National Crime Reading Month.

The Crime Writers' Association presents the National Crime Reading Month Launch Event in partnership with The Reading Agency and Criminally Good Books.  Join us on Saturday, 30th May at 6.30pm (doors open at 6pm) for Noir at the Bar, when nine talented authors will be reading short extracts from their books. We will also have author signings, a book stand, all things crime fiction, and, of course, great company.  We will also be announcing the winner of the Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition.  Tickets are just £5, but CWA members can book their ticket for free by using the code ncrmlaunch. And that includes a glass of wine!  When: Saturday, 30th May 2026 Where: All Saints' Church Pavement, High Ousegate, York YO1 8RZ (venue is fully accessible) Time: 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM (Doors open 6:00 PM) - The evening will include breaks for guests to network, buy books, and get books signed.  Please note: Tickets are neither exchangeable nor refundable. Should you have any access issues, please email events@criminallygoodbooks.co.uk or hello@criminallygoodbooks.co.uk  You can reserve your ticket using the link below.

Reserve Your Ticket Here

‘Operation Berlin’ by Michael Ridpath

Published by Boldwood Books,
12 April 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-80703008-7 (PB)

It’s August 1930, and Archie Laverick, a biographer is on route to Berlin for a two-month trip to research a Prussian general, Field Marshal Blűcher. Archie is in a bad mood, as Fortescue his research student has deserted him in favour of a ‘ripping girl’ he has just met. His cousin young Duncan will have to sort it' 

Archie eventually reaches the Adlon hotel. The lobby of the hotel is reminiscent of the pre-war grandeur of the Kaiser Empire. Any luck with a secretary? he asks Duncan. As a matter of fact, yes says Duncan.  She’s American, a foreign correspondent, needs some extra cash and speaks German. We’re out on the terrace. Archie is delighted when he is introduced to the attractive Harriet Dryden, who does not flinch or flicker when she sees the left side of his face. Archie had acquired two wounds face and leg in March 1918. He is slightly less happy when he is introduced to Esme Carmichael, with short hair, a snub nose and freckles, who is to be his research secretary, although her driving aim is to be a foreign correspondent. She can’t start immediately she says as she and Harriet have been invited for the weekend to a castle in Saxony.

Esme is late, if it wasn’t for the fact that his leg was throbbing, Archie would have just driven off and left her. As he impatiently waits, he is handed a telegram. ‘Harriet shot and killed. Police need to interview us. If I still have a job, can meet tomorrow same time. E Carmichael’. His irritation drained away as he remembered the slim attractive Harriet. 

The following day Esme turned up driving a Horch convertible, with her eyes red from crying. During the weekend Esme had met Ruth, a worried and upset young lady, who had been trying to see Gray Trexler, a man she had been having an affair with, and was now pregnant by, but who was now refusing to see her. Esme said she would speak to Gray for her.  But he refused to see her. Then Harriet was killed and Ruth was arrested for her murder. 

After a couple of days in Silesia, Archie and Esme drove to Blűcher’s estate and met Princess Evelyn Blűcher. As Archie learns more about Field Marshall Blűcher, he also learns of his many mistakes, but Archie is sure he can deal with that! As Esme talks to people it is clear that few people think that Ruth shot Harriet. During this time both Esme and Archie have agreed to investigate who could have killed Harriet. Both are convinced that Ruth’s is innocence of the murder, but the police are convinced that she is a communist spy although they have been unable to pin any espionage charges on her, but they are not considering anyone else for the murder. 

Gisela von Alderstein who works for a judge visits Archie and Esme and says it makes her angry when there is injustice and that she is happy to offer her assistance.  

On the surface in the glittering circle that Archie moves it’s all fun and good times, but the scars of war linger. And festering beneath the surface there is resentment, shadows, blackmail and betrayal.  It appears that even Archie whom Esme has begun to trust has skeletons in his closet. But as the pair continue to investigate, they become aware that there are people who seem determined that Ruth should hang for the murder of Harriet. Of course, the overriding question is, Why Harriet? What was the motive behind her murder? 

