Sad start to year

I'm broken hearted to say that on Tuesday I had to say goodbye to my beloved furry edipawrial assistant of the last almost 12 years. Teddy was the goddest of good boys and was greatly loved. Our home is missing its heartbeat.

Happy New Year!

Thank you for all your friendship and support in 2025! Wishing you all a wonderful, happy and healthy 2026!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all my readers a happy, healthy Christmas. Thank you for all of your support to me and to my wonderful guest bloggers this year. I wish you all a healthy and peaceful New Year with great books to read, joyful times to come and good company to share them with.

Christmas guest blogger - Verity Bright

A warm welcome to my lovely writer colleague, Verity Bright! Here to talk about Murder on a Frosty Night! Wrapping presents and singing at midnight mass on a frosty night… Lady Swift is determined to enjoy Christmas at home this year, until another body turns up! Winter 1925. Eleanor and Hugh are decking the halls for their first married Christmas together when butler Clifford arrives with a mysterious telegram. A lucrative case awaits their new detective agency… but in the most remote county in England. The note insists they must be there by midnight to accept the job. After a snowy journey, they arrive at the tiny hamlet of Yorelow to find their client, Osmund Unwin, dead in the churchyard as midnight mass ends. They realise they are now in the absurd situation of having to solve the murder of their client – who they never met – to solve a case they know nothing about and officially never accepted! Sounds frosty fabulous brr... Get your copy HERE

Murder at Midwinter Farm is out today!

Murder at Midwinter Farm releases today! A festive murder mystery outing for Kitty and Matt. A frosty country lane, snow-dusted Devon hills as far as the eye can see… and a local farmer vanished without trace. Can Kitty Underhay solve this chilling mystery? Devon, 1937. Kitty Underhay is enjoying a crisp winter morning walk with her best friend, Alice, and her fiancé, Robert, who have recently bought the mysterious Midwinter Farm. The previous owner vanished one night, his dinner still on the table and the front door left wide open. But as work is carried out on the farm, a body is found in the grounds. How was the man murdered—and who is responsible? Robert trusts the local police even less than Kitty does, so she is immediately on the case, with her husband Matt by her side. As the pair take the bull by the horns and begin to gather clues, several suspects emerge. Though he seems gentle as a lamb, is the victim’s son as innocent as he appears? Why does the local pub landlord have an axe to grind, and does his daughter seem suspicious? The waters become muddied by a robbery, with valuable jewels stolen at neighbouring Seacliffe Hall. Is the thief also the murderer Kitty is looking for? Or are the two crimes entirely unconnected? With the weak winter sun setting over the fields and danger mounting fast, Kitty and Matt need to find the killer, before they meet their own icy end in the dead of winter… Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey or Verity Bright will adore this totally charming murder mystery. The perfect treat for cozy crime fans!

Out in kindle, audio, paperback or read on KU HERE This story is set close to my home and features some of the loveliest places in this part of Devon. I hope you'll all enjoy it!

Release day and an anniversary!

Yesterday was the release day for Murder Most British, the third in my Secret Detective Agency series.HERE A release day is a cause for celebration on its own but for me it was extra special. It was also 7 years since I retired from nursing to fulfil a life long dream of becoming a fulltime author. It was scary, I was leaving a lifetime in my profession to start something new. I had enough money to last me for the nex three months and a small pension in case I failed. It was a new writing name too and a new genre. A new publisher, agent and editor. I did a marketing course to gain my level 2 certificate since I had no clue what I was doing in the brave new fast paced social media world. I also thought that if it all went wrong I would have a qualification to prove an old dog can learn new tricks. Since then it's been a crazy ride. There was covid and the world shut down. I lost both my parents and had to deal with months of estate care and worry. We moved house from the Black Country to Devon to a house that needed work. We took my mother in law with us since she needed care so we sold two houses. 3 months in our new home and storms bought down the gable end of the house so we had to evacuate while it was all rebuilt. My middle daughter got married and I became a grandmother - twice. My eldest daughter got engaged. I had surgery again. I wrote twenty-eight books in two series to date. Translated into six languages, best sellers in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Germany. I've been on panels, attended festivals, done things that scared me half to death! Seeing Murder Most British release was a true celebration and also a thanks to everyone who has been on this journey with me. My family, especially my husband, we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary this year. My children and their lovely partners and families. My friends who have been by my side through it all, many of them for most of my life. My new friends here in Devon, my wonderful supportive fellow authors. My agent, Kate, who has been my staunchest supporter for years. My incredible publisher, Bookouture and my editors, Emily, Maisie and Cerys, all of team Kitty who are now also team Jane. And a special heartfelt thank you to my readers, for buying the books, reading them, requsting them at your libraries, sending me lovely notes, leaving wonderful reviews. It keeps me going when things aren't easy.Thank you, all of you and for celebrating Murder most British with me!

