JEFF SIGER asks How Did I End Up Here?

I think it’s fair to ask me, why after publishing fourteen critically acclaimed, Greece-based Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis police procedurals I decided to create a brand-new mystery series for Severn House. One set in New York City featuring a Sherlock Holmes-worthy amateur sleuth possessing a complicated George Smiley retired-secret-agent past. A Study in Secrets is the debut novel in my “Redacted Man” series releasing on February 3^rd in the UK and US.

Perhaps a bit more background on my protagonist and what he confronts in A Study in Secrets will answer why I’ve added this very different mystery series to my repertoire.

Michael A is a true gentleman who lives a quiet, comfortable life since retiring from the intelligence services. Practically a recluse and partially handicapped, he spends his days imagining the lives of the anonymous people he watches in the park beneath the windows of his elegant New York City townhouse–number 221–his every need tended to by his housekeeper, Mrs. Baker.

For decades Michael has taken great care not to get involved in the lives of those he observes…until one day everything changes.

Each morning for weeks he’s watched a girl sit in the park at dawn. Always alone. Always watchful. And when the sun rises, she vanishes, as if she were never there. One day her routine changes–and Michael realizes she faces terrible danger. For reasons unclear even to himself, he makes an uncharacteristic decision to abandon his solitude and help her.

Soon, Michael finds himself confronting the New York City underworld in an unexpected search for a priceless missing treasure. He'll have to rely upon all the tricks of his former trade and resurrect long neglected relationships if he's to keep not just himself, but his new friend, alive.

All of which leads me to ask, how can any mystery writer not love a protagonist like Michael A? Powerful story lines pack every decade of his life, vivid ancillary characters virtually spring to life in his wake, and deep-seated societal attitudes are explored and confronted without a bit of preaching required.

Michael A is a character I’ve sought to bring to life for nearly a decade, all in furtherance of a storytelling desire that’s percolated within me for at least half a century. It was with me when as a child I found myself making up stories every night as I fell off to sleep. And it was there with me in high school when I thought I could make it as a writer … until I realized how unlikely I was to earn a living as one––leading me to become a lawyer.

Those years practicing law played an unexpected role in my emergence as a creative writer. And by that I don’t mean they taught me to be creative with the facts. Rather, they developed my style, gave me my voice, taught me how to write clearly, concisely and convincingly – and to do so quickly.

The practice of law also taught me how to graciously accept and channel criticism, a vital skill for one to develop if as a writer you wish to survive critical analyses of your work by your editors, critics and reviewers.

So, here I am, more than 20 years into the crime writing life; overjoyed by the many friends my wife and I have made in our new mystery-laden world and the host of plaudits my work has received from colleagues I deeply respect and admire. But most of all, I feel blessed that the dream I carried as a young boy to someday be a writer has come true.

The big question now is, what happens next?

Whatever it is, I’m looking forward to it, for I’ve no doubt it’s going to be an adventure. One of the more likely scenarios will soon see my Greece-based series come to life in the media. That should be fun.

And speaking of fun, are you aware of the familial link I share with Sherlock Holmes? It’s a little-known fact I stumbled upon as a teenager devouring all things Holmesian. Since then, I’ve always had a soft spot for Sherlock, so titling the first book in my new series A Study in Secrets seemed only natural as an homage to the very first Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel introducing Holmes and Watson.

But before I reveal to you my little secret, perhaps you might answer this question: What is name of Sherlock Holmes’ father?

If you got that right, you’ve unearthed my secret, for his name is Siger Holmes. And he would much appreciate you buying a copy of the latest mystery novel to bear his family name on the cover. It’s available now for pre-order.