Happy New Year

Wishing all of my fabulous readers a wonderful New Year. Wishing you health, happiness and peace with good books to read in the months ahead.

Merry Christmas

Wishing all of my writerly and readerly friends the blessings of the season and A healthy, happy New Year! Thank you for all the love and support this past year. I appreciate all of you x

Whoop whoop!

Celebrations all round! I'm thrilled to announce that I've just signed a sparkly new 6 book contract with Bookouture to bring you more of Kitty and Matt's adventures!!

Guest blogger - Verity Bright!

A warm welcome back to Verity Bright and their latest release Murder on the Cornish Cliffs! A festive invitation from an old family friend, the promise of gingerbread at the village inn, snowy walks on the Cornish coast with Gladstone the bulldog… But wait, is that a body on the beach? Winter, 1923. It’s nearly Christmas and Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather strange letter from an old friend of her uncle. Mr Godfrey Cunliffe has asked her to stay in Cornwall for the holidays – but only because he believes his gardener is trying to poison him! With not a moment to waste Eleanor hurries down to his picturesque manor house with her butler Clifford and handsome beau Detective Hugh Seldon. But they arrive too late to stop the crime…

Get your copy HERE

Releasing tomorrow!!!

Wow! This seems to have rolled around quickly! Murder at the Highland Castle is out tomorrow!!!

Get your copy HERE Also!!!! Drum roll please for Murder at the Island Hotel!!! A lovely new cover and out for preorder too!!

Preorder HERE

The festive 'C' word

Well the weather has definitely turned more autumnal, and wet, here in Devon. Not long now until Murder at the Highland Castle is released and the first reviews are trickling in. Thank you so much to everyone who has read it and said such lovely things about it! It really does mean so much when a writer has laboured so hard to try to create a good story. I always forget to say that for those of you that enjoy a spot of romance. I have several title under my Nell Dixon name. A couple of them are Christmas reads - so if you fancy something short and sweet they are free on kindle unlimited and just 99p/99c if not. The first one is a re release The Cinderella Substitute, my very first published book! #Free on #KU The Cinderella Substitute, GET IT HERE

The second one is Christmas Ever After - a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast and my mother's personal favourite of all my books!GET IT HERE

So if you fancy a gentle romance with all the Christmassy feels to curl up with in front of the fire then give them a go!

Radio!!

Today I was at BBC radio Devon talking about the upcoming Crime Convention on October 22nd in Torquay and of course the Miss Underhay books. You can listen in on catch up, we're on from about 10.15 till 11ish LISTEN HERE And of course you can grab a icket from Torquay Museum and come and meet me and my fellow crime writers on Sunday 22nd at the convention!

Guest Blogger - Lorraine Mace

Please give a warm welcome to a new guest to my blog. I've invited Lorraine Mace along to tell us about her fabulous new book, The Guest, and the inspiration behind it. Lorraine, tell us about yourself first: I was born and raised in South East London, hen I lived and worked in South Africa, on the Island of Gozo and in France before settling on the Costa del Sol in Spain. I now live with my partner in a traditional Spanish village inland from the coast and I enjoy sampling the regional dishes and ever-changing tapas in the local bars. My knowledge of Spanish is expanding. To stop my waistline from doing the same, I run five times a week.

That sounds fabulous! The Guest sounds like a really intriguing book, what gave you the idea for it? When I'm asked where do we find the ideas for our novels?I usually reply that I have an evil mind. This response generally either satisfies or terrifies the person who asked (and always scares my partner because he isn’t sure whether or not I’m joking). However, that isn’t really how I find my ideas (I do have an evil mind, but only when I’m writing). In truth, my inspiration mainly comes from interacting with, or observing people I meet along life’s path. That’s how the initial concept for The Guest came into being. A friend mentioned that an old schoolfriend she hadn’t heard from in more than 15 years had been in touch and wanted to meet up. My friend was thrilled, looking only at the positive sideof this, but my mind runs on much darker lines. The next morning, while out running, I thought about this sudden reappearance of an old acquaintance. Why had she chosen to get in touch? Why now? What did she want? Could she be trusted? Did she have a hidden agenda? Those questions formed the basis of the plot of The Guest . The friend who comes to stay in The Guest absolutely has a hidden agenda. Her actions driveLynda, the heroine, almost to the point of a nervous breakdown. It is gaslighting at its most potent. But is there something even more sinister at play? Wow! That sounds fascinating.

Tempted yet? Here is the blurb: YOUR PAST HAS COME KNOCKING. WILL YOU LET IT IN? Lynda Blackthorn is still reeling from the tragic car crash that killed her family more than a year ago. Throwing herself into her volunteer charity work, she is trying to piece her life backtogether. When she's asked to be the face of the charity's annual fundraiser, an appeal for volunteers onthe local news brings old friend Sarah to her door - and the events of fourteen years ago crashing down around her. As the two women reconnect, Lynda invites Sarah to stay in her guest bedroom. But soon strange things start happening and Lynda learns it might have been better to keep the door to the past firmly closed . . . The Guest is avaible from HERE and you can find Lorraines website HERE and you can follow her on Twitter/X HERE and on Facebook HERE or get down with the kids on Insta! HERE Thank you Lorraine for a lovely chat and best of luck with The Guest!

Returning guest blogger- Verity Bright

A warm welcome back to my lovely friends, Verity Bright and their fabulous new book!! Murder by Invitation is available HERE Lady Swift has been cordially invited to a huge royal celebration in Little Buckford to toast the King’s birthday… but wait, is that a body in the village hall? Lady Eleanor Swift and her loyal butler Clifford are busy lending a hand with preparations for the big day. The grand dining room at Henley Hall is overflowing with home-sewn flags, paint and royal rosettes. Even Gladstone the bulldog and his new friend Tomkins the ginger cat are invited! But just days before the event Mr Prestwick-Peterson, the chairman of the celebrations committee, is found dead in the village hall: strangled with handmade red, white and royal blue bunting. With the village hall in total disarray and a key part of the decorations missing, Eleanor wonders if someone dastardly is sabotaging the King’s birthday celebrations?Teaming up with her handsome beau Detective Hugh Seldon to question the local butcher, baker, and pub landlord it becomes clear that the meddlesome busybody Mr Prestwick-Peterson was not universally liked in charming Little Buckford. Indeed, the only mystery is why he wasn’t murdered before… Searching Mr Prestwick-Peterson’s pristinely organised rooms, Eleanor is surprised to find a faded photograph of a beautiful young woman hidden within the pages of a novel. Could this be the key to untangling this very village murder? And can Eleanor catch the killer before the party is over for her, too?

