The Colour of Murder

The fifth Sebastian Foxley Medieval Mystery.

London is not safe for princes or commoners.

In February 1478, a wealthy merchant is killed by an intruder and a royal duke dies at the Tower. Neither case is quite as simple as it seems.

Seb Foxley, an intrepid young artist, finds himself in the darkest of places, fleeing for his life. With foul deeds afoot at the king’s court, his wife Emily pregnant and his brother Jude’s hope of marrying Rose thwarted, can Seb unearth the secrets which others would prefer to keep hidden?

Join Seb and Jude, their lives in jeopardy in the dangerous streets of the city, as they struggle to solve crimes and keep their business flourishing.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

How do you find new methods of medieval murder?

I use medieval legal documents to find new ideas for murders for my thrillers. I like to include elements of mystery in the tale and if it ends with a visit to the hangman, so much the better.

How does inspiration strike you for your novels and how long do they take to write?

Inspiration can strike at any time, so it’s as well to note them down or they’re lost forever. It takes about six months to write a thriller but ideas for various murder mysteries are often being mulled over years in advance or a good tale might just appear fully formed, often in the shower!

Does the story or the research come first?

I have been researching 15th-century history for 30+ years, so much is done already. If the tale needs a specific bit of research – a hangman’s techniques, for example – that can be done at the time.

With 5 novels already in this series, can you tell us anything about future books?

The 6th Seb Foxley murder mystery is already written – The Colour of Death – this thriller is set in Norfolk and involves Seb and his long-lost relatives. I am now weaving tale no.7, back in London, where dark deeds are afoot and Seb has to wrestle with his conscience as he solves the puzzles in The Colour of Lies.

What is the correct order of the books?

The Colour of Poison

The Colour of Gold

The Colour of Cold Blood

The Colour of Betrayal

The Colour of Murder