Q. I have read all your Christopher Redmayne series with the exception of The Amorous Nightingale which does not seem to be available anywhere except on ebay. Certainly not in bookshops in Central Scotland or any of the Waterstones stores nationally or online. My question is basically, Why? And is there something special about this story as the others are still readily available in Glasgow shops and libraries but not this one?

As an added question, do you intend to write any more in this character? as you give a good insight into London of that time without boring the reader with too many facts being repeated just to fill out a story. I am now enjoying The Railway Detective series having read the Daniel Rawson ones.’ Bill Inglis, Cumbernauld

A. Thank you for your generous comments about my books. I’m glad that you enjoy them. I’m sorry that you’re having difficulty tracking down The Amorous Nightingale as it is one of my favourite novels. The nightingale of the title is an actress who has a dalliance with Charles II before being abducted. Christopher and his brother are charged with finding her. Having written sixteen novels about the Elizabethan theatre in my Nicholas Bracewell series, I wanted to take a closer look at the Restoration theatre in which women appeared onstage for the first time. If you read the latest Railway Detective novel, The Silver Locomotive Mystery, you’ll see that I explore the Victorian theatre by way of contrast.

I have no immediate plans to continue the Christopher Redmayne series but will hope to return to it one day.

Edward Marston