Guest Blogger - Nicky Downes

A very warm welcome to a new guest to my blog - Nicky Downes. Nicky is the author of Silent Fall a new thriller!! Here is a bit about Nicky -She lives and works mainly in Coventry in the heart of the U.K. Although, she can often be found cruising the canals in the Midlands on her narrowboat, Chanelle.Her favourite authors are Val McDermid, Mark Billingham and Fiona Cummins.

I asked Nicky to tell us a bit about the inspiration behind Silent Fall This is what she said: Why did I write a book with a protagonist that climbs mountains? Like everyone during lockdown, I binged. In my case, I binged biographies, television dramas and documentaries about mountaineers. It all started with Sherpa - a documentary about the real heroes of the Himalayas. I think I’ve always been attracted to adventurers and risk takers. (I love motorbike racing too!) Eventually my partner jokingly said that if I was going to read all about mountains, then I should do something with it. As a fifty-something asthmatic, I wasn’t going to take up climbing, so DI Jack Kent was born. I wrote the first draft of Silent Fall with the help of a mentor, Helen Francis, and a superb writing group on the Jericho Writers’ Ultimate Novel Writing Course. For me, knowing that I had to write the novel in a year really spurred me on. I’m the type of writer that must have a deadline or I procrastinate. Edits are another matter though. I find editing so much harder than the freedom of a first draft when you are simply telling the story. I’m always worried when I’m editing that the whole book will unravel. I will, in reality, lose the plot! I’m currently editing book 2 in the Jack Kent series, which will be published by Storm in the new year. I agree with the climbing thing! I am terrified of heights!!

When the body of a beautiful and wealthy doctor is discovered in her high-rise apartment –all alone with the doors locked from the inside – nobody can understand how or why her life has been so brutally cut short. Detective Jacqueline “Jack” Kent may have never worked a murder case before, but that’s not going to stop her trying. It seems Ana’s murderer may have scaled the ten-story building to get in – and Jack should know. As an elite climber herself, it’s a set of skills that only a handful of people have. This can’t be the killer’s first innocent victim, and if Jack doesn’t act fast, it won’t be his last. Jack throws herself into the investigation, determined to beat the twisted climber at his own game. But the crime scene prompts harrowing memories for Jack, who’s still haunted by the death of her best friend Hannah, killed on a mountain only months before. Jack lived that day while Hannah died beside her. Night after night, she relives her friend’s final moments in her dreams.When the body of another victim is found, it’s clear that someone evil is trying to get Jack’s attention. Could the killer be one of her own close circle of friends from childhood? As the lines between her personal and professional life blur, Jack must confront the demons of her own past to stop a cold-blooded killer from striking again. Detective Jack Kent is a heroine who grabs you and doesn’t let go. The first in an unputdownable new crime thriller series, perfect for readers who adored Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean and Sally Rigby. Wow! doesn't that sound fab? The buy link is HERE And you can follow Nicky on her website HERE

Murder at the Island Hotel

Well, I'm 8k into the story now and it's shaping up quite nicely. Life is a bit complicated at the moment as my mother was taken seriously ill and admitted to hospital just over two weeks ago. Thankfully, she is slowly recovering but it has meant I've been shuttling back and forth between Devon and the Black Country. Today is a happy day however as my baby grandson is 3. Birthdays are always a joyful event and his birthday comes just after his father's when he turned 30. This year we have quite a few landmark birthdays coming up. It's surprising how quickly time passes. As you grow older the swifter it goes. It's been 4 years this coming week since Murder at the Dolphin Hotel became available for preorder! What a journey that's been! Thank you to all of you who have read Murder at the Village Fair and given it such lovely reviews. And huge thanks to everyone who has preordered Murder at The Highland Castle! You are all so brilliant - I really do have the loveliest readers. I'm hoping to organise some more guest bloggers for you soon and hope you've enjoyed meeting some of my fellow writers and learning more about them and their work.

Starting book 15

Can you believe we're at book 15 already? It seems to have flown by. The working title is Murder at the Island Hotel. I'm sure you can guess where the inspiration is from! There are lots of small islands and rocky outcrops just off the Devon and Cornish coast. Most people have heard of Burgh Island, made famous by Agatha Christie in And Then There were None. This Island is called Bird Island and Kitty will be working with Alice for this one while poor old Matt is stranded on the mainland! So it should be fun!

Guest Blogger - Anita Davison

A very warm welcome to a fellow writer of history mysteries! Anita Davison is here to tell us about her first book in a new 1920's set series! Murder in the Bookshop was released on August 22nd so is hot off the press!

It is September 1915 and the country is in the second year of a war. Hannah Merrill helps run her Aunt Violet’s bookshop in Covent Garden and one morning, rumours of an air raid the night before makes her worry for the state of the bookshop. She finds the building unharmed, but the manager's poor judgement has resulted in the business failing. Hannah sacks him, and tells her Aunt Violet she intends taking over the bookshop herself with the help of their junior assistant, Archie; decisions her aunt is ambivalent about. However, when Hannah arrives to start her regime as the bookshop manager the next day, she finds her best friend Lily-Anne Soames sitting in a wing-back chair in the reading corner – dead. Distressed by the murder of her friend, she meets Detective Inspector Farrell, the police officer in charge of the investigation, who is less than happy with her story. Why was Hannah’s closest friend inside the locked bookshop at night with Hannah’s paper knife thrust into her heart? The previous spring, the Germans started a campaign of using Zeppelins to fly over the Channel and bomb the English coast. That the enemy could make direct attacks on the English people was something no one could imagine, and the resulting terror this created was immense. Reactions were mixed. While the Government's war machine ran public campaigns to expand the army and manufacture weapons, the man in the street feared a potential invasion, and public drunkenness reached worrying proportions. The licensing hours were drastically reduced, and it was made illegal to buy a round of drinks in a public house. King George V also made a pledge that the royal family would henceforth not imbibe in alcohol.The number of English, Australian and Canadian soldiers flooding into London streets created a festival atmosphere as young men from the battlefields arrive on leave eager to spend their pay. Their presence in the public houses and dance halls attracted young women taking advantage of their new freedom to enjoy themselves when they still could. This so-called khaki fever, was considered a further fall in moral standards and a real threat to family life. Women in quasi-military uniform accompanied by police officers were sent to patrol the streets to accostunaccompanied young women and intimidate them into returning home. It is in this atmosphere of uncertainty and danger, Hannah enlists her aunt’s help, determined to find out who killed Lily-Anne and clear her own name. You can get a copy of Murder in the Bookshop HERE And you can find out more about Anita and the second book in the series which will be out soon HERE

