What's Coming Up in the Rest of 2026?

We're three-quarters of the way through the year and the autumn is well and truly here. So what do I have planned for my writing before we crack open the champagne and cheer in 2027?

In late November, I plan to release The Case of the Terrible Tomb, book 9 in my Masked Man of Cairo historical mystery series. I left book 8 on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I've gotten a lot of emails asking when the followup will appear. You don't have much longer to wait and I promise book 9 isn't another cliffhanger!

In other news, I'm also working on a discounted boxed set of the first three books of the Cairo series that will contain a bonus short story. Binge readers like box sets, so that might bring some more people to my little world, plus the set will be in Kindle Unlimited, so KU readers can get the bonus short story for nothing! I'm hoping to have that out in November or December.

Sometime in December, Vinci Books will come out with audiobooks of my Toxic World and Moroccan Mystery series. More on that when I know myself!

That's all that will be published in 2026, but it isn't all that's in the works. For Vinci, I'm working on Book 3 of my Bunker series, due out in the spring of 2027. I'm also working on An Autumn Murder in Berlin, book 4 of my Berlin Murders series. Yes, that was supposed to come out this year, but other projects, and a move to Morocco, got in the way. Sorry, folks. I promise you'll have it by early 2027!

So what else is coming up in 2027? That will remain a mystery for now. . . 

Two New Ebook Boxed Sets!

Vinci Books sure has been busy. Not only have they come out with a new series of mine this season, but they've also repackaged a couple of old ones as discounted boxed sets.

The Moroccan Mysteries Complete Box Set contains all three ebooks of this historical mystery series. Set in Tangier, North Africa's wildest town in the Fifties, it follows a detective solving crimes amid a backdrop of colonial decadence, a rising independence movement, and Cold War espionage. A bit of noir and a bit of humor. Plus you save money if you buy them as a bundle. I'm hoping this series starts doing well because living in Tangier, I'll get plenty of inspiration to write more!

The Toxic World Box Set brings together all four books of my gritty post-apocalyptic series. No zombies, no meteorites, we screwed up the world all by ourselves! Follow the men and women of New City, humanity's last outpost, as they struggle against toxic rains, mad cultists, and their own foibles.

 Both box sets are available as ebooks and on Kindle Unlimited.

 

Breakdown, Bunker Book Two, Out Now

Book two of my Bunker post-apocalyptic mystery series is out now.

Breakdown takes up where Lockdown left off. Jake and friends are on the trail of another murderer in a different bunker. A blurb is below.

 

Jake Holloway is not a detective.
He’s a bartender who survived the end of the world.

Six months after a devastating world war turned the surface into a toxic wasteland, Jake is trying to stay sane inside a luxury bunker that feels more like a prison.

After solving a brutal murder in Bunker One, he and his companions are drawn deeper into the hidden underground network, travelling through secret tunnels that connect the last refuges of humanity.
Their destination: Bunker Eleven.

A billionaire pleasure palace of endless parties, forced smiles, and custom drugs designed to keep its residents happy, obedient, and numb.

But people are dying.

The owner insists the deaths are suicides.

Jake isn’t convinced.

Then someone tries to kill him.

Surrounded by suspects and trapped in a society where every smile is chemically manufactured, Jake must uncover who is behind the deaths before the body count rises again.

The world above is poisoned.

The danger below is human. 

 

I'm having a lot of fun writing these and I'm working on Shutdown, Bunker Book Three, right now. You can watch my progress on the righthand column. 

A New Post-Apocalyptic Mystery Thriller Out Now

OMG, another one? Vinci Books just released Lockdown, book one of my new series post-apocalyptic mystery series, set in one of those survival bunkers the billionaires are all building in real life. And if that doesn't scare you, you're not paying attention!

Only 99 cents until August 12!

 

The world ended six months ago.

Deep beneath the Arizona desert, fifty-six survivors live in a luxury underground bunker built by billionaire inventor Sebastian Crest. While the surface lies poisoned by nuclear war and engineered plagues, Crest’s carefully selected residents struggle to create a new society underground.

Then a man is murdered.

The victim isn’t one of the fifty-six.

He isn’t supposed to be there at all.

As the bunker’s bartender, Jake Holloway knows everyone’s secrets. He also knows when people are lying. When Crest and his security chief hurry to suppress the murder, Jake begins asking questions of his own.

The answers lead to hidden alliances, buried grudges, and a conspiracy that reaches far beyond a single bunker. Crest’s refuge isn’t as isolated as everyone believes.

In a sealed world where no one can leave, Jake must uncover the truth before another resident dies.

Or before the last refuge of humanity tears itself apart.

