‘One By One’ by Sam Frances

Published by Headline Accent,
4 December 2025.
ISBN: 978-103541844-4 (PB)

When Detective Sergeant Alice Washington joins the team tasked with policing a rock festival in high summer, the last thing she needs is the lead band The Dolls receiving death threats as they plan their revival. Well, perhaps not quite the last; it would help if Roy, her DC, wasn't being so holier-than-thou about his new health kick. And keep his trousers hoisted instead of displaying more than she needs to see of his nether regions.

The death threats appear to be linked to the murder ten years ago of The Dolls' lead singer. It seemed to be an open-and-shut case, and the singer's erstwhile best friend is currently serving a life sentence, but to Alice something doesn't quite sit right about that. To Alice – but to nobody else, especially the top brass. Her one potential ally, DI Jane Josephs, is on leave, and the other senior officer on the team is a mysoginist who prides himself on his lack of political correctness, and dismisses her reservations. But Alice is convinced she's right, and that the cases are linked, and that's the line of enquiry she's determined to pursue. It doesn't help that recent events in the area have made the police appear untrustworthy. Or that her dad, a retired superintendent, was involved in the earlier investigation. But when she gets the bit between her teeth, she doesn't hold back. 

For me, and I'm sure for many other readers, a key factor in enjoying a crime novel is the characters. One By One is brimming with them: maverick smart-mouth Alice, over-keen PCSO Eddie, taciturn Bret her colleague and promotion rival, feckless Judith, mother of the singer's supposed killer ten years ago. Even Mr Logan, the primary school teacher who has nothing to do with the case, has a distinct personality. The Dolls themselves are very much individuals: fey Tabby the poor little rich girl; Geordie Nush whose background is very different, ambitious and acerbic Em. Sherrie the band's manager could double as a bouncer; Manu their actual bouncer is clearly hiding something behind a buttoned-up exterior; Ryan the band member who didn't come back is all about family these days. And then there's Kit, a journalist following the band's progress. There's something odd about Kit.  

There's a twisty plot too, of course: another staple of a successful crime novel. Just when you think you've got it sussed, another bend in road takes you off in a new direction. One by One is only Sam Frances's second novel; I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of her.
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Reviewer: Lynne Patrick 

Sam Frances is a British crime thriller author from Tyne and Wear. She writes stories that combine her love of sardonic characters with her background in policing and lives in London with her partner. When not writing (or daydreaming about writing or listening to writing podcasts), she can usually be found no more than 9-10 metres from a block of cheese, either in deep conversation with one of her cats, or playing a musical instrument poorly. Author of the DS Alice Washington books, All Eyes on You was her debut novel, followed by the second in the series, One by One. You can find her on Instagram and X @SamFranWriter. 

Lynne Patrick has been a writer ever since she could pick up a pen, and has enjoyed success with short stories, reviews and feature journalism, but never, alas, with a novel. She crossed to the dark side to become a publisher for a few years and is proud to have launched several careers which are now burgeoning. She lives in Oxfordshire in a house groaning with books, about half of them crime fiction.

Coming Soon: 'A Deadly Summer' by Claire Black

Published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers

30 June 2026

When disillusioned detective Nia Tremeyrick stumbles upon a

30-year-old cold case in her Pembrokeshire seaside town, she

relishes the chance to prove herself to her arrogant male colleagues.
But with the identity of the victim remaining a mystery, and her own family drama dragging her down, she is struggling to piece together the truth.
Meanwhile, back in 1984, bookish teenager Cerys Pritchard is expecting an uneventful summer, until she is persuaded to attend an illicit party in an abandoned hotel by her rebellious new friend
Kay Abbot.
By the end of summer, one of them will be dead. As Nia digs deeper, she fears the case that was supposed to make her career will turn out to be her worst nightmare.
But who was killed that deadly summer? And why?

