Book signing

Such fun today to visit my lovely chum Lesley at First Draft books in Bovey Tracey for a book signing for Murder at The Island Hotel! She has a few signed copies left and a couple of signed copies of Murder at The Dolphin Hotel too! So if you are outthat way pop in and treat yourself!

The Secret Detective Agency

Huge, bigly announcement from me today!!! The Friday Night Project has been contracted and is now called The Secret Detective Agency. Here is what my publisher had to say!!!! We’re over the moon to announce that commissioning editor Maisie Lawrence has acquired a world rights in a brand-new cosy crime series by Helena Dixon from Kate Nash of Kate Nash Literary Agency. Dixon is the author of the bestselling Miss Underhay mystery series, which has delighted fans worldwide with over 95 million Kindle Unlimited pages read and over 250,000 copies sold. Bookouture are also thrilled to be publishing four new Miss Underhay mysteries with Dixon in 2025. The first book in her new series, The Secret Detective Agency, will publish in March 2025. The book opens in 1941 at the house of Arthur Cilento, an asthmatic academic, who finds a woman’s body in the gardens of his manor house. Miss Jane Treen, a government officer from London who manages an elite group of spies, knows exactly who the mystery woman was and why she was there. Forced to work together, the race is on to solve a deadly puzzle that Arthur and Jane were not anticipating. Maisie said, ‘Helena Dixon is a cosy crime master and totally brilliant at crafting twisty, gripping plots, combined with tantalising settings that are an utter joy to read. In this new series, she has created two truly unforgettable characters – and an excellent cat – who will solve tricky crimes together. She’s a joy to work with, always going above and beyond to delight her readers and I can’t wait for them to fall in love with The Secret Detective Agency.’ Helena said, ‘I am so excited to bring The Secret Detective Agency to readers. Maisie and the team at Bookouture are so great to work with that I know Jane, Arthur and Marmaduke the one-eyed cat couldn’t be in better hands.’

Murder at the Island Hotel out today!

A gorgeous island off the English coast, a beautiful hotel perched on the cliffs, a group of glamourous friends… and a suspicious death? Kitty Underhay’s invitation didn’t mention murder! Spring, 1936. As the boat draws into the harbour of Bird Island, Kitty is absolutely delighted to see the stunning hotel for the first time. She and her friend Alice have been asked to join the distinguished guests before the hotel officially opens its doors, but they have barely unpacked when the owner is found dead in his own study… Sir Norman’s death looks like suicide. But Kitty isn’t convinced – she cannot find a note, and he is left-handed but was shot on the right side of his head. Kitty tries to reach the police, but a violent storm engulfs the island and the power goes out. Kitty and Alice need to move quickly before anyone else finds death on their dinner menu! With several old friends amongst their suspects, Kitty decides the investigation should stay secret. But it’s not until Kitty uncovers Sir Norman’s financial difficulties that she’s on the killer’s trail. Can Kitty and Alice catch the culprit in time for tea, or will they become the next guests on the murderer’s list? Fans of T.E. Kinsey, Agatha Christie or Lee Strauss will adore this warm and witty whodunnit. An utter delight to read! Get your copy HERE

Cover reveal!

Yay! The cover and preorder are now up for Murder on the French Riviera! Ooh la la! PREORDER

A grand old hotel, fresh coffee on the balcony, a perfect view of the sparkling ocean and… surely not another murder? Thank heavens Kitty Underhay is on the case! Late spring, 1936. As Kitty Underhay steps onto the sun-drenched station platform in Nice, on orders from Whitehall to track down a missing man, she hopes there will still be time to lie by the pool, preferably with a cocktail in hand. But when she and her husband Matt take a brief evening stroll, instead of finding a perfect croissant, they stumble across a body… Kitty and Matt quickly realise it is Fred Bennett, the man from Whitehall they were hoping to find. Had he simply drunk too much fabulous French wine, or is something fishy going on in this seaside city? When Kitty and Matt uncover a casino matchbook in Fred’s pocket, they head to the glamorous waterfront establishment where a wealthy widow, a disreputable aristocrat and a cash-strapped reporter swiftly make their suspect list. But with more questions than cards in a pack, can Kitty and Matt nail the killer before he comes after them too? Or will they realise that everything isn’t always nice in Nice?

