Get Ready to Step Back in Time: Announcing the Marvellous Melbourne Mysteries!
As I hinted earlier in my latest newsletter and also on social media, I'm incredibly excited to share more about my brand new mystery series, Marvellous Melbourne Mysteries!
We're heading back to Melbourne, but this time to the early-to-mid 2000s. It's an era many of us remember well, yet one that already feels distinct through the lens of today. Think less dial-up screech, more the satisfying snap of a closing flip phone. SMS messaging is king, digital cameras are capturing moments (that might later become evidence!), and the internet is faster, but social media is just beginning its crawl into our lives.
Picture Melbourne then: the Docklands precinct is rapidly transforming the skyline, laneway bars are the height of cool, and there's a certain pre-GFC gloss over the city. But the heart of this series beats within a more secluded world – an exclusive club. I'm talking about the inner sanctums, the places behind unmarked doors, the circles where Melbourne's elite – be it old money, new tech-boom wealth, or political players – converge. It's a world fiercely guarded, built on connections, secrets, and unspoken rules. Access is tightly controlled, loyalty is demanded, and crossing the wrong person can have devastating consequences.
Why call a series set in the 2000s "Marvellous Melbourne"? Because for the members of this exclusive club, their world is marvellous. They are the inheritors or creators of their own glittering version of Melbourne, often insulated from (or perhaps directly causing) the murkier realities outside their bubble. The title reflects that perception, the shiny veneer that my protagonists will need to scratch away to find the truth.
The Marvellous Melbourne Mysteries will delve into the crimes that fracture this polished surface. When everyone has a mobile phone, how do secrets still hold? What digital breadcrumbs are left behind through SMS exchanges or early online activity? How do you investigate crimes where witnesses are tight-lipped, bound by the codes of their exclusive world? Expect mysteries intertwined with power plays, betrayals within the inner circle, and the deadly clash between public image and private truths.
Living just outside the city now (in 2025!), it's fascinating to look back at that specific slice of the 2000s – a time so connected by mobiles and SMS, yet still preserving pockets of intense privacy and exclusivity that feel different from today's hyper-connected world. Recreating that atmosphere, especially the dynamics of the privileged and powerful 'club' at its centre, is proving incredibly compelling.
While the first mystery is still under wraps, I wanted to share this glimpse into the setting and the core tensions of the Marvellous Melbourne Mysteries.
Stay tuned for more updates! I'll be sharing more snippets, perhaps hinting more about the 'club' and introducing our protagonist(s) soon, followed by cover reveals and release dates down the track. Make sure you're signed up for my newsletter so you're first in the know!
I can't wait to open the doors (just a crack!) to this exclusive world for you.
Best,
Steven Goldsmith