Blog Posts – Dawn Brookes

The Poisoner of Henley

Post author:Dawn Brookes
Post published:November 12, 2024
Post category:Women in History Writing Research

When undertaking research for my book, 'Murder at the Regatta,' my characters visited St Mary's Church in Henley. It was while researching the church online that I discovered a real-life Henley murderer was buried in the grounds of the church. I didn't have space in the book, neither would it have fitted with the story, to include Mary Blandy's tale. It does, however, make for an interesting blog post. So here it is. For those amateur detectives among you, the question is: guilty or not guilty? The Poisoner of Henley: A Tale of Love, Deception, and Disputed Innocence Used under CCL National Portrait Gallery On the morning of April 6th, 1752, at the age of 32, a young gentlewoman named Mary Blandy ascended the steps of Oxford Castle's gallows, her face pale but composed. As the crowd gathered to witness her execution, she made one final declaration: "For the sake of my father's memory and my mother's name, I declare that I am innocent!" This was not the first time Mary Blandy had proclaimed her innocence, nor would it be the last – her ghost, some say, still haunts parts of Henley, endlessly protesting her guiltlessness in one of the most notorious poisoning cases of the 18th century. The Beginning: A Father's Pride Mary was the only surviving child of Francis Blandy, a respected attorney and town clerk of Henley-on-Thames. Educated, witty, and accomplished, she was her father's pride and joy. Francis Blandy frequently boasted that his daughter would come with a dowry of £10,000 – a fortune that attracted many suitors to their handsome Georgian home on Hart Street. Enter the Captain In 1746, Captain William Henry Cranstoun, a charismatic Scottish noble's son, swept into Mary's life. Despite his aristocratic connections, Cranstoun hid dark secrets: he was already married to…

Raffles Hotel, Singapore

Post author:Dawn Brookes
Post published:July 12, 2024
Post category:Cozy mysteries Cruise ship mysteries Rachel Prince

In Toxic Cruise Cocktail, Rachel and family kick off their cruise holiday by staying overnight at the famous Raffles Hotel. Here, Rachel encounters a bombastic man named Bigham who creates an unpleasant atmosphere. Bigham turns out to be an old friend of Rachel's father, Brendan Prince. There the mystery begins! Raffles Hotel is an iconic and historic luxury hotel located in Singapore. It is one of the most famous and prestigious hotels in the world, known for its colonial architecture, impeccable service, and rich history: Raffles Hotel was built in 1887 by Armenian hoteliers, the Sarkies Brothers. The hotel is named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore. Over the years, it has become synonymous with the city's colonial past. Architecture: The hotel features distinctive colonial architecture with a blend of Victorian and Moorish influences. The main building is white and adorned with tropical gardens, creating a unique and elegant atmosphere. The Long Bar and the Singapore Sling: Raffles Hotel is famous for being the birthplace of the Singapore Sling, a cocktail created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon in the early 20th century. The Long Bar at Raffles is where visitors can enjoy this iconic drink. Rachel and family spend an hour or so in the Long Bar sampling Singapore Slings when they meet fellow cruisers. Guests and Cultural Significance: The hotel has hosted numerous celebrities, dignitaries, and royalty over the years, contributing to its cultural significance. Writers such as Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling have stayed at Raffles, adding to its literary allure. I couldn't send Rachel to Singapore without including a stay at Raffles, it wouldn't have seemed right. I visited the hotel during a three month SE Asian tour in 1982. My uncle asked me to visit as he'd been there for a while during WWII.…

Travel Journal Asia 1982 Day 15

Post author:Dawn Brookes
Post published:June 30, 2022
Post category:Asia Travel Journal