 

Get it now for only 99 cents! (Or pence!)

The Masked Man of Cairo Book Eight is out Now!

 

The eighth volume of the Masked Man of Cairo series, The Case of the Poisonous Papyrus, is out now in ebook and print! Now I'm hard at work on book nine. . .

 

A fatal delivery. An unspeakable crime.
Moustafa Ghani El Souwaim has always trod a fine line between supporting Egyptian independence and being a law-abiding citizen. When a frame-up job lands him in trouble with the law, he finds that he can no longer keep silent, and that only lands him in greater danger.
Sir Augustus Wall and his adopted son Faisal rush in to help, but Faisal finds he has his own choices to make, and that he cannot escape his past of living on the street.
Will their crime-fighting team split up for good? Find out in the latest adventure of the acclaimed Masked Man of Cairo historical mystery series, which takes you from the sordid back streets of Cairo to the grim fastness of the Citadel!

 

You can get it on all Amazon stores. 

The Case of the Poisonous Papyrus available for preorder!

 

Book 8 of my Masked Man of Cairo historical mystery series, The Case of the Poisonous Papyrus, is available for pre-order and will be published July 29!

Pre-orders really help us authors, because it gets the ball rolling with those all-important algorithms. And it gets delivered straight to your device on publication day!

A blurb is below: 

 

A fatal delivery. An unspeakable crime.
Moustafa Ghani El Souwaim has always trod a fine line between supporting Egyptian independence and being a law-abiding citizen. When a frame-up job lands him in trouble with the law, he finds that he can no longer keep silent, and that only lands him in greater danger.
Sir Augustus Wall and his adopted son Faisal rush in to help, but Faisal finds he has his own choices to make, and that he cannot escape his past of living on the street.
Will their crime-fighting team split up for good? Find out in the latest adventure of the acclaimed Masked Man of Cairo historical mystery series, which takes you from the sordid back streets of Cairo to the grim fastness of the Citadel! 

 

You can order the ebook here. Print edition coming this month, it's just taking a little time with the layout folks! 

A Free Historical Mystery!

 

From now through Sunday, July 19, my award-winning historical mystery, The Case of the Purloined Pyramid, is a free ebook on Amazon. A blurb is below.

 

An ancient mystery. A modern murder.

Cairo, 1919. As Egypt struggles for independence and fortune hunters scour the desert for ancient treasures, Sir Augustus Wall hopes to leave the horrors of the Great War behind him.

Scarred beyond recognition, he hides behind a prosthetic mask and moves to the native quarter of Cairo to open an antiquities shop. But Europe’s troubles follow him as a priceless inscription is stolen and those who know its secrets start turning up dead.

Teaming up with brilliant Egyptologist Moustafa Ghani, and Faisal, a mischievous street urchin he just can't shake, Sir Augustus must unravel an ancient secret and face his own dark past.

Kindle Scout Winner in 2017 

 

Download it now on Amazon! 

The Case of the Dastardly Djinn is now out in Audio!

 

The prequel to my Masked Man of Cairo series, The Case of the Dastardly Djinn, is now out as an audiobook, narrated as always by the talented Curtis Michael Holland. A blurb is below. 

 

A homeless boy. A hunted girl.

Cairo, 1917. In a city plagued by poverty and war, ten-year-old Faisal begs and steals to survive, hiding at night from the things that prowl after dark. The nimblest and most clever of the street boys, he's terrified of the unseen spirits he's convinced haunt the ancient city.

But when he discovers a girl his age left homeless by a terrible tragedy, Faisal decides to do what no one ever did for him—help. With no shelter and facing the many dangers of Cairo's darkened streets, Faisal's loyalties are tested when together they uncover a criminal ring more sinister than his worst superstitions.  

This prequel to the Masked Man of Cairo mystery adventure series will thrill new listeners and long-time fans alike! 

 

You can get it on Amazon and everywhere audiobooks are sold or rented. 

June Writing Update

It's summer already???

Where has the time gone? So far, I've only published one book this year, Cordelia Catches A Count, which was well enough received that there will be a book three in that series. Even so, I need to get cracking!

The Case of the Poisoned Papyrus, Book 8 of The Masked Man of Cairo series, will come out later this summer. Watch this space for pre-order info. An Autumn Murder in Berlin, book four of The Berlin Murders, will, appropriately enough, come out in the autumn.

Also, Vinci Books will release the first two volumes in a new series titled Bunker, mysteries set in a network of billionaire bunkers after World War Three. That's right, post-apocalyptic mystery. After eight billion people die, does one murder more really matter? It does if you're stuck in a bunker with the murderer! They haven't given me a set date yet. I'll share it when I get it.

