The Welsh Ripper KIllings

My novel, The Welsh Ripper Killings, the Kindle version, is currently on a countdown deal for only 99p - the clock is ticking though and there's only 48hours left so go grab the eBook.

CLICK HERE

The Rhonnda Ripper

It's all go here - I'm working on a new book and at the same time I'm having to take time out to promote new editions of past books - still, I'm not complaining and I'm especially excited about the relaunch of the book formally known as, A Policeman's Lot. It's now going by the title of, The Rhondda Ripper and is on sale for the Kindle now and will be available to all other platforms very soon.

I, like many thousand of others, have long been fascinated in a series of murders that took place in Whitechapel, London during the autumn of 1888, and have become known to history as the Jack The Ripper Killings. I've read no end of books and studied many of the original documents related to the case.

And when I started the book I had a very clear idea whom I would name as the Ripper, and was also aware that the name came out of left field and as far as I know has never been suggested before. And you know something I firmly believe that the events set out in this work of fiction have more than a grain of truth to them. The book  turns all the previous theories, all the speculation and indeed the killings themselves on their head. It provides a credible explanation for what happened during that autumn of terror.

Was the Ripper real or an invention of early tabloid journalism?
Who was it?
Well you'll have to read the book to find out.

London 1888

A string of brutal murders

A sensationalist press campaign

This sordid and brutal affair has become part of folklore, Jack the Ripper is seen as a cross between Dr Jekyll and Dracula and the poor women who perished at the hands of the unknown killer, real flesh and blood people, have become generic prostitutes, Victorian white trash, in the mish-mash of fact and fiction. Over the years various theories have been put forward as to the identity of the killer who glides, vampiric cape flapping, through our consciousness on a miasmic cloud - some have been plausible, others have been laughable.

Lewis Carrol and Arthur Conan Doyle are just two of the most ridiculous subjects put forward as the Ripper.

There are people who have devoted much of their lives to the study of the case - Ripperologists they call themselves and as a collective they are responsible for much of the learned and studious, as well as some of the most bizarre, books on the subject.

Jack has been claimed by the media and treated as any of the villains of Gothic literature - movies have played with the story, Jack has faced off against Sherlock Holmes and Billy the Kid as well as showing up in HBO's excellent, much missed, Deadwood. In comic books the prototype serial killer has become something of a super hero hunting down Victorian vampires. And go into any fancy dress shop and you can get a Naughty Nurse -, er sorry, a Jack the Ripper costume. For an anonymous killer we seem to have a good idea what he looked like.




So what is it about the Ripper that makes it okay for us to create fictions around the character?

We would never dream of writing a novel intended to entertain around the likes of Ted Bundy or Fred West, and yet is there a difference? Does the fact that the Ripper killings were never solved make it morally okay to build entertainments around what were, in reality, a brutally cruel series of killings?

I don't know the answer to that.



These questions were very in mind when I was writing the novel, but I did a lot of research into the crimes, read reams of documents, visited murder sites, almost broke my back carrying books from the library and spent two enjoyable days with a Ripper expert visiting what remains of the murder sites. I felt that if I was going to write this book then I needed to believe the theory the book gives to the identity of the killer and I really do.
 

Now the book was previously published as A Policeman's Lot in both eBook and print by Solstice Publishing, and didn't exactly set the world on fire. To be brutally honest I was disappointed with sales but then I think it was way too expensive. The eBook was on sale for several times the amount of many bestsellers. I still believe in this book and so I secured the rights back and have now published it to Kindle myself and it retails at £1.90 which is a good price for a two hundred plus page novel. The original reviews were excellent and can be found online and so the book is now on sale, retitled The Rhondda Ripper and can be found HERE


Reviews from the original edition:

Dobbs has done his research and packs a lot into his novel. We become immersed in a time and place on the cusp of the twentieth century. Old methods of law enforcement are yielding with the introduction of new technologies. Economic changes create new problems and social pressures. 


What an end.  The author uses Parade and Buffalo Bill to offer his own truly unique solution to the greatest unsolved serial killer mystery in history.  


The colour of the setting, the atmosphere and the characterization are all top-class. The story starts rather low-key, but once you get to the killings, everything steps up a notch and grabs you by the throat. A "historical police procedural" is the most effective way I can describe it. The storyline's multiple, concurrent strands reminded me a bit of the J. J. Marric (John Creasey) Gideon books, as did the well-observed "common people" characters. The difference here is the way they're thrown into greater relief by their contrast with the celebrated Buffalo Bill and his show people. Your choice of this background for your first Pontypridd novel was a stroke of genius. From Keith Chapman AKA western writer, Chap O'Keefe


Another review from THE MACK CAPTURES CRIME WEBSITE - Police Inspector Frank Parade prepares for duty after the last good night's rest he will enjoy for a while. For Parade, the policeman's lot is to maintain order in a six mile area with a handful of constables. But today is going to be more hectic than usual: several hundred cattle have to be moved through town on market day and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show has just pitched camp. This is just the beginning of Parade's problems which will include deaths, robberies, fights, an escaped convict, illicit tavern activity, an overly attentive landlady, and a revelation in the Jack the Ripper case.

The hook that gets readers' attention is the connection to Jack the Ripper and a satisfying and well set hook it is. But A Policeman's Lot is, at its core, a police procedural. Pontypridd in 1904 was cosmopolitan in many respects but still retained a frontier flavor: ...the streets were often lawless -- river traders, gypsies, pickpockets, drifters, even escaped convicts had to be contended with. The story follows Inspector Frank Parade as he puts in long hours monitoring the activities in town, investigating crimes, and schooling a likable but inexperienced young constable. At the time and place the book is set, the police were still developing as a professional organization and didn't have a widespread trust among the public, telephones were not widely available making communication over distances a problem, and forensic analysis was limited. In this environment, the police had to rely on techniques still used today: collect evidence, interview everyone, observe, find patterns.

Frank Parade makes for a quite interesting character. I see him as the kind of man that made the British empire -- brave, honorable, and dedicated to service. As a soldier, he saw action in the Second Boer War then traded Army khaki for the blue of a policeman. He is unwavering in his defense of the law, sets high standards for himself and his men but is not a martinet. Watching the sober Frank deal with the freewheeling Wild West Show made for a fun study in contrasts.