Intricately plotted, this is a mind-bending mystery.  No one is what they appear to be on the surface. Compelling reading. Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett 

Michael Ridpath is the bestselling author of over 20 crime novels and thrillers. His first novel, after a career in finance, was Free to Trade, a No 2 bestseller about the murky world of bond trading which was translated into over thirty languages. The success of that book enabled him to become a full-time writer. He published seven more thrillers with a financial background before starting a crime series set in Iceland featuring the Icelandic-American detective Magnus Jonson. He has also written five stand-alone thrillers. He is currently writing the Foreign Correspondent series of murder mysteries set in the capitals of Europe in the 1930s. The first of these, Operation Berlin, is published in April 2026. He lives in London.

‘Deadly Derailment at Honeychurch Hall’ by Hannah Dennison

Published by Constable,
9 April 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-40972068-4 (PB)

Kat Stanford, the former TV host of Fakes and Treasures has now been living in Little Dipperton in Devon for some years. She is frequently asked to value items. that people have stumbled upon or found clearing out their attic that can turn out to be of great value or more often worthless junk! However, a call from Connie Hicks asking her to meet her at Railway Cottage to value her father’s ‘RARE’ model railway collection from his days of working as a signalman on the old line that made headlines 50 years ago of a botched train heist, she is naturally intrigued. 

But the collection turns out to be a muddle of scratched and faded engines, mismatched carriages and broken pieces of track. The only thing she could find of value was a book on English Railways written by George Findlay in 1891. When Kat realises that Connie’s father is still alive and living in Sonny Hill Lodge, she is rather perplexed, firstly she needs Connie’s father to sign that he is OK with her selling his model railway. And second that Connie seems to be in need of every penny she can get, and Sunny Hill Lodge is a very expensive nursing home. It’s a beautiful Regency villa. A further surprise is the new manager, Alison Fisher. What has happened to Margery Rooke, Kat asked?  Retired. said Alison. 

Soon Kat was back home in her cottage. Unlike her mother Iris who owned Carriage House, Kat rented three buildings from the ailing dowager countess. While the countess was alive, she felt secure. But Rupert the 15th and current earl had made it clear that her future at Honeychurch Hall was far from certain. 

On the coming Easter weekend, estate manager Delia is preoccupied with the grand opening of the Museum Room with a display on the eccentric explorer Gerald Honeychurch who captured and brought back Florian the famous white polar bear, and a launch of the Polar Tearoom. However, a check on the Museum Room showed bare plaster, and dangling wires. Delia seemed unconcerned with the lack of progress introducing with a dreamy expression. Keith the builder, who she assured us all, knew what he was doing. And Delia’s supposed replacement, tall, scowling June, which has alarmed Iris, who can’t seem to get an answer out of Delia as to why after all the work she has put into Honeychurch Hall she has now decided to leave.

Meanwhile, Iris, who is a bestselling writer has been struggling under the weight of what she owes to HMRC, and has now decided to start a new series, Harem Historicals. As Kat returns to her cottage she receives a text. URGENT. Want stuff back. Don’t need valuation. Come NOW. Connie. Kat reply’s, ‘Come and collect them, I will be here for the next hour’.  Connie was a no-show. 

The Dartmouth Antique Emporium is housed in a converted barn with twenty-five spaces rented by a mix of dealers, one of which is rented by Kat. Accompanied by young Harry, the future sixteenth Earl of Honeychurch they go to look at the Kaiser Adler train engine reputed to be worth in excess of eighty thousand pounds. Harry is fascinated and has to be dragged away by Rupert. Later, Kat helps Giles Oxley load the valuable engine into the boot of his car. As Kat drives home, she takes the usual backroad to Honeychurch, but finds it blocked off by two young chaps. Annoyed and not wanting to drive the long way home she skirts around their sign and drives on where she sees Oxley’s Bentley, parked with him inside, dead. And no sign of the Kaiser Alder engine in the boot. 

