'A MASTERFUL NEW VICTORIAN MYSTERY SERIES.' 'Who would send a madman to solve a murder?' Just released from a Lunatic Asylum, Inspector George Bowman is in no shape to lead an investigation, but the discovery of a severed head in the frozen waters of the River Thames sees him back in service at Scotland Yard. As he delves into the dark heart of the city in search of answers, the memory of the death of his wife threatens to derail his investigation and place his very sanity in peril. Bowman must confront his demons and the part he played in her demise before he can solve the case; a case that leads him across Victorian London in pursuit of a killer. The first Bowman Of The Yard investigation. 'A genuinely impressive debut. Richard James has crafted an engrossing mystery, with a great sense of atmosphere, and meticulously researched.' Andrew Cartmel, The Vinyl Detective ________________ WHAT IS BOWMAN OF THE YARD? Bowman Of The Yard is a series of books featuring Detective Inspector George Bowman of Scotland Yard.
They are each set in a different season of 1892, and follow Bowman's investigations in and around Victorian London. In the meantime, we learn that he is battling his own demons following the death of his wife. WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT GEORGE BOWMAN AS A CENTRAL CHARACTER? He's very much a flawed hero. I enjoyed taking someone who is vulnerable as a result of a traumatic event, and placing them in a position of authority and responsibility to see how they cope. WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THE BOWMAN OF THE YARD SERIES? I love Arthur Conan Doyle and the Sherlock Holmes stories. They offer a picture of London that I find really evocative. I wanted to capture that in my books, whilst giving the lead character a more modern twist - and certainly not having him as invincible as Holmes! YOU MENTIONED THIS IS A SERIES, DID YOU HAVE EACH STORY PLANNED OUT BEFORE YOU STARTED? I have a direction of travel in mind. I know where George Bowman starts in The Head In The Ice, and where he will finish up by the end of the series.
Each book is a distinct investigation, so readers can jump in anywhere without knowing the previous stories. This means they have to stand up in their own right as separate books.