About the Ripper connection I'll only say that it fits nicely into the story and has enough fact to make it a credible plot line. It also lets us see Parade performing good, solid police investigation. I checked some of the Ripper forums after I finished the book and was astonished at the passion with which the case is studied.

A Policeman's Lot is an entertaining story that brings together one of the last icons of the American West, a look at British police work while the force was still in its infancy, and one of the most widely known murder cases in history. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy historical crime fiction and police procedurals. 


"Fascinating concept, setting, and characters. Set in Wales during Buffalo Bill’s 1903/1904 tour of the United Kingdom, the story begins with Inspector Frank Parade carrying out his daily duties in the town of Pontypridd, duties complicated by the unprecedented presence of 500 members of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show encamped outside the town, not to mention the thousands attending the show every day. A series of depraved murders quickly makes things even more complicated. Buffalo Bill stands squarely in his path when Parade tries to investigate the likely possibility that one of the hundreds of show members is involved. And soon enough Parade’s own superiors are blocking his inquires, too. Still more deaths occur as Parade sifts through the thin evidence available and finds a trail that may lead to the perpetrator of the most heinous crime of the 19^th Century—London’s “Ripper” murders. Before the story is done, Parade develops a dramatic theory that may solve the Ripper mystery, as well as the murders he faces in idyllic Pontypridd. The story itself is wonderful—clever and intense. IT'S 1904 SOUTH WALES AND THE MOST INFAMOUS MURDERS IN HISTORY ARE ABOUT TO BE SOLVED BY A WELSH COPPER AND AN AMERICAN ICON."

Ripper's back again

Once more a new suspect has popped up in the Jack the Ripper mystery and this time the detective leading the manhunt has been named - Suspects have ranged from a member of Royal Family to a local butcher – but it is now claimed that Jack the Ripper was the very detective who led the hunt for the killer.


Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline of Scotland Yard was the man who murdered and mutilated at least five women in Victorian East London – at least according to Spanish writer Jose Luis Abad, 84. He makes the claim in his book Jack the Ripper: The Most Intelligent Murderer in History, published in Spain this week.Mr Abad is a handwriting expert and has compared Abberline’s writing with that in the Ripper’s diary – which surfaced in Liverpool in 1992.

Of course the main problem with this theory is that the diary, which actually named James Meybrick has the Ripper, as been proven to be an hoax.

Pontypridd's finest crosses into print

A POLICEMAN'S LOT HITS PRINT

I am pleased to announce that my novel, A Policeman's Lot, previously only available as an eBook, is now available in a handsome paperback edition - check it out HERE

Product Description

Think you know the Jack the Ripper story? Think again! Inspector Frank Parade carries out his daily duties in the Welsh industrial town of Pontypridd, duties complicated by the unprecedented presence of 500 members of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show encamped outside the town, not to mention the thousands attending the show every day. A series of depraved murders quickly makes things even more complicated. Buffalo Bill stands squarely in his path when Parade tries to investigate the likely possibility that one of the hundreds of show members is involved. And soon enough Parade’s own superiors are blocking his inquires, too. Still more deaths occur as Parade sifts through the thin evidence available and finds a trail that may lead to the perpetrator of the most heinous crime of the 19th Century—London’s “Ripper” murders. Shocking revelations come thick and fast. The greatest criminal mystery in history is about to be solved by a Welsh copper and an American Legend.


AMAZON CUSTOMER REVIEWS:

It was no surprise that I would like this book. The author had previously entertained me with two fine westerns(as Jack Martin).

Inspector Frank Parade of the Welsh town of Pontypridd heads a two man police force that is busy enough. When Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show arrives with it's five hundred performers and eight hundred livestock, never mind the thousands attending the shows, things get a lot worse.

Then the murders start up, involving a sixteen year old series of unexplained deaths. Throw in a thief, once arrested by Parade, who had threatened his life and had escaped prison by murdering a guard, a number of home break-ins, and superiors who want a fast, easy solution, and you have a fast moving novel that doesn't let up until the end.

And what an end.

The author uses Parade and Buffalo Bill to offer his own unique solution to the greatest unsolved serial killer mystery in history.

4.0 out of 5 stars Jack the Ripper revisited, July 3, 2010

By

Charles Gramlich (Metairie,, LA United States) -Gary Dobbs (AKA Jack Martin) continues his string of fast paced books with "A Policeman's Lot." Not a western per se, as are his Jack Martin books, "Policeman's Lot" still has some of that western sensibility and it even features Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West show on a visit to England, Wales in particular.

The story takes place a number of years after the Whitechapel murders but ties back to those murders in a most interesting way. I won't give more away because the twist at the end is original and took me well by surprise. Yet, it made perfect sense within the storyline of the book.

"A Policeman's Lot" is only availble at this time on Kindle or as a PDF file. Fortunately, I have a Kindle and was able to enjoy it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wild West Wales . . ., June 21, 2010

By

Ronald Scheer "rockysquirrel" (Los Angeles)This tightly plotted and cleverly conceived crime fiction novel is set in the Welsh town of Pontypridd in 1904. Our central character is police inspector Frank Parade, who on a normal day has his hands more than full. Parade's job gets even more complicated when Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show comes to town. There is Bill Cody, larger than life, and not all that cooperative, especially as one of his employees turns up with his throat slit. And thus begins a murder investigation that generates a slag heap of difficulties for Inspector Parade and produces a string of corpses.

Dobbs has done his research and packs a lot into his novel. We become immersed in a time and place on the cusp of the twentieth century. Old methods of law enforcement are yielding with the introduction of new technologies. Economic changes create new problems and social pressures.

And there's the entertaining collision of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show with turn of the last century, coal-mining Wales. Cowboys and Indians wander through some of the scenes, and Bill Cody himself figures into the plot at key points. Well drawn, he is a self-important presence used to being regarded as a living legend. Meanwhile, Inspector Parade is a thoroughly enjoyable creation. Happy he is when he's on duty, which is nearly all the time. Such is a policeman's lot.

