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.