Claire Back was born and raised in Pembrokeshire, and has always felt a deep connection to this part of the Welsh coastline. After a successful career in finance, she retrained to work in Early Years education. She is currently writing her second novel - another mystery set in wartime Wales. A keen walker and gardener, she lives with her husband and two spaniels in Wrexham. Her debut novel, A Deadly Summer (2026) is described as a cross between ITV’s Broadchurch and Unforgotten. The story is an atmospheric dual-timeline mystery set on the rugged Pembrokeshire coast between 1984 and 2015. It follows Detective Nia Tremeyrick as she investigates a 30-year-old cold case that unearths buried trauma and lifelong secrets within a small seaside community.

News From Bloody Scotland

 

We wanted to let you know that there will be four more early release headliners in the next few weeks, starting today with the first visit to Stirling from one of the world’s most lauded crime writers, Tana French.  

 

Buy Tickets for Denise Mina Presents Tana French

The other early release headliners will be released at noon on 21st, 26th and 28th May. You can find out who our early Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky & Twitter. The rest of our brilliant, jam packed programme will be  announced at noon on the 4th of June and tickets will be available immediately - so get that date in your diary now.  For more information about Bloody Scotland and to  view our upcoming events, visit: www.bloodyscotland.com

Visit: Bloodyscotland.com

 

 

‘Murder At Vigna D’Oro by Camilla Trinchieri

Published by Allison & Busby,
19 March 2026.
ISBN: 978-0-7490-3358-3 (PB)
Originally Published as
The Bitter Taste of Murder 2021

In Murder at Vigno D’oro we are back in Gravigna, a small, wine-producing, medieval town in the Chianti Hills of Tuscany. Nico Doyle, ex NYPD detective, and his seemingly psychic, four-legged friend OneWag, are now well settled members of the community with Nico routinely helping out at the Trattoria run by his late wife’s sister Tilde and her husband Enzo.  All is peaceful until several people hear Nico’s landlord, Aldo, threatening to kill Michele Manetti a prestigious wine critic.  Then trouble descends on the town. 

When Manetti dies after being poisoned and driving his car down a cliff, Aldo becomes the prime suspect. Delle Langhe, the superior officer at provincial police headquarters insists that Aldo is arrested and taken to the cells in Florence. The discovery that Manetti had an affair with Aldo’s wife, Cinzia, and that she had been his one and only great love, did nothing to help Aldo’s case. Neither Nico, nor the local police, Salvatore Perillo and his sensitive, young assistant Daniel are convinced of Aldo’s guilt.  The three of them start looking for other suspects of whom there are plenty. To start with there is the dead man’s ex-wife Diane. She will inherit all Manetti’s money and property. Then there is Manetti’s young, drug-taking and very beautiful girlfriend, Loredana whom he has just rejected. Also in the queue is Peppino, the old caretaker, whose entire life and love has been expended on looking after Manetti’s house and garden. He was heartbroken when Manetti cast him out on the streets. Then there is one local grower, Verdini, and two other vine growers who all owe money to Manetti. 

Investigations take place against the background buzz of a small town where everybody knows everyone else and everybody else’s business.  Information and banter are exchanged over breakfast, lunch and evening meals at which delicious recipes are often revealed. The young constable Daniel has a sensitive soul and is convinced that somebody as beautiful as Loredana could not murder anyone. He is very upset when she is eventually murdered. On the lighter side, romance is blooming very slowly between Daniel and Stella – Nico’s niece and Enzo and Tilde’s daughter. Nico is struggling to overcome feelings of disloyalty to his forma wife, Rita, over the awakening feelings he has for the kind and generous artist Nelli.  It’s a pity that OneWag, the small dog who has adopted Nico/been adopted by Nico, can’t talk.  Generally speaking, he seems to have a very sensible head on his shoulders. All in all, this is an absolutely charming book of many varied parts.  Whilst Murder at Vigno D’Ora is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Once you have read one book though, you will likely be drawn to the others.
 ---------

