Hello detectives! I’m sorry I haven’t updated this site much recently – I got covid just as I was finishing work on the book, and I had to take time away to recover. But the good news is that Ministry is DONE and off to the printer’s, ready to hit shelves on the 29th of September.
And the even better news is that today I get to reveal the cover!
We wanted to create a look that reminded readers of MMU, but also felt fresh and exciting – and also fit into Ministry’s World War Two setting. This series has not two but THREE main characters, and they’re all featured on the cover.
There’s May Wong, who you’ll all know very well. She’s fierce, she’s determined and she’s sick and tired of not being listened to. She wants to help end the war so she can get home to Hong Kong, and she knows she’d be an excellent spy if anyone would let her. Now she just needs to work out how to prove herself to the Ministry …
Then there’s Eric. His full name is Hans Erich Schlossbauer, but you can call him Eric Jones while he’s undercover. He fled from Germany to London with his family before the war began, thinking he’d be safe in England – but now his beloved Papa has been interned by the British Government. Eric’s run away to help the war effort so he can get Papa back – and that means joining the Ministry. Eric’s kind, sweet and sure of himself. He loves animals and cracking codes, and he’s the heart of the new Detective Society. If you thought Beanie was adorable, you’re going to love Eric …
And finally, meet Fionnuala O’Malley. You’d better not call her Fiona. Half Irish, half English and brought up in an American theatre company, she’s totally out of her element in a posh English mansion. Shy, lonely and wrapped up in her own fantasy world, she feels trapped with her cold English family. But when two evacuees turn up who are clearly hiding something, Nuala realises that she has to become a detective to work out what they’re up to. Could they be … spies? And what does their mission have to do with her home?
So those are my detectives – and I can’t wait for you to discover their first mission! You can pre-order Ministry from the following online stores, among others – and of course, you can also ask your local independent bookshop to order you a copy. They might even be able to get you a signed one!
Dubray (Ireland)
Dymocks (Australia)
Eason’s (Ireland)
