Jason Collings's Blog

Okay. I have finished the editing of the fourth book in the Alaric von Trelow Mysteries series:

Paris in Springtime

It's a big novel, 115,000 words, give or take, which makes it the longest one to date, but I really think it pays off. I love the story, it's one that I think will make people want to reread it to catch the details they miss the first time.

As the title suggests, von Trelow is out of his element, no longer in Berlin, but in Paris, during the Versailles Peace Conference, and obviously there's murder, he's in the middle of it, and there's hell to pay.

The plan is to get the book formatted and out to advance reviewers this week. If anyone wants to be a reviewer (get a free early copy - on the understanding you'll read it over the month, let me know if you spot any issues, and give it a review when it's launched) - drop me a line jason.collings@berolinabooks.com

The book will be published just after Christmas, so not long to wait. I'm really excited to see what people make of this one.

I finished my latest book today!

Hooray!

Book 13 in the Alaric von Trelow Mysteries is complete.
It's called 'The Baltic Refugees'.
It was my most complex challenge yet, and I loved writing it. As usual, it took a lot of prep, but once I started writing it came together well. I started typing on the 20th October - so just over three weeks, which isn't the fastest, but it's up there. Once I get an idea in my head I just have to get it down.
It's about 70,000 words, so not huge, but intricate, with layered stories told by the characters revealing their psychology using period correct psychoanalytical methodology to interpret.
Really fun to write.

Now, of course, I have to do all the proofreading, editorial passes etc. So, still a way to go. However, I think I scheduled it for a 2027 release, so I have time.

Maybe I should just publish them quicker.

I also have to do final edits on the next book I'm publishing just after Christmas - 'Springtime in Paris', book 4 in the series.

And, as always, there's another book to write. This one will be called 'Dangerous Jade'. I already have the plot and research done. Fine tuning before that one starts - I just have to have a book on the go.

Anyway, take a look at the currently published ones. I'd love to get your feedback:

Prussian Blue
The November Criminals
Red Berlin

Continuing my posts about writing.
I get my ideas, largely, by looking for items of historical interest: facts, objects, people, events, that intrigue me, but that most people have forgotten.

In Prussian Blue https://amzn.eu/d/4Mivqfj it was an odd coincidence of symptoms between the second wave variant of Spanish Flu and Phosgene gas.

In The November Criminals https://amzn.eu/d/5GbK0xA it was the disappearance in 1918 of Le Beau Sancy (the diamond on the cover) and its reappearance in a crypt in 1945.

In Red Berlin https://amzn.eu/d/crkjRo7 it was the fact that there were three communist leaders arrested and taken to the Eden Hotel in January 1919, two were brutally murdered, one escape unharmed. Why? How?

These stories fire my imagination, and they make me think, someone else should know about this. This is cool!

With this in mind, my next book Paris in Springtime, appeared from the fact that in spring of 1919, not only were the leaders of the French, British and US governments in Paris to discuss the terms of the peace (and the Germans weren't invited!), but representatives of every country, or would be country, looking to grasp Woodrow Wilson's promise of national self-determination. Bringing all those people together seemed like a fun environment for a little mayhem and chaos, and perhaps a little murder.

Book five, Golden Eagles, takes the idea of forgotten history and runs with it - Giant aeroplanes larger than B.17 or Lancaster bombers, flying cash and gold on secret missions across Europe to a nation most people don't even know existed. A freedom fighter turned national leader trying to build an Empire to span eastern Europe. All too cool to be forgotten... they deserved a story too.

That's my method. Find a fantastic fact, a kernel from which a story can grow, and see where it goes.

If you're an author, what's your method?
If you're a reader, do you enjoy this approach?

So, what's being a writer (amateur) like? I have one BIG advantage, I have to do very little research compared to lots of writers, some of whom spend 40%+ of their time researching or worldbuilding. Because I've spent decades immersing myself in my period, if I don't know something I pretty much always know where to find it, and have the books, documents, maps, photos, etc, to consult. That helps a LOT.

