Derek Scales

Writing tales of happenings in Melbourne's 1860s has always been open to inexactness. It was never an era of mobiles and videos, computer science nor dna, and so basic research is so important, plus the double checking. Where were the city's main omnibus routes; was that hotel in operation then; when was the State Library built; were the police connected by telegraph to the Sydney peelers; when were cartridged guns readily available. So many questions!
Some of my characters I have come to like. Mary-Anne Fielding is an intelligent business woman and gold miner owner, while everyone knows that Detective inspector Harold Isherwood is just a lazy public servant. When Jasmine Ching asked me to call around at sundowner time, to be honest I was tempted; at Station Pier Marilyn Howard told me just before she sailed how she hated me, yet I knew it was, sadly, quite the opposite. When brothel overlord Charlie Che asked me to dine with him, his execution of some American coach drivers never bothered him, nor me but I was terribly concerned about the fate of the three school girls last seen in Chinatown. I have learned to admire top barrister Iain Bradford for his toughness and insightfulness, Jeannie from Bennett's Family Hotel can be good company while Jimmy Adamson has become a good friend, as has Curly Stern, the longest serving yet least promoted detective.
You can contact me at john.scales5@bigpond.com. Love to hear from you.

Until my next published yarn about Robin Cork
Cheers - Derek

Website: http://john.scales5@bigpond.com