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Yes, yes – we all know the importance of the back cover blurb.  You have only to watch people in bookshops, picking up books, glancing at the back cover and then putting them down again to see how vital it is.  Which makes writing one Very Scary.  And I need to get a wriggle on with mine for “The Man in the Canary Waistcoat”, as the cover designer needs it before he can, well, design the cover.

I have reached the end with writing “Canary” – proofreading and very minor editing only from now on, so there is no excuse for not knowing enough about the story to be able to write The Blurb.  Curses: I was rather enjoying having that excuse.  When I wrote the blurb for “Fatal Forgery”, I showed it to several people and blogged about it here too, and got some really excellent suggestions for improvement – so I am going to be cheeky and do the same again.  As I understand it, the blurb is meant to tease and intrigue without giving away too much.  It is meant to show the flavour of the writing and suggest the type of book it is (so the reader should get fair warning of gory violence or graphic sex), and certainly should not mislead the reader in anyway.  Bearing all of that in mind, and quaking in my boots, I offer this as my very first draft (she says, so that you won’t be too harsh):

“In this new Sam Plank mystery, the curious constable struggles to find the link between a self-murderer, an embezzler, an arsonist and a thief.  No corner of Regency London is untouched by these crimes, as Sam travels from the aristocratic mansions of St James Park back to his own boyhood haunts among the dank alleyways of Wapping.  He pits his financial wits against the greed and determination of some most unsavoury characters – one of whom Sam had hoped never to see again.”

So, what do you think?  Interesting?  Intriguing?  Would it make you want to read it?  Any comments will be so very, very helpful, so thank you in advance.