No, I don't use Google or ChatGPT/Gemini/Perplexity much for research, they're littered with inaccuracies - or stuff they just make up. I try them out from time to time to see if they've got any better, but outside of the core facts, they're usually pretty poorly informed, and if you ask them the same question twice you often get different answers.

So, if I'm not researching, what is my usual day?

I wake up around 04.00-04.30 each morning (really). It's nice and quiet, and I get about four hours of writing and/or editing done.

If it's a weekday it's then the day job - because unlike crime, writing does not pay! I usually work 9-6, with an hour for lunch. Luckily I work a lot from home.

At lunchtime I try to prep posts for Facebook, Goodreads, etc.

I usually work out after work, have dinner, and spend the evening with my wife.

If she's reading etc, then I might well do a little marketing work, or jot down ideas for the next day.

On the weekend I may get a little more time to work on writing or on marketing the books.

The marketing takes a LOT of time and effort: checking Amazon ads stats, adjusting spend, keywords, reach. Managing posts on Facebook, Goodreads and ideally Twitter/X... I really haven't got the hang of Twitter - what's it really for anyway? Then there's responding to people who message me, which I try to do with everyone - this is a challenge when at least half of them are marketeers pretending to be fans, trying to sell you something...

Finally, the weekend is when I usually get some reading done, because there are always more books out there.

Habits
1. I carry a notebook at all times (not in the shower - most of the time), and into that goes any idea I think of that I think might make a good moment in a book, any thought sparked by a piece or music, scene in a movie, something someone says. I describe interesting people I meet or see, who I think might make a great model for a character in a story.

2. I have a Dictaphone app on my phone which gets used when I'm travelling. I can be driving, tell it record, and get my idea down before I lose it - invaluable.

3. I always have audiobooks on the go, so that if I have a few moments, in the car, on a train, waiting in a queue, I can slip in an earbud and listen to either history or mystery, I love them both.

That's it really, the typical days. Obviously there are the library visits, going to relevant sites, trips to Berlin, or elsewhere, but they're not a normal day.

I hope that's of interest.

It's not glamorous, it's hard and repetitive. If you take the writing as work, I'm working 13-16 hour days, with usually 6-8 hours on weekends, but it doesn't feel like work because I love it.

Berlin, 1919. The empire has fallen, strikers are on the streets, and a new democracy is being born under fire. In early Weimar Germany… what role would YOU play?

Take our 7-question quiz. Let us know what you would have done in the comments:

How to play:
1. Pick A/B/C/D for each question.
2. Tally which letter you chose most often.
3. Comment with your result and share one choice you’re proud/ashamed of.

Question 1:
The Armistice just ended the war. Parliament is rushing to write a new constitution. You say:
A) “Stability first—get a government working now.”
B) “Democracy first—give power to the workers councils.”
C) “Security first—use the army to restore order.”
D) “Keep calm and count the votes—I’ll organize quietly.”

Question 2:
A general strike erupts in Berlin. Your first move?
A) Negotiate a ceasefire and elections.
B) Declare solidarity with the strikers and publish a fiery leaflet.
C) Use volunteer paramilitaries to crush it.
D) Keep the trams and food supply running.

Question 3:
The Treaty of Versailles lands on your desk, without any input from Germany. It's terms are punitive and unfair.
A) Sign to save the state; hope to renegotiate later.
B) Reject it at once—mass action over humiliation.
C) Refuse to sign, and prepare for a showdown.
D) Accept the legal reality; start rebuilding.

Question 4:
Crisis are coming thick and fast and there are plenty in the media making it worse. Do you bring in censorship or allow a free-for-all press?
A) Temporary limits to stop violence, then free press again.
B) Free press, even for dangerous ideas.
C) Silence the agitators, smash the presses
D) Establish fact-checking and public bulletins. Licence newspapers and sanction them for inaccuracies.