Guest Blogger - Eva Glyn

A very warm welcome to a new guest blogger, Eva Glyn talking about her new book: The Dubrovnik Book Club

'The perfect summer escape, I adored it!’ USA Today Bestseller, Faith Hogan In a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town, a book club begins... Newly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson’s life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club. But when their first book club pick – an engrossing cosy crime – inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group’s heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwine... The Dubrovnik Book Club is published by One More Chapter on 8th March. I asked Eva to tell us about what she enjoyed about writing the book and her inspiration for the story. One of the most fun things about writing The Dubrovnik Book Club was actually choosing the books. They all had to fit into the story somehow (well, one is a bit tenuous but the title worked!), and each character needed to have a book which would help them along their journey in one way or another. So what would the new English shop manager choose as the very first read for a book club in an international bookshop in Dubrovnik? At the beginning of the story in particular Claire is not an especially brave soul, so my guess was that she’d play it safe. And there’s little safer than the bestselling British book of the previous year; Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club. Reading it also inspired bookshop assistant Luna to suggest they tried to solve a mystery for themselves. Claire’s cousin Vedran’s girlfriend had disappeared under suspicious circumstances a few months before, leaving social media firmly pointing the finger of blame in his direction. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could clear his name? And so Luna (enthusiastically) and Claire (reluctantly) decide to give it a go. But when Vedran asks Claire to pick a sporting biography for his book club choice, things begin to go horribly wrong. It sounds fabulous! You cn get your copy HERE Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.Her love affair with Croatia began in 2019, and since then the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground for her books, driven by her friendship with a tour guide she met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life has proved invaluable for all her books. ​ Eva lives in Cornwall, although she considers herself Welsh, and is lucky enough to be married to the love of her life, who she’s been with for almost thirty years. She also writes as Jane Cable.

Guest Blogger - Morton S Gray

A warm welcome to this weeks guest - Morton S Gray Morton is a dear friend and the author of the fabulous Borteen Bay series. I asked her to tell us more about herself and her books, especially her new release, A New Arrival In Borteen Bay Morton lives in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors. Morton worked for many years in the electricity industry in staff development and training. She is a qualified hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She enjoys crafts, history and loves tracing family trees. Having a hunger for learning new things is a bonus for the research behind her books.

Skye knows it’s now or never. It’s time for her to reveal herself to the father she’s never met. So she hops on a plane from Dublin to the English seaside town of Borteen. But between the father she’s just getting to know and her worried mother, Skye realizes thatthe past is never that simple as a whirlwind of secrets turns their world upside down. And now Skye has Adam, the hunky guy next door, to contend with. He’s determined to showher there’s room in her life for love. Skye thinks they’re better off as friends, but Adam has other ideas. Even when she reveals a secret of her own. Will Skye allow history to repeat itself? Or will she let go of the secrets of the past and open herself up to the future? Perfect for romance lovers! I asked Morton to tell us the inspiration behind writing seaside set books... My seven published novels have all been set in my fictional seaside town of Borteen. I am now so familiar with the place that I can easily walk along the streets and go into the shops, pubs and cafes in my mind. It is often as if I am actually there. However, I have lived for all of my life in the UK West Midlands, I even went to university inLoughborough in the East Midlands and yet I love the sea – the sound of the waves, the smellof the air and walking on a beach hunting for sea glass is my idea of heaven. The beach features quite heavily in this new book, A New Arrival in Borteen Bay, as one of my characters, Buzz regularly makes labyrinth walking paths on the beach and asks people todonate money for a homeless charity to walk them. It is on the beach that Buzz first catches sight of another main character, Skye, although at that point he is convinced she is actually her mother, Wynn. As I have never managed to live on the coast, I guess my writing being based in Borteen allows me to indulge my love of the seaside in between holidays. I always said that I’d move to a seaside place when I retired, but now we have our grandson, to whom my new book is dedicated, I’m not sure that I want to move away. I guess I’d better write another book in Borteen! You can get your copy of A New Arrival In Borteen Bay HERE And there are six other books in the series for you to catch up with too!!! You can find Morton on Twitter on Instagram and on Facebook

Guest Blogger - Nicky Peacock

A warm welcome to my guest today - Nicky Peacock.

