Reggie is the main protagonist in the “Reggie da Costa” mystery series and sits down to answer a few questions so that we can get to know him better.

What is your full name?
Reginald Edward da Costa, otherwise known as ‘Reggie’.

How old are you?
Thirty-six years old.

What is your profession?
Crime reporter with Melbourne’s The Argus newspaper.

Do you have a significant other?
Not as yet, but I hope to have one soon. I’m looking for a wife; one with money, good looks and who listens to my opinion. For some strange reason, she remains elusive.

Do you have any children?
No.

Do you have any siblings?
Once Mother had me, she said that was enough.

Are your parents nearby?
Mavis, my mother, lives in Richmond, after being brought up in upper class Brighton. She married my violin-playing wastrel of an Italian father, after being wooed by his smooth tongue. He used up Mother’s money then ran off with the maid. The last I heard, he was swanning around the continent, living off some rich woman.

Who is your best friend?
Dotty Wright. Although she belongs to the Women’s Temperance Union and is rather straitlaced, I actually like her!

Do you have any pets?
Indeed, no. They might soil the carpet or leave hair on one of my expensive suits.

What town do you live in?
Working-class Richmond. (I’d rather live in fashionable Brighton.)

Do you live in a small town or a big city?
Richmond is an inner-city suburb of Melbourne, Australia.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I rent a dwelling above a grocer’s shop, but I should be moving on to something better soon.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
My wardrobe. I love to stand in front of it, savouring the vision of my large range of expensive and well-cut suits.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
A steaming hot bowl of spaghetti bolognaise washed down with a good Bordeaux, followed by a pineapple upside-down cake.

Do you have any hobbies?
Dancing the tango (I’m very good), and driving my fashionable automobile, a Citroen 5CV ‘Torpedo’ tourer. It has a yellow boat-tail and black mudguards, and is flashy, yet classy, just like me.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Renting a room at the Hotel Windsor in Melbourne. It serves excellent high teas in its elaborate dining-room.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Playing two-up (an Australian game where you bet on the fall of two pennies – heads or tails) and drinking illegal booze at one of Squizzy Taylor’s gambling clubs.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Reggie: My Life in Crime.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Professional sleuth. More often than not, I’m solving cases whilst I’m reporting them. I usually work alone, but lately Dotty Wright has been Dr Watson to my Sherlock Holmes.

What is a typical day in your life like in general and when you are on a case?
After eating breakfast wearing my crimson smoking jacket, I spend some time selecting the most appropriate suit and tie for the day ahead. I check in at the offices of The Argus newspaper, write up some reports for the next day’s edition, then head to the Duke of Wellington Hotel where I meet with Detective Sergeant Clary Blain, from the Criminal Investigation Branch of the Victoria Police. He’s one of my best sources of information on Melbourne crime. In fact, I’ve spent a small fortune on whisky, loosening up Clary’s tongue. Then it’s off to interview witnesses and visit crime scenes, before calling it a day. I like to finish up at Mamma Lombardi’s Italian restaurant in Carlton, where a bit of light-hearted banter with Mamma is followed by a steaming bowl of pasta, some crusty home-made bread and a glass of grappa, made in the illegal still out the back.

Deadly Intent, A Reggie da Costa Mystery #2
Genre: Historical Mystery
Release: May 2022
Purchase Link

A glint of gold caught his eye. A putrefying hand extended from the sleeve of a checked shirt; its little finger adorned by the smooth curve of a signet ring.

It is October 1923. What looks like a routine report, on the heavy rains battering Melbourne, becomes another case of murder for The Argus’s celebrated crime reporter, Reggie da Costa, devotee of fashionable suits and flamboyant automobiles. A flooded basement hides a ghastly secret: the decomposing remains of Cornelius Stout, a wealthy widower, who has been missing for over two years. With an unlikely partner in straitlaced Dotty Wright, Reggie pursues a cold-blooded, manipulative killer with deadly intentions.

About the author
After working as a teacher-librarian and Head of Library, Laraine Stephens decided to experience life on the other side of the bookshelves and became a writer of historical crime fiction. Deadly Intent is the second in the Reggie da Costa Mysteries, following the publication of The Death Mask Murders in 2021. When she isn’t writing, travelling or playing golf, Laraine finds inspiration from her work as a volunteer guide at the Old Melbourne Gaol. Laraine lives in Beaumaris, a bayside suburb of Melbourne, Australia, with her husband, Bob, and her maladjusted red toy poodle, Zoe.

Visit her at larainestephens.com and on Facebook.

All comments are welcomed.