It’s Reggie da Costa here, senior crime reporter for The Argus, Melbourne’s premier newspaper. As a fashionable man of the 1920s, I believe that a well-cut three-piece suit, a trimmed moustache and a stylish automobile (in my case, a shiny red and silver Minerva) are as important as my extensive knowledge of the criminal underclasses, who inhabit the illegal liquor and gambling dens of the back streets of Melbourne.
How did I get into this crime reporter caper? My father, Mario da Costa, violin-playing philanderer and scoundrel, left Mother when I was thirteen, running off with the maid and leaving us destitute. Forced to take a job, I chose the role of office boy at The Argus, and clawed my way up through the ranks, due to my innate intelligence, my way with words and the acquisition of a reporter’s most important asset: his circle of contacts. My links to the underworld, the coroner’s office and the police have allowed me to access information that is not publicly available, which keeps me ahead of the press pack.
Today is a perfect example of that. I’ve just come from the Duke of Wellington Hotel, where I’ve been lubricating Detective Sergeant Clary Blain’s tonsils with multiple glasses of good Scotch. If not for Clary, I could afford a new suit and a pair of shiny two-tone shoes every fortnight, but it’s a small price to pay for insider information.
My private life gives me great pleasure. Ruby and I tied the knot last year, and I’ve found her to be the perfect companion and partner in crime-solving. Her brother, Will ‘Dusty’ Rhodes, is my assistant at The Argus. He’s coming along nicely. Together, we track down thieves, confidence men and murderers.
Life’s good!
THE BATHING BOX MURDERS
Series: The Reggie da Costa Mysteries, Book 6
Genre: Historical Crime Fiction, Mysteries, Murder Mysteries
Release: August 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Amazon US | Amazon AU
Murder and a Bathing Box
Melbourne 1928. A raging storm sweeps the beach at Brighton, toppling one of the bathing boxes and revealing the graves of J. Arnold Witherspoon, a successful businessman, and his wife, Hope. Crime reporter Reggie da Costa, devotee of fashionable suits and stylish automobiles, uncovers an intriguing mystery: How can the Witherspoons be controlling their financial affairs and property holdings from abroad if they are lying dead under the sand? Complicating matters, a respected shipping company owner, while attempting to rob a bank, turns the gun on himself. Is there a connection between these bizarre deaths? Can Reggie uncover the truth?
About the author
Laraine Stephens lives in Beaumaris, a bayside suburb of Melbourne, Australia. With an Arts degree from the University of Melbourne, a Diploma of Education and a Graduate Diploma in Librarianship, she worked in secondary schools as a Head of Library. On retirement, Laraine turned her hand to the craft of crime writing. She has a nine-book contract with Level Best Books. Connect with Laraine on her website at larainestephens.com, on Facebook, and on Instagram.