Guest Blogger - Nicola Pryce

A warm welcome to todays guest. Here is a bit about Nicola and her writing! Nicola Pryce is published by Atlantic Books and is represented by Teresa Chris. She trained as a nurse at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, loves literature and history, and has an Open University degree in Humanities. She is a qualified adult literacy support volunteer and lives with her husband in the Blackdown Hills in Somerset. She and her husband love sailing and together they sail the south coast of Cornwall in search of adventure. It is there where she sets her books.

Her latest book is The Cornish Rebel set in Cornawall in 1801

In the wake of her mother’s death, Pandora Woodville has finally escaped her domineering father and returned to Falmouth. Bright with the dream of working at her Aunt Harriet’s school for young women, Pandora is shocked to learn the school is facing imminent closure after a series of sinister events has threatened its reputation. Acclaimed chemist Benedict Aubyn has also recently returned to Cornwall, to take up a new role as Turnpike Trust Surveyor. Pandora’s arrival has been a strange one, so she is grateful when he shows her kindness. As news of the school’s ruin spreads around town, everyone seems to be after her aunt’s estate. Now, Pandora and Aunt Harriet must do everything in their power to save the school, or risk losing everything. However, Pandora has another problem. She’s falling for Benedict. But can she trust him, or is he simply looking after his own interests? Sounds fabulous! you can get your copy of The Cornish Rebel and others in the series from HERE HERE or for UK readers who like paperbacks HERE I asked Nicola to tell us a bit about how this book came together. Sometimes, my stories seem to weave themselves together. In The Cornish Rebel,six threads were hanging tantalisingly in the air: John Loudon McAdam was in Falmouth in 1801, a renowned chemist was seeking to capture arsenic in soluble form, the Truro to Falmouth Turnpike trust had drawn a map of their proposed new route, a headmistress of a girls’ boarding school was seeking to keep her school viable, and Her land Mine in Gwinear yielded 115 tons of silver ore which, partly smelted on site, realized £5469. The sixth thread was the Old Well at St Feock with its superstitious tale of divining the man you were going to marry by visiting it at full moon. Almost by itself, the threads wove themselves together and the story began to take shape. I moved Miss Mitchell’s School for young ladies from the outskirts of Truro to the shores of Restronguet Creek and the book seemed to write itself. Well, almost. Best wishes and happy reading, Nicola

Cover reveal for Murder at the Highland Castle!

Isn't it fab? You can preorder your copy HERE A majestic castle by a Scottish loch, a glass of whisky by a roaring fire, stockings hung by the chimney… and a body? It’s a midwinter murder for Kitty Underhay! Winter, 1935. Lightly dusted with snow and nestled on the edge of a sweeping Scottish loch, Finnglach Castle looks positively magical. Kitty Underhay, her husband Matt and their beloved dog Bertie are delighted to be celebrating the new year with a Hogmanay party, but moments before midnight, a shot rings out across the grounds… Their host, Lord Barlas, is dead, murdered in the snow. The killer’s footprints have vanished and the gun is missing. With the snow-covered castle completely cut off, and a killer in their midst, Kitty and Matt need to work fast to find the culprit before someone else ends up as dead as the turkey! As the weather worsens one of the guests begins telling dark Highland stories about evil spirits. But with a sour daughter, a new wife set to inherit a fortune and a suspicious spiritual adviser, Kitty is sure the killer is close at hand. Can she, Matt and Bertie sniff out the treacherous culprit in time for haggis and whisky or will they find themselves skating on dangerously thin ice? Don’t miss this incredibly charming cozy page-turner! If you love TE Kinsey, Agatha Christie or Lee Strauss, you’ll fall head over heels for this totally unputdownable historical mystery.

Re -release news!

I'm thrilled to say that some of my older romances which have been out of sale for a while are being re-released back onto the market as e book only deals. The first to go up is The Cinderella Substitute. This is the very first book I ever had published. First by Moonlit Romance and then by Astraea Press. It's a clean/sweet novella and I still really love it. You can get a copy HERE and I love the new cover! You can find large print copies still floating around and probably at your local library.

In the two years since the tragic car crash that killed his fiancée, Nathanial (Nate) Mayer has successfully avoided another relationship. His family and especially his twin sister Nathalie are worried. Jennifer (Jenni) Blake is Nate’s personal assistant. Hired after the accident, she has her own problems to deal with, including the deaths of her adoptive parents and the debts incurred by their nursing care. But those difficulties pale into insignificance when Jenni finally traces her birth mother…

Murder at the Village Fair is out!!

Yay! So thrilled to say that the latest Miss Underhay adventure is out in the big, wide world. You can get your copy in ebook, audio or paperback HERE

Summer 1935. Enjoying a belated honeymoon visiting her new husband Matt’s family in the rolling Yorkshire hills, Kitty strolls through a village fair. But when Kitty persuades Matt to visit the fortune teller’s tent, the lovebirds are shocked to find the body of Madame Zaza slumped over her crystal ball, pearl necklace askew and a half-drunk cup of tea at her elbow. After predicting so many of the villagers’ misfortunes, how did she not foresee her own murder? From a pompous old colonel to a reticent reverend and a dodgy village doctor, Kitty soon feels like half the village had a motive for murder. But with more suspects than tarot cards, she and Matt are no closer to finding the culprit. Madame Zaza had been a part of the community’s life for decades and discovering a photograph album of the villagers through the years gives Kitty and Matt the breakthrough they’ve been searching for. Kitty is soon hot on the killer’s trail when her sleuthing puts her in terrible danger. Will her lucky stars align, or is her life line about to run out?

Murder at the Playhouse

Just a heads up for my UK lovelies that Murder at the Playhouse is a bargain 99p for the whole of August in the UK! Grab your bargain HERE Tell a friend!!