Was Jack the Ripper really Jill the Ripper???

There is no factual evidence to suggest that Jack the Ripper was a man, other that the supposed rarity of women psychopaths.

Mary Kelly's body was so badly mutilated that no actual specific identification was possible.. It could have been anyone.

Mary Jane Kelly knew all the deceased.

Discover the answers for yourself.

A Policeman's lot by Gary M. Dobbs - out now for the Kindle, Nook, Sony and all other formats - click HERE. And soon available in a print version.

Inspector Frank Parade carries out his daily duties in the Welsh industrial town of Pontypridd, duties complicated by the unprecedented presence of 500 members of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show encamped outside the town, not to mention the thousands attending the show every day. A series of depraved murders quickly makes things even more complicated. Buffalo Bill stands squarely in his path when Parade tries to investigate the likely possibility that one of the hundreds of show members is involved. And soon enough Parade’s own superiors are blocking his inquires, too. Still more deaths occur as Parade sifts through the thin evidence available and finds a trail that may lead to the perpetrator of the most heinous crime of the 19th Century—London’s “Ripper” murders.

Shocking revelations come thick and fast.

The greatest criminal mystery in history is about to be solved by a Welsh copper and an American Legend.

Jack the Ripper files remain confidential

Solve the mystery - A Policeman's Lot

Scotland Yard are currently fighting a bizarre court case in order to keep a selection of 123 year old files, relating to Jack the Ripper case a secret. Experts believe could finally provide the identity of Jack the Ripper.


Four thick ledgers compiled by Special Branch officers have been kept under lock and key since the Whitechapel murders in 1888.

Trevor Marriott, a Ripper investigator and former murder squad detective, has spent three years attempting to obtain uncensored versions of the documents.The ledgers provide details of the police’s dealings with thousands of informants from 1888 to 1912, including some who provided information during the original Ripper investigation.

A sample of about 40 pages from the Scotland Yard ledgers was released to last week’s tribunal, but with the names of informants and other key details blacked out.

According to Mr Marriott, the files contain the names of at least four new suspects, as well as other pieces of evidence.He said: “I believe this to be the very last chance that we may have to solve the mystery of Jack the Ripper.

“To have any possibility of getting near the truth about those horrific crimes we must see what these ledgers contain.“It may be that within them we find the final piece of the jigsaw that would unlock this mystery and lead to the identity of the killer, or killers, albeit 123 years too late.”

Jack the Ripper slaughtered at least five women between August and November 1888 in the slums of Whitechapel, east London, but various experts have claimed other murders may have been committed by the killer on earlier and later dates.

The police made several mistakes in the inquiry and detection techniques of the time were basic – with no fingerprinting and science unable even to distinguish between animal and human blood.
As a result, there is no conclusive evidence to point to the true identity of Jack the Ripper and the case remains one of the world’s great unsolved mysteries. Among a long list of possible suspects are Queen Victoria’s grandson the Duke of Clarence, who died in an asylum in 1892, and the painter Walter Sickert.

Mr Marriott, who joined Bedfordshire Police in 1970 and worked as a detective constable until the mid-1980s, began researching the Jack the Ripper case in 2003. He has previously published one book on the subject which put forward the name of Carl Feigenbaum, a German merchant executed for the murder of a woman in New York, as a new suspect.

On uncovering references to the ledgers in 2008, Mr Marriott applied to see the documents under the Freedom of Information Act. The Met refused and he appealed to the Information Commissioner who also decided the books should not be revealed.Now Mr Marriott has undergone the final appeal stage to the Information Tribunal, in which the case is heard by a panel of three judges.

The three-day hearing involved a detective inspector, identified only as ‘D’, speaking to the court from behind a screen because of his sensitive role running the force’s intelligence-gathering operation from informants.Detective Inspector ‘D’ told the tribunal that unveiling the files could deter informants from coming forward in future, and could even put off members of the public from phoning Crimestoppers or the antiterrorist hotline.

“The interpretation on the street will be that the police have revealed the identity of informants,” said ‘D’.“Confidence in the system is maintaining the safety of informants, regardless of age.”
Det Insp ‘D’ said the passage of time did not make publication of informants’ identities less sensitive because their descendants could be targeted by criminals with a grudge.


“Look at one of the world’s best-known informants, Judas Iscariot. If someone could draw a bloodline from Judas Iscariot to a present day person then that person would face a risk, although I know that seems an extreme example,” the officer said.Another senior officer, Detective Superintendent Julian McKinney, told the tribunal that releasing names would make police officers less capable of preventing terrorist attacks and organised crime, and make informants vulnerable to attack.
Det Supt McKinney said: “Regardless of the time, regardless of whether they are dead, they should never be disclosed.

“They come to us only when they have the confidence in our system that their identity will not be disclosed.”

But Mr Marriott said a number of historical files have previously been released which contained details of informants.He argued there was no evidence to show descendants of informants who have been named had come to harm.

The tribunal decision is expected later this year.

A Ripping yarn - A Policeman's Lot

It's strange the way Jack the Ripper has entered popular culture -  my novel A Policeman's Lot , continues in a long tradition of fictional works based around the killings of 1888. 

Indeed the Ripper is seen in movies, comics, T-shirts and even action figures.

I kid you not - pictured is the Mcfarlane Jack The Ripper action figure. Notice the apron and the Gladstone bag - accessories every well dressed serial killer should never be without.

What is forgotten here is that the Ripper was responsible for a string of very brutal murders. Or was he? Was there even a Jack the Ripper as such? Was this lone killer an invention of the press at the time?

There have been many suspects put forward over the years - Montague John Druitt, an impoverished barrister with medical training was put forward by several respected authors, Stephen Knight in his book The Final Solution implicated the British royal family, Patricia Cornwell favoured painter Walter Sickert - the list could go on and on and would even include Lewis Carroll and Arthur Conan Doyle.

