Publisher: Memoirs Publishing
Published Date: 23/1/2013
Available:
Paperback - 11.89 GBP
Kindle - 4.64 GBP
Genre: Fiction, Murder Mystery,
Espionage
Short blurb:
Against a backdrop of political
change in South Eastern Europe, the story embraces disgruntled communists, cold
war warriors, intrigue, deception and finally murder. Sir Arthur Cumberpot has
an unspectacular career which is swiftly drawn to a close when he is appointed
British Ambassador to Bulgaria. Due to some unforeseen mishaps his wife Annabel
is accused of being a spy and sent home to their house in Watlington while her
background is checked by MI5. Annabel is guilty of nothing, other than being
the biological daughter of Jim Kilbey, Britain’s most famous spy. It seems that
a jealous god has sought to visit the sins of the father upon her, but so has everyone
else. She is the victim of serendipity, but also of cover ups, the duplication
of thin evidence and exaggeration. But she is also heartless, treacherous, self
indulgent and without shame.
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHT
DO:
Welcome on Authors' Curtilage, Patrick. I'm glad to be one of your hosts on
this virtual book tour.
PB: Thank you for the invitation.
DO:
How did you get the idea for the book Herodotus - The Gnome of Sofia?
PB: Most of the entertainment we see
on TV or read about in book form takes a close look at a certain groups of
people and murder mystery is little different wherever it is. Morse by Colin
Dextor was about Oxford intellectuals, Rumpold by John Mortimer was about the
legal profession - barristers, judges and bent solicitors or solicitors Clarks
- and in their turn, writers have had a sideway glance at the medical
profession, at spooks, ending up with the most recent obsession with the so
called aristocracy. Peter Jay laughed at politicians in Yes Prime Minister and
Rik Mayall remorselessly laughed at the antics of Thatch-rite MP's in The New State
man. But the group which fascinates me most is the British Diplomatic Service
which, steeped in secrecy, appears to do very little at all. Self serving and
elitist - whilst considering themselves to be above the common herd - they have
managed to survive most of history by following their famous mantra: 'If you do
nothing, you do nothing wrong!'
DO:
What are your sources of inspiration?
PB: I lived for some time in Eastern
Europe during the changes and after the fall of The Berlin Wall there was a lot
of noise being made and very little else. On the whole most so called diplomats
didn’t have a clue about Communism or about Communists in general. Little more
than a rehash of James Bond, Graham Green and Dear John le Carre, during my
time as the Chief Editor of The Sofia Western News (SWN) magazine, I came across
many diplomats who perceived the immerging ex-Communist states of Eastern
Europe in terms of some sort of Hollywood rehash. Maybe it was their siege
mentality and fear of the past, or maybe it was pure unbridled ignorance. But
whatever it was, it caused them to hide away in their often over luxurious
ivory towers, and to quote a plethora of half baked inaccurate platitudes for
consumption by their camp followers and visiting foreign journalists. And me; well
I sat in the middle, watched them all very carefully, and laughed my socks off.
DO:
What are the things that went into completing the first draft of this book?
PB: On their own, most diplomats do
not last more than half an hour in the writers world of fiction, due to their invisibility
- their preoccupation with their day to day activities at an Embassy - together
with the various staff who are all heavily engaged in, well, not a lot! So I
had to find a series of back stories to fill up the pages and to turn these
often characterless diplomats into recognizable human beings. This meant a
great deal of research. So what did I research? Cover-ups!
DO:
How long did it take you to have the polished draft of this story for
publication?
PB: I wrote Herodotus - The Gnome of
Sofia, in about six months, during which time the story developed within
itself, as my memories from twenty years in the Balkans quickly expanded the
text. Since the story - which finally takes place in the 1990's - covers a period
of some twenty five years or more, the text goes backwards and forwards in
time, rather like a series of short stories. I had to justify the rather two dimensional
characters with some sort of personal history which involved the Ambassador,
Sir Arthur Cumberpot and his dreadful wife Lady Annabel.
DO:
What are the steps you took in Herodotus - The Gnome of Sofia, to ensure
readers are riveted when they read the book?
PB: Don't forget that I am a reader
too, so as with any good murder mystery, I had to keep people guessing and of course,
waiting! This is a subtle book in the sense that it is not drenched in blood,
but various questions are asked instead. Within the story I touch upon various
issues which mast writers would steer away from, including mental illness, and
the class which existed at elitist universities at the time, especially Oxford
and Cambridge. Destined for a life in the diplomatic service, the
erstwhile Ambassador Cumberpot has managed to blot out his real antecedents and
to practically deny access to his loving father and mother. You see, he has
become a horrible snob!