Guest Blogger Emma-Claire Wilson

A warm welcome to my fabulous guest blogger this week, Emma-Claire Wilson and her incredible debut novel, This Child of Mine. Here's Emma-Claire to tell us about herself and her book! Born in Scotland, Emma-Claire travelled the world as the child of military parents. After almost 20 years in Spain, she returned to the UK with her husband, two daughters, and rescue dog, Pip. Emma-Claire worked as a journalist for English language magazines and newspapers in Spain and in 2015 launched The Glass House Online Magazine. When not writing emotional fiction, you can find her dreaming up new book ideas or wrapped in a blanket with a book in her hand.

Her debut novel, This Child of Mine, was published by Avon Harper Collins on July 6th 2023. This Child of Mine follows the story of Stephanie who, after years of trying for a baby, finds out she is pregnant and sick on the same day. The book is an exploration of the dilemmas she faces and although is not entirely autobiographical, is based on Emma-Claire Wilson's real-life experiences. A highly emotional yet uplifting tear-jerker that will have you reaching for the tissues – perfect for fans of EMMA ROBINSON and JODI PICOULT.

When Stephanie is told she’s pregnant and that she is sick on the same day, she faces an impossible choice… After trying for a baby for so long, finding out I was pregnant was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. But in the same breath as the news I had been waiting years to hear, the doctor told me I was seriously ill. If I carry my baby to term, I will almost certainly die. If I proceed with treatment, my baby will not live. My husband – the father of this child – is telling me to save myself. But with all the secrets I know he is keeping from me, I can’t trust him anymore. What would you do? You can get your copy HERE You can also find her in all of these places! Twitter: @ecwilsonwriter Facebook: @ecwilsonauthor Instagram: @ecwilsonauthor Website: emmaclairewilson.com And if you would like a signed copy goHERE

Ashburton Sat 29th July

Heads up to all my fab Devon people. I'm keeping company with some other crime writing lovelies on Sat 29th July at Ashburton. come along and say hello!!

Guest Blogger - Pat Black

Please give a warm welcome to this weeks guest, Pat Black. His latest book is The Hunted which is available at all good on line and other retailers HERE Pat Black lives in Yorkshire but he will always belong to Glasgow. He's the author of the Inspector Lomond series plus six standalone thrillers.

Something different for you all this week as Pat has recently reviewed Ted Lewis's novel - Plender *Content warning* Ted Lewis's work is a grittier kind of novel and the review reflects this. “It’s a dirty story of a dirty man...” You may be familiar with Ted Lewis’s work from Get Carter . It’s one of the finest of all British films, certainly one of the best starring Michael Caine, and as quotable as The Italian Job ... But nastier. The 1971 movie sees a psychopathic gangster in swinging London returning to his hometownin the north-east of England to attend the funeral of his brother. The death was supposedly an accident, but Carter thinks his brother was murdered. There are no limits to what he’ll do to find out the truth. The passing of director Mike Hodges in late 2022 brought renewed focus on his work, which includes the dazzling sci-fi campery of Flash Gordon . But the world of Jack Carter – and the novelist who created him – is more concerned with the gutter than the stars. British author Ted Lewis penned the original 1970 novel, Jack’s Return Home. It’s set in Scunthorpe rather than the Newcastle of the film, but similarly squalid, similarly cynical, similarly violent. Thanks to e-readers rescuing out-of-print books from obscurity, reissued editions of Get Carter (understandably retitled), GBH and Plender are now available to you within a couple of clicks. I knew nothing of these latter two. Plender, Lewis’s first novel after Jack’s Return Home, published in 1971, was the first on my list. Plender is a blackmailer. We see him pulling strings, manipulating, even double-crossing those he is employed by as he gathers dirt - his stock in trade. He is completely in control of his world. No-one gets the drop on him. Plender has a talent, if you can call it that: from the very first meetings, he can see right through people. Their motives, their resentments, their secrets. Then we meet Knott, the other half of the story. Each chapter alternates between these two characters in first-person. Knott is a photographer, and he’s a bit kinky. He entices young girls into modelling assignments and then gets them drunk, eventually persuading them to indulge his kink. This is never specified, but it involves underwear. They have sex, but this seems to be a necessary prelude to what Knott really likes – a ritual, a charade, that he must endure, something to be gotten out of the way. He is in a pattern of behaviour. Knott has a wife, two kids and a nice house, and barring these furtive excursions to his lock-up studio, his shadow side is largely kept in check. Plender quickly re-establishes contact, ingratiating himself with Knott without ever directly stating what he’s done. But Knott figures it out. Plender has done him a “favour”. A favour which he can call in, at will. And Knott can’t get out of it. Plender’s criminality is not merely of the passive type. The owner of the gay bar Knott uses to make his grubby deals ends up as a suspicious suicide after Plender discovers that the man recognises the companion of the girl whose face ended up on the front page of the paper. There is also a suspicion that Emma’s body isn’t the first Plender has dispatched at the quarry.Knott, whose mental health is disintegrating, is on the hook. He now works for Plender, taking photos of people who’ve answered personal ads seeking to satisfy various sexual desires - basic blackmail scams. There isn’t a thing he can do to get out of it. Back home, Knott’s wife knows something is badly wrong, and suspects an affair. She’s tried to accommodate Knott’s kink, but Knott, having just seen a girl die as an indirect result of his preferences, rebuffs her, disgusted. From there, his marriage is in freefall, culminating in violence. After this, the poor woman realises she must take her kids and leave the fancy house. Mrs Knott engages Plender, who has told her during an ill-advised dinner at the family home that he is a private detective, to find out what’s going on with her husband. She suspects it’s simply an affair. Plender very craftily encourages her suspicions, even while his brief, terse statements are in tune with the truth of the matter. He never actually tells any lies. “I said nothing,” appears quite a bit in this section. You know exactly what Plender’s going to attempt the moment he sets eyes on Knott’s wife –even the moment he learns of her existence. The memories of sexual humiliation, with the narcissistic Knott as top dog at school, leave you in no doubt. But Knott’s nice furniture in hisnice house in a nice area seem to trigger just as much of a thirst for chaos, corruption, and transgression in Plender as the shape of Knott’s wife. Again, this was deft work – an insight into the inner workings of those of a sociopathic or psychopathic bent. Things progress to a nauseating moment of consummation on Knott’s own couch, meticulously planned by the manipulator... and yet, Lewis surprises you here. You get a glimpse of morality. Mrs Knott’s rejection leaves Plender “white-hot” with rage – nothing to do with his physical desires being thwarted, more a reaction to his wider schemes and personal vindictiveness being curtailed. This glimpse of Mrs Knott’s decency is a rare moment of spiritual relief before the story closes in a brutal, yet oblique fashion. Lewis’s hard-nosed British noir - grudgeful and dirty-faced, with its clothes in rags - is a far clearer examination of post-war Britain plodding towards the 21st century than any aspirational Thatcherite yuppie confection from the following decade. This is the Britain of James Herbert’s The Rats – a place where the Luftwaffe’s handiwork was still apparent in many cities; where the National Front was on the march; a land of grimy industrial towns with spit and sawdust pubs barely evolved from the Victorian era; where people still had the ​wartime rationing mindset even as the permissive society seemed to unleash all the devils of hell on their children, a universe’s breadth from The Beatles’ warblings. Visualise the early Lennon’s knowing leer, rather than McCartney’s cherubic grin. The criminal element fits into this construct of Britain perfectly. Lewis’s books paint a pictureof analogue photography, grubby magazines, drippy-tap lock-ups tucked away near the docks, bare lightbulbs in grotty rooms... The unmodern, and the unevolved. Dirty stories, of dirty men. The book and its author are psychologically astute. Plender is a psychopath, not particularly bothered when, where or how where he gets his kicks, so long as it gives him an advantage over people. It’s all about power and control. Even when things fall apart for him thanks to Knott’s instability, Plender doesn’t panic. It’s almost as if he was expecting it. Just another problem to negotiate. He grabs a gun and a pile of money from his safe and comes up with a plan. The manipulation and basic wickedness are rendered beautifully - if that’s the right word. This story isn’t about winning and losing. That’s made clear to you well before the scene is set for what you think will be the final confrontation. The absolute best I can say about this novel – and I do not mean this as faint praise - is that it made me glad of my quotidian, increasingly flabby life, with the door locked at 7pm, and tutting at strangers through the blinds, and the kids safe in bed with their teddies, and two glasses of prosecco for mummy and daddy in front of old comedy shows on a Friday night, and all of us, god willing, still breathing and healthy the next morning. Plender is a flyblown, ugly story, but you should never mistake it for trash. Ted Lewis, who was lost to the bottle at the age of 42 in 1980, was never a hack, with his books placed well above the shelf we might disingenuously label “good bad books”. Small wonder his writing is now savoured, four decades after his death. Good art finds its time. Thanks Pat! A very different kind of story. Here is the blurb for Pat's book - The Hunted. Set in a remote Scottish lodge in the depths of winter, this explosive and disturbing thriller asks what happens when dark secrets finally come to light. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Kerri Beevis. THE PERFECT WEEKEND AWAY. A REMOTE LODGE, OLD FRIENDS... AND MURDER. It's been twenty years since they were all at school together. So when a group of female friends gather at a beautiful but isolated Scottish island lodge for a weekend away, they're looking forward to relaxing, sharing updates on their lives, and reminiscing. The furthest thing from their minds is murder. But even though they've known each other since high school, some of these women have secrets. Dark secrets that can ruin friendships, ruin marriages – ruin lives. Things you thought you knew and loved can turn out to be your biggest nightmares. And when recriminations start to fly, it soon becomes clear: it's not a question of when, but if, these old friends will ever make it home again...

