As an author, trying to choose which of my books is my favourite is like choosing my favourite child. When my kids pressed me to pick one of them as my fav, I always told them Maximus was my favourite first child and Brutus was my favourite second child (see The Writer’s Hour if you want to know why I use these Roman names). Similarly, each of the Jade Riley mysteries holds a special place in my heart for varying reasons.
Book One, The Godfather of Dance, is set in Houston, Texas.
Murder. Dance. Family secrets.
The unsolved murder of a ballroom dancer sets rookie journalist Jade Riley on a hunt for the killer.
An author only ever has one debut, and mine was The Godfather of Dance, so it will always have that hold over me.
As the name suggests, dance is an important element of the story, and it dominated my life when I was living in Houston, so that gives it another edge for me. The other books each have at least one dance scene and Book 4, The Runaway Girl dives in further, with Jade’s dance lessons and salsa performance being integral to the plot.
Jade is single in The Godfather of Dance, so I could play with a will-they-won’t-they element between her and her dance instructor, Anton. I also included a romance between Anton’s sister, Nadeska, and Echo, the son of a crime boss, so I had a bit of fun with that, especially as Nadeska is a wild character with a skewed moral compass.
Book 2, A Killer Among Friends, is set in Melbourne, Australia.
Murder. Music. Company secrets.
When Jade’s friend Nick is murdered, she turns to their tight-knit circle for answers, only to uncover a web of lies.
The setting for A Killer Among Friends is my hometown, Melbourne, which is a winner for me.
This book also shines a light on mental health, with Jade struggling to come to terms with her best friend’s suicide. Several readers reached out to say some of the discussions in the book on this topic struck an emotional chord and made them feel heard. Moments like that make all my writing challenges feel worthwhile.
Each book has multiple points of view, but this one also has multiple time lines, which makes it structurally the most complex. I’m really happy I pulled that off, but it probably requires the most concentration from readers to keep track of the story.
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Book 3, The Man in the Dam, is set in Mansfield, Victoria, Australia.
Murder. Theatre. Community secrets.
Journalist Jade Riley finds a guest dead in a dam the morning after hosting a dinner party in Mansfield, gateway to the Victorian High Country.
Note the first three books form a musical triple threat, with dance in book 1, music in book 2 and acting in book 3. This performing arts thread was really fun to write.
The Man in the Dam was the last Jade Riley novel I wrote (they weren’t published in the order I drafted them), and as I’d learnt so much through the others, it required fewer rewrites. It also has more twists and turns, and a bit more humour.
The opening scene is my favourite – Jade waking up the night after a dinner party to find a body in the dam. It sparked the whole story.
The secondary story with Brett proposing to Jade just before the story begins has major significance to Jade’s series arc. He is about to move to Malaysia for work, meaning Jade would have to give up her coveted position as a journalist. Their handling of this dilemma adds depth to the story.
As I included a lot of real businesses in the story, such as Ink Bookshop and The Produce Store, the book has a strong community flavour. I felt really embraced by the Mansfield townsfolk, who I consulted along the way.
Book 4, The Runaway Girl, is set in Lagos, Nigeria.
Three missing girls. One deadly secret.
In Lagos, Nigeria, journalist Jade Riley investigates three girls’ disappearance and uncovers a shadowy underworld of money, power and exploitation.
There’s a time jump between the first three books and this one. Jade is now married with kids.
I first drafted this book in 2017 and some of the descriptions are drawn from emails I wrote home when I was living in Lagos back in 2004-2008, so it’s been a long time in the making. Our experience in Nigeria was life-changing and this book taps into the culture, the expats and local people, learning salsa dancing and so much more. This makes it personal and heartfelt for me.
The topic of human trafficking is really tough, and while I didn’t want to be preachy, I wanted to draw attention to this issue. I had previously written a play about child trafficking at the request of my friend, Gbenga Yusuf, so I drew from that and did further research. It was hard to know how far to push some scenes, and I hope I’ve got the balance right. Reader feedback so far has been amazing. NAPTIP (National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons) in Nigeria read an early draft, gave feedback and endorsed the project.
Book 5, The Desert Thief, set in the Middle East.
How far would you go to protect your family?
Jade Riley’s move to the Middle East goes horribly wrong when her husband becomes a murder suspect, and she uncovers a web of infidelity, industrial espionage and royal intrigue.
This was the first book I wrote in the series. Strange that it is published as the last! When I began, Jade was Tara Wells, a psychologist. Her blogs, under the pseudonym Betsy Sharpe were written out in full, and Brett didn’t have a point of view. I really had my training wheels on, and the book has undergone several major rewrites. I’m so happy it’s finally out in the world.
One of the things I had trouble with was how to start the story, and I’m pleased with the way the opening scenes worked out, with Jade breaking into her husband’s office. They are tense but also funny – at least they are in my head!
Each of the Jade Riley Mysteries is different, each carries different meaning to me and had a different path to the final version. I love them all for their quirks and pathos. How about you? If you’ve read them, which is your favourite Jade Riley Mystery?
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