The novel, which is available on Amazon and in Waterstones, Foyles and The Book Repository among other outlets, is the first in a crime fiction series based in Prague with the second novel being readied for publication, possibly as early as summer next year.
Pratt (pictured) originally self-published the book after starting to write from a flat in Prague in the Czech Republic in March last year, which was picked up by Olympia within three months.
The publisher asked him to take down the original version and submit to a full rework with a new cover and manuscript edit.
Speaking to Mortgage Solutions, Pratt said he’d planned to write a screenplay when he left his position as CEO at Alexander Hall in 2015.
He met his Czech girlfriend in 2011 and fell in love with her only to fall in love with the city itself and partly re-locate to Prague later.
“I wrote the screenplay and then some short stories and had some failed attempts at publishing, but when I sat in that flat in Prague after the consultancy work dried up during the pandemic I had a germ of an idea being a British person who had relocated and had some real experience to draw on. I wanted to write an Agatha Christie-style whodunnit inspired by the city, which has a centre that competes with any city in the world,” he added.
Pratt said the book is the first modern day detective novel set in Prague which should hold a real appeal for those who’ve been there and those who haven’t.
The publisher describes the book like this:
Still recovering from his last case, former DCI Jonny Fox retreats to Prague for a much-needed break. Once he arrives there, however, he finds himself swept up in the investigation of a baffling murder in Old Town Square. His relaxing holiday quickly turns into a fast-paced and thrilling adventure as he is welcomed into the Czech police by eccentric detective Felix Mikeš, finding a city and its people that are already beginning to feel like home. Embroiled in a new case, Jonny is prompted to reassess what is truly important, and begins to piece together the broken pieces of his life.
Can Jonny figure out what he truly wants, and catch a killer in the process?
The book launch is coming shortly with the e-book due out in January 2022.
See the link to the Amazon listing here.
Pratt began his career at Barclays, progressing to managing director of MX Financial Solutions and CEO of Alexander Hall in September 2003. He left in May 2015 to become a non executive director at Largemortgageloans.com until 2019 and an independent mortgage consultant specialising in mortgage firm acquisitions.