Guest Blogger - Joanne Clague

A very warm welcome to a new face to my blog - Joanne Clague. I thought I would ask Joanne a few questions about her writing and her wonderful Sheffield sagas books. About Joanne herself: Joanne Clague is the author of a Sheffield-set saga trilogy that begins in The Ragged Valley with the devastating flood of 1864. The third in the series - The Watchman's Widow - is published on June 29 2023. Joanne was born and raised in Sheffield and has had a career in journalism in the Isle of Man before turning to novel writing. Find out more and follow the author HERE

Tell us more about the Watchman's Widow? Still grieving the death of her watchman husband in a terrorist attack, Rose is struggling to make ends meet when she encounters middle-class Annie, a newspaperman's wife who devotes her time to lobbying for better working conditions. With three mouths to feed, Rose is desperate to avoid making waves but she can't sit back and watch women and young girls continue to work in dangerous conditions, including her desperately sick lodger. Fearing for her daughter's future and with her husband's killer still on the loose, all Rose wants is justice.. Just how far is she prepared to go? This sounds brilliant and I love the cover!

You can get your copy of The Watchman's Widow HERE I thought you might all like to know more about Joanne and her books so I asked her a few nosey questions! Q: How many books have you written and are there any that will never see the light of day? A: I've written four books but the first, which was loosely based on the lives of my grandparents, remains tucked away in a drawer. I'd sent the manuscript to some agents and had a little bit of interest, but it was my second book that resulted in representation and a publishing deal. I might return to it one day. Q: How long does it take you to write a book? Which parts are the easiest and the hardest? A: I spend a couple of months on research and really just percolating ideas - who the characters are, what they want, the structure of the story, the themes. I usually know where the book should begin and how it should end. Then it probably takes about nine months to write. The hardest part is when I'm approaching the final chapters. I circle around a lot. I don't like leaving the characters behind. One of the joys of writing a series is that, although each book can stand alone, I've been able to revisit characters' lives, give some walk-on parts to my favourites. Q: What is your favourite time of day to write? Do you have a particular space to write in? A: I'm an early bird. On an ideal day, I write from around 7.30am to midday, or 1pm if I'm on a roll. I edit as I go, as I struggle to move forward if I'm not happy with the previous chapter. But this is an ideal day and who gets many of those?? I am lucky to have a little office all to myself, and the walls are covered with maps, pictures, scraps of text and bits and pieces from the period I write in. Q: What book do you wish you had written, or would like to write one day? A: I wish I had written Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler. It's deceptively simple and absolutely devastating. I've read and reread it, and the last page still makes me cry. Thank you Joanne for a lovely interview and congratulations on The Watchman's Widow.