Extract from the publisher’s original reader report: A Policeman’s Lot, by Gary Dobbs. Murder mystery. 56K words. Fascinating concept, setting, and characters. Set in Wales during Buffalo Bill’s 1903/1904 tour of the United Kingdom, the story begins with Inspector Frank Parade carrying out his daily duties in the town of Pontypridd, duties complicated by the unprecedented presence of 500 members of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show encamped outside the town, not to mention the thousands attending the show every day. A series of depraved murders quickly makes things even more complicated. Buffalo Bill stands squarely in his path when Parade tries to investigate the likely possibility that one of the hundreds of show members is involved. And soon enough Parade’s own superiors are blocking his inquires, too. Still more deaths occur as Parade sifts through the thin evidence available and finds a trail that may lead to the perpetrator of the most heinous crime of the 19^th Century—London’s “Ripper” murders. Before the story is done, Parade develops a dramatic theory that may solve the Ripper mystery, as well as the murders he faces in idyllic Pontypridd. The story itself is wonderful—clever and intense.


Note from Gary M. Dobbs – The Jack the Ripper killings of Victorian London still fascinate us to this day. The killer was never captured and his/her identity remains a mystery.


Whilst researching for A Policeman’s Lot I came across a bizarre link to the final canonical killing (Note there are officially five killings attributed to the Ripper and these are known as the canonical five but there are theories that there may have actually been between 9 and 15 killings.) which placed Mary Kelly, the final victim, in South Wales in the years before moving to London. Indeed the deeper I researched the more convinced I became that it wasn’t actually Mary Kelly found dead on that bed in Spittlefields, Whitechapel but someone else. This forms the basis for A Policeman’s Lot.

Does A Policeman’s Lot finally solve the mystery? Well it’s fiction, not intended to be factual but I do believe that it throws up a further mystery – who was the woman the police identified as Mary Kelly. The body was so hideously mutilated that she was only identified by her earlobes, and then by a casual boyfriend. There were several sightings of Mary Kelly after she was supposedly dead but the police discounted these. Indeed it was the view of the chief police officer on the case that the killer escaped wearing Mary Kelly’s clothes and that this was the person people saw and mistook for Mary Kelly.

Who exactly is Police Inspector Frank Parade?

Well apart from being the lead character in a series of novels, starting later this summer with A Policeman's Lot from Solstice Publishing.

The police force in which Parade found himself serving was a very different beast to the modern force we know today - policing methods were primitive - No DNA or profiling for these guys in blue.

Candidates for the police force had to be between 18 and 27 years of age, and if married were allowed to have no more than two children when joining. The minimum height was 5ft 9ins and the officers had only one day off a fortnight. No Sunday or public holiday entitlement was given and constables and sergeants were allowed one weeks holiday per year.

A Policeman's Lot opens in 1904 and the regional forces were during this period facing a difficult transition between the methods of old and the dawn of scientific crime-fighting as exemplified by Scotland Yard's lead.

The standard uniform issued was:
1 Staff
1 Belt
1 Cape and Strap
1 Pair Leggings
2 Great Coats
2 Dress Coats
5 Pairs of trousers
2 Hats
2 Leather Neck Stocks
3 Button brushes
1 Whistle
1 Lantern
1 pair of handcuffs

Frank Parade's beat is Pontypridd -
Pontypridd during the early 1900’s could in many ways be likened to a frontier town. Because of its proximity to the industrial heart of the Rhondda and Cynon coalfields it became something of a stopping off point between Cardiff and the valleys. The population had not really settled at the start of the twentieth century and the police force, still then very much in its infancy as a professional organisation, was hard pushed to the stem the rise of lawlessness.

A Policeman's Lot brings into this mix Buffalo Bill's world famous Wild West circus as well as the re-appearance of a serial killer once known as Jack the Ripper. And by the end of the story the greatest mystery in the history of crime will be solved by a Welsh policeman and an American legend.

When constabulary's duty's to be done, the policeman's lot is not a happy one.
PIRATES OF PENZANCE 1879

Jack the Ripper and all that

I was recently interviewed for the Morgan's Writing Tips podcast in which the main topic of conversation was my Jack the Ripper thriller, A Policeman's Lot which was published over a year ago but only now seems to be attracting attention.   

Listen to the interview HERE

And go buy the book.

Solve the mystery.

JACK THE RIPPER

WHO WAS JACK THE RIPPER?????

HERE

Includes actual Ripper related documents, a members area and forum - join the debate

Jack the Ripper and the Wild West - new audio interview

I've just been interviewed by the lovely Morgen Bailey for her popular podcast Bailey's Writing Tips - The main subject was my novel, A Policeman's lot but we also took in Delta Rose and the forthcoming movie, based on my work, LawMaster - find the audio interview over on Morgen Bailey's blog,


The direct link to the show is HERE but check out Morgen;s blog, for links to loads of other interviews as well as interesting content. It's a valuable resource for writers both new and seasoned.

The interview is available as part of the Bailey's Writing Tips Podcast via iTunes or whatever podcast platform you use - you can also subscribe to the podcast HERE. Morgen's website is HERE

The interview took place via Skype this evening and we had some sound interference along the way so apologies in advance for that and I hope it doesn’t detract from your enjoyment of the episode.

Moronic teachers, the police state, Pontypridd and Jack the Ripper - Gary Dobbs Interview

The following interview was originally published in three parts on the excellent, Mack Captures Crime blog. It's the place to go to keep informed on all the happenings in the crime field - I very much enjoyed this interview and thought it would be cool to repost the whole thing on the Archive:

Please enjoy and thanks to Mack Lundy for the great interview

Gary Martin Dobbs is a Welshman living in Pontypridd, Wales, who writes novels set in the American west, who has appeared in Doctor Who, and who has just published an ebook that links Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show and Jack the Ripper. Tell me this isn't someone you would like to know a bit more about. Gary graciously responded to my questions which appeared in his inbox whenever a thought struck me.

My interview questions focus primarily on Gary's ebook, A Policeman's Lot, which I reviewed here.

1) Your first two books are westerns (The Tarnished Star and Arkansas Smith. A Policeman's Lot has a western feel with Buffalo Bill's Wild Show figuring prominently. How does a Welsh boy like yourself come to be interested in the American west?