Cover Reveal - The Afternoon Tea Murders

Cover reveal today for book 4 in The Secret Detective Agency Series -The Afternoon Tea Murders! Now available for preorder. HERE

Almost November

November is racing towards us now bringing not one but two releases from me. Murder most British is out November 6th and Murder at Midwinter Farm on November 24th!

I'm thrilled to say both books are getting wonderful reviews on Netgalley and The Afternoon Tea Murders has just been accepted for publication in early 2026!!!!!! yay! This is the fourth in the Secret Detective Agency Series. I have ad a sneak preview of the cover and it looks fabulous! So look out for more announcements soon!

Guest Blogger - J.L Salter

A very warm welcome to an old writing friend J.L Salter talking about a wonderful book Duchess of Earl and his writing journey with this lovely book. When Helena kindly invited me to visit her blog, I thought I’d share my experiences with the writing and publishing journey of Duchess of Earl… my affectionate tweak of Regency novels. It was enjoyable to write and (as I re-learned after its third appearance) also enjoyable to read. From my initial notes on Aug. 1, 2013, this novel was to be an affectionate tweak of Regency stories. I thought it would be fun to write a story in which the heroine only THOUGHT she was living in Regency times. It evidently captured my enthusiasm, because I had one day with 7248 words, two days with over 6000 words, two days with over 5000 words, and one day with over 4000 words. Folks, I can’t whip out manuscripts at such a pace anymore… but it’s fun to look back on the times when I could! I’d finished my first draft by Sept. 11, 2013 — just under six weeks. At that point it contained 93,900 words… but sadly, I had to drop this story completely, due to other manuscript deadlines. It was a full year later before I was able to resume work on it. After about 20 more days of work, I had my second draft complete at 105,000 words. My third draft trimmed back to about 103,000 words; fourth draft ended up at 104,400 words. Evidently, I ran a fine-tooth comb through my story because the fifth draft was down to 101,900 words — and this is the version submitted to Publisher A. [Of course, my novel later went through several additional drafts during the various phases of the editing process.] Of further mention: though this title was initially contracted by Publisher A [October 2014]… there were lengthy delays and issues (not related to me) which caused that publisher to later withdraw my contract. Since I had an excellent working relationship with that publisher, I accepted her decision gracefully (though with disappointment, of course). However, Publisher A had meanwhile arranged with Publisher B – with whom I had already been working on several other titles – to take on my story [February 2016]. And thus, my manuscript went through its normal edits with Publisher B… and later [July 2016] was released in digital format only (no paperback). Fast-forward to a point in February 2022 when Publisher B completely closed its doors… and 11 of my fiction titles (including D of E) were immediately orphaned (i.e., no longer available for purchase anywhere). [I’m sure you can imagine my agony.] Over the months and years since Publisher B went out of business, Publisher A has kindly resurrected seven of my 11 orphaned titles. One of those re-contracted [in October 2022] was D of E! Publisher A already had access to the final edited, proofed copy (since she had done a lot of formatting for Publisher B). So… after a quick re-edit by me and Publisher A, D of E was released again, this time in digital form and paperback. This occurred in April 2023, nearly 10 years after I’d written that first complete draft. But even that is not the happy end to my D of E saga. In about the Spring of 2025, Publisher A announced a digital anthology of Regency-related novels and offered to include D of E. Naturally, I agreed… joyfully. So D of E joined with those other stories in the regency anthology. After a few months in late summer, that anthology of seven titles was withdrawn — though I can’t remember why the anthology was set up for only a temporary existence. I mean WOW! what a story! I'm happy to say that you can read this wonderful book again now and to tempt you - here is the blurb! Duchess of Earl By J. L. Salter This is not a Regency… but SHE thinks it is. After a terrible vehicle accident, a young woman suddenly awakens convinced she’s betrothed to a lesser baron in Regency England, 1813. But instead of a baron, she encounters a man named Earl… and this low-key, 2013 Tennessee farm isn’t anywhere near her destination, the Alwoodley Estate. Dusty Earl thinks the beautiful accident victim (temporarily staying in his house) is close enough to kiss, but she believes there are 200 years between them. She’s also expecting a gallant gentleman to transport her to Baron Hertford (her betrothed). Is her name really Georgette Heyer? It’s up to Dusty to find out. An affectionate tweak of Regency novels. Re-released by Dingbat Publishing, 2023 — $3.99 in digital formats. Also available in paperback.