Besides this blog, the best way to follow my progress is by subscribing to my newsletter, Sean's Travels and Tales, which gets your two free ebooks as well as a monthly magazine with coupons, updates, and travel articles. 

The Case of the Disappearing Dervish Now Available As An Audiobook!

 

Tantor Media just came out with Book Six of my Masked Man of Cairo series, narrated by the talented Curtis Michael Holland!

The Case of the Disappearing Dervish sees Sir Augustus, Moustafa, and Faisal head south to the Sudan. A blurb is below.

 

A religious scandal. A deadly homecoming.

Moustafa Ghani El Souwaim has come far in life. Raised illiterate in a remote village in the Soudan, he set out at sixteen to better himself. His journey took him to the great archaeological sites of Africa, where he became a leading researcher versed in several ancient and modern languages. His life took an even stranger turn when he teamed up with Sir Augustus Wall and his street boy sidekick Faisal to solve murders.

Now there's been a murder in his village. A local religious mendicant has been found bludgeoned to death and Moustafa's cousin, who is in the same religious order, has vanished and is assumed to be the killer. Moustafa must return to his roots to clear his cousin's name and reunite with the family he left behind.

But can Moustafa really go home again after having changed so much, and does that home even want him? 

 

Available wherever audiobooks can be purchased or rented. 

The Case of the Asphyxiated Alexandrian is now available as an audiobook!

 

Book 5 of my Masked Man of Cairo series is now out as an audio book, and book 6 comes out next month! These are all narrated by the talented Curtis Michael Holland, who has won several awards for his work and is also fluent in Arabic! You can find the audiobooks on Amazon, Audible, and anywhere else audiobooks are sold.

April Writing Update

Spring has sprung, and I'm busy writing!

I just finished the first draft of The Case of the Poisonous Papyrus, book 8 of the Masked Man of Cairo series. It's now in edits and will soon go to the beta readers. I'm also working on a new series called Bunker, murder mysteries set in a network of billionaires' bunkers after World War Three. Locked room mysteries on another level! Those will start coming out this summer.

Vinci Books has now made new covers for my Moroccan Mystery and Toxic World series. You can see a couple here.

My next project is to finish book four of The Berlin Murders. It's time to get back to Katherine's adventures, but I have to warn you, as 1933 draws closer, it's getting a bit darker.

(How couldn't it?)

Plenty more to come, and you can follow it all by checking this blog every month or signing up to my newsletter. That bags you two free ebooks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Latest Historical Mystery is Out!

 

My latest historical mystery, Cordelia Catches A Count, is out now. It's the second book in Cordelia's Cairo Case Files, following the adventures of an English nurse in Cairo right after World War One. Fans who like amateur female sleuths will like this one. A blurb is below.

 

A drowned scholar. A count with secrets. A treasure worth killing for.
When a Hungarian Egyptologist disappears from his hospital bed in the middle of the night, Nurse Cordelia Russell is certain something is amiss. Feverish and weak only hours before, he could not possibly have slipped out unnoticed—yet by dawn his body is found in the Nile.
The police, including Cordelia’s own brother, are satisfied with a verdict of tragic accident. Cordelia is not. She spots clues that point to something far more sinister.
Cordelia follows a trail that leads from hospital wards to grand hotels, from ancient tombs to glittering cafés—and into the orbit of the enigmatic Count János von Hohenstat, a charming aristocrat whose interest in the dead man may not be entirely innocent.
As secrets surface and loyalties blur, Cordelia must decide whom she can trust before the killer turns his attention on her.
Join Cordelia in the thrilling second installment of her Cairo mysteries!

 

 

You can get it here! 

 

 

 

My Latest Audiobook is Out!

 

Tantor Media has just released Book Three of my Masked Man of Cairo series as an audiobook. The Case of the Golden Greeks has our heroes journey to Bahariya Oasis, where I went myself to research the book. I love the narrator, Curtis Michael Holland. He speaks fluent Arabic and has an amazing voice.

Book Four comes out March 10! 

My Travel Year: A Look Back And A Look Forward

The year 2025 was a good one for my wanderlust. I started the year in Egypt, where I spent two months in Cairo and the Fayoum, researching and writing The Case of the Cackling Crocodile. Then I went to Canada for two months to see family.

Summer saw my wife and I in Albano, near Rome, where my wife was teaching a bunch of astronomy graduate students at the Vatican Summer School. I wrote and explored the area, walking the Appian Way and even having an audience with the Pope! He gave a short speech to us on the importance of exploring the universe and then we each got to shake his hand and have a quick word. A Jesuit friend was shaking like he had just met a rock star.

