Interview with David Lewis

I first encountered the Secret Churchill Files when I copy-edited the first one, A Jewel in the Crown. Whereas the first book included a lot of humorous banter between its leads, the Welsh socialist/former police constable Caitrin Colline and the English aristocrat Hector Neville Percy, as well as conspiracies and various dare-devil feats, the second installment, A Beacon in the Night, introduces deep loss and grief.

It could hardly be otherwise, since it opens on December 31, 1940, with the Battle of Britain in full swing. Caitrin’s section of London has been demolished by relentless attacks from the Luftwaffe, and even 512, the all-female intelligence operation that employs Caitrin, is under pressure to accept incorporation into one of the other secret services.

As 1941 dawns, things only get worse. Even so, there are reversions to the lighthearted tone of book 1 (a humorous scene featuring Ian Fleming—yes, the creator of James Bond—is a personal favorite of mine). Read on to find out more from the written interview with the author.

This is the second of the Secret Churchill Files. Could you summarize the central mission of the first, A Jewel in the Crown?

Winston Churchill wants the Crown Jewels safe in Canada, and Caitrin, along with Lord Hector, is given the task of getting them to a ship in Scotland. But they are stolen, and, alone, she is faced with three hundred and sixty degrees of enemy—one of whom might be Hector.

Caitrin Colline is the central character of both books. What should readers know about her?

Winston Churchill calls her “his redheaded packet of Welsh persistence.” She comes from a tough Welsh coal-mining town and wants nothing more than to tear down the English aristocracy—which puts her at odds with Lord Hector.

In A Jewel in the Crown, we also meet Hector Neville-Percy, Lord Marlton. He, too, returns in A Beacon in the Night. How would you describe him and his relationship with Caitrin?

It is a will they/won’t they relationship. Their backgrounds are so dissimilar. She is lightning-fast, while he is more measured. There is a mutual respect, but they spend a lot of time bouncing off each other, and she cannot resist teasing him.

Another crucial element of the series is 512 and its director, Mrs. Bethany Goodman. Please say a bit about that.

I love Bethany. She lost her husband in a navy battle, has no family, and the young agents she considers her children. Quietly brilliant, like so many women for far too long.

Early in A Beacon in the Night, Caitrin suffers a devastating loss. I won’t ask you what that is, because it would be a bit of a spoiler for people who haven’t yet read A Jewel in the Crown. But how does it affect Caitrin’s approach to this new mission?

Caitrin gets to grow up and discover that life is not fair—but is still wonderful. It makes her an adult woman rather than a girl.

And what can you tell readers about the mission itself?

The story is based on Germany’s Baedeker Raids.  Baedeker was a guidebook that showed all of England’s great buildings. After Berlin was bombed, Hitler decided the Luftwaffe would target historical castles, cathedrals and estates.

Winston Churchill is a frequent point-of-view character in both books. Why include his perspective, and is he fun to write?

As a Welshman I have mixed feelings about Winston because he sent in troops to break a miners’ strike in Wales—but he was a remarkable man. I tried to get behind the icon and find the human being. I loved researching and writing him. And I adore his wife Clementine—she and Eleanor Roosevelt will have a book together.

According to your website, Caitrin has many more adventures to come. What can you tell us about the next one?

There are seven, and I am almost finished on the last one, All the Devils Are Here. The series begins with Caitrin meeting Winston, and I thought it should end with her face-to-face with Adolf Hitler. In fact, she beomes Eva Braun’s maid of honour at their wedding! The next one (3) is Paris Chase, where she is sent to France to find and bring back a young SS officer who has a copy of the Wannsee document, which organised concentration camps.

Thank you so much for answering my questions!

David Lewis was born in Wales and moved to Hollywood to become a director of photography. He has shot everything from movies to commercials and music videos, specializing in comedies. For many years, David worked in and traveled around Scotland. He now lives in southern California with Hank, the noisiest cat in the world, and can be found online at https://www.davidlewisnovels.com.

Photograph of David Lewis and Hank © David Lewis. Reproduced with permission.