Guest Blogger - Verity Bright

A very warm welcome back to my regular blog guest Verity Bright with their latest release which is out tomorrow June 29th! Murder in Manhattan Of course you can grab your copy HERE Glitzy parties, sightseeing at the Statue of Liberty and strolls through Central Park with Gladstone the bulldog… Lady Eleanor Swift is loving her first trip to the city that never sleeps, until she witnesses a murder! After crossing from England on the SS Celestiana, Lady Eleanor Swift sets up her home-away-from-home in a lavish apartment in New York City. She is soon the toast of the town, with no high-class soirée complete without her presence. Of course, she drags her butler Clifford and Gladstone the bulldog along to every party too. But when she witnesses the charming doorman of her building, Marty, knocked down and killed in a hit-and-run, she finds fashionable society suddenly closes rank. The only local detective interested in helping her find the culprit is street-smart beat cop, Officer Balowski. Resolved to get justice for Marty and his family, Eleanor searches Marty’s tiny apartment and is shocked to find five rolls of banknotes tucked under the floorboards. Money talks, but Marty was struggling to make ends meet, so where did the cash come from? The next day, wealthy entrepreneur and flashy philanderer Ogden P. Dellaney – a man Marty used to work for – is found dead downtown, miles away from his swanky Upper East Side mansion. Eleanor and Balowski are sure the deaths are connected, but not even Dellaney’s wife is willing to answer their questions. Then Eleanor is served with an eviction notice and Balowski is fired from the NYPD. It becomes clear that something is rotten in the Big Apple and Eleanor is determined to get to the core of the mystery before the murderer strikes again…

Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s. You can buy the first book in the series, A Very English Murder, on Amazon now.

Guest Blogger - Sylvia Broady

A very warm welcome to Sylvia Broady talking about her new book - Orphans of War.I asked Sylvia to tell us a little bit about herself and her writing: Writing is my passion. I breathe it daily and dream about it at night. For me, writing is like a bright shining star. Each point of the star is an aspect of my imagination for me to explore, create,and write. I write sagas set in the 20th century, though I have written other periods and contemporary. I am fascinated by the city of my birth, Kingston upon Hull and East Yorkshire, both having a rich tapestry of history and people. Strong women characters’ feature in my stories set in the WW2 era. Women who fight on the home front or travel to war zones, showing courage, compassion and love. The aftermath of war brings a whole new range of unforeseen problems. But, as always, I give my stories a positive ending of hope. An avid reader and writer from a young age, I enjoy discussions with friends over a meal and a glass of fine wine. My garden in a relaxing joy, and I love to absorb myself in researching social history. Family time is a pleasure and is so precious to me, both here and in Australia, which I travel often to. This is just a snippet of who I am. My life comprises many facets, some of which I still need to explore. My thirst for knowledge continues, and my creative juices bubble over and my stories flow. Writing is my passion and my lifeline.

So what is Orphans of war about? An absolutely heartbreaking and uplifting wartime story of hardship and hope. Kingston Upon Hull, 1941. Sixteen-year-old Charlotte Kirby believes she’s all alone in the world when her mother is killed ina bombing raid. But she receives help from an unexpected quarter. A mysterious aunt comes forward – an aunt Charlotte never knew she had – to offer her a home in the small Yorkshire village where she and her husband George run the local pub. Charlotte finds it hard to adjust to rural life. She can’t understand why her Aunt Hilda seems to resent her so, nor why her mother never told her she had a sister. She wants to do her bit for the war effort – but the war doesn’t seem to have reached their sleepy little village. Everything changes when a group of French orphans are brought to live in the big house. Charlotte volunteers to help look after them – and finds a new purpose in life. Then a band of Free French soldiers are billeted on the village, including a handsome young officer with the deepest brown eyes ... But Emile has a tragedy in his past – and Charlotte must uncover both his and her own family’s secrets if she and Emile are to have a chance of happiness. Fans of Nadine Dorries, Rosie Goodwin, Dilly Court, Freda Lightfoot, Anna Jacobs, Rosie Clarke, Tania Crosse, Dominic Luke, Sheila Riley, Lizzie Lane and Catherine Cookson will devour this emotional wartime saga.

Doesn't that sound like a fabulous read! You can get your copy HERE available in ebook or paperback And you can catch up with Sylvia on TWITTER orFACEBOOK or on her WEBSITE

North Devon Writing Retreat

Just a quick note to say that I have agreed to tutor a writing retreat in North Devon in November. If you would like to focus on writing a crime novel or are already an established writer but looking for a bit of inspiration or a change of direction then why not sign up? There are lots of other workshops and day courses available too. I have been delivering workshops for over twenty years, have written over fifty books now, romance, YA, Christian and historical cosy crime. I have judged several major writing competitions and won national and international awards. The Miss Underhay series has topped the charts in the UK, US, Canada and Australia and has been translated into several languages.I am a very experienced structural editor and book doctor so you will be in safe hands! Check it out HERE

Casting a clout

No casting a clout until May is out so the old saying goes. Well, it's almost the end of May now and the weather here in Devon is bright and sunny. Book 14 in the Miss Underhay series is now at 16k after my week off last week. My daughters were visiting along with their partners and of course my little grandson. My middle daughter is getting married this time next year and the date is now booked. The registrar secured, a dress acquired and the reception planing is underway! Very exciting. Speaking of other exciting things, I have lots of lovely guest authors lined up for you to meet over the next few months so look out for them and give them your support. There is a kindle daily deal in the UK for Murder on Board on June 1st when it will be 99p for one day only!! So stand by your kindles if you don't already have this one.

Starting Book Fourteen

Well, it's sunny and warm outside. My garden is calling to me and I'm starting to write book 14 in the Miss Underhay series. I can't believe we're on book 14 already. Of course this is a winter book set over Christmas and Hogmanay in Scotland. That means snow, a remote castle, whisky, legends and tartan! Book 13, Murder at the Village Fair is available for preorder now and will be out in August. Just in time for a lovely sunshiney summery read. For now though I'm listening to Christmas music and sniffing my Christmas candles to get me in the mood to write all things cold.

Cover reveal for Murder at the Village Fair

Wow! What a crazy couple of days! Murder at the Beauty Pageant went to 95 in the UK and 434 in the US. Best seller flags in US, Canada, Australia and UK. Wow! Just amazing. Today is the cover reveal for Murder at the Village Fair - this is the book with the elephant . I am so excited for this one.

this will be out on August 10th! But you can preorder now!HERE Remember that in the back of the ebook is a link to sign up for my newsletter and you get a free bonus story called the mysterious Guest if you do that. You can also go to my Amazon page to follow me and then you'll never miss a book release!

