JAMES LALONDE, BOOK 2

Duplicity

Available Now

99¢

(for a limited time only)

4
{This [Duplicity] was a very good book that certainly kept me guessing! I liked the way the story unfolded, along with its twists and turns along the way.{
TheresaA
ARC Reader
5
{[In Duplicity] James has his hands in the middle of another murder mystery! Well worth reading and will leave you on the edge of your seat!  {
Kaycek
ARC Reader
5
{James is the editor of a newspaper which still has a print edition as well as a web edition. When his girlfriend leaves he is left with an open space on the front page of the culture section which he needs to fill. Will he live long enough to fill that section? Who was killed at the crime scene he arrived at? What happened to Excalibur? You won't want to put this story [Suspicion] down until you have finished it!{
Kaycek
ARC Reader
5
{I really enjoyed this story [Suspicion]. It drew me in and kept me turning the page waiting to see what happened next. There was quite a bit of suspense, there was tension, and the characters came alive on the page. I look forward to more in this series!{
Di
ARC Reader
4
{I quite enjoyed this book [Suspicion]. It had an interesting storyline and did not take long to read. It had enough to keep me guessing, though.{
Theresa
ARC Reader
4
{[The Candidate is ] a very good mystery. I couldn't anticipate what would come next. I also appreciate the addition of detective Anwar thoughts, though at one point he seemed to be James babysitter more than anything.{
Saucy Lady
ARC Reader
5
{Duplicity is a captivating murder mystery with a lot of unexpected twists and turns! It was well written, the characters were introduced well, the story flowed easily! I loved it.{
Di
ARC Reader
4
{A new-to-me author whose blurb drew me in to give the book [Suspicion] a chance and I am really glad that I did. Exciting story, and several surprises in the finish. I found the characters likeable and relatable to, well developed and credible. I did enjoy the book  – it was an easy read but thrilling enough to keep me interested and I will certainly be on the look out for more of Hay’s books{
Carol
ARC Reader

What I’m Writing

The Locked Room (Novella) – Published

25,874 of 25,000 words

100%

Entitled to Murder (Prequel Cozy Mystery) – First Draft

9,828 of 38,000 words

25%

Untitled (James Lalonde, Book 3) – First Draft

6,430 of 60,000 Words

10%

Immunity (James Lalonde, Book 4) – 2nd Draft

112,960 of 99,000 Words

100%

News

A Quick Snapshot into the Writing Life of Amateur Sleuth Mystery Author A. D. Hay.

28 March 2023

 

This week I did a bit of experimentation with the pricing for Duplicity due to the current economic climate.

 

For a limited time only, Duplicity is on sale in all stores and directly through me for 99¢.

 

Click here to buy direct from me, or find Duplicity in your favourite online ebook retailer.

22 February 2023

There’s no rest for the wicked!

 

While I wait for feedback from my beta reader and between rounds of edits with my line editor and proofreader, I’ve started writing the third book in the James Lalonde Amateur Sleuth Mystery Series. I’m really excited to write this story.

 

For those of you who are curious, in the third book, I’ll reveal who is behind the Lucy J knight pen name—a minor plot thread in Duplicity. And I bring back a character from Suspicion, much to James’s dismay.

 

Anyway, I need to get back to writing!

21 February 2023

Exciting news, I’ve finished writing my very first locked room mystery. What started out as a short story evolved into a novella-length work. The idea for The Locked Room came from a reference in Duplicity. In my book Duplicity, James Lalonde mentioned that he solved a murder at the bed and breakfast run by Professor Xavier Watson and his wife, Flora⏤The Locked Room, is the story about this murder.

 

Today, I’m sending The Locked Room off to a beta reader before sending it off to my line editor and proofreader.

 

I enjoyed writing this story, and I can’t wait to share this novella with you.

 

Spoiler alert: If you’ve signed up top my mailing list, you’ll get this novella for FREE.

Connect with me on Social Media

Looking for Something?

Amateur Sleuth Mystery Novels

Click on images for more information

One Locked Room. A Dead Body. Five Suspects.

It’s the opening of Clovervale Hall, an exquisite bed-and-breakfast in Oxfordshire, owned and operated by Professor Xavier Watson and his wife, Flora. And James Lalonde can’t believe his luck—he gets an all-expenses paid trip.

And he gets to write a story about the opening of the bed-and-breakfast for the Northampton Tribune. It’s going to be the easiest weekend of his life. Unfortunately, the weather is scorching hot, and a cyclonic storm sets in, trapping him and the guests inside the manor house.

But, there’s one thing he didn’t count on—a killer is on the loose, roaming the halls of Clovervale Hall.

While cyclonic weather conditions rage on outside, James hunts down the killer. Lurking behind every corner, he discovers secrets and lies.

But his investigations haven’t gone unnoticed. The killer has a watchful eye on James.

 

Can James solve the murder before the bodies start to pile up?