Kat's love life that had begun to look promising when she connected with local detective Mallory, but his current boss is now the impressive Chief Superintendent Stella Greenleigh, Mallory’s ex. Oops. While refusing to answer any questions that relate to Stella, he is shocked when Kat asks him why did Stella insist on taking all the boxes that were Connie’s, which Kat still had in the boot of her car? Then Kat remembered that Connie’s mother had said that somewhere there were diamonds on that train! 

Then things get even more murky, June has passed out having seen Florian, the stuffed polar bear, move of his own volition. To sum up we have two dead bodies, no suspects, a missing valuable model train, and a moving stuffed polar bear.  

Can Kat solve these tantalising mysteries?  Or will this be the end of life at Honeychurch Hall?   Full of twists and turns and surprise upon surprise this is a thrilling page-turner as long-held secrets come to light. Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

Hannah Dennison was born and raised in Hampshire, but on leaving school landed a job as an obituary writer/amateur dramatic reviewer for a Devon newspaper. Hannah is the author of the Honeychurch Hall Mysteries and the Vicky Hill Mysteries, both set in Devon, England. She has been an obituary reporter, antique dealer, private jet flight attendant and Hollywood story analyst. Hannah originally moved to Los Angeles from England to pursue screenwriting.  She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, The Crime Writers Association, Mystery People, The Historic Houses Association, the National Trust and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. She enjoys hiking, horseback riding, skiing, theatre and seriously good chocolate. 

www.hannahdennison.com 

World Book Night: 23 April - Turn a New Page in National Year of Reading

 Crime writers Leye Adenle and Louise Jensen
are 2026 Quick Reads authors. 

The Reading Agency is gifting thousands of Quick Reads books on World Book Night (23 April) during the National Year of Reading. 

Six new Quick Reads titles, spanning crime, romance and contemporary fiction, are published especially for the national charity’s celebration of reading, World Book Night. Two of the six are the crime authors Leye Adenle and Louise Jensen. 

On World Book Night, the UK is encouraged to host book themed parties, book swaps, as well as dedicate time to read in a national #ReadingHour from 7-8pm. 

The Reading Agency is gifting over 35,000 Quick Reads distributed free of charge, supported by publishers, to libraries, charities, and in community settings. The Quick Reads books will also be available in supermarkets and retailers for just £1, and available to borrow in public libraries. 

Leye Adenle is a Nigerian-born crime thriller author, known for his gripping and suspenseful stories that explore the darker side of human nature. His debut novel, Easy Motion Tourist, won the prestigious Prix Marianne in France in 2016. 

With a growing reputation as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary crime fiction, Adenle's work has been praised for its sharp prose, memorable characters, and unflinching portrayal of the darker side of human nature. 

Adenle is a frequent speaker on issues related to African literature and culture, and has given talks at universities and literary festivals around the world. He is also an advocate for gender equality, and his writing often explores the experiences of women in Nigerian society. 

Leye Adenle said: “Everything about Quick Reads is the reason I write. Books have the magical power to create empathy, deepen understanding, broaden horizons, and even shape worldviews. They have changed the world, one mind at a time. What an immense honour to be part of this year’s Quick Reads campaign and to create art for such an important cause.” 

His Quick Reads, Cell One follows the story of rookie cop, Bobby Fatokun, who has left his life in London for the hustle of Nigeria’s capital, Lagos. When his boss, Superintendent Adams is kidnapped, it triggers a race to find him as his captors start a countdown to his live execution. Without knowing who he can trust, Bobby will have to rely on his instincts alone to find the truth before time runs out. 

Louise Jensen’s Quick Reads is the psychological thriller, The Woman Next Door.

