the ebook from some distributors and the print book direct from Alison's Bookstore (if you would like it personalised). AGONY IN AMETHYST An important visitor casts a shadow of darkness and death over Singapore.
Harriet Gordon, newly settled in her new role as a teacher at a girls' school in Singapore, faces uncertainty in her budding relationship with Robert Curran, who has just returned from months in Kuala Lumpur. Curran's expected promotion turns sour when the position is given to an old adversary from his Scotland Yard days. The arrival of the Colonial foreign secretary, Sir Henry Cunningham, revives memories of one of Curran's unresolved cases. The death of a schoolgirl at a lavish ball, hosted by the Governor in honour of the visitor, brings Curran into direct conflict with his new superior officer. When he confides his suspicions to Harriet, she inadvertently betrays his trust, threatening his already shaky career. With their relationship on the brink of irreparable damage, a second death changes the course of the investigation. Can Harriet and Curran bring justice to a grieving family and emerge from this ordeal with their connection intact? Delve into the captivating world of the Harriet Gordon mysteries. Grab your copy today for a tale of intrigue and suspense set in the tropical heat of colonial Singapore. Today's the day for the final book in this series of THE HARRIET GORDON MYSTERIES.... Did you see what I did there? I said "THIS SERIES"! I'm not sure I am quite ready to let Harriet, Curran and their friends go completely and certainly my readers aren't... so there will be something coming (maybe later next year). However as far as this series arc is concerned, TERROR IN TOPAZ brings it to the end and today is RELEASE DAY! Yay... pop the champagne. What to expect with TERROR IN TOPAZ... Firstly a change of scene as Harriet and Julian take a trip north to Kuala Lumpur (KL) at the behest of the headmaster of the Prince Alfred School. Is Julian ready for a change of job? The idea for this plot thread came again from my poking around the archives of the Singapore State Library and found the account of an actual murder that took place in KL in April 1911. The wife of the acting headmaster of the Victoria Institution shot dead her lover on the steps of the headmaster's bungalow. This scenario fitted so beautifully into Harriet's world, I had to use it. I will be writing about what is known as the 'Proudlock Murder' in another blog post. Secondly, I am guilty of leaving the last book, EVIL IN EMERALD, on a bit of a cliff hanger as Curran goes off on a quest of his own (no spoilers) - probably to KL. So the two plot threads may come together... That is where TERROR IN TOPAZ starts... do I manage to pull all the loose threads together for an ending that satisfies the readers? I hope so! Alison Stuart reads from TERROR IN TOPAZ...If you would like to meet me in person (so as to speak), I have prepared a short release day video. I will talk about the book and read the first chapter :-) Just click the button below  The final episode in the riveting HARRIET GORDON MYSTERIES. The chance to pursue a new opportunity takes Harriet and her brother Julian, to Kuala Lumpur, but death is waiting… Singapore 1910: Harriet Gordon has been dismissed from the job she loved and finds herself cast adrift. When her brother receives an invitation to visit a prestigious school in Kuala Lumpur, she and Julian decide to leave Singapore behind for a few days, but their pleasant visit takes a dark turn when a visitor to the school is shot dead on the front steps of the headmaster’s bungalow. After being suspended from the Straits Settlements Police, Inspector Robert Curran has disappeared on a personal quest to find a missing girl but his suspension is not all it appears and he receives secretive orders to investigate the mysterious Topaz Club, which seems to be at the centre of high-level corruption within the colonial government of Malaya. The uninvestigated death of a woman with links to the Topaz Club, brings Harriet and Curran together in a determination to shut down the notorious establishment for good. But a devious criminal stands in the way and it is going to take Harriet and Curran all their resources to bring justice for the victims of the Topaz Club and in doing so, find what it is they have been looking for in each other. NOTE ON AVAILABILITY: TERROR IN TOPAZ (Book 4) is available in print and digital editions. There will be an audio version but it is a little way off yet. Sadly the print edition will not be available in stores but is easily ordered from the usual online stores and if you ask your library (or your local bookshop) nicely they should be able to get it in for you. AND FINALLY: If you want more news and updates on the 'where to next' for Harriet Gordon please sign up to Alison Stuart's newsletter!
 Readers have been asking me when the next Harriet Gordon Mystery can be expected... The short answer is probably around August next year. The long answer is Terror in Topaz hit a stumbling block and for reasons I won't go into, there has been a considerable delay on the administrative end. This flowed into a delay on the creative end ie... I still have to finish writing the book and I'm not a very fast writer. So my profuse apologies to those anxious readers who are chomping at the bit to see how the series ends (yes, Book 4 will be the last). Having said that I am not saying goodbye to the characters forever... there may be other stand-alone stories in the wind! In the meantime, you are very welcome to peruse my backlist of Alison Stuart titles... there are mysteries mixed into the historical (Lord Somerton's Heir, Gather the Bones and The Goldminer's Sister and coming in January, The Homecoming) and if you have not already signed up to my email list, that is the best place to get updates on Harriet and her friends AND you get a free download of Harriet's prequel - THE UMBRELLA. Now I better get my head down and finish that book! Alison x  |
A.M. StuartReaders can connect with A.M. Stuart at her website, Facebook, or subscribe to her newsletter on the form below. Subscribe to Alison's NewsletterArchives
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