Reviewer: Angela Crowther 

Camilla Trichieri  was born in Prague to an Italian diplomat father and an American mother. Camilla came to the U.S. when she was twelve and returned to Italy after she graduated from Barnard College. In Rome she worked in the movie industry as a dubbing producerdirector with Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Lina Wertmüller and many others. She came back to New York City in 1980, married, received an MFA from the Columbia's Graduate Writing program and became an American citizen. Under the pseudonym Camilla Crespi, she has published seven novels in “The Trouble With” mystery series, featuring Simona Griffo, a nosy Italian immigrant who loves to cook. The Breakfast Club Murder, featuring caterer Lori Corvino, was published in February, 2014. As Camilla Trinchieri, her own name, The Price of Silence was published by Soho Press in 2007. Seeking Alice, a fictionalized account of her mother’s life in Europe during WWII, was published by SUNY Press in 2016. Both have been translated and published in Italy. She followed with a Tuscan mystery series featuring Nico Doyle a New York ex-homicide detective and Maresciallo dei Carabinieri Salvatore Perillo. Soho Press published Murder in Chianti in 2020. There are six books in the series.

Angela Crowther is a retired scientist.  She has published many scientific papers but, as yet, no crime fiction.  In her spare time Angela belongs to a Handbell Ringing group, goes country dancing and enjoys listening to music, particularly the operas of Verdi and Wagner.

‘Head Hunting’ by Chris Blackwater

Published by Catisfield Books,
10 April 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-73930504-8 (PB)

After Danny Verity left the army, he became a medic on a North Sea oil rig. The events that occurred there resulted in two important changes in Danny’s life. One was that he made another career move and became a Private Investigator, although his work often involved the oil industry. The second significant change was Danny’s meeting and subsequent friendship with Gemma Gauld, a feisty Scottish oil worker who takes outspokenness and attitude to a new level. 

Gemma is offshore working on an oil rig when Danny is approached by Marissa Ling, who asks him to investigate her uncle’s murder in the rainforest of Borneo. It sounds like an interesting and lucrative case but, from the first, Danny has reservations. He has encountered Marissa before and knows that although she is beautiful, well-born and wealthy, she is also manipulative, devious and ruthless, as well as being rather too dependent on alcohol. The investigation into the murder is far from simple, because Marissa’s uncle, Joash Ling, was a man who had spent his life making enemies. His body had been discovered in the Borneo rainforest that he had been deforesting for financial gain, and the state of his body indicated that he had been killed by one of the indigenous tribes that still cling to elements of their traditional life in the rainforest. Danny understands why Marissa selected him to investigate when his first task is to work as the medic on a local oil rig, the condition of which makes the North Sea rigs seem luxurious. The only clue that Marissa has given him about who he is supposed to contact is an oblique hint about Narnia. 

Gemma’s job ends early and she accepts Marissa’s invitation to join the investigation and leaves wet, cold Aberdeen for the heat and luxury of the private island in Borneo that had belonged to Marissa’s uncle. At the airport she is greeted by Mikhail Ling, Marissa’s brother, an undeniably attractive young man, and the tough and unsentimental Gemma suddenly starts to fantasise about marrying into a noble family and living in luxury. 

As Gemma and Danny probe into Joash’s life they discover that there are many motives for his murder, ranging from abusive family relationships to war crimes, their only problem is to sort out who amongst all the people who had reason to want revenge on Joash had turned their hatred into action. Gemma’s dreams of a life of luxury soon vanish when she and Mikhail have to head into the rainforest to inspect the place where Joash’s body had been discovered.  

Danny returns from the oil rig and he, Gemma and Mikhail embark on a perilous, high-speed adventure to probe Joash’s secrets and discover which one of them was responsible for his death. As they move closer to the truth it becomes evident that nothing is as it seemed at first glance, and numerous dangerous people are trying to prevent them from finding out the truth. Soon Danny and Gemma are uncertain who they can truly trust, apart from each other, and their lives are very much on the line. 

