The Inspector Ryga mystery series
England 1950s, a country still struggling to come to terms with peace in the grip of austerity and rationing.
The 1950s set Inspector Ryga Mystery series features Scotland Yard
detective, Ryga, who is sent out to investigate baffling coastal crimes.
Ryga, a former German prisoner-of-war, teams up with former war
photographer, Eva Paisley. The first in the series, DEATH IN THE COVE is
set on the Island of Portland, Dorset; number two DEATH IN THE
HARBOUR is set in Newhaven Port, East Sussex and number three DEATH IN THE NETS is set in the fishing port of Brixham, Devon.
Whereas Ryga is quiet, reflective, analytical, Eva is very self-assured. She’s forthright, sociable, and comfortable in her own skin, professional with a successful career, a formidable reputation behind her, along with a taste for danger. Her observations seen through the lens of her camera are disturbing, enlightening and thought provoking.
They make a formidable team - villains beware!
DEATH IN THE COVE - Inspector Ryga Mystery (1)
'Death in the Cove is a great read and one I recommend to any crime fans.' BH Living Magazine
Read more
Death in the Harbour - Inspector Ryga Mystery (2)
Scotland
Yard's Inspector Alun Ryga is sent to Newhaven, East Sussex to unravel the
mystery of why an ordinary police constable was murdered and his wife has gone
missing."Pure detection… a great read.”
Publication in paperback, e book, Kindle and Kobo on 2 November 2020 -available to pre-order soon.
Death in the Nets, Inspector Ryga Mystery (3)
Published 4 October 2021 in paperback and as an e book
Available to pre order
About Inspector Alun Ryga
Scotland Yard were frequently called in to investigate murder cases around the
UK so rather than have the novel (and series) rooted in London this meant I
could move my detective around the country to help solve crimes. Once
again, I wanted to feature the sea in my crime novels - my trademark or brand -
so I created a character with an intimate knowledge of the sea, a former
Merchant Seaman, Inspector Alun Ryga.
From the first I didn't want to make Ryga an action hero like Art Marvik. I also sought to differ him from DI Andy
Horton, an instinctive copper with lots of personal baggage, intuitive, rugged
and flawed with a deep sense of justice.
Neither did I want someone who had been hailed as a war hero in the traditional sense, but instead a quiet, unseen hero. I chose, therefore, to make Ryga a former German prisoner-of-war. Ryga’s ship had been seized by a German Raider in 1941 as a result of which he had been incarcerated for the rest of the war in MILAG, (Marine Internierten Lager). Here he had to learn how to cope with the uncertainty, fear and deprivations of forced incarceration with no option but to wait, hope and pray that the war would soon be over and the Nazis would be defeated.
His experience has made Ryga observant, analytical and reflective. It has also given him insights into his fellow man. He’s witnessed compassion, cruelty, cowardice and heroism, mental breakdown and despair. He’s made a promise to himself that whatever happens after the war he’ll keep an open mind and never judge.
The war also unexpectedly resulted in opening up a new career for Ryga. Encouraged by a fellow prisoner to study, Ryga with the help of his mentor, is able to make the transition from the Merchant Navy to the Thames River Police. Before DEATH IN THE COVE opens Ryga has been involved in two highly successful criminal investigations at the Port of London and as a result has been catapulted into the Metropolitan Police and then into CID in Scotland Yard.
His experience at sea, and as a prisoner-of-war, have made him unique in his approach to solving coastal based crimes. In this series he is being called upon to utilize his vast knowledge of the sea and in DEATH IN THE COVE (1) his first solo investigation out of London, to discover why a man dressed in a pinstriped suit has been stabbed in the neck and ended up dead on the beach of a small cove on Portland on the Dorset coast.
Published in paperback, ebook, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Books and as an audio book, narrated by Jonathan Rhodes and published by B7 Media available on Audible.
