Exactly ten years ago, in 2014, Solaris Books published my Neolithic murder mystery Talus and the Frozen King. The novel introduces wandering bard Talus, whose knack for storytelling makes him perfectly qualified to become the world’s first detective.

With the help of Bran, his rough-and-ready companion, Talus attempts to unravel the mystery behind the murder of Hashath, warrior-king of the remote island settlement of Creyak. Nobody is above suspicion, from the king’s six grieving sons to...