Head Hunting is the third novel featuring Danny Verity and Gemma Gauld. The protagonists are engaging, They have many flaws, but their basic integrity is unimpeachable, and they develop and grow stronger all the time. Gemma and Danny are very different characters, which means they have their differences: Gemma thinks that Danny is too soft because he flinches from leaving an enemy to bleed to death, and Danny considers Gemma to be too ruthless, impulsive and eager to plunge into unwise action. However, they know that they can totally trust each other, as Danny puts it: ‘Gemma always had his back, whereas Marissa was more likely to put a knife in it’. The witty dialogue and humorous action is one of the delights of this book, and the description of Gemma trekking through the rainforest wearing ill-fitting native costume made me laugh out loud. The pace of the book is fast-moving and superbly timed, moving skilfully between the two viewpoint protagonists. Head Hunting is a darkly humorous page-turner, which I wholeheartedly recommend.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron 

Chris Blackwater is a chartered engineer from Leeds. He began writing to entertain himself while working away on offshore oil platforms, power stations and shipyards. His career has taken him all over the world to many unusual locations and introduced him to some remarkable characters. His short stories have appeared in a variety of publications and anthologies. In recent years Chris has gradually drifted down to the south coast of England where he now spends his spare time kayaking and sailing on the Solent. Emergency Drill is his first book. 

Carol Westron is a Golden Age expert who has written many articles on the subject and given papers at several conferences. She is the author of several series: contemporary detective stories and police procedurals, comedy crime and Victorian Murder Mysteries. Her most recent publications are Paddling in the Dead Sea and Delivering Lazarus, books 2 and 3 of the Galmouth Mysteries, the series which began with The Fragility of Poppies. 

www.carolwestron.com

Whitby Lit Fest Start New Charity Chapter as More Authors Announced

Acclaimed Novelist John Boyne
Joins 2026 Whitby Lit Fest Line-up

Whitby Lit Fest
marks a new exciting chapter as it’s been granted charitable status.

The festival, which launched last year, was created to celebrate Whitby’s literary heritage, as well as connect readers to contemporary writers and inspire readers and visitors alike.

The second Whitby Lit Fest takes place 19 to 22 November.

Just announced as headline guest for 2026 is one of the most successful and critically acclaimed novelists of his generation,
John Boyne.

Author of 15 novels, Boyne is best known for
  The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas,
which was a New York Times No. 1 bestseller and adapted for film, theatre, opera and ballet, selling more than 11 million copies worldwide.

Among his many international bestsellers are
he Heart’s Invisible Furies,
A Ladder to the Sky, and All the Broken Places.
His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Observer, The Times Literary Supplement, The Irish Times, and in dozens of international newspapers and magazines.

He’ll be talking about his new book, The Weight of Angels, an “astonishing” reimagining of the life of Oscar Wilde.

Also announced for 2026 are crime authors Elly Griffiths and
Sarah Hilary, the Channel 4 style guru, Nicky Hambleton-Jones of 10-Years Younger fame, historian Alistair Moffat with his book,
The North Sea, and the debut novelist Helen Bain with her acclaimed book The Daffodil Days, which was a 2026 Harper’s Bazaar book pick.

They join authors already confirmed including Vera and Shetland author Ann Cleeves, Joanne Harris of Chocolat fame, this year’s CWA Diamond Dagger winner, the crime author Mark Billingham, and the award-winning BBC broadcaster turned psychologist, Dr Sian Williams.

Lois Kirlan, Chair of Whitby Lit Fest, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to announce another flurry of fabulous names joining the 2026 line-up, and the full programme, including our outreach and community events, will be published soon this summer.”

The inaugural event last year attracted over 50 authors. Its patron is the Whitby resident and former Radio 4 producer and author, Kate Fenton. Honorary patron is the acclaimed playwright,
Sir Alan Aykbourn.