Gary - It all stems from my grandfather who was actually named Jack Martin - I think most men of his generation were weaned on stories of the Wild West, much of which was still there when he was born. I spent my childhood watching every western that was on television and reading my grandfather's western novels once he had finished with them. But I'm also very much an outdoors person and am not comfortable in big cities - give me the wide open spaces anyday and the western genre provides all that. I also don't much like the modern world and I think the western hero is someone who survives by his own skill and doesn't look to the state for support. Freedom and liberty are also very important to me and those values form the backbone of the western genre. It's just a pity they are being eroded in the modern world.

2) A Policeman's Lot is set in 1904 and Pontypridd, Wales is developing into an urban center but to me it still had a frontier feel about it. Was that a characteristic of Pontypridd at that the time? And how is Prontypridd pronounced?

Gary - Firstly I knew I would have to write about a historical police officer - before the days of DNA testing and offender profiling. I think the modern police have lost the respect we once held for them and that's mostly their own fault, over here in the UK they are harvesting DNA for the flimsiest of reasons and hoping the tests will turn up past crimes. Of course for the most part they don't and they end up with another innocent person on their database but that doesn't matter to them. The modern police are creating a culture of "us and them" and they will regret this in the end. In the UK we have a large number of civilian police officers, as far as I can see these are folk with a uniform fetish, and this gives the impression that there are more police about than there actually are. A couple of years ago two of these plastic bobbies, as we call them, failed to intervene when a child was drowning because they hadn't been trained to go into the water. No I could never write about modern policing.

Which leads me to Parade - the era interests me greatly and of course having Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show visiting was a major part of the plot so that fact along dictated the time. And Pontypridd was very much a frontier town in those days - situated beneath two valleys, the Rhondda and Cynon it was a busy town with a thriving and changing population. I love this town and aimed for it to almost become another character in A Policeman's Lot - I would love to do for Pontypridd what Colin Dexter did for Oxford and Raymond Chandler did for LA.

And Pontypridd is pronounced - Ponty - pri - th.

3) Frank Parade is a police inspector in his mid-thirties. Would that have been young for that position?

Gary - By modern stands Parade would probably be too young for the rank, an inspector would also not be in uniform. But in 1904 the regional forces were very much in their infancy and Parade's army service would have seem him easily attain that rank at such a young age.

Pontypridd

4)A Policeman's Lot has three themes: The life of a policeman in South Wales around the turn of the century; Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show; and the Jack the Ripper solution. Was one of them the starting point?

Gary - Buffalo Bill was but initially Jack the Ripper wasn't a factor and the novel was concerned with a more run of the mill series of murders, but shortly after starting the book I dreamt the entire Ripper plot. I woke up one morning and it was fully formed in my head and when I started checking the facts I found that the theory in the book made perfect sense.

5) Related to question 4, and without revealing any spoilers, how did you happen upon the Jack the Ripper connection?

Gary - There are many people who have devoted their lives to the Ripper case - Ripperologists they call themselves, and no doubt many will rubbish my book. But I say prove otherwise. The case had always interested me and I've always felt the key is in the last murder. In fact I find it hard to understand why that murder was even considered a Ripper killing. The M-O was different to the other killings and the mutilation was horrendous, almost as if someone was trying to hide the identity of the victim. Who and why, I asked myself and found that this new theory of mine, which as far as I know is quite unique, makes perfect sense. Have I come up with an answer to the crimes? Well it makes more sense than the popular Royal Family theory which can be so easily disproved. I mean when you consider the fact that there were actually sightings of the final so called victim after she was dead, then the premise of the novel doesn't seem so fantastic.

6) Are there western and mystery/crime writers that influenced you?

Gary - Louis L'amour is a massive influence, as is Elmer Kelton and Elmore Leonard. I also idolise British western writer George Gilman, AKA Terry Harknet who wrote the hugely popular Edge series. Many of the writers publishing with the UK's Black Horse house, a publisher who also carry my Jack Martin westerns, are superb and are keeping the genre alive over here in the UK. I can't name any of these guys for fear of leaving anyone out. I think the perfect western would have the characterisation of Elmer Kelton, the feel of Louis L'amour and the pace of George G. Gilman - I hope to one day write that book.

Crime is another favourite genre and I love the old American hardboiled stuff - Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane may seem widely differing writers but I love them both. And I recently read The Postman always rings twice by James Cain for the first time and was blown away. Richard Stark is another writer I love for his tough prose style and I think Parker is an awesome creation. Of the Brit crime writers - Ruth Rendell is someone who I love for her plotting and characters, and Ian Rankin created a modern classic with his Rebus series. Peter Robinson's excellent Banks series is also a huge influence. But overall I think I prefer American crime writing and would love to master the art of writing UK crime with the pace and style of American novels. But I think that I am influenced in some small way by everything I read, maybe all writers are. Which proves the adage that the most important thing one needs to become a writer is a voracious appetite for reading.

7) Will we see more of Frank Parade? This is a direct solicitation by the way, he's an excellent character who can be taken far.

Gary - Parade will return - at the moment I am working on a second Arkansas Smith novel and together with the forthcoming Ballad of Delta Rose I will be two westerns in hand. So I plan to take a good year over the next Parade book as the plot is pretty complex. They will all be back, though - Davies, Oakdale and Sweaty Betty. I can't promise Buffalo Bill or Jack the Ripper next time out, though.

8) You write historical fiction and A Policeman's Lot excels in giving the reader a feel for what the time and place would have been like. How do you go about researching your books?

Gary - I thank you for that - making Ponty, as we locals call it, seem real was very important to me. I wanted in some way to recreate the town as it once was as a kind of tribute to the hard-working people who lived and died there. Much of the research was done at the local library but Ponty has a great museum, the staff of which were very helpful. And if you look hard enough the history is still there to be seen. I'm always talking to older people and they are great at providing information and little snippets of colour about a way of life that is sadly gone.

9) The spelling and some phrasing have been Americanized, or as you would have written, Americanised. Do you think this makes the A Policeman's Lot more accessible to Americans?

Gary - Personally I think the book should have stuck with the British version, it is after all a Brit set crime novel. However I understand and respect my publisher's decision - we are after all two cultures divided by a common language. And besides I think American spelling is more logical, it's certainly more phonetic. I mean jail and gaol. But the English language is a beautiful living thing that is always adapting. On the differences between UK and US punctuation - this is a pain in the butt and I don't understand why it is so. We should adopt a common system.


