Interview with Daniella Bernett, author of Betrayed by the Truth (Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series, Book 9)

Today it gives the Indie Crime Scene great pleasure to interview Daniella Bernett, whose latest novel Betrayed by the Truth (Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series, Book 9) had its debut on October 7th.

This is the ninth adventure for detective duo Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon. It’s a heady cocktail of espionage, international crime and money-laundering, with lethal adversaries. Why are Emmeline and Gregory drawn to mystery – and jeopardy?

Emmeline and Gregory would die of boredom without a healthy dose of danger from time to time. They crave a challenge. What better way to keep their minds agile than to match wits with a spy or a notorious criminal? Throwing caution to the wind provides an adrenaline rush. The fact that they could be risking their lives adds a certain piquancy to the situation.

The story starts in Madrid, where a desperate man begs them to deliver a fortune in red diamonds to hotelier Alexander Colefax in London. The stranger is killed before he can tell them why. How do they set out to solve the murder?

Unsurprisingly, this little contretemps has made Emmeline and Gregory targets. While they are riddled with curiosity (particularly Emmeline), ensuring that they are not murdered in their own right takes precedence over discovering who the stranger was and why he had sought them out. After all, it would be a bit difficult to solve the crime if they were dead. They abandon their original plans to leave by plane the following day. Instead, after a twenty-three-hour rail journey that involves a change of trains in Barcelona and Paris, they finally arrive home in London, weary but safe. Emmeline insists that first thing the next morning they go to Scotland Yard to turn over the diamonds to Superintendent Oliver Burnell and inform him about the harrowing events in Madrid. As you can imagine, Gregory is not enthusiastic about the prospect of relinquishing the gems. On the other hand, their chat with Burnell proves illuminating. New avenues are opened for them to inveigle themselves into the investigation to the detective’s chagrin. 

Alexander Colefax is not a nice man. He has contacts with the Kremlin elite and the Russian mafia. When Colefax is killed in his turn, Emmeline and Gregory are embroiled in a new quest. Where will it lead them and what’s at stake?

It leads to more trouble, of course. But then, readers wouldn’t have it any other way. As Emmeline and Gregory peal back the layers of Colefax’s life, they find a man without scruples who didn’t shy away from murder, blackmail or treason if it meant that his hotel empire would prosper. At the heart of Colefax’s machinations are the diamonds and a stolen Fabergé egg, which he uses to play a Russian mafia boss against a spy burrowed deep in MI6. The prospect of unmasking the spy and recovering the Fabergé egg lures Emmeline and Gregory to Switzerland. However, double crosses by their very nature are the worst sort of betrayal and the consequences are invariably deadly.

With subjects like spies, moles and the Russian mafia, how do you set about doing your research?

The plethora of news articles and books about espionage provide an unending stream of captivating subjects. For example, the idea for this story was triggered by an article about a Fabergé egg that was discovered on the seized superyacht of a Russian oligarch, who was facing sanctions.

With a new cold war, are the antagonists changing?

In my opinion, the Cold War never ended. It was merely in hibernation and when it emerged again, it adopted a slightly altered guise. But beneath this mask, the menace remains as potent and merciless as ever. The Russians have the dubious honor of being the crème de la crème of rogues. Close on the Kremlin’s heels are the Chinese. As long as there are coveted secrets ripe to be leveraged or stolen, spies, defectors and traitors will play the forbidden game.

The world of historic spies was very macho. As a woman, how does Emmeline deal with the British intelligence services – and others?

Emmeline has a strong moral code. Her loyalty to the truth and justice is unwavering. She charges in where angels fear to tread. She doesn’t allow anyone, whether it is an intelligence official, a corrupt politician, a spy or an underworld figure, to intimidate her. Exposing their crimes and ensuring transparency is the only thing that matters. When she hits a brick wall, Emmeline assesses the facts that she has gathered and pivots in another direction. Then, she comes back armed with a new barrage of probing questions that make even the most cunning and ruthless squirm. She doesn’t stop digging until she has the answers. She never lets anyone off the hook because the stakes are too great.  

Emmeline and Gregory follow the trail to Switzerland, where they find themselves in mortal danger. Themes of loyalty – and betrayal – run through the series. Why do such themes continue to engross us?