Louise has sold over a million copies of her international bestselling psychological thrillers, and they have been translated into twenty-five languages. Louise has been nominated for multiple awards including Goodreads Debut Author of the Year, The Guardian's 'Not The Booker Prize', and she has also been shortlisted for two CWA Dagger awards. Louise lived in Northamptonshire. 

As short, affordable, and carefully crafted books, Quick Reads help to give readers confidence and rediscover a joy of reading.

Louise Jensen said: “When The Reading Agency asked me to write a Quick Reads novella it was an immediate yes. Both my husband Tim and I were so excited that after ten years of me writing books, this would be the first one he could read. Tim is dyslexic and although he has been so supportive of my career neither of us thought he’d ever read anything longer than one of the short stories I write for magazines. Until I wrote The Woman Next Door, that is. 

“Tim read, and loved, the very first draft and it was such a joy to hear his views on the characters and plot. Since then, we’ve bought other Quick Reads books for him to enjoy and because of these, he’s developed a real love of reading. It really is such a wonderful campaign and one that I’m proud to be part of. “ 

The Woman Next Door tells the story of two neighbours, two secrets, and one chance at survival. Running from her past, Meena hopes to find peace in her new home. But her neighbour, Ada, is a mystery.  While Meena and Ada are watching each other, someone is watching them. With danger closing in, they must rely on one another to survive, but when both are lying, trust becomes the deadliest weapon. What secrets lie next door? 

Quick Reads helps adults overcome barriers to reading by providing short, accessible books by leading authors. Unlike other short-form fiction, Quick Reads go through a rigorous review process to ensure accessibility – including testing for readability, concentration, and suitability for those rebuilding reading confidence. 

Karen Napier, CEO, The Reading Agency, said: “Quick Reads are more than short books – they’re stepping stones back into reading that are designed to fit modern life. Literally turning a page can change your life – improving wellbeing, focus, and even life satisfaction. The National Year of Reading is the perfect moment to make reading part of everyday life again.” 

The full list of 2026’s Quick Reads:

Rachel Hore – The Girl in the Picture (Simon & Schuster)

Leye Adenle – Cell One (Simon & Schuster)

Rosie Goodwin – Sweet Charity (Bonnier Books UK)

Louise Jensen – The Woman Next Door (HQ, HarperCollins)

Derek Owusu – Hunger Pains (Merky Books, Penguin Random House)

Carmel Harrington – The Last Bench (Headline, Hachette) 

Findings from The Reading Agency’s State of the Nation’s Adult Reading 2025 report show: 

Only half of UK adults (53%) describe themselves as regular readers – down from 58% in 2015.

Nearly half (46%) struggle to focus on reading due to distractions, rising to 55% among 16–24-year-olds.

Almost half of under-44s now read “on the go” while commuting, exercising or doing chores.

Three in five adults (nearly 33 million) say the cost-of-living crisis leaves them with less time and money for leisure.

2026 marks 20 years of the life-changing Quick Reads initiative.

Throughout 2026, to mark its 20th anniversary, The Reading Agency aims to gift up to one million Quick Reads to communities across the UK.

Since the programme launched in 2006, Quick Reads has collaborated with over 30 publishers to create and distribute 5.4 million copies with over 6.2 million library loans.

The books can be ordered online from The Reading Agency.

‘The Harvey Girl’ by Dana Stabenow

Published by Head of Zeus,
5 March 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-03591666-5

It's not often a book sends me down internet rabbit holes in search of the real-life history the story is based on – but then it's only marginally less often that a book is so rich in history that it makes me want to explore the background even further. The Harvey Girl did both – and sometimes it was hard to tell the fact from the fiction, it all fitted together so neatly. 

The Pinkerton detective agency played a well-documented part of crime fighting in 19^th and 20^th century America, and they were among the first employers of women detectives; so the central character Clare Wright is no surprise. Rather less prominent in the history books are the Harvey Girls, young, unmarried women engaged by businessman Fred