Question 5:
Street fighting breaks out near the newspaper district.
A) Broker a truce and call in loyal police.
B) Barricade the street and rally paramilitary supporters.
C) Clear it with force—no hesitation.
D) Evacuate civilians and set up aid posts.

Question 6:
Women vote nationwide for the first time. What’s your stance?
A) Celebrate—democracy needs everyone.
B) Women leaders should spearhead the movement. Men have had their say, and look where it got us!
C) Doesn’t change the power equation, and it it looks like it might, there's still the army.
D) Register voters, run candidates, mind the details. Leave the philosophy to others.

Question 7:
A coup in Berlin attempt tries to topple the republic (again).
A) Call a general strike against the putschists.
B) Occupy ministries and broadcast resistance.
C) Side with the forces of strength and tradition—order above all.
D) Leave it to play out and in the meantime, keep services alive so the city doesn’t collapse.

Who are you? (majority letter = result)
Mostly A — The Pragmatist (e.g. Franz Ebert - President of the Republic): You’ll bargain, secure elections, and hold the centre when everything’s on fire. You'll find a way through, but it requires making deals with the devil, and making enemies of everyone eventually.

Mostly B — The Firebrand (e.g. Rosa Luxemburg): You push radical democracy and mass action—no half-measures. The people have been oppressed for too long, equality and democracy, in politics and wealth is the goal. Sadly this means everyone with anything to lose - the wealthy, the powerful and the army - hate you!

Mostly C — The Iron Fist (e.g. General von Luttwitz): You prize order and hierarchy above all, even at the republic’s expense. If the army is constrained, build a new one in the shadows and call it something else - like the 'Freikorps'. Prussia has always been a military controlling a state, not the other way around - that's just how it should be!

Mostly D — The Organizer (e.g. Countless nameless Imperial Civil-Servants): You’re the backbone—logistics, ballots, bread, and trams on time, that's what matters. Ideology is for those who can afford it, or those with nothing to lose. Most people just want food, heating, transport, and maybe a drink at the end of the day.
So, who are you?
What was the question you agonized over the most?
Tag a history nerd who’ll argue with you.

FREE! 1 Nov - 5 Nov.
Hi everyone,
The November Criminals is free right now on Kindle.
Get is here: https://amzn.eu/d/4lFU43I
Standalone title, although it follows the events of my first book, Prussian Blue.
Pick is up, and if you like it, please leave me a nice review - that's all I ask.
Have a great November!

FREE! 1 Nov - 5 Nov.
Since it's November, it's seems only fair the The November Criminals is free on Kindle for the first five days, then you get if for a 'steal' and read it for the rest of the month.
I ask only a nice review if you like it.
Get is here: https://amzn.eu/d/4lFU43I

Starving the Giant: How Britain's Naval Blockade Helped Win WWI

In Prussian Blue we find a world where a can of coffee beans is the greatest of treasures, where resentment over cake might be enough to kill, where the poor starve in the streets, and substitute/ersatz products are the norm. Here we take a look at the history behind these images.

When we think of World War I, we picture muddy trenches and barbed wire. But perhaps the most devastating weapon of the war never fired a shot: Britain's naval blockade of Germany, which slowly strangled the Central Powers into submission.

Why Blockade Germany?
Britain entered the war with one massive advantage: the Royal Navy, the world's most powerful fleet. Germany's geographical position made it vulnerable - to reach the Atlantic, German ships had to pass through narrow waters controlled by Britain. The British strategy was brutally simple: cut Germany off from the world and watch it wither.

The blockade began in August 1914, just days after war was declared. Britain declared the entire North Sea a military area and used its fleet to intercept ships heading to German ports. This wasn't just about stopping weapons - it meant blocking food, fertilizer, cotton, oil, and countless other goods that Germany needed to survive.

The Tightening Noose
The effects were devastating. By 1916, Germany's food situation had become critical. The average German civilian's calorie intake plummeted from around 3,000 calories per day before the war to just 1,000 by 1917 - barely enough to survive. Meat consumption fell by half, and during the "Turnip Winter" of 1916-17, Germans were forced to survive on little more than turnips after a terrible potato harvest.

