Mary McShane:
Psychic Detective
By Tony Watts (with Roshan Pitteea)
Life was trundling along in a fairly normal holding pattern for Mary McShane until she was invited to join a local psychic circle… only to discover that she not only had a natural talent for connecting with the Spirit World but also a guide who had been a detective in Victorian London.
Before long, Mary is honing her own detection skills, first attempting to prove a murder suspect’s innocence and then tracking down a young girl’s killer.
This is the first of a planned series of books, written with the invaluable help of a serving detective, where the worlds of psychic and real-life investigative work often collide… but occasionally collaborate.
How it all began…
Around 35 years ago, wearing my journalist’s hat, I interviewed a family of psychics for a feature I was writing – one of whom had helped police in London on a number of occasions. That led not only to me immersing myself in their world and ghost writing their life stories for them (pun intended) but setting off on my own imaginings of what a psychic detective’s story might look like.
The original text for the first story in this book lay in a box in the attic for several decades as I got on with doing paid work to feed a growing family… until Covid gave me the time and space to finish Mary McShane’s first case and then add a further one. But how realistic were the police procedures and court scenes? Fortunately, an old friend and serving detective who has his own first book now out in print on Amazon (“Care & Control” by Roshan Pitteea) came to the rescue.
Also to my rescue came my wife Caroline to undertake multiple proof reads, and designer son Josh to provide a stunning cover. I really can’t thank them both enough, especially as any financial remuneration is not guaranteed.
BTW, all of the cases and characters are figments of my febrile imagination and bear no relation to anyone living, dead or undead.
If you enjoy this book, tell all your friends and any TV producers in your orbit. If you don’t enjoy it, persuade lots of people you don’t like to buy it, and it will be a win-win for us both.
Mary’s next few cases will (I hope) be out in print soon.
About the author
Tony has been making his living from words for some 50 years now – as a journalist, editor, copywriter and (spookily enough) a ghost writer. And while he has had many short stories published and has written extensively for the amateur stage, this is his first (long-delayed) novel.
He has combined his paid work with campaigning on behalf of older people for many years, for which he received an OBE in 2014.
He lives in Somerset with a wife and three feral pets.
To buy a copy of Mary McShane: Psychic Detective
The book and Kindle version are available through Amazon in all territories.
Contact: tony@hartleywatts.co.uk