Personal bonds, whether romantic or merely friendship, must have a level of trust at their core. If that trust is broken, it leads to recriminations and doubts. Deception, turmoil and secrets are essential fodder for a mystery or thriller because they change the dynamic of the relationship between characters. My philosophy is that a little adversity is good for the soul. These themes grant me free rein to explore new threads to keep the story fresh.

Is there a technique to misdirecting the reader and keeping them hooked?

Some clues are key to solving the crime, but these must be scattered like tiny breadcrumbs on the wind. The red herring adds an element of surprise and heightens the tension by creating an atmosphere of suspicion. Meanwhile, ending a chapter with a cliffhanger and starting the next one with a different character or another thread in the tale sends the adrenaline sluicing through readers’ veins. One is compelled to keep turning pages, if he or she wants to find out what happens. Another variation on this technique is to dangle a nugget on the last page to leave readers dying for the next book.

Are the stakes getting higher as the series progresses? And how is the relationship between Emmeline and Gregory changing?

Categorically. To mirror real life, Emmeline and Gregory cannot remain the same. I’m gratified that readers have made an emotional connection with Emmeline and Gregory and to want to see them comfortably settled in married life. This is a perfectly natural desire. Alas, from an author’s perspective “happily ever after” is a “dead end” because the story has petered out. Conflict and danger are the sparks needed to launch a new adventure because they always circle back to the question: What if?

Gregory’s dark secrets are forever trailing him and could destroy everything in a blink of an eye. Emmeline’s greatest fear is that something from his past could compel him to leave her, as he did once before. Am I cruel to rub my hands in glee at the prospect of ratcheting up the tension with the limitless possibilities? Perhaps. But then, I’m riddled with flaws just like everyone else. 

What about the criminal organisation The Raven, who challenged Emmeline and Gregory for so long?

The Raven was an international assassin with ties to the Russians and ETA, the Basque militant group, who Emmeline and Gregory encountered in A Mind To Murder. The Raven killed without remorse. I wouldn’t want to spoil that book for those who haven’t read it, so I’ll simply say that the threat posed in Betrayed By The Truth is not the Raven.

Do you try to stay objective in writing your characters/developing your plots? If so, how hard is that to do when you feel passionately about a subject or region of the world?

Emmeline and Gregory are constantly whispering in my ear and giving me suggestions for the present story I’m telling, as well as morsels for the next one waiting in the shadows. I do try to allow them to guide me on the journey, although I have total control.

However, one issue that provokes a strong reaction in me is anti-Semitism, a scourge on society. That’s why I made Emmeline Jewish to explore this issue. The resurgence of such sentiments terrifies me. I touch on the topic a bit in each book to try to educate people against it. In A Checkered Past, I delved into the issue of looted Nazi art, which I’m passionate about as everyone should be about injustice. Sadly, in 2023 we routinely read these stories in the papers. Each one another ugly stigma of shame that the Holocaust was allowed to take place. That’s why it infuriates me when people continue to deny that it ever happened and that its victims are “greedy” for attempting to have THEIR property returned. The war is never over for those who suffered, and continue to suffer, because of the injustices perpetrated against them. If we forget, humanity’s soul will be condemned in perpetuity.

What are your future plans for the series?

Devoted readers will likely curse me for the shocking ending in Betrayed By The Truth. I’ve always been honest about the fact that I have a twisted mind. I like to keep readers off balance. Nothing and no one are ever what they seem. Trust me. It’s infinitely more satisfying that way. Therefore, I can promise unexpected perils will perennially stalk Emmeline and Gregory. Life would be too dull otherwise.

Amazon: US | Amazon: UK | Barnes & Noble: Print | Barnes & Noble eBook | Waterstones:

… and wherever books are sold

About Daniella Bernett:

Daniella Bernett is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America and the Crime Writers Association. 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, A Checkered Past, When Blood Runs Cold, Old Sins Never Die, Viper’s Nest of Lies and A Mind To Murder are the books in the Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series. She also is the author of two poetry collections, Timeless Allure and Silken Reflections.  Daniella is currently working on Emmeline and Gregory’s next adventure. Visit www.daniellabernett.com or follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008802318282  or on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/40690254-daniella-bernett.