After that it was the usual summer of research at Oxford University, followed by a couple of short trips to Tangier.

Whew! I makes me jetlagged just writing about it. So what's coming up in 2026? I'll be back in Tangier this month, and in the spring will return to Canada. After that, things get a bit hazy. We're juggling several different options right now and we're not sure how things are going to turn out. Whatever happens, another trip to Egypt and Morocco are in the cards!

My Writing Year: A Look Back and a Look Forward

It's been a busy year for me when it comes to writing and publishing.

It may not seem like it to my readers, because I only released two books in 2026: The Case of the Cackling Crocodile (Masked Man of Cairo Book 7) and A Summertime Murder in Berlin (Berlin Murders Book 3), yet behind the scenes I've been working on much more.

To wit, two new science fiction series! Tech Scavengers is a lighthearted space opera, and Bunker is a grim post-apocalyptic thriller. Both will see the light in 2026. I'm also hard at work on more of the historical mysteries I'm best known for, including another Cordelia book, book 8 of the Masked Man of Cairo, and more!

In other news, Tantor Media is releasing my Masked Man of Cairo books as audiobooks. The Case of the Purloined Pyramid is already available wherever audiobooks are sold, and book two comes out in January.

In other news, I've sold the rights to my Toxic World and Moroccan Mysteries series to Vinci Books, a UK publisher that plans to redo the covers, get them in bookshops, and also as audiobooks and foreign language translations. If these two older series do well, I'll be adding to both of them.

You can see the progress of all these projects on the wordcount sidebar to the right as well as via my newsletter. 

Have a great new year and thanks for joining me on this journey!

 

Purloined Pyramid is now out as an Audiobook!

 

The first volume in my Masked Man of Cairo series, The Case of the Purloined Pyramid, is now out as an audiobook. Further volumes will follow once a month. A lot of you having been asking about the audio editions, and they're finally here! It's available through Amazon, Audible, Google Play, and more.

The narration is done by award-winning voice actor Curtis Michael Holland, who lives in Dubai and is fluent in Arabic. I couldn't have asked for anyone better!

The Berlin Murders Book 3 Available For Preorder!

Book 3 of The Berlin Murders is available for pre-order and will come out on October 31! The print edition should come out around then as well, but I have no set date yet. This series is a bit darker than Cairo, although it does have its humorous bits. Explore Berlin of the 1920s and 30s, when it was Europe's wildest (and most dangerous) city!

A blurb is below:

A deadly crash. A dark conspiracy.

When amateur sleuth Katherine Schmidt witnesses the fiery death of champion race driver Manfred von Rauch, suspicion of foul play falls on the pit crew—including two of her friends.

To save them from prison, she’s now in a race of her own to uncover who sabotaged the car and why.

Diving headlong into Berlin’s gritty underworld in pursuit of the killer, Katherine uncovers sinister connections to her own life and to dark powers that want to take over the country.

 

Pre-ordering a book really helps me out because it kicks in the algorithm early and helps my visibility. If you pre-order the ebook, it will be delivered to your device on Halloween! It's available on Amazon US, Amazon UK, and all the other Amazons. 

Enjoy! 

October Writing Update

The year is racing toward its finish, but I'm not finished with writing! 

Right now I'm busy editing A Summertime Murder in Berlin, book 3 of The Berlin Murders. Katherine is back on the trail of her strangest murder yet! I'll be announcing it on pre-order here in a couple of works.

Besides editing, I'm writing the second Cordelia book as well as a post-apocalyptic mystery. Not sure when they'll come out yet.

I don't have much travel planned for the rest of the year, perhaps another trip to Morocco. Most of the next three months I'll be cloistered in my home office in Madrid working on more books for you!

See you next month! 

September Writing Update

Autumn is here and I'm busy writing (because what else would I do?)

The release of The Case of the Cackling Crocodile earlier this month was a huge success. My best launch ever! Thanks to all of you for making this happen.

Right now I'm busy editing A Summertime Murder in Berlin, book 3 of The Berlin Murders. Katherine is back on the trail of her strangest murder yet! That should be out in late October if there is no hitch.

What else is on my plate? I'm writing another Egyptian mystery starring Cordelia, a post-apocalyptic mystery, and some more projects that I will reveal in time. It's been a busy year for me and that's not going to stop!

On the travel front, I just spent three weeks in Tangier, meeting various Moroccan artists and historians and working on the Cordelia book. Yes, Morocco is acting as an inspirational stand-in for Egypt. I don't have time at the moment to go to Cairo but I hope to do so later this year under some rather special circumstances. More on that when I know for sure. 

See you next month!