Last year’s event established the festival as a highlight of Yorkshire’s cultural calendar, attracting visitors from across the UK and beyond. It showcased local authors and poets, and hosted writing workshops and a school writing competition in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.

Headline authors from last year’s event also sang its praises, with Lee Child declaring it, a ‘triumph’ and Rob Rinder calling it a ‘joy’ and full of ‘heart’: “A real celebration of words and ideas by the sea.” The actor Miriam Margolyes also said it was, “utterly wonderful…one of the best weekends ever. Joyous. Uplifting. Beautiful.”

Gaining charitable status will allow the festival to expand its objective to be of public benefit and advance the education and appreciation of literature, in and around Whitby.

Mark Williamson, Trustee of Whitby Lit Fest, said: “Having charity status helps us build in sustainability into the festival, and allows us to expand its existing work around accessibility, education, and community outreach. We passionately believe that people living in coastal areas deserve a similar quality of culture and opportunity that audiences expect in larger, cosmopolitan towns and cities. Whitby has inspired writers who have shaped the nation’s cultural landscape, and that’s a legacy worth celebrating and nurturing.”

Organisers are calling on local businesses and organisations to get involved through sponsorship opportunities.

Mark added: “Supporting the festival, from just £50, offers a unique chance to be part of a growing cultural event that brings significant economic and cultural benefits to Whitby and the surrounding area, in the shoulder winter months.”

For more information on donating, sponsorship opportunities, or festival updates, please go to
  https://whitbylitfest.org.uk/

* SWANSEA UNIVERSITY DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2026 *

American Poet Sasha Debevec-Mckenney Wins World’s Largest Prize For Young Writers With
Joy Is My Middle Name

Swansea, 19:30 on Thursday 14 May 2026: Today, American poet
Sasha Debevec-McKenney has been announced as the winner of the world’s largest and most prestigious literary prize for young writers – the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize – for her debut collection
Joy Is My Middle Name. 

Chosen in a unanimous decision by this year’s judging panel,
Joy Is My Middle Name documents the journey of crawling through your twenties and emerging into your thirties, navigating sex, race, womanhood, addiction, sobriety, consumerism and pop culture. The judging panel praised Sasha for her energising, exuberant and robust collection, condensing huge ideas into something that is truly a joy to read. 

Irenosen Okojie, Chair of Judges, said on behalf of the panel: “Incredible. An exuberant, blistering collection full of life, humour and ideas. Debevec-McKenney is a ferociously gifted talent. The book is remarkable in the way it galvanises the reader with a sense of intimacy that is authentic and a voice that feels like an antidote to our tricky times.” 

Sasha Debevec-McKenney said: “I really love writing poems, it makes life worth living. Every emotion I’ve ever had, there’s a poem for it. To get this prize feels completely unbelievable. I’m really honoured.” 

Sasha Debevec-McKenney was awarded the £20,000 prize – which celebrates exceptional literary talent aged 39 or under – at a ceremony held in Swansea tonight, marking International Dylan Thomas Day. Joy Is My Middle Name, which was released in paperback on 3 July 2025, is published by Fitzcarraldo Editions. 

The prize is named after the Swansea-born writer Dylan Thomas and celebrates his 39 years of creativity and productivity. The prize invokes Thomas’ memory to support the writers of today, nurture the talents of tomorrow, and celebrate international literary excellence in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama. 

The other titles shortlisted for the 2026 Prize were: To Rest Our Minds and Bodies by Harriet Armstrong (Les Fugitives); We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown (Chatto & Windus, Vintage); Under the Blue by Suzannah V. Evans (Bloomsbury Poetry); Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt (Jonathan Cape, Vintage); and Borderline Fiction by Derek Owusu (Canongate). 

