Finished already

I am pleasantly surprised to have finished - a first draft at least of 'The Leiston Riddle' well in advance of the publication date I have set at the end of the year. Yes it could do with a good editor - of course!

Terry (Doggett's old pal from the sailing club) remains a key figure who will keep Jake (the girl in the caff's bf) grounded. While Jake starts unraveling the truth behind the murder, Terry’s warning will be the touchstone that keeps him from veering into reckless action or getting swallowed by the weight of the town’s expectations. Terry knows the town’s dark undercurrents, but he’s also deeply aware of the limitations of fighting against them. The question for Jake becomes: will he find a way to act on this knowledge, or will he be consumed by it?

As for Maggie (the girl in the caff), knowing that the murder will be resolved by the police — and that she doesn’t need to involve herself further — allows her to focus on her own journey as well. The backdrop of the investigation, with its quiet but inevitable resolution, mirrors Maggie’s own internal conflict: while the town continues to chug along with its petty dramas and fears, Maggie realises she has to choose to move forward, to leave behind the smallness of her world.

And Jake, too, will come to understand that his own role is more about finding his own way — observing the investigation from the sidelines, learning from it, and then deciding to move on. The murder, in a way, gives him the push he needs to realise that the only thing he has control over is his own future, his own choices.

A bright future awaits...tbc

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