Stories that run beneath the surface…
Dominique Gracia is a researcher of Victorian literature and culture, and a writer of short fiction and other bits and bobs. She is fascinated by things that come up again and again, and run below the surface, from Greek mythology to cultural tropes that just won’t die, and the emotions that carry them along. If you love myths, the Victorians, or detective stories, then you’re in the right place…!
The Meinir Davies Casebook
In Victorian London, Sherlock Holmes is not alone in solving mysteries that baffle the official police. Housekeeper, schoolmistress, detective: Mrs Meinir Davies tracks down missing mothers, stolen treasures, and secrets and scandals touching some of England’s most venerable institutions, from the Church to the Houses of Parliament.
Join Meinir, Sherlock, Dorcas Dene, and more in 12 brand new short stories.
Supper at the Bryn Ddu
The first in a series of detective short stories set in the South Wales valleys, following Detective Inspector Dylan Jones and his team. DI Jones is called to a suspicious death at the Bryn Ddu lodge: a dead girl the lodge owners say broke in to one of their rooms with two young female accomplices.
No one knows how she died, but her body reveals clues about how she lived.
Researcher Wanted
A family curse lies dormant, hidden somewhere in Edinburgh, and perhaps Matthew can help break it?
Freelance writers have to do what they can to get by. Matthew doesn’t much like the idea of being an “assistant”, but Sandy is a charming older historian, and she promises an interesting story. He doesn’t believe in ghosts or curses. What’s the worst that can happen?
Inspired by a true story.
Or, read some of my short fiction right here
Praise for The Meinir Davies Casebook
“Light, engaging, quick-read cozy mysteries” with “delightfully witty dialogue and arch commentary” from “an able and clever storyteller“. (Kirkus Reviews)
“Full of nuanced detail with well written, flowing story lines.” (Amazon reviewer)
“Intriguing short stories, interesting characters and a twist of Sherlock Holmes.” (Amazon reviewer)
Reviews and other news
Research
Dominique’s academic research principally covers the area of Victorian literature and culture. Her work has been published in journals such as Word&Image, the Victorian Popular Fiction Journal, and Victorian Poetry. Her research interests include:
- Victorian poetry, short fiction, and essays, especially by female writers such as Michael Field and Vernon Lee.
- Media studies and the relationships between writing and other art forms (painting, sculpture, TV, etc.), including adaptation and ekphrasis.
- The detective fiction genre from the nineteenth century to the present day, in particular in modern TV series focused on ‘amateur’ detectives/extraordinary sidekicks.
- Broadly, the relationship between twenty-first-century culture and Victorian literature and culture through Neo-Victorianism as well as the continuity of political, social and cultural institutions, structures and norms.
See my research page for a list of talks and publications, including PDFs, where available.
Dominique Gracia 