You can get your copy HERE

Guest Blogger _ Verity Bright

A very warm welcome back to Verity Bright here to tell us more about Murder at The Royal Palace Lady Eleanor Swift has a special royal invitation. She’s got just the right dress and the perfect plus one… But wait! Is that a body by the throne? Lady Eleanor Swift is at Buckingham Palace to see her new husband, Detective Chief Inspector Seldon, knighted. Brimming with pride, all she can hope is that Gladstone the bulldog behaves himself in front of the king. But the happy day is overshadowed when Dilly Dalrymple, a royal guard, collapses. The head of the royal police asks Eleanor and Hugh to investigate the murder – unofficially. This is her first clue that there’s more to the story… Donning a disguise as a journalist for a well-to-do magazine, Eleanor, with butler Clifford posing as her photographer interview the high-profile guests and residents at the palace. She wasn’t expecting gossiping wives, affairs aplenty and talk of long-lost treasure! Was Dilly killed to settle an old score or was he perhaps a little too close to someone else’s wife? But when another soldier is murdered at midnight, hours after the palace gates are locked, Eleanor knows she needs to keep her wits about her… And when everyone seems to have a reason to lie, can Eleanor dig up the truth before it’s her head next?

Doesn't that sound Fab? Get your copy HERE in UK AndHERE for the US

September already!

Bonjour mes amis, this month is already flying by so quickly. The summer weather seemed to vanish overnight leaving behind wind, rain and Murder at The Dolphin Hotel in French and Polish! I am so excited to have more translations to take Kitty and Matt to new audiences. I hope readers enjoy them. In other news, Murder in Paris is still flying high and in November I have 2 new releases. I know! Crazy. Murder at Midwinter Farm and Murder most British will both be out in time for Christmas. Writing wise I am cracking on with the next two books. Murder at Sea (working title) which will be the next Miss Underhay ad The Afternoon Tea murders (working title) which is the fourth secret detective agency book. I have appearances coming up in the next few months at Brixham - this includes a workshop with a lovely writer friend, A talk at Ivybridge, a panel at Crime at the Coast and of course in February I'm at Plymouth lit fest!!! Check my website for details.HERE

Guest Blogger - Millicent Binks

I am thrilled to be introducing a lovely friend of mine and a fellow Bookouture author. Millicent Binks has the second book, Murder in Hollywood, in her fabulous series, The Opal Laplume series releasing on Monday 18th of August. You may have already seen or read her first book in the series, A Most Parisian Murder already! I asked her to stop by and tell us more about herself, the series and how and where she writes! Millicent is a writer, former costume designer and burlesque performer. Her work includes a column for The Evening Standard and a cover story for The Sunday Times Magazine that was optioned for TV by NBCUniversal. Her cosy crime series features English milliner and amateur sleuth, The Honourable Opal Laplume who has adventures in Paris, Hollywood and the Scottish Highlands. About Murder in Hollywood! Lights, camera, action and… murder?