10)A Policeman's Lot was published in ebook format. What do you think about ebooks and their effect on publishing.

Gary - I think that eBooks will change the way we read. And I also see that as the market stabilises they provide a great way to bring long out of print mid-range fiction back into print. More and more libraries over here in the UK are starting to offer eBooks and even the Luddites out there are having to admit that there is a great sea change coming. I'm pleased that A Policeman's Lot can be read on so many different devices - it looks great on an iPhone for instance. And although it is still early days for the medium I think it is about to explode into the mainstream and sooner rather than later.

11) I learned about A Policeman's Lot through your blog, The Tainted Archive. You are also on Facebook and Twitter. Do you think that social media is changing how books are publicized and the author's role in publicity? If so, how do the demands to promote your books affect your writing?

Gary - These days I do believe the author's own publicity is paramount and social networking and blogs are a great way of doing this. Of course The Tainted Archive exists largely to publicise my own books but if I simply wrote about my own stuff readers would turn away, which is why I try and make the Archive into an interesting online magazine that people will want to read and keep reading. I put a lot of work into maintaining the site - themed weekends, special initiative etc and posting whatever news I think will interest my readers. I enjoy the Archive and am proud of its standing in the blogosphere. I will, of course, continue to push my own books but others too. And as for the demand of the Archive affecting my writing - I think it does but in a good way. I look at the Archive as a work in progress and I sometimes rush posts to get them out there, not worrying too much about the odd mistake. A blog does not have to be perfectly grammatical - it's a great way though to develop discipline. For instance today I've just returned from twelve hours on set and I intend to place up a few posts later and that's besides the other work I have to do - I guess I'm a workaholic and am never happier than when grafting. Something that me and Frank Parade have in common.

11) I can't leave this interview without asking about your acting. I'm a bit of a Whovian and am envious that you were in the presence of the Doctor, Martha Jones, the Daleks, and you had your photo taken in the Tardis! Tell us about you as a performer.

Wouldn't he make a cool Doctor?

Gary - I've always been interested in acting and any kind of performing - I've done a good amount of stand up comedy and that led to appearing as an extra in TV and film in order to raise some extra cash which is always handy. And I'm always going for any auditions I hear about - often I'm just a bit of the background but sometimes I get the odd line or a piece of action. Doctor Who was great - this was the two part Daleks in Manhattan episode with David Tennant as the timelord. Can't praise him enough - in terms of performance or as a person. It was also great facing off against the iconic monsters. Torchwood was a bizarre experience - I actually did three episodes of that series and enjoyed every minute of it, well apart from filming in the freezing cold and rain all night.  The SF/Fantasy shows are great fun to work on but it is hard work, long days and much discomfort. 

12). Is there anything you would like to tell us about yourself, personal or how you go about writing?

Gary - I grew up in the seventies and had no schooling to talk about - everything I learned I learned from reading. Incidentally my mother taught me to read, I think the school gave up on me. And ever since I started reading I have also been writing, it's something I have to do. I was a solitary child and lived much of my life within my imagination - it's not something I can switch off. I write simply because I have to write. And besides the fact that I write at all is quite remarkable given that my teachers were morons and too busy trying to ram algebra down my throat instead of encouraging creative growth.

2011 - the year of the eBook

8 million Kindles sold last year and more and more publishers are stating that their digital sales are booming. Bloomsbury for instance, the company, which publishes the Harry Potter series of books, said that in the US fiction e-book sales are now estimated to account for around 15% of total sales. This was highlighted by the success of the 2010 Man Booker Prize winner - 42% of US sales of Howard Jacobson's The Finkler Question were electronic. And Amazon recently made the claims that they are selling more eBooks than not only hardbacks, but paperbacks as well. In fact Amazon founder, Jeff Bazos claims there are 6 Kindles sold for every 10 physical books.

Some of the reasons that eBooks have been so successful are:

• they are more affordable
• they are more portable. You can always have a book with you.
• they are more varied. Lots of new and exciting authors are publishing books they wouldn’t have been able to using the traditional model.
• more people are inspired to read by this 21st century approach to what’s been around since the 15th century’s Gutenberg Press

And perhaps most important of all they are giving a platform for authors to take control of their own work. Take Joe Konrath for instance - whilst he may have started out in traditional publishing he is doing even better self publishing his own eBooks and recently became one of Amazon's top selling authors in the Kindle store. How does he do it? Take a look at his website HERE .

Later this year I will take a dip into the self publishing to eBook when I publish, Riding The Western Trail, an anthology of Jack Martin westerns. The book will feature several short stories which have been published elsewhere and an all new, novella. And I know that several of my contemporaries are planning to self publish to eBook. That's not to say we will turn from our traditional publishers - far from it and I hope Jack Martin is long featured in the Black Horse range, but the option of eBooks allows for us to publishing works that may not sit comfortable on the conventional lists, be this because of length, theme or whatever.

So will 2011 be another boom year for eBooks? The answer to that question is, this early in the year, already obvious, and is a most definite, YES.

A Policeman's Lot (left) was actually my first excursion into eBooks - published by Solstice Publishing it is still available for the Kindle as well as all other formats. It's an historical thriller that uses the Jack the Ripper mystery as its theme and even offers up an all new theory as to the perpetrator.


 "A Policeman's Lot is an entertaining story that brings together one of the last icons of the American West, a look at British police work while the force was still in its infancy, and one of the most widely known murder cases in history. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy historical crime fiction and police procedurals." From Mack Captures Crime

JACK THE RIPPER - THE KILLER REVEALED.

The Jack the Ripper mystery was never solved and to this day remains the object of fascination to many.

The mystery of those few months in 1888 when a killer stalked the streets of London have been endlessly debated, and still we are no closer to the truth.

Or are we?

(click on image to go direct to the Kindle Store. The eBooks is also available on all other eFormats.)


