Emmeline Kirby first appeared in Lead Me into Danger and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Emmeline.

What is your name?
Emmeline Kirby.

How old are you?
Thirty-one.

What is your profession?
I’m the editorial director of investigative features at The Clarion newspaper.

Do you have a significant other?
Yes.

What is his name and profession?
Gregory Longdon is my fiancé. He’s a former jewel thief (former being the operative word). He is now the chief investigator for the insurance firm Symington’s. I told him I would not marry him unless he found legitimate employment. However, I saw a gleam in his eye the other day at the Sotheby’s auction of the Blue Angel, a flawless 12-carat blue diamond. If he values his life, Gregory had better not be contemplating a return to his wicked ways.

Any children?
Not yet.

Do you have any sibling(s)?
No, I am an only child.

Do your parents live near you?
My parents were killed while on assignment when I was five years old. That’s what I had been told. I recently learned that my parents were murdered. I will stop at nothing to find their killer. Nothing. I don’t care if trail has gone cold.

Who is your best friend?
Maggie Roth. We’ve been friends since university. She owns her own public relations firm. She’s married to Philip Acheson, who works in the Foreign Office’s Directorate of Defence and Intelligence. But he is really employed by MI5. Shh. Maggie doesn’t know because he doesn’t want her to worry. Philip made Gregory and me sign the Official Secrets Act to prevent us whispering a word to Maggie, among other things.

Cats, dogs or other pets?
No, pets. I have a soft spot, though, for MacTavish, my grandmother’s Scottish terrier. He’s a devil, but one can’t help but love him.

What town do you live in?
London.

House or building complex? Own or Rent?
The townhouse I inherited from my parents. It’s in the lovely Holland Park neighborhood.

What is your favorite spot in your house?
The living room.

Favorite meal? Favorite dessert?
I happen to adore Italian food. My favorite meal would be gnocchi Bolognese with a glass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. My favorite dessert is an English trifle.

Favorite hobby?
Reading. I’m a voracious reader.

Favorite color?
Pink.

Favorite author?
Agatha Christie. I have fond memories of sitting snuggled up against my grandmother on the sofa in her house in Kent with a cup of cocoa and devouring Christie’s thrilling mysteries. My grandmother raised me, by the way.

Favorite vacation spot?
Venice, although the last time I was there I witnessed someone trying to murder my colleague.

Favorite sports team?
I don’t really have time to follow a sports team.

Movies or Broadway?
Since I live in London, it would be a West End theater. However, you would be more likely to find me at a concert of Baroque music at St. Martin’s-in-the-Field church in Trafalgar Square.

Are you a morning or a night person?
Definitely a morning person.

Amateur sleuth or professional?
Amateur sleuth. But I’m an expert at firing off a barrage of questions. The type of questions that make people nervous and sometimes (quite often, if I’m honest) get me into dangerous predicaments.

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Gregory, of course, when he’s not off on secret forays of his own. (Ooh, how I hate it when he keeps me in the dark.) Lately, our paths have been crossing a good deal with Superintendent Oliver Burnell and Sergeant Jack Finch of Scotland Yard. Unfortunately, Gregory takes too much pleasure in needling the poor superintendent. Really, men can be so childish. Can’t Gregory see that Burnell is waiting for any excuse to throw him in jail?

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
As a journalist, each day is different for me. The one constant is that I’m always chasing down leads to find the truth and ensure that justice is served. The public has right to know, after all. Gregory, Philip, Burnell and Finch have often called me a bull dog. I find that more than a little condescending. I prefer to think of it as dogged determination and persistence. Take for instance this story I’m working on now about the suspicious death of Russian national Pavel Melnikov. The more I dig, the more intrigue I find. Hmm, that reminds me to follow up on his ties to Putin, Russian mafia boss Igor Bronowski and ruthless British entrepreneur Alastair Swanbeck. Wait a minute. Swanbeck is seeking revenge against Gregory. Why?

Sorry, I must dash. Gregory has a lot of explaining to do.

You can read about Emmeline in When Blood Runs Cold, the fifth book in the “Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon” traditional mystery series, coming September 21, 2019.

If the answer is a lie. . .the truth is murder

Journalist Emmeline Kirby is reeling from the recent discovery that her parents were murdered while on assignment, when she was five. She flirts with danger as she sets off on the long-cold trail to find their killer. At the same time, her probing questions about the suspicious death of Russian national Pavel Melnikov gain her a coterie of enemies. To complicate matters, her path crosses with prominent industrialist Victor Royce, who turns her world upside down.

Gregory Longdon, her dashing fiancé and jewel-thief-cum-insurance-investigator, has grave problems of his own. His past has caught up with him. Alastair Swanbeck, a ruthless entrepreneur with ties to Putin and the underworld, is alive and intent on revenge. Swanbeck’s cat-and-mouse taunts reveal that he can get to Gregory–and Emmeline–anytime he desires. When evil’s poison lurks in things that are better left alone, the quest for justice could prove fatal for Emmeline and Gregory.

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About the author
Daniella Bernett is a member of the Mystery Writers of America New York Chapter. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Journalism from St. John’s University. Lead Me Into Danger, Deadly Legacy, From Beyond The Grave and A Checkered Past are the first four books in the Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series. She also is the author of two poetry collections, Timeless Allure and Silken Reflections. In her professional life, she is the research manager for a nationally prominent engineering, architectural and construction management firm. Daniella is currently working on Emmeline and Gregory’s next adventure.

Visit Daniella’s website at daniellabernett.com, or follow her on Facebook, or on Goodreads.

All comments are welcomed.