1934. Opal Laplume’s star is on the rise when she gets a job making costumes for Hollywood’s biggest talkie star, Jane Margeaux. But when Jane is fatally shot on set by a prop gun, and security guard Augusto finds a bullet missing from his pistol, it falls to Opal to save her favourite new friend from a wrongful murder accusation. Opal soon discovers that Jane had a list of enemies as long as the train on her designer gown. Jane’s co-star Betty envied her rise to fame, but did her jealousy take a deadly turn? Jane’s loyal assistant Virginia was overworked and underpaid. Did she get Jane out of the way to get ahead at the studio? Or did Jane’s fortune-hunting husband Carey see an opportunity to inherit his wife’s jaw-dropping Sunset Boulevard mansion? Just when Opal thinks she’s found her prime suspect, a crew member is found dead in the California desert with a briefcase stuffed full of movie scripts. And a close look at the director’s cut of Jane’s latest picture reveals a secret message hidden in plain sight. Soon, Opal will find that Jane was hiding the biggest secret in Hollywood – one truly worth killing for. Can Opal keep her English cool among the Tinseltown drama and crack the case before it’s a wrap for the entire crew? Grab a first-row seat to this fabulous and utterly charming Golden Age whodunnit full of glamour, intrigue and murder set in 1930s Hollywood. Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright won’t be able to put this down! This sounds fabulous! I asked Millicent to tell us more about where she writes as she leads such an action packed life as a gal around town! I’m a nomadic writer with a laptop, roaming London for places to work. Cafés and hotel bars have taught me to tune out the noise, though the vibrancy of life around me can be inspiring- unless a very annoying song comes on! Libraries—especially the BFI—bring that school-like focus, everyone being productive together is contagious. Occasionally I write at Claridge’s, tucked behind a pillar in the corner. A pot of tea there isn’t too pricey once you realise what you get with it. They keep topping up biscuits and hot water all evening—a bargain for how good the tea and service is! The art deco charm of the place immerses me in the time period I write about. Part of me longs for a set desk and a solid writing routine, but I haven’t quite mastered that yet. My legs get fidgety so sometimes it’s nice to sit with my legs outstretched on the sofa with my laptop on a ‘gaming pillow’ a silly block type padded table. At home I’m always distracted by my cats; Madame de Pompadot and Tarquin, my hubby who’s always excited to tell me about his shoe customers (he works for Jospeh Cheaney Shoes) and I’m always on the lookout for something to improve on in the house. So a desk at home would have to include straps, blinkers and earmuffs to get me to focus properly! You can get Millicent's wonderful book Murder in Hollywood HERE

Book Signing

Come find me this Sunday 20th July

2-4 at Whitehill Country Park on the Stoke Gabriel road at the fabulous craft fair where I'll be signing copies of both series! Delicious cakes and drinks 🍸 on sale too!