The 2026 Prize was judged by Irenosen Okojie, the award-winning Nigerian British author of Curandera, Butterfly Fish, Speak Gigantular and Nudibranch, along with: Joe Dunthorne, poet and novelist, whose debut Submarine, was translated into fifteen languages and made into an award-winning film; Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, poet, pacifist and fabulist; Prajwal Parajuly, author of The Gurkha’s Daughter: Stories and Land Where I Flee, a novel, whose work has been nominated for the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize; and Eley Williams, acclaimed author of Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, whose work has been nominated for the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize. 

Sasha Debevec-McKenney joins an astonishing list of writers to have been awarded this prestigious prize, including Yasmin Zaher, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Arinze Ifeakandu, Patricia Lockwood, Max Porter, Raven Leilani, Bryan Washington, Maggie Shipstead, Guy Gunaratne, and Kayo Chingonyi.

‘Villainous Saltpetre’ by Clifford Witting

Published by Galileo Publishers,
14 May 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-9175432-5 (PB)
Originally published 1962. 

Having had a diet of contemporary crime novels recently (all of which I have enjoyed, I may say), I confess it was a particular pleasure when our esteemed editor sent me this book. Given that it was first published in 1962 I suppose one is stretching a point to claim that it is a Golden Age story, but Witting’s first novel was published in 1937 so I have no hesitation in claiming ‘Villainous Saltpetre’ under this classification, particularly as it conforms to type. I have relished all Wittings that I have read. 

The novel’s prologue gets matters off to a good start by leading the reader up the garden path initially before arriving at an unexpected ending. Where does it fit into the story was my first reaction. Part I starts in 1930 when a struggling playwright, Guy Brangley, successfully and deliberately gains publicity after staging his own disappearance. He is soon tracked down to a privately-owned island off the coast of north Cornwall, some of whose small and close-knit population have French ancestry. In due course Brangley manages to buy the island and its singular clifftop castle. Time and World War II go by. Brangley’s career as a playwright declines. Twenty five years later his body is found in the sea with injuries consistent with falling from the castle. Part One finishes with a coroner’s court coming to a verdict and the memorable statement: ‘Eight good men and wrong.’ 

In Part II a film company comes to the island. Relationships between members of the cast and crew come under scrutiny, particularly after someone calling himself Brian Easter parachutes in. He claims to be working on a series for the BBC, but there are sufficient grounds to suspect that he may not be all that he seems. The original verdict on Brangley’s death looks increasingly unsound as a person who worked for the previous owner of the island, but who was sacked and replaced by Brangley, visits the island and further information comes to light. Boat trips and radio equipment feature. Part III, appropriately subtitled ‘The Third Act’ given that a playwright is involved, solves the various mysteries of identity, death and a missing, allegedly unfinished, play. 

This is a very enjoyable novel, even if not perhaps Witting’s best. Part II gets a little bogged down with the film and its cast and is perhaps overwritten, although it could just be my impatience. But Witting not at his absolute best is still better than many other writers. I enjoy his asides: ‘[Brangley] made it a provision in his will that Pengawnen Castle should remain in perpetuity as a monument to his genius (he did not put it like that, but it was what he meant)’ is typical. A few charming line drawings (one assumes from the original publication) by John Armstrong do much to enhance the appearance of this edition. I am delighted that Galileo is reissuing Witting’s 16 novels and look forward keenly to further releases.
------
Reviewer: David Whittle

Clifford Witting (1907-1968) was born in Lewisham, England. He was educated at Eltham College, London, between 1916 and 1924. During World War II he served as a bombardier in the Royal Artillery, 1942-44, and as a Warrant Officer in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 1944-46. He married Ellen Marjorie Steward in 1934 and they had one daughter. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a clerk in Lloyds bank from 1924 to 1942. He was Honorary Editor of The Old Elthamian magazine, London. from 1947 up to his death. His first novel Murder in Blue was published in 1937 and his series characters were Sergeant (later Inspector) Peter Bradford and Inspector Harry Charlton. Unusually, he didn’t join The Detection Club until 1958 by which time he had written 12 detective novels. 

