The Daniel Whelan Page
Events and Writing courses
Dive into the adventures of Daniel and Taz.
Daniel and Taz first appear in No Going Back
“…the German shepherd was excited now, his enthusiasm transmitting clearly down the tracking line to Daniel’s hand. All at once the line went slack and a short, sharp bark carried back on the swirling misty air.
‘Good lad. Stay there! He’s found them,’ he said over his shoulder.”
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When two young sisters get lost on Dartmoor, Daniel Whelan and his German Shepherd, Taz, are called into action – his past experience as a police dog handler having helped find a missing toddler just weeks earlier. A desperate search of the wild and wintry moor quickly turns up one of the girls, however, rather than showing relief at being rescued, she seems terrified and Daniel cannot help but notice the rather strange behaviour of her father and uncle. Poor weather and the encroaching darkness halts their search for her elder sister, and Daniel returns home with one distressing question on his mind: had the girls been lost or were they running away? And if so, who or what had they been running from?
But Daniel is trying to outrun his own demons. He left the police force after a number of disturbing events made his position untenable and now, as he attempts to uncover the truth behind what happened that night on the moor, his former life is threatening to catch up with him…
Publishers Weekly Starred Review:
‘Vivid descriptions of Devon complement a compelling mystery, which builds to a dramatic conclusion’
“The man clearly thrived on inflicting fear, and even if he was quaking inside, Daniel was damned if he was going to give his tormentor the satisfaction of seeing it in his face.
The balaclava leaned close and whispered in his ear. ‘Why don’t you be a good boy and go back where you come from? We don’t want troublemakers round here.’
Daniel said nothing. He didn’t get the feeling it was intended to be a conversation.”
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When ex-police dog handler Daniel Whelan is asked to help out at a local haulage company that is in trouble after the owner is hospitalised by a vicious attack, he and his German Shepherd, Taz, rapidly find themselves attracting the wrong sort of attention.
Daniel quickly learns that a number of employees have been pressured into leaving and he soon comes into conflict with the foreman, who belongs to a notorious local family. All evidence points to them being involved in some very nasty business indeed: business they will do anything to protect.
Meeting with a lack of interest from official quarters, Daniel sets out to uncover the truth but, after several violent warnings, he begins to wonder… Has he bitten off more than he can chew?
Library Journal Review:
‘“Plenty of action, a great dog, and enough twists will keep the reader glued to the page”
“…Looking ahead, he saw for the first time the outlines of two figures against the darkening sky, carrying something bulky. The kayak. He almost had them.
It was only after he had travelled another twenty feet or so that the significance of just two figures impacted on his brain, and by then it was too late.
The third man stepped out from the shadow of the hedge swinging a branch with force at shoulder height and hit Daniel before he had a chance to brake or swerve.”
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Concerned for the safety of his fiancée Tami who is worried that she’s being watched by a sinister, hoodie-clad figure, Daniel Whelan’s former colleague, Joey Matsuki, has asked the ex-police dog handler and his faithful German Shepherd, Taz, to keep an eye on her on his behalf.
Working undercover as Tami’s temporary horsebox driver, Daniel soon suspects there may be more to the situation than meets the eye. As he questions Tami’s friends and neighbours, it becomes clear that something is not quite right. There are things people aren’t telling him; small but significant incidents that can’t be explained.
Then events take a tragic turn, and it becomes frighteningly apparent that there are those who will stop at nothing to prevent Daniel finding out the truth.
Kirkus Reviews Review:
‘Stacey seems ready to merge her dog and horse franchises in a pleasing puzzler…’
“Daniel decided the time for talking was over.
‘Taz?’ he said, quietly, and saw the gleam of the German shepherd’s eyes as he glanced up, enquiringly. He pointed at Billy Driscoll. ‘Take him!’
Taz needed no second bidding. Silent and swift now the talking was over, he rocketed from Daniel’s sid e and launched himself at Driscoll. The dog needed no light to perform and Daniel needed none to follow the sequence of events.
Driscoll cried out in fear and shock; a scraping footfall or two sounded, followed by the hollow booming of something hitting the side of the van and then a heavy thud.
Taz had got his man down.”
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Lorna Myers thinks she knows where her businessman husband is – until two men come looking for him one October evening. By lucky chance, ex-police officer Daniel Whelan happens to be on hand to take control of the situation, but for Lorna it’s the start of a nightmare. If Harvey isn’t abroad working, as she thought, then where is he?
When Lorna’s daughter asks Daniel for help with a problem of her own, he finds himself reluctantly drawn into the complex affairs of the Myers family – with what could be potentially deadly consequences for both him and his faithful canine partner, Taz.
Meet The Characters
Daniel Whelan
28 years old, 6 feet tall, Athletic, Wavy brown hair, Hazel brown eyes.
General Description - Pleasant-looking with a wide-ish mouth, hazel-brown eyes and wavy hair.
Nature/Temperament - Generally friendly and easy-going but has been mentally scarred (PTSD?) by the events that led to his resigning from the police force, and suffers occasional nightmares and flashbacks which leave him depressed and introspective.
Occupation - Ex-police dog handler, delivery truck driver & troubleshooter
Drives - In NGB he drives an old red Mercedes estate car. In later books he drives another, silver Mercedes estate.
Romantic Connections – Separated from ex-wife Amanda, with whom relations are now strained. Casual affair with Tamzin Ellis in NGB, and something a bit more serious with Anya Darby who he meets in NSC.
Lives - In a flat above an empty lawnmower shop near Okehampton on the edge of Dartmoor.
Family - Son Drew (aged 8 when NGB starts) with Amanda Whelan/Sutton. Daniel’s mother lives in Dorset with his sister, Penny. Brothers Simon and Mark work away from home. His father was a police officer but came and went erratically in Daniel’s life until he finally walked out for good when Daniel was 9 and Daniel hasn’t seen him since.
Animals - Taz, a large, 3yr old, dark-coated German shepherd dog who had been his partner in the police force and who, due to Daniel’s friendship with the vet, had been permanently signed off work with an injury at the same time as Daniel was taken off the dog unit. Taz is his best mate and protector.
Background - In spite of his father leaving them, Daniel had always wanted to follow him into the police force and at age 18, he left home and did so, in the face of opposition from his mother and sister. The Bristol Met was his life for the next ten years and when he met and married Amanda early in his career and Drew came along, he felt as though his future was settled and secure. That was until he uncovered evidence of corruption amongst his fellow officers and became a whistleblower. The senior officer he took his suspicions to had a vested interest in keeping the whole affair quiet and pretty soon, everything Daniel had worked for began to unravel…
Taz
German Shepherd, 3 years old, Strong & Athletic, Thick dark black and tan coat, Dark brown eyes.
General Description – Big, handsome male German shepherd dog, trained as a general purpose police dog, he is a skilled tracker and easily capable of taking a man down, if ordered to do so.
Nature/Temperament – Taz is a one-man-dog and would guard Daniel with his life. He is alert, intelligent, and energetic. He is more tolerant than friendly with people; well able to blank people who are not “in his circle” and openly hostile towards people he dislikes or distrusts. He tolerates and ignores most other dogs but was once attacked by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and now holds all members of the breed responsible.
If you have questions about the characters or the books, then drop me a line.
©Copyright 2024 by Lyndon Stacey. All rights reserved.
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