Summer’s here!

Josef is finally available! ‘Josef’, the (indirect) sequel to ‘Hugo & Josef’, is finally released after a lengthy gestation (I wrote the book in June 2023). Hugo doesn’t appear, though the eagle-eyed amongst you might spot the odd hint or easter egg… At the conclusion of the novel, Josef considers returning to Paris and perhaps revisiting his past. What could that mean for Hugo? I have no idea! I literally have no idea, but I’ll file the thought away for a while, and if I can think of a way of reuniting these first loves, then I’m not against the idea. I can hear my darling friend Dawn loudly voicing her protests, even though she is sadly no longer with us. She was very protective of “her” Ben, as she called him, and she would be livid if I even thought of bringing Josef onto the scene in an attempt to steal back Hugo. All I can say is watch this space…

‘Josef’ is the first in a trilogy of books that I recently completed. It centres on Les Enquêteurs (The Investigators), a Paris-based private investigation agency run by the calm and mysterious Caspar Olivier Minoru and the troubled Jérémie Berger (both of whom you’ve met before, in various books). Their investigations continue in ‘Above. Lies. Below’ and ‘Bertram Hervé’s Final Case.’ I’m not sure if there will be more, as I have my hands full with new Hugo and Coco stories as well as a brand new trilogy (also a spin-off, we first meet the characters in ‘Bertram Hervé’s Final Case’). The IGBN (Lennie & Bertie) Trilogy will premiere (probably) in 2028 with three interconnected stories. My current plan is to write them in unison and release them all in the same year. I’ll keep you posted as to how it’s going. But what I can tell so far is that the stories are spearheaded by Captain Hélène Lenoir (the niece of the baddie we all love to hate, Jean Lenoir) and Bertie Hervé (the grandson of the fantastic Bertram). It’s my first time writing a story with two young, queer characters and I’m very excited by the prospect as they work on a case investigating corrupt cops in Paris.

As for the rest of the year, as you probably recall, I have been working on French translations of three of my books, and they are all now complete and ready for release in July. It was an incredible thrill for me to finally have three of my books in French arrive on my desk. My French isn’t quite good enough to follow it all, but honestly, it’s such a gift for me to have my books in French. I hope to do more, but it’s a new market for me, so we’ll see how it goes. However, I hope to continue the series in the future.

In other news, we’re working hard to get the subsequent two releases ready so they can both come out this year… Don’t hold me to it. Still, at the very least, I can confirm that Coco book 6 (Cité de la Haine) will land in September this year, hopefully followed by Hugo book 14 (Souvenirs Négligents) in time for Christmas.

And as for me and my life: all is well enough. My leg is better, though I’ll probably need another operation soon, and my husband Dan is getting stronger, though it’s still an ongoing process. As I write this, we’re off on holiday tomorrow. A short trip to the coast, in a little cottage near the beach, so I’m looking forward to a break with my three boys.

Talk soon, but until then, sending you all love and thanks for your ongoing support.

Much love,

Gx