Bloody Bookkeeping (A Nonsensical Gothic Story)
13 parts Ongoing {ON HIATUS} Leigh Garlick, despite her silly surname, is quite a serious person. She's a chartered accountant - and an excellent one, if she may say so herself. She enjoys her quiet work from home and her established routine, which gets uprooted when she's sent to Scotland to work on the accounts of her firm's oldest and most valued client, currently belonging to John Thomas Gervase Oakby, the latest in the line of the Oakbies who'd left their native county of Fleckney in the West Midlands after WWI, and settled in Castle Leabadharach.
The man is tall, dark, and handsome - but also, he spends his days somewhere in the depth of his castle, only comes out at night, and is suspiciously fond of black pudding. Leigh is torn between checking if his bed is coffin-shaped... and just checking his bed. Good thing she's anemic - and doesn't believe in all this Gothic hogwash!
This story is a nonsensical companion piece to my cosy mystery and romance series. No prior knowledge of my work is required to enjoy this codswallop, but some jokes might be about 17.8% funnier if you're familiar with the Oakbies from my Fox & Oakby series. The appreciation for the Holyoakes could enrich your reading experience as well. On the other hand, if this sort of poppycock isn't your cup of tea, nothing will help. Read at your own risk.
Cover art by Paula Carvajal (@pautipeep on Instagram) commissioned by yours truly