SEARCHING
A Crime Novel by DSM Christensen
Synopsis (December 2024)
Melbourne – Present Day
Simon Westall, in the depths of an existential crisis, decides to end his life by disappearing into bushland in the depths of winter. He has told conflicting stories for his impending absence to both his shady employer and his cheating partner, with the expectation that they will not suspect a problem until it is too late. Discarding all traceable devices, including his mobile phone and car he travels by foot to a bush region outside Melbourne, with no association to his past, to make his bush grave well away from hiking trails.
A day later, Police discover the body of Liam O’Dowd, a work colleague and friend of Simon Westall. Missing Persons specialist, Detective Sergeant Laura Grey, investigates the murder and discovers that Simon is also missing, with a great deal of evidence pointing to his involvement. Is he the perpetrator or another victim?
Sensing other forces at play to divert her off the case, and with her career on the line, Laura must work fast to identify the killer. Assisted by rookie detectives and overwhelmed by pressures from her private life, will this become yet another case taken from her under the pretext that she is not a competent detective?
Trials of Henry
An Historical Novel by DSM Christensen
Synopsis (February 2024)
April 1865, American Civil War
The principal Confederate forces have surrendered and president Lincoln has been assassinated. The Union’s General Sherman issues a general parole to the Confederate armed forces of the deep south, without permission of the Union Army Commander, General Ulysses Grant. Grant issues an order to rescind the general parole and for remaining Confederate forces to remain at their posts until they are processed by the Union Army and given permission to return to their homes.
* * * * * * * *
As the guns fall silent in the American Civil War, Captain Henry Wirz finds himself the only officer remaining at Camp Sumter, a prisoner-of-war camp in the heart of Georgia. He is exhausted and unwell; abandoned by his superior officers. Despite pressure from his wife and family Henry chooses to remain onsite to care for the remaining Union prisoners.
One day the camp is discovered by the Union Army. They are shocked by the state of the camp and the fact that nearly a quarter of prisoners held there died of starvation and disease. The prisoners all point to Henry as the officer responsible. Henry willingly cooperates with Union officers as they take control of the camp. He is encouraged to travel to the local Union Army headquarters where he is placed under arrest and transported to Washington DC. No charges are laid and no legal advocates are assigned to Henry, so he languishes in prison for several months.
Meanwhile pressure is mounting on the newly installed President Andrew Johnson to restore civil government. It is realised that in doing so the opportunity to try the Confederate Government for causing the civil war, according to the less stringent rules of Military Law, would disappear. Putting Henry on trial is seen as a means to exposing a conspiratorial environment in the Confederate government. It is also seen as a means for tempering public anger over the assassination of President Lincoln and the whole rebellion. A trial is ordered to produce the desired outcome.
Henry is finally provided with lawyers. Charges are formally laid the day before the trial is due to start. Henry’s lawyers are outraged with having no time to prepare a defence and walk out.
How will Henry be able to present his story? How many of the charges are true? How many more trials will Henry have to face to become free?
These are the Trials of Henry.