Just after midnight, a snowdrift stopped the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train was surprisingly full for the time of the year. But by the morning there was one passenger fewer. An American lay dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.
Born and educated in London, I attended a College of Education for teachers and obtained a teaching diploma, but decided to travel. I liked teaching English to foreign students, so I took a year's course in Christchurch College, Canterbury. Then I went abroad again to teach EFL. In Rapallo a scholastic publisher published several books of short fiction for students and activity books, which sold well. De Agostini took over the publisher. I also had a story in book form published by OUP - "The Mystery of Allegra". I married an Italian and we have a daughter. I started to write novels and found agents, but had no luck, so decided to self-publish on Amazon Kindle. I am semi-retired and continuing to write and publish short stories, essays and poems.