Murder at the Beauty Pageant out today!

It's out! Yay!

Nearly there!

Just 5 days to go now until Murder at the Beauty Pageant is out! Although I see the audiobook version is already there, which is exciting! Karen has done a fabulous job of the narration. I'm so excited for you all to read Murder at the Beauty Pageant. In June 1935 the finals of Miss Europe were held in Torquay. The contest was won by Miss Spain. Beauty contests were a big thing back then and often gave young women the opportunity to improve their lives and circumstances, injecting some glamour into the every day. Now of course they have fallen out of fashion although the USA still seems to hold more of these kinds of events. The title of the next book is confirmed now as Murder at the Village Fair with a cover reveal coming very soon. This book is set in Yorkshire and includes a traditional English country fair, a circus with an elephant called Bluebelle and some very dodgy characters!

Murder at the Summer Fair

Book 13 in the Miss Underhay series, which will probably be called Murder at the Summer Fair is now done and with my agent and my editor. Hopefully I'll gt the confirmed title and possibly the cover soon to share with you all. For now though I intend to collapse in a heap for a while then on Friday I set off for York. It's the Crime Writers association conference and I'm looking forward to getting to know some other crime writers!

Guest blogger - Peter Hogenkamp

A very warm welcome to my guest blogger - Peter Hogenkamp. Peter is the author of the Marco Vanetti series, and with a new book series scheduled for release in a few months time, now is a great time to discover the first book in the Marco Vanetti series, The Vatican Conspiracy. Father Marco Venetti is a Jesuit priest from Monterosso al Mare, shepherding over a quiet parish overlooking the Ligurian Sea. His biggest concerns—until the evening Elena shows up in his confessional—are the empty pews in his 800-year-old church and the way he ‘stared at her creamy olive skin, burned to perfection by the Mediterranean sun.’ Elena is a fisherman with empty nets and a conscience brimming over with guilt, who reveals she is involved in a plot to assassinate the pope and attack Vatican City. Marco urges her to go to the police, but her daughter is being held captive and she is unwilling; the seal of the confessional binds Marco and he is unable. Seeing no other way to stop the attack on Pope John Paul III, the first black pope in over two millennia, Marco steals aboard her fishing trawler toting his only weapon, a well-used speargun. He kills the terrorists and rescues Elena's daughter, but Marco’s turmoil is only beginning.

The Vatican conspiracy is available from: AMAZON BARNESANDNOBLE KOBO and BOOKSAMILLION Peter Hogenkamp is a practicing physician, public speaker and author of medical fiction and thrillers living in Rutland, Vermont. Peter’s writing credits include The Intern (TouchPoint Press, April 2020); The Vatican Conspiracy book and audiobook (Bookouture/HachetteUK, October 2020), The Vatican Secret (Bookouture/HachetteUK, April 2021), The Vatican Secret audiobook (Saga Egmont, March 2022) and Cospirazione Vaticano (Newton Compton Editori 7/2021.) The Woman from Death Row, book one of the new Jade Stryker thriller series, will be published Spring 2023 by Tirgearr Publishing. Peter can be found on his Author Website , as wellas his personal blog, Peter Hogenkamp Writes, where he writes about most anything. Peter is the creator, producer and host of Your Health Matters, a health information program, which airs on cable television and streams on YouTube. Peter was a finalist for the prestigious 2019 Killer Nashville Claymore Award as well as the 2020 Vermont Writer’s Prize. He tweets—against the wishes of his wife, four children and feisty Cairn Terrier, Hermione—on Twitter. He can be reached at his FaceBook Page and at peterhogenkampbooks@gmail.com

Book 13

Murder at the Bazaar is now most likely to be called Murder at the village Fair or Murder at the Summer Fair. I have about 12k left to write to finish the first draft so I'm on target to finish it next week. Then I shall ignore it for 2 weeks before polishing, rewriting and adding another 10k before sending it to my agent and my editor. The outline for book 14 has also been accepted and that book will be a very wintery tale set in Scotland. The newly weds are certainly doing a little more travelling these days!

A welcome return to guest Verity Bright!

A warm welcome back to my guests this week - Verity Bright and their latest title Death on Deck! When Lady Swift embarks upon her first luxury cruise she imagines a gilded ballroom, afternoons on deck taking tea and all the delectable food she can eat. But she can’t seem to escape from murder… Lady Eleanor Swift is all set to spend her birthday with her beau, dashing Detective Hugh Seldon, until he calls to cancel on her again at the last minute. What’s a girl to do? Pack up her staff and her faithful old bulldog, Gladstone, and head off on a cruise to New York, that’s what! On the stunningly opulent ocean liner Celestiana, Eleanor tries to forget her worries and make the most of her trip. That is, until she sees a man being shot and falling overboard. On closer inspection of the scene, Eleanor literally stumbles over the likely murder weapon. And the nick in the barrel is unmistakeable: this gun belongs to Detective Seldon… With some discreet digging, Clifford discovers Detective Seldon is aboard the ship on an undercover mission. Eleanor doesn’t want to make waves but she’s sure that something fishy is going on and he’s being framed. To get Seldon off the hook, Eleanor casts her net wide and searches for the real murderer among a sea of suspects including European nobility, Italian opera stars and American nouveau riche. But does the victim’s expensive gold ring point to a lavish lifestyle or is it a red herring? When another passenger is found dead in his first-class cabin, a poisoned whisky glass clutched in his hand, Eleanor realises they are really in hot water. Will the killer be Eleanor’s catch of the day, or will she spend her birthday at the bottom of the sea? You ca get your copy HERE

Congratulations on another fabulous addition to the series!!