Nicky is here to tell us about her fabulous new book! The 13th Girl and the motivations that lay behind it. Here's what she had to say! I’ve always had quite a few motives for writing my books, but my main one for The 13th Girl was very close to my heart. Mental health is something that, for a long time, has been overlooked by society. I remember the days when, if you felt down, unhelpful people would tell you to just to ‘cheer up’ or ‘look on the bright side’; generally showing zero understanding as to the lack of choice that person has over these dark feelings and when they come knocking. No one wants to feel lonely, sad, or that their presence doesn’t matter in the world, so simply telling them to ‘belt up’ really doesn’t help. Then there’s the people who have gone through traumas, (like The 13 th Girl’s protagonist Dee) who are victims of someone else’s actions and are seeking help, yet instead of being accepted, or even celebrated, for doing something about their psychological and physical issues, they are shunned and made to feel like outsiders – whether that is on purpose or not. So I guess that’s a long winded way of saying that I wanted to shine a light on those with mental health issues, how society treats them and how hard it is for them to ever be considered ‘normal’ again. I also really wanted to write about a serial killer too – but I always want to do that. That sounds quite a motivation for the book. To whet your appetite even further here is the blurb! 12 girls gone. Can she save The 13th Girl? After decades in a mental health hospital, Dee knows that people find her creepy – because they tell her so. Once the reluctant star of an infamous documentary, she is trying to blend back into the outside world. But when a string of local girls disappear, only to be found dead days later, she becomes fixated on the case and decides to film her own True Crime documentary. There is a serial killer on the loose - The Righteous Wraith. Girls are being found one by one, their bodies gruesomely staged in the most innocent public spaces. With the killer taunting the police and public fear mounting, online armchair detectives begin pointing fingers at one suspect – ruining his life. But for Dee, something isn’t adding up. She knows what it’s like to be accused of something that you didn’t do, so resolves to prove his innocence, unmask the real killer, and save The 13th Girl. But who will believe her? A dark, inventive thriller perfect for fans of Chris Carter, Alice Feeney and C.J. Skuse. You can buy Nicky's book The 13th Girl HERE You can also follow her on Facebook or find her on Twitter Thanks Nicky for visiting and it sounds a great read for anyone who likes a good murderous thriller!

Guest blogger - Rachel Wells

A warm welcome to todays guest blogger, lovely Rachel Wells. Rachel and her co-author Jessica Adams are the creators of Leo Moon, the astrologer detective! This sounded like enormous fun so I asked Rachel to tell us about how she and Jessica came up with the idea. Jessica and I came up with the idea for Leo Moon, astrologer Detective, during one of our weekly zoom calls in Lockdown. I, Rachel wrote the series, Alfie The Doorstep Cat (seven books), and Jessica is an author and an astrologer, currently based in Australia.​ We were coming up with new ideas and from cats to crime (for me), Leo Moon was born. The main character, Leo is the son of famous astrologer, Helena Moon, he is alsoher manager and knows as much about astrology as her. Helena Moon is an astrologerthe star, she’s a bit stuck in the ‘80s which was her heyday and has a penchant for wine and younger men. Karen Penn completes the trio, she’s a journalist from Brooklyn and Leo’s friend. They all live in Brighton although the first story - Aries Billionaire - takes place on an island off the Irish coast. Mainly through Helena’s clients, they get drawn into mysteries, or murders and Leo uses Astrology to solve them. It’s fun rather than dark, in the vein of the old fashioned whodunnit and it’s brilliant to write. Working with Jessica who is such a brilliant astrologer is amazing and of course with Aries being the first zodiac sign, (born late March/April), we have another eleven mysteries up our sleeves! I now many of you love listening to audio books so I was very excited to learn that Aries Billionaire was going to be available in that format. You can get your copy HERE

Here's the blurb just to whet your appetite!! Aries billionaire Mike Kirby is celebrating his 50th birthday on his remote island with his unhappy wife, handpicked guests, a Blood Moon Eclipse and...a rocket launch. A coma and a murder later, it’s down to astrologer Leo Moon to uncover the truth. Join Mike, his wife Renee, her sister Rachel and Rachel’s husband Neil in their glamorous world of swimming pools, horoscopes and deadly secrets. You can follow Rachel on facebook acatcalledalfie (Rachel Wells) on Instagram rachelwellsauthor on Twitter/X @ACatCalledAlfie and TikTok @rachelwellsauthor You can find Jessica on Twitter/X @Jessicacadams

January Update

Wow! This year is already racing away. Miss Underhay book 16 is at 42k already and the proofs have just arrived for Murder at The Island Hotel. I can't wait for you all to read that one! I've some lovely guest authors lined up for you in the next few weeks too. It's been rather cold here in Devon with a north easterly blowing in but at the moment the sun is out and the sea is calm. The seals are in the harbour and my snowdrops are poking their heads out of the ground.

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.