The statistics paint a grim picture. Historians estimate that approximately 424,000 German civilians died from starvation and malnutrition-related diseases during the war, with many more left permanently weakened, and thereby vulnerable to disease. Children were particularly affected - tuberculosis rates soared, and an entire generation grew up malnourished, with lasting health consequences.

Life Behind the Blockade
For ordinary Germans, the blockade meant constant hunger. Housewives queued for hours for a loaf of 'Kriegbrot' ('war bread') - a heavy, dark mixture containing potato flour, sawdust, and ground straw. Ersatz- (substitute) products became a way of life: coffee made from acorns and chicory, tea from leaves and twigs, butter from coal tar derivatives.
The psychological impact was crushing. While soldiers fought abroad, their families starved. This eroded morale on the front lines as troops received desperate letters from home. The blockade became a powerful propaganda tool for Germany, but it also bred resentment and distrust of those in power, which would have lasting consequences for German politics.

The Path to Victory
The blockade proved decisive in Germany's defeat. By 1918, the German military was still formidable, but the home front was collapsing. Industrial production faltered without raw materials. Civilian morale crumbled under constant deprivation. When the German army launched its final offensive in spring 1918, soldiers who had been told that their enemies were suffering just as they were, discovered well-stocked Allied trenches and realized the awful truth.

To enforce Germany's compliance the blockade was continued even after the Armistice in November 1918. It was only lifted once Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. This extension caused tremendous bitterness - an estimated 100,000 more Germans died during these months of 'peace.'
Britain's naval blockade demonstrated that modern war wasn't just won on battlefields. By targeting an entire nation's ability to sustain itself, it became one of history's most effective - and controversial - military strategies, and undoubtedly one of the most important factors in bringing the Great War to its conclusion.

I keep being asked if I have more books coming out... oh yes, oh yes I do:


The Alaric von Trelow Mysteries

1. Prussian Blue
Setting: Brunswick. October 1918
Alaric von Trelow’s wife, Jana, dies. He’s told it was Spanish Flu, but when he hears the symptoms, he simply doesn’t believe it. Especially when he begins to learn the suspicious meetings that have been happening at her family home. Did she learn too much?
(Out now: https://amzn.eu/d/g8hkAkI)

2. The November Criminals
Setting: Berlin. November 1918
With the war over and Germany slipping into revolution, Alaric von Trelow is asked to recover elements of the Prussian Crown Jewels, held in a vault in the Imperial Palace in Berlin. Of course it was never going to be that simple, and the fact that revolutionaries hold the palace is only the first obstacle he must solve. The second is that the only person who can help him get inside hates him and wants him dead.
(Out now: https://amzn.eu/d/gD2QTlJ)

3. Red Berlin
Setting: Berlin. February 1919
Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht are dead. The question is not who killed them, but who betrayed them? Is there a traitor in the communist party? Forced to investigate, Alaric von Trelow must find new allies and repair old friendships if he’s to find the truth and keep the people he loves safe.
(Out now: https://amzn.eu/d/gDzXzz5)

4. Springtime in Paris
Setting: Paris. April 1919
At Versailles the victorious Allies are deciding the fate of the world. In Paris thousands of representatives of supplicant nations, and would-be nations, wait. Amongst them is someone who wants no part of peace, who wants to war to begin again, and is willing to not only kill millions, but to blame Louis Beck. Fortunately, Louis has a friend. His name is Alaric von Trelow. It looks like he’s catching a train…
(To be published: January 2026)

5. Golden Eagles
Setting: Berlin. Poland. Ukraine. August - September 1919
In the chaotic collapse of empires, new nations struggle to be born and to survive. Amongst them is Ukraine, fighting Soviets, Poles, Czechoslovaks, and Romanians. They have only one ally, a Germany unable to send men of weapons, only money. The only way to get it there is aboard the largest aeroplanes in the world, and someone is willing to sabotage and kill to stop them arriving. Enter Alaric von Trelow to solve a straightforward case of sabotage. Simple, surely…
(To be published: April 2026)