Guest Blogger - Karen King

A warm welcome to the lovely Karen King who has a brilliant new book to tell you about! Here's a bit about Karen herself - Karen King was born in Birmingham, UK and has always enjoyed reading and writing. She’s been published for over thirty five years, in a variety of genres for both children and adults. She loves writing about the complexities of relationships. Her first three books for Bookouture were romances where relationships came right, she has now turned to the darker side of relationships, writing bestselling psychological thrillers about relationships that go badly wrong. Karen now lives in Spain where she loves to spend her non-writing time exploring the quaint local towns with her husband, Dave, when she isn’t sunbathing or swimming in the pool, that is. You can connect with Karen HERE and can sign up to her newsletter HERE Now for the book! The Family Reunion! She’s the daughter you never knew... But how far will she go to get the life she never had? Today I’m hosting a family party. One that’s different to every celebration we’ve had before. Because I’ve invited my secret daughter to it. I’ve never forgiven myself for abandoning her as a baby, with just a scrawled note tucked into her soft yellow blanket, saying her name was Hope . As soon as she reached out, I knew I had to meet her. My family all seem ready to accept her with open arms, their forgiveness a blessing I barely deserve. And I dare to believe that maybe we are all going to have a happy ending after all. So I try to put all those small, strange things that have been happening to me in recent weeks out of my mind. The missing money, my lost charm bracelet, the broken window, the fire... But as the drinks are poured and everyone’s talking animatedly, I hear a knock at the door. And something in my heart tells me this family is about to be torn apart. And there’s nothing I can do to stop it...

Grab your copy today!!! TheFamilyReunion HERE

Book 13 update

Well, I'm now up to 20k on Book 13 in the Miss Underhay series. Although technically of course, she is now Mrs Bryant. Marriage is throwing up new challenges for Kitty and Matt as you'll see when you read Murder at the Beauty Pageant, book 12, in the series. I can't believe we're on book 13 already. It's been 4 years since I first signed the contract for Murder at the Dolphin Hotel which came out in the Autumn of that year. Book 13 is provisionally titled Murder at the Bazaar but I expect that will change. This one is back in Yorkshire but Matt and Kitty are not staying with Matt's parents or Lucy and Rupert. Instead they are in the quaint old village of Quixshotte at the Dower house belonging to Matt's aunt Euphemia. After attending the local bazaar - an oriental themed country fair, they stumble across the body of Miss Crowther. AKA Madame ZaZa knows all. Except this time she failed to predict her own demise. It's a ton of fun to write and even has an elephant called Bluebelle. You can preorder a copy HERE if you haven't already! I can't wait to share it with you!

Guest blogger - Jessica Hatch

A very warm welcome to the fabulous Jessica Hatch as she celebrates the release of her latest novel! Jessica Hatch writes hilarious, heartfelt romantic comedies for the girls who grew up rooting for the main character's best friend. Her first novel, My Big Fake Wedding, debuted at #1 in Humorous American Fiction, and her second novel, How to Keep a Husband for Ten Days, is widely anticipated by an international readership. She loves to develop quirky, high-concept scenarios and then drop her characters into them, escape room–style, to see what happens next. Her work spotlights characters and locales the reader can fall in love with, and aims to explore real-world issues that women and nonbinary people face. (She also enjoys loafing around, largely ignoring her characters and binge-watching Netflix instead.) Her latest release is How to keep a husband for 10 days and you can grab your copy HERE

Faking a marriage… How hard can it be?! When Lina’s oldest friends unexpectedly announce they’re coming to stay, she has to think fast. No one knows she and her husband Brown are breaking up and, if their friends find out, she knows they’ll take sides, and they’re just not ready for that. Surely they can pretend to be married for ten days? Determined to only tell her friends when she’s figured out how she’s feeling, Lina comes up with a set of rules for her and Brown to follow: 1.Strike “couple” poses (try not to throw your back out) 2.Laugh at each other’s jokes (not so loud it sounds fake) 3.Stare into each other’s eyes (remember to blink) 4.Hold hands when walking (use a grip of steel) 5.Share a bed… (GULP) But, despite her step-by-step guide, pretending to be married isn’t as easy as she thought. Being back in the same house with her husband – laughing together, holding hands, sharing a bed – is making her more confused than ever. And by day five, Lina is starting to realise there’s a thin line between love and hate. And while she can try to fool her friends, she can’t fool her heart. What might have begun as faking a marriage is starting to feel like the real thing… Is this becoming more than make believe? And is it too late to find out if Brown feels the same? This absolutely hilarious and totally addictive romcom is perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis, Christina Lauren’s The Unhoneymooners, and Emily Henry. "⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jessica Hatch has done it again! I was so engrossed in each page, and I couldn't wait to find out what was happening next!" -- Gabriella, @reads.withgab

UK kindle bargain for February!

Murder at the Wedding is a UK kindle monthly deal at just 99p for this month! February is a short month though so don't miss out! You can grab your copy HERE

Cover reveal for Murder at the Beauty pageant!

I'm thrilled to share the cover and details for Murder at the Beauty Pageant. The next Miss Underhay mystery! PREODER HERE

Spring, 1935. Kitty Underhay is delighted to be hosting the Miss Dartmouth Jubilee beauty pageant at the Dolphin Hotel. Excited to see gorgeous gowns and terrific talents, Kitty is horrified when contestant Peggy Blaine is discovered murdered in the bandstand of the local park, stabbed with an ornate paper knife. Was jealousy over a sash and diamante tiara a motive for murder? The day before the event, a spate of spiteful anonymous letters arrived, warning of dire consequences for anyone involved with the show. The new police inspector had ignored them, but when Kitty’s husband Matt discovers that Peggy received a similar missive the morning of the performance, they vow to track the letter writer down. With help from a local newspaper, they find religious scaremonger Preacher Bob. He is clearly their poison pen – but Bob has a beautiful alibi for the murder… As Kitty questions the other entrants, she discovers Peggy wasn’t as innocent as she’d seemed and several of the other girls wished her harm. Convinced they are getting closer to the truth, Kitty is shocked when another young competitor turns up dead after an apparently accidental overdose. Can newlyweds Kitty and Matt see this wicked murderer brought to justice before he claims another victim or is their number up at last…? Fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey and Lee Strauss will fall head over heels for this utterly compelling and totally charming historical cozy mystery!

Whew!

Thank you all so much for the fabulous reviews for Murder at the Charity Ball! I am so thrilled that you are enjoying Kitty and Matt's latest adventure, and of course, the wedding! The next book is Murder at the Beauty Pageant and will be up for preorder any time and a cover reveal to follow. I'm currently busy researching for the next one in the series which will see Matt and Kitty back in Yorkshire to solve the death of a fortune teller poisoned inside her tent during a country bazaar!

Thought you might enjoy seeing this fabulous selection of powder compacts.