A Body is on the Front Lawn. A Priceless Painting is Missing. A Killer is on the Loose

 

When Will Thatcher doesn’t show up for work, James Lalonde is forced to attend an afternoon tea with Alistair Carmichael in Will’s place. The lovely autumn afternoon tea comes to an abrupt end when a body is discovered on the front lawn of the Carmichael Estate with strange markings on its neck.

 

But something is missing, a priceless painting is off the wall. However, it’s no ordinary painting, it’s a van Gogh purchased in an auction a few months prior. But trouble has its watchful eye on James.

 

Can James figure out who the thief and murderer are before he is next?

Excalibur is Missing. A Killer is on the Loose. One Reporter is Determined to Uncover the Truth.

 

James has a nose for trouble. But that’s nothing new. This time, things are different–his life is on the line. James is the chief editor of a small newspaper. It’s hardly captivating work. He’s bored. But all of that is about to change.

 

Late one evening, he returns home to discover his long-time girlfriend and journalist, Valentine, has left. Early the next morning, James fails to reallocate her assigned story. To avoid blank space in the culture section and losing his job, he decides to write the story on the local museum’s latest acquisition, Excalibur.

 

But there’s one thing he didn’t count on—Excalibur is missing, and a dead body is at the crime scene.

$3.99

$1.99

$0.00

A Murdered Professor. A Priceless Manuscript Stolen.

 

Moments after James discovers a secret code on the pages of the manuscript, a hooded figure murders a professor and steals the manuscript from Oxford University.

 

While James is receiving medical attention, he discovers a secret about his past that he was never supposed to know. Instead of staying on bed rest, James decides to leave town and uncover the truth. But, the police put a hold on his passport, believing he organised the murder and theft. Before James leaves for New York, he must investigate the truth behind the lab break-in. As his investigation digs deeper, James discovers everyone has means, motive, opportunity and something to hide.

 

With an endless list of possible suspects, James must clear his name, find the manuscript, and identify the murderer before they strike again.

A Murdered Judge. A Dark Secret Silenced.

 

Rookie reporter James Lalonde is bored. And he isn’t a journalist. He’s an all-round dogs-body to chief editor Rhys Kelly. But his luck has finally changed. After eavesdropping in on the morning editorial meeting, James learns he has his first-ever story. There’s one catch. If the story gets too complicated, it will be taken away from him and given to another journalist with more experience. Sure, it’s a boring interview with the soon-to-be sworn-in magistrate, Albert Harrington, but it finally gets him out of his six-month slump as an editorial research assistant.

 

The following day, James turns up to his interview with Albert to discover a trail of blood smeared through Albert’s house, an empty safe, the murder weapon on the floor, but no body. Detective Anwar Khan turns up at the crime scene, puts two and two together, and believes James murdered the controversial magistrate. Can James clear his name and write his first-ever story before his editor takes it away from him?

$1.99

$1.99

MEET A.D. HAY

Hello,

I’m Amelia Levillain. I write amateur sleuth mysteries under the pen name A. D. Hay, and I’m the author of The LawnSuspicion, and Duplicity, the first few stories in the James Lalonde Amateur Sleuth Mysteries. And I wrote The Candidate, the first story in the Rookie Reporter Amateur Sleuth Mysteries, which also features James Lalonde. My books are set in the world of investigative journalism with a dash of conspiracy, crime, and art theft.

 

When I’m not writing and editing amateur sleuth mysteries, I’m the host of The Authorpreneur Podcast and the Mystery Novel Nerd Podcast. Right now, I’m writing a cozy mystery short story, which will eventually be the first instalment of a series.

 

When not writing or hosting my podcasts, I love to travel around Europe with my husband, drink tea, and eat pizza.

From the Blog

Behind the Scenes of a Locked Room Mystery

To celebrate the release of my locked room mystery which was creatively titled, The Locked Room, I thought I would share a little of the behind-the-scenes or the making of this novella that, as a reader, you never get to see unless I take you along with me.

The Candidate, A Murder Mystery Novella Read by A. D. Hay

Hello, Book Lovers!   In this episode, I want to share with you a publishing update and let you know about all the books that I've published since my last behind-the-scenes writing vlog. After this, I share the book description and a little about the series of my...

010, Things are Happening

Hello, Book Lovers!   In this episode, I want to update you about what's happening with the Book Nerd Podcast; you probably would have noticed that the name, podcast artwork, and logo have changed. I'm doing this because a couple of weeks ago, I discovered there...

An Interview with James Lalonde

If you’ve read the books in my James Lalonde Mystery Series or my Rookie Reporter Mystery Series, you’ll be familiar with my protagonist, James Lalonde. The events that occurred in Suspicion happened in May 2015. So, I thought it would be fun to interview my protagonist seven years later and have a bit of a catchup, minus the spoilers. But, if you’re yet to read Suspicion or any of the other books, this will serve as the perfect icebreaker.

Love Murder Mysteries? Want a Free Short Story?

Sign up to my newsletter for updates, book release details, and get the short story, The Lawn for free.

 

Enter your first name and email address then click "YES, SIGN ME UP!"

You have successfully subscribed check out your inbox and/or spam folder to confirm your subscription!

Pin It on Pinterest