Asylum Murders, Author interview by Michael G. Colburn

In the shadowed halls of power and madness, only the bold dare search for the truth.

1890’s Melbourne. In the flickering gaslight of Victoria Parliament’s inner chambers, a prized symbol of government—the ceremonial Mace—disappears following a night of decadent indulgence involving parliamentarians and officials. Lady Edith Black, a former thief turned Melbourne’s most unconventional investigator, is drawn into the mystery. Though her past remains hidden, her talent and determination is unmatched—and her instincts tell her the Mace is merely the tip of something far darker.

The night the Mace disappears, a young woman is discovered near death. The two crimes intertwine and lead Edie to the foreboding gates of Kew Asylum, where her closest friend, Britina—a novice nun assigned to care for patients—has made a disturbing discovery: patients are vanishing without explanation. When Britina becomes a risk to a sinister plan, she is swiftly silenced, declared criminally insane, and locked away among the very souls she sought to protect.

To rescue her friend, Edie must step into the asylum’s grim world of medical secrets, patient abuse, a chilling conspiracy …and enemies willing to kill to keep their secrets buried.

But exposing the truth could cost more than her freedom.

It could cost her life.

Asylum Murders is the second Lady Black mystery—a richly layered historical thriller where madness masks murder, and justice must be stolen from those who believe themselves untouchable.

Interview with Michael Colburn

What has your writing journey been like so far? How did you find yourself writing novels in retirement?

I tried painting but had zero talent. My writing journey has been in two phases. When I retired, I wrote books on the creative process, invention and successful management of the creative process. It is what I had done in business for over four decades. The back of my mind always niggled at me to find a good story.

How did you come up with the idea for Lady Black?

When I found the story of a ship being stolen from the River Clyde in Glasgow during the 1800s, I felt this could be the beginning for a novel. Why was it stolen, and for what purpose? Who did it? What happened during its voyage? I was told it disappeared. A little was revealed during my research, but most questions weren’t answered, so I could make up the story and many of the characters. I wanted a central figure to build a series on. One newspaper account mentioned an elegant lady, finely dressed, who boarded the Ferret Steam Ship with the principal thief Henderson. He introduced her as his wife, but she mostly vanished from accounts of the Ferret’s exploits. She became my Lady Edith Black and the protagonist of the series.

How do you plot your mysteries? How have readers responded to the twists in your books?

I love stories with twists and turns, but I don’t plan them, and I don’t plot my stories except to have a central theme, some genuine events, unsolved crimes when possible, and I build out the story from there. The twists just come as I write. Readers seem to love a good surprise when reading, provided it’s supported in the story.

What research did you do for “Asylum Murders”? How did you capture 1890s Melbourne?

Once I have a direction for a book, I do a lot of research. For Asylum Murders I read newspapers and magazine articles from the time, based in Melbourne. Most of the historical and cultural material came courtesy of the National Library of Australia. The setting of Melbourne was chosen for me because that’s where the steamship Ferret ended up in Stolen Brilliance (book one). It helped that I had a development editor who grew up in Kew, a part of Melbourne and a primary location for much of the story. Here, however, I found a biographical book set in the Yara Bend Asylum (forerunner to Kew Asylum): Lizzie’s Journey to Yarra Bend by Linley Walker. The book provided a good deal of information about asylum life in the Victorian era.

What’s next for you? Can readers expect more from Lady Black in the future?

I currently have five novels planned for Lady Black but hope there are more. I like to focus on one of my main characters in each book other than making each page about Edie (Lady Black). Of course, her backstory was part of book one, and she plays a critical role in each book, but book two has a lot about her best friend growing up in book one, Britina. Book three, currently in first draft, centers on Benji Diamond, and book four-moves to America and centers on Jack Diamond.

Meet Michael G. Colburn

Michael G. Colburn has studied and written about the creative process for several decades. He started several businesses and one manufacturing company based on creation and invention. He has authored over twenty patents. His books include the bestselling Invent, Innovate & Prosper, and How Julia Found Happiness and Financial Success. He now devotes his time to writing The Lady Black Crime fiction series. He lives with his wife in Vermont. When he is not writing, they like to travel and take long-distance walking trips, exploring paths and cultures worldwide.