6. The Ngoni Princess
Setting: Tanginika Territory, East Africa. October 1919 - January 1920
Alaric von Trelow elder brother survived the war but never returned home. What happened in Africa and where is he now? Travelling to the newly seized territories of East Africa, Alaric von Trelow must negotiate unfamiliar terrain, cultures and wildlife, as well as deal with greed, treachery and the divided loyalties to discover the secret of the Ngoni Princess.
(To be published: July 2026)

7. Murder on the Adriatic
Setting: Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas. February - March 1920
Voyaging back from Port Said to Trieste, Alaric von Trelow is miserable with seasickness. He soon finds uncalled for distraction in a death of one of the ship’s officers. Did he fall, or was he murdered? There are too many secrets amongst the passengers, one of whom may be a killer.
(To be published: October 2026)

8. Body Number Ten
Setting: Berlin. April 1920
Ten men are found dead in a railway yard after the disastrous Kapp Putsch. Nine of them are communists, one of them is unidentified. Who is he? Who killed him, and why? Alaric von Trelow, back in Berlin, must discover the truth and how deep the rot lies.
(To be published: January 2027)

9. Dark Inheritance
Setting: Elbe, Prussia. August 1920
Called to a remote castle on the Elbe where an aged Baron still rules like it was the Middle Ages, Alaric von Trelow and his friends must discover who is trying to kill him. It may be easier to ask, who isn’t. Everyone seems to have a motive, death is in the air, and even the trees seem to be waiting…
(To be published: April 2026)

10. City of Vice
Setting: Berlin. August – September 1920
Cocaine is flooding the city. It’s in every bar, nightclub, and café. The dealers, supplied by a network marked by a red rose, seem unstoppable. Called upon by his friend, Kriminalkommissar Dietz, Alaric von Trelow must try to solve the case, whilst trying to discover the identity of the person trying to ruin his life.
(To be published: July 2026)

11. The Snow Queen
Setting: Berlin. December 1920
Alaric von Trelow is on the run, wanted for murder. The Snow Queen lost a battle, but appears to have won the war. Can von Trelow recover health, position, and liberty. How can you defeat someone who knows no rules or limits, who is driven by madness and a relentless vengeful fury? And if you do, what price will you have to pay?
(To be published: October 2026)

12. At the Brandenburg Hotel
Setting: Berlin. February 1921
Petty thefts are escalating in the Brunswick Hotel and Alaric von Trelow is called upon to investigate. It’s not long before theft becomes murder. With a cast of interesting, complex, and mysterious characters staying in the hotel and having motive, it becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse in one of Berlin’s grandest hostelries.
(To be published: January 2027)

13. The Baltic Refugees
Setting: Berlin. May 1921
Two years after the death of a young noblewoman in Estonia, her father calls together everyone who was there. He wishes them to tell tales, in the manner of Goethe’s The German Refugees, to honour his daughter’s memory. It is more than a parlour game—Alaric von Trelow has been invited, because somewhere within these stories is the clue to who killed her, and someone is preparing to kill again.
(To be published: April 2027)

14. Dangerous Jade
Setting: Berlin. June 1921
Rescuing a young man and his sister from mysterious Chinese killers, Alaric von Trelow is plunged into a new mystery. Returning from Tsingtao, the lost German protectorate in China, the siblings have brought not only trouble, but a treasure more than one person is willing to kill for.
(To be published: July 2027)

So, I've written a number of short stories that fill in gaps between my novels in the Alaric von Trelow Mysteries series, flesh out supporting characters, that kind of thing. I intend to bundle them up and publish them at some point.

They're fun to write, but a lot of effort, as although they're quicker to write, they take almost as long to plot as a full-length novel.

Do people like/read/value short stories in a series? Would people want a volume of short stories in a series they enjoy, or would they prefer another novel?

Interested in your opinions?