A special guest blog from Verity Bright

I know that many of you are also readers of my colleagues, the husband and wife duo of Verity Bright. For those of you who may not have heard, very sadly, Laura was tragically killed not long ago and her husband seriously injured. Death at a Paris Hotel is a book that was very dear to Laura's heart. She was enormously talented and threw herself into her research for their books. I know how much this book meant to her. You can get your copy HERE For Lady Eleanor Swift, Paris means champagne at breakfast, romantic walks by the Eiffel Tower… and her deadliest case yet! Newlyweds Lady Swift and Detective Hugh Seldon are honeymooning in the most romantic city on earth. Clifford, her butler, has come along for the trip to make sure everything goes to plan for the happy couple. And Gladstone, the mischievous bulldog, to make sure it doesn’t! But the pair are shocked when, just as they are toasting their new marriage at the best table in their hotel’s opulent restaurant, a man tumbles through the glass roof and lands amid the silverware and coq au vin. Before he dies, he presses a striking pearl brooch into Eleanor’s hands. She has the strangest feeling of déjà vu. Has she met this man before? All too quickly, the local police arrive and immediately accuse the new Mr and Mrs of working with the victim – a thief who’d just robbed the museum down the block. With her new husband by her side, Eleanor races to clear their name and discover who would kill to get their hands on the unusual brooch. Following a clue about a doomed love affair takes the gang from the famous cabarets and cobbled streets of Paris to rubbing shoulders with the aristocracy at the very top of the Eiffel Tower. But soon Eleanor notices a mysterious man in black following their every footstep. Is he friend or foe? And can Eleanor and Hugh unravel the case before the City of Light becomes the city of death?

Summer Solstice already!

It's hard to believe that half the year has already shot past. Here in Devon the weather is hot and dry, a sure sign that I'm busy writing Christmas books! One, the next Miss Underhay is very Christmassy with crackling log fires, carols, mince pies and murder. The other book will be the 4th in the Secret Detective Agency series and is set in the grey and dark days of January 1942 with Jane and Arthur facing new perils. Murder in Paris, book 21 in the Miss underhay series is just going through edits and I'm looking forward to you all reading it. Likewise, Murder most British, Jane and Arthur's third adventure. This time in war torn London.

The Christmas Miss Underhay book is being set around here, one of my favourite places and just a couple of miles from my house. This of course is a picture in sunnier times. But in winter with the mist swirling and no one around except a murderer...

Cover Reveal - Murder in Paris!

Ta dah! Cover reveal for Murder in Paris - book 21 and a new adventure for Kitty and Matt. HERE

Freshly baked baguettes and strong coffee,a moonlit walk beneath the twinkling lights of the Eiffel tower, sunset over the rooftops… and oh là là! A murder in the French capital? This is one for Kitty Underhay! Paris, 1937. Kitty Underhay, with a croissant in hand and her handsome husband Matt by her side, is soaking up the delightfully Parisian charms of the French capital. Kitty attends a fashion show where she is enamoured by the dazzling gowns, but the afternoon takes a very sour turn when one of the models, Simone Belliste, is found dead with a pair of razor sharp tailoring scissors nearby. Kitty and Matt are determined to work out who could be behind the murder. They perch in tiny cafés on cobblestone streets, deliberating over who would do such a thing. Simone had many admirers, including a wealthy older Englishman who had been wooing her and a handsome young Frenchman who was besotted with her. But she was also surrounded by glamorous designers, competitive models, and a jealous younger sister… and nobody is without motive. Just as Kitty and Matt are jotting down their list of suspects, they receive a call: Simone’s sister Nathalie has been attacked, and her valuable folder of dressmaking patterns is missing. Can they unravel the secrets surrounding the two sisters? Or will they be next in line…? With a murderer in their midst, can the team of two find the killer before it’s adieu for both of them? Or will this Parisian sojourn be their last?

Book 20!

Can you believe it? Book 20 in the Miss Underhay series is out today! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me on this crazy journey. I never expected people to love Kitty and Matt as much as me so it's an absolute joy to keep writing these mysteries. I hope you'll enjoy this one!

You can get your copy HERE

Bristol Crime Festival

UK readers - I'll be on two panels at TICKETS Friday 16th and Sunday 18th May so coming up very quickly. There are some fabulous authors appearing so if you are in and around Bristol next weekend it would be lovely to see you :)

Book news!!

I'm thrilled to say that I've signed a new contract with Bookouture for 6 more books! You can read all about it HERE

It's a twofer!

Huge excitement today with the release of The Seaside Murders - the second in the Secret Detective Agency series - and the cover reveal for book 3 - Murdr most British!

Grab your preorder HERE And if you haven't yet got your mitts on this little beauty.

Then you can get it HERE In fact, you can get all three books for less than a fiver if you do it now!!!