Wednesday June 30th 1982 With me feeling slightly better, the three of us decided to head further north and boarded a bus heading to a fishing village called Krabi. The white-knuckle journey lasted four and a half hours. The bus driver didn't appear to have a will to live, and we had several near-misses throughout the drive. He eventually stopped and let us off the bus in the middle of nowhere. We were around 5km outside of the village. We waited for a while wondering what to do next and decided to start walking. A little while later a pickup truck offered us a lift although we could only communicate through sign language and had to trust these people would take us to where we wanted to go – not that we were sure where that was! I was still feeling weak when we arrived, and the realisation dawned that I was a long way from home in a country where people didn't speak my language, or I, theirs. My head felt muddled. Thankfully the truck dropped us in Krabi and we headed to a small hotel mentioned in my guidebook called Veung Thong. After a fair bit of sign language, we managed to secure two rooms. Krabi, Thailand Our fisherman tourguide! We walked around the village, people smiled but it felt a little oppressive. The village consisted of tiny wooden homes (shacks). Black and white televisions appeared to be the only luxury these people had. We paid a fisherman to take us for a ride on the river. Falcons soared in the skies above. The wonders of nature made me feel glad to be alive. Everywhere we went we were followed by curious people who obviously hadn't seen many foreign tourist before. I can't say I like being centre of…

Travel Journal Asia 1982 Day 14

Post author:Dawn Brookes
Post published:June 29, 2022
Post category:Asia Travel Journal

Tuesday June 29th 1982 Haadyai, Thailand I suffered the whole night with d&v, mostly vomiting so hardly had any sleep. J went outside and found a doctor's surgery and came back to drag me there. I was feeling so weak, all I wanted to do was lie down, but we walked – rather staggered – to the place. We arrived at a rundown concrete hut packed with people. The people in there looked really sick but the doctor saw me straight away. It made me want to cry, I felt so guilty but I also felt really ill. The doctor was Chinese, pleasant and spoke good English. He handed me three lots of tablets, one an anti-emetic, the other was an iodine compound and I have no idea what the third was. After staggering back to the hotel room, J went to buy me some bottled water. I stayed in bed the whole day and J met Bernie. I think they went out for dinner but I could have been hallucinating! It's not fair on Haadyai as I didn't pick up the bug here, but I hate the place.

Travel Journal Asia 1982 Day 13

Post author:Dawn Brookes
Post published:June 28, 2022
Post category:Asia Travel Journal

Monday June 28th 1982 We left Penang this morning, but we weren't sorry. Although it was beautiful with golden beaches and plenty of sun, there was a dark side to the island always lurking beneath the surface. That said, our day on the beach yesterday helped us rest. It was perhaps good for us that Suzie and Bernard had decided to join us. We got the ferry over to Butterworth where we decided to get a taxi up to Haadyai, rather than the bus. It was a four hour journey and there were no issues crossing the border into Thailand. On arrival in this dusty, run-down town, apparently famed for its nightlife, we were at a loss to why Suzie's father would have recommended it to us! Bernie told us to checkin at the Oriental Hotel which we did. He's going to be joining us tomorrow after taking Suzie back to Singapore. I've go ongoing gastro-enteritis so not feeling at my best.

Travel Journal Asia 1982 Day 11

Post author:Dawn Brookes
Post published:June 26, 2022
Post category:Asia Travel Journal

Saturday June 26th 1982 Today, we diced with death and hired motorcycles. I had never ridden a motorbike before except as pillion. I had to learn to ride in 5 minutes! Not only that, I had Bernie riding pillion. We managed to get used to the bikes and drove to the Monkey Gardens followed by Penang Hill. We took a train up a funicular railway up to the top at 2,000 feet. The journey was almost vertical – or so it seemed. There were beautiful views of the whole island from the top. Bernie and Suzie Penang 1982 Afterwards we travelled to the Snake Temple. I was disappointed there were only three snakes, but as I don't even like snakes, not broken by it! We had to drive through Georgetown on the way back and J crashed into a car. Thankfully she wasn't hurt but the car driver was not happy. As his car looked like it was falling apart – most of them did – I couldn't see what all the fuss was about! We were driving in the dark when my motorbike kept cutting out and the lights were intermittently failing. It was scary as we were driving in pitch darkness along winding roads with cliff edges. I prayed all the way down, driving as carefully as I could. I've never been so pleased to get anywhere in my life when we arrived at the hire place. Bernie had turned pale and we were all filthy from dust and fumes. We happily returned the bikes and went back to the hotel to shower and sleep, deciding to have a beach day the next day.