Inspector Frank Parade carries out his daily duties in the Welsh industrial town of Pontypridd, duties complicated by the unprecedented presence of 500 members of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show encamped outside the town, not to mention the thousands attending the show every day. A series of depraved murders quickly makes things even more complicated. Buffalo Bill stands squarely in his path when Parade tries to investigate the likely possibility that one of the hundreds of show members is involved. And soon enough Parade’s own superiors are blocking his inquires, too. Still more deaths occur as Parade sifts through the thin evidence available and finds a trail that may lead to the perpetrator of the most heinous crime of the 19th Century—London’s “Ripper” murders.

Shocking revelations come thick and fast.

The greatest criminal mystery in history is about to be solved by a Welsh copper and an American Legend.

A SELECTION OF THE AMAZON REVIEWS:

"It was no surprise that I would like this book. The author had previously entertained me with two fine westerns(as Jack Martin).

Inspector Frank Parade of the Welsh town of Pontypridd heads a two man police force that is busy enough. When Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show arrives with it's five hundred performers and eight hundred livestock, never mind the thousands attending the shows, things get a lot worse.

Then the murders start up, involving a sixteen year old series of unexplained deaths. Throw in a thief, once arrested by Parade, who had threatened his life and had escaped prison by murdering a guard, a number of home break-ins, and superiors who want a fast, easy solution, and you have a fast moving novel that doesn't let up until the end.

And what an end.

The author uses Parade and Buffalo Bill to offer his own unique solution to the greatest unsolved serial killer mystery in history."   Randy Johnson

***

"Gary Dobbs (AKA Jack Martin) continues his string of fast paced books with "A Policeman's Lot." Not a western per se, as are his Jack Martin books, "Policeman's Lot" still has some of that western sensibility and it even features Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West show on a visit to England, Wales in particular.

The story takes place a number of years after the Whitechapel murders but ties back to those murders in a most interesting way. I won't give more away because the twist at the end is original and took me well by surprise. Yet, it made perfect sense within the storyline of the book. "    Charles Gramlich

***

"This tightly plotted and cleverly conceived crime fiction novel is set in the Welsh town of Pontypridd in 1904. Our central character is police inspector Frank Parade, who on a normal day has his hands more than full. Parade's job gets even more complicated when Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show comes to town. There is Bill Cody, larger than life, and not all that cooperative, especially as one of his employees turns up with his throat slit. And thus begins a murder investigation that generates a slag heap of difficulties for Inspector Parade and produces a string of corpses.

Dobbs has done his research and packs a lot into his novel. We become immersed in a time and place on the cusp of the twentieth century. Old methods of law enforcement are yielding with the introduction of new technologies. Economic changes create new problems and social pressures.

And there's the entertaining collision of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show with turn of the last century, coal-mining Wales. Cowboys and Indians wander through some of the scenes, and Bill Cody himself figures into the plot at key points. Well drawn, he is a self-important presence used to being regarded as a living legend. Meanwhile, Inspector Parade is a thoroughly enjoyable creation. Happy he is when he's on duty, which is nearly all the time. Such is a policeman's lot." Ronald Scheer
***

"The colour of the setting, the atmosphere and the characterization are all top-class. The story starts rather low-key, but once you get to the killings, everything steps up a notch and grabs you by the throat. A "historical police procedural" is the most effective way I can describe it. The storyline's multiple, concurrent strands reminded me a bit of the J. J. Marric (John Creasey) Gideon books, as did the well-observed "common people" characters. The difference here is the way they're thrown into greater relief by their contrast with the celebrated Buffalo Bill and his show people. Your choice of this background for your first Pontypridd novel was a stroke of genius."   Chap O'Keefe

Shameless self promotion

Jack the Ripper, Pontypridd, Buffalo Bill - confused?

You need not be after reading my popular eBook, A Policeman's Lot which solves the infamous Ripper killings in a new and unique fashion.

With the increased popularity of eBooks I thought it was time to give the book a dash of publicity. Here are some of the quotes from the Amazon reviews -

"Inspector Frank Parade of the Welsh town of Pontypridd heads a two man police force that is busy enough. When Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show arrives with it's five hundred performers and eight hundred livestock, never mind the thousands attending the shows, things get a lot worse.

Then the murders start up, involving a sixteen year old series of unexplained deaths. Throw in a thief, once arrested by Parade, who had threatened his life and had escaped prison by murdering a guard, a number of home break-ins, and superiors who want a fast, easy solution, and you have a fast moving novel that doesn't let up until the end."

"The author uses Parade and Buffalo Bill to offer his own unique solution to the greatest unsolved serial killer mystery in history."


"Dobbs has done his research and packs a lot into his novel. We become immersed in a time and place on the cusp of the twentieth century. Old methods of law enforcement are yielding with the introduction of new technologies. Economic changes create new problems and social pressures.

And there's the entertaining collision of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show with turn of the last century, coal-mining Wales. Cowboys and Indians wander through some of the scenes, and Bill Cody himself figures into the plot at key points. Well drawn, he is a self-important presence used to being regarded as a living legend. Meanwhile, Inspector Parade is a thoroughly enjoyable creation. Happy he is when he's on duty, which is nearly all the time. Such is a policeman's lot."


"The colour of the setting, the atmosphere and the characterization are all top-class. The story starts rather low-key, but once you get to the killings, everything steps up a notch and grabs you by the throat. A "historical police procedural" is the most effective way I can describe it. The storyline's multiple, concurrent strands reminded me a bit of the J. J. Marric (John Creasey) Gideon books, as did the well-observed "common people" characters. The difference here is the way they're thrown into greater relief by their contrast with the celebrated Buffalo Bill and his show people. Your choice of this background for your first Pontypridd novel was a stroke of genius"


Find it HERE
You'll also find the full reviews of A Policeman's Lot on its Amazon page. 

A Policeman's Lot -coffee time review

My novel, A Policeman's Lot has been reviewed on Coffee time Romance and awarded three Coffee Cups which is rather good, if I say so myself. The only thing I will say about the review is that the reviewer didn't seem to understand the context of the way the word, "Bitch" was used in one passage from the book - Ahh well, the Welsh vernacular methinks!


COFFEE TIME ROMANCE CLICK HERE


A POLICEMAN’S LOT
GARY DOBBS
2010
Solstice Publishing
www.solsticepublishing.com
EBook
$9.99
213 Pages
Mystery; Suspense
Rating: 3 Cups
Frank Parade takes his duties seriously when it comes to upholding the law. When Buffalo Bill’s Show comes to town, he definitely brings the wild with him.
Cody loves to entertain the masses. But the quality is soured a bit when two murders are committed and Frank’s finger is pointing at someone in the circus doing the deed.
Inspector Parade is getting frustrated as the leads he thinks he has are quickly growing cold or are not panning out the way he had hoped. To make matters worse, a thief begins to strike their town of Pontypridd during the nights when Wild Bill’s Show is going on. Just as Parade feels things cannot get more complicated, an enemy from his past comes back to haunt him, leaving him out of commission for a few days. Can Frank figure out who has murdered the victims before the killer gets a chance to get away for good?
A Policeman’s Lot was slow going at first and took me some time to really get into the novel. One of the most off-putting things about this novel was the use of the word "bitch" to describe a female victim by Inspector Parade, which seemed totally inappropriate and left me shocked at the vulgarity and insensitivity of its use. However, as time passed I found myself more and more intrigued and engrossed in this book. Frank’s character came across strong and clear, showing me how dominating he was in his world of law enforcement. As the twists and turns continued to spiral out of control, I could not help but continue to lose myself in Mr. Dobbs’ work.
Danielle
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Where have all the paper books gone?

I recieved the following email regarding my novel, A Policeman's Lot from Mr Raymond Foster, a man responsible for a number of excellent Black Horse Westerns written under the pen-name, Jack Giles:

Hi Gary,
            Almost from your day one announcement I have wanted to read this book.
            To be honest I do not care for ereaders - sure I downloaded the six Edge books but I found it a long and tedious process to read them. Usually an Edge book would take a day or so to read - scrolling down etc and it took longer. However, I must admit, I'm not as anti as I was in the beginning - there is a future there - and as Chris Scott Wilson said it is unlikely that an author's work will ever be out of 'print'.
            To me these are still early days and readers should have a choice of whether they download or buy a print book version. It seems a bit dictatorial for anyone to say that the only way that I can read Gary Dobbs or Chuck Tyrell is to download. I am pretty certain I am not alone in that view - I know that you are very pro ebooks and I respect that but there has to be a balance.
           All the best,
           Ray

Now I agree with Mr Foster but there is no escaping that fact that eBooks are the direction in which the book industry is heading. However if anyone wants a print copy of A Policeman's Lot then please contact Solstice Publishing and they will be able to arrange for a handsome POD paperback to be sent out. You'll find a CONTACT US link on their website.

I thank Ray for his email and have just emailed him a PDF of A Policeman's Lot. I would like to point out though that after the first few hours of using an eReader it becomes second nature and the reading experience is equal to that of a dead tree book. What does everyone else think on this subject? Are eBooks a good or bad thing for the publishing industry and more importantly for the reading public?

Wild West eMonday - It's almost a western

After a day celebrating the western genre I think I can be forgiven for blowing my own trumpet a little - the object of the day is to encourage readers to buy a western eBook and show publishers and retailers that there is a huge demand for both reprints and new westerns. None of my westerns are as yet available in the eBook format but I do have one eBook out there which is sort of a western.

It's a crime thriller with western trappings - set in industrial South Wales in the year 1903 in tells of the time Buffalo Bill's Wild West Circus visited the area. The problem is a certain serial killer known to history as Jack the Ripper is also in town.

Before the book is over the age old mystery will be solved by a Welsh copper and an American legend. The reviews have been positive and the answer it throws up for the Ripper mystery is both unique and credible...even if I do say so myself.


Buy it HERE

Jack the Ripper: The Solution

London 1888

A series of brutal murders have the city terrified and the police baffled.

The murders have never been solved.

UNTIL NOW

Think you know the Jack the Ripper story?
Think again!

Inspector Frank Parade carries out his daily duties in the Welsh industrial town of Pontypridd, duties complicated by the unprecedented presence of 500 members of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show encamped outside the town, not to mention the thousands attending the show every day. A series of depraved murders quickly makes things even more complicated. Buffalo Bill stands squarely in his path when Parade tries to investigate the likely possibility that one of the hundreds of show members is involved. And soon enough Parade’s own superiors are blocking his inquires, too. Still more deaths occur as Parade sifts through the thin evidence available and finds a trail that may lead to the perpetrator of the most heinous crime of the 19th Century—London’s “Ripper” murders.

Shocking revelations come thick and fast.

http://www.amazon.com/A-Policemans-Lot-ebook/dp/B003T0G1SS

The greatest criminal mystery in history is about to be solved by a Welsh copper and an American Legend.

Five star rated on Amazon and Good Reads

A POLICEMAN'S LOT

"Throw in Buffalo Bill, a Wild West show, murders that may or may not be connected to Jack The Ripper, and you have a really hot read. I don't want to say too much for fear of giving something away, but it's a well-written yarn and you will get hooked right away. It's also, for me, a nice change of pace from the modern urban hard-boiled junk I've been digesting lately." From the review of A Policeman's Lot by author, Brian Drake which can be HERE

The above is taken from a review from author, Brian Drake - A Policeman's Lot is available in both standard eBook and Kindle.

Think you know the Jack the Ripper story?

Think again!

 

Inspector Frank Parade carries out his daily duties in the Welsh industrial town of Pontypridd, duties complicated by the unprecedented presence of 500 members of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show encamped outside the town, not to mention the thousands attending the show every day.  A series of depraved murders quickly makes things even more complicated.  Buffalo Bill stands squarely in his path when Parade tries to investigate the likely possibility that one of the hundreds of show members is involved.  And soon enough Parade’s own superiors are blocking his inquires, too.  Still more deaths occur as Parade sifts through the thin evidence available and finds a trail that may lead to the perpetrator of the most heinous crime of the 19^th Century—London’s “Ripper” murders. 

 

Shocking revelations come thick and fast.

 

 The greatest criminal mystery in history is about to be solved by a Welsh copper and an American Legend.