DO:
What are some of the most exciting plots in this book?
PB: We must not forget Herodotus the
Gnome. Sir Arthur's father is a goodly soul, who is not one of the world’s
greatest potters, but never-the-less, is very enthusiastic about his art. His
devotion to his distant son in Bulgaria is absolute and so one day he decides
to create a garden gnome, which he sends to his son in the monthly diplomatic
container. However, on its way to Sofia it is somehow purloined by MI6 and sent
to GCHQ for further investigation. In their wisdom they convert this hideous
garden gnome into a Wi-Max mini cellular base station, before delivering it to
the British Embassy in Sofia. Sir Arthur is appalled at this arrival of this
naf garden gnome which has been forced upon him by MI6. With firm instructions
to display it - codename Herodotus - in the front garden of the Embassy
building they believe it to be the future of Espionage. With no more dead drops
or chalk marks on nearby trees or phony messages or codes, the British Secret
Service now believes that it has found the perfect solution to their burgeoning
secret activities in ex-Communist Bulgaria and their relationship with their
local spy's.
DO: For every story there is a status quo and a sudden bad change that keeps the
lead character on his or / her heels to affect a positive turn around or get
justice. What is the major conflict in Herodotus - The Gnome of Sofia that
flexed the proactive muscles of your protagonist to make things happen?
PB: Lady Cumberpot is probably one
of the nastiest people one might hope to meet. She is arrogant, rude, ignorant,
toffee nosed and an intellectual snob. She is also the daughter of Britain’s
most infamous spy Jim Kilbey. Adopted at a very young age, she has developed
some of her natural fathers more unfortunate characteristics, including his
constant deception and acts of betrayal. Whilst on leave in the UK in order to
deal with family matters she begins an affair with the owner of the local
riding stables, someone she had pervious known at Oxford. Impervious to her
protracted absences - looking after a house purchased and allegedly their
unfortunate son James - she pretends to be heavily preoccupied by domestic
duties, when in fact she is simply a self indulgent treacherous bitch!
DO: Hmm. I can't wait to get my copy of this book. Every story worth telling has a point. What is it that you want your readers to
take away from Herodotus?
PB: Apart from an insight into the
somewhat obvious self serving diplomats and their 'proactive' inactivity? When
it is believed that Lady Annabel is following in her father Jim Kilbey's
treacherous footsteps as a spy, she is sent back to the UK in disgrace, to be thoroughly
investigated by the internal security services a matter which is placed in the
seasoned hands of Inspector Squinty - retired, an MI5 operative. It is here
that we realize that there is some form of natural justice in this world,
especially when Lady Annabel Cumberpot is murdered in her kitchen by an unknown
assassin. Discovered laying dead in a pool of blood by the internal
security service MI5 when they go to search the house for evidence, her death
is put down to an extra judicial killing and the matter is swept under the
carpet. But it is not so, and so dear readers, you will have to read on!
DO:
We all dream of writing a bestseller. Based on your experience, what should be
the three major steps a writer should take to execute a blockbuster novel?
DO:
All right then, I wish you all the best in your writing career. Thanks for stopping by at
Authors' Curtilage.
PB: Thanks, and good luck to you
all!
Buy Link: Herodotus - The Gnome of Sofia
Patrick Brigham has been a writer
and journalist for many years. He has published many short stories,newspaper
and magazine articles. Born in the English home counties, he attended Public
School and College before moving to London and embarking on his career. Having
spent the last twenty years in South Eastern Europe, many of his stories are
set in this part of the world as well as in Oxford, Hampshire and Berkshire.
Does author Patrick Brigham write
good murder mystery books?
The author Patrick Brigham writes
good mystery books, many of which are set at the very end of the Cold War and
Communism. Featuring fictional police detective Chief Inspector Michael
Lambert, he is often faced with political intrigue, and in order to solve his
cases - which frequently take place in Eastern Europe and the Balkans - he
needs to know how an old Communist thinks, during the course of his
investigations.
There are few good books on the
subject of international crime, especially mystery stories which delve into the
shady side of Balkan politics, neither are there many novelists who are
prepared to address mystery crime fiction, like the author Patrick Brigham.
As a recently seconded officer to
Europol, the new EU federal police force, Chief Inspector Michael Lambert
brings a new slant to European crime fiction.
You can reach Patrick Brigham here! Patrick Brigham Patrick Brigham
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