David Whittle is firstly a musician (he is an organist and was Director of Music at Leicester Grammar School for over 30 years) but has always enjoyed crime fiction. This led him to write a biography of the composer Bruce Montgomery who is better known to lovers of crime fiction as Edmund Crispin, about whom he gives talks now and then.

 

‘The Lottery Winner Widows Club’ by Elly Vine

Published by Wildfire,
26 March 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-0354-2850-2 (HB)

The main character in this funny and surreal novel is Paula who has just lost her husband in a car accident in Austria.  Two days after this tragic accident Paula discovers that she has won 21 million pounds on the Lottery (ticket bought by John her late husband).  Paula is struggling to come to terms with all that has happened to her when she is approached by a trio of women of various ages and types who are also Jackpot winners with dead husbands!  

They tell Paula that they understand what she is going through and clearly believe that Paula like them killed her husband.  Paula tries to convince them that she did not in fact kill her husband, but she finds it hard to resist their friendship and their lavish and thrilling worlds.  

Paula's jackpot win leads to difficulties with online trolls and loan sharks.  She also finds it difficult to relate to her two grown up children who can't really understand why Pauls does not appear unduly distraught by her husband's death.  

The novel leads us through some unbelievable but enticing events involving the group of unconventional friends who may or may not have murdered their husbands.  The friends help Paula come to terms with the emotional abuse she suffered for most of her marriage and allow her to reflect on how this has impacted on her life and her role as a mother.  

Although in many ways this appears to be a light-hearted novel there is in fact a really important message about the emotional and physical abuse many women experience in their marriages and how difficult is for them to acknowledge this abuse.  

I really enjoyed this book and was quite happy to suspend disbelief in much of the content simply because it is very well written and the author ensures the reader really cares about all the characters.  I'd love to hear more from this group of Lottery Widows!
--------
Reviewer: Toni Russell  

Elly Vine is the pseudonym of bestselling author Lucy Vine, who is a journalist and started working in magazines in 2005. Writing and editing for Cosmo, Stylist, Marie Claire, Women’s Health, Look, The Mirror, The Sun, and The Telegraph. She also writes a weekly newsy column for Grazia Daily. Lucy lives in London. 

Toni Russell is a retired teacher who has lived in London all her life and loves the city.  She says, ‘I enjoy museums, galleries and the theatre but probably my favourite pastime is reading.  I found myself reading detective fiction almost for the first time during lockdown and have particularly enjoyed old fashioned detective fiction rather than the nordic noir variety.  She is a member of a book club at the local library and have previously attended literature classes at our local Adult Education Centre. 

Coming Soon: 'Murder at St Alfred's' by Julie Wassmer

 
Published by Constable

18 June 2026.

Book 11 in the Whitstable Pearl Mysteries.

For almost two centuries, St Alfred's Church in Whitstable, Kent, has held special significance in the lives of its parishioners - including for private detective, Pearl Nolan, owner of the Whitstable Pearl restaurant.

Pearl's son, Charlie, was christened in the church and her oyster fisherman father, Tommy Nolan, is buried in the old churchyard. Now, St Alfred's is about to play another part in Pearl's life as the setting for her wedding to Canterbury police detective, DCI Mike McGuire.

But two fateful events are about to threaten this happy occasion - the discovery of a body on hallowed ground and the return of a ghost from Pearl's own past.

Julie Wassmer is a television drama writer who contributed for almost twenty years to the popular BBC series EastEnders. She published her autobiography More Than Just Coincidence in 2010, in which she describes finding her long-lost daughter after an astonishing twist of fate. It was voted Mumsnet book of the year. The Whitstable Pearl Mystery was the first in her series of crime novels, involving multi-tasking private detective-come-restauranteur, Pearl Nolan. There are now eleven books in the series. Julie lives in Whitstable and is well known for her environmental campaigning. 

https://www.juliewassmer.com/