BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR… unless, of course, you’re wishing for a comical, supernatural mystery.

Persian or Persians Unknown was released by MX Publishing on the 12th of December, the latest in the Bernie Quist series of detective novels set on the northern city of York.

A modern-day Sherlock Holmes, Bernie Quist operates as a consultant detective from Baker Avenue in York. His assistant is Watson, although this Watson is a streetwise youth from the Grimpen housing estate and he's definitely no doctor. The mismatched duo take on bizarre cases which invariably lead into the realms of the supernatural, a shadowy world that, thanks to his dark secret, Quist is all too familiar with.

The city of York freezes beneath a bleak winter sky as Howl of the Wolfman, a low-budget British horror movie, is filmed amongst the medieval buildings and quaint narrow streets. Two members of the film crew are not at all what they seem, and following several curious disappearances and deaths at the movie locations, Quist and Watson find themselves mixed up in the mystery.

Their involvement soon becomes a frantic race to stop an unimaginable danger that originates from ancient Persia - a mystical danger which, unless quickly destroyed, could threaten the entire world.

Once again, a dark and very peculiar game is afoot...

Don't confuse Persian or Persians Unknown with Persian Biryani. One is a tasty dish filled with spicy flavours. The other is a tasty mystery filled with spicy supernatural horror and dark humour. As the story is darkly comical, I wondered just how much humour I could squeeze from the title with a series of advertising posts on my social media.

For example…

What's much better than watching a Parisian or Parisians with a drone?

Reading Persian or Persians Unknown.

What's far more enjoyable than visiting a Cistercian or Cistercians at home?

Reading Persian or Persians Unknown.

My friend Rocky is climbing in Yosemite.

Instead of hammering a piton or pitons into stone, why not read Persian or Persians Unknown?

After slaying the Gorgon Medusa and using her severed head to destroy the Kraken, Perseus became the King of Argos.

You can read all about it in Greek mythology, but instead of reading about Perseus on a throne, why not read about Persians Unknown?

My Somerset friend Alex is searching the garden centres for some orange flowers for his borders.

I told him, instead of looking for a nasturtium or nasturtiums in Frome, why not read Persian or Persians Unknown?

Piston or pistons blown? Ring a mechanic and read Persian or Persians Unknown.

Another social media advert with someone who kindly offered to promote the latest Bernie Quist mystery. To be honest, she looks a lot younger than her fifty years, but that's probably something to do with the dark magic that this supernatural story deals with.

A final social media promtion post...

Sexually aroused from fantasising about the author, this poor young lady is stroking hopelessly at a street advertisement in a vain attempt to feel close to him.

Persian or Persians Unknown