09/08/2025
Meet George 'Magpie' Collins, the star of my new detective series of books, starting with THE BROKEN CHAIN, out shortly.
George 'Magpie' Collins is a former jewel thief (he liked sparkly things, hence the Magpie nickname), now a private detective, operating in mid-1930s Sydney, Australia (sometimes throughout New South Wales). He's 35 years old, single, never married but was once engaged. His best friend is the chief of police, Tom Majors, who some years back helped him go straight and acquire his investigator licence.
Collins likes coffee (the blacker the better), steak (which he has with a beer at all times), and has an unwavering sense of fair play. He hates bullies, always supports the little guy. Supports the Australian Labor Party and the union movement. His office is on the second floor of a building in Castlereagh Street, next door to the NSW Masonic Club, where he sometimes goes for breakfast or lunch/dinner (he did the club secretary a good turn once, and was granted unlimited use of the club's facilities as a reward). He lives in a small flat in Glebe and drives a Ford.
Collins appears in the first novel in the series, THE BROKEN CHAIN (which will be available any day now) and in further planned books in the series (the next one will be THE BLACK SEAM, released at the end of the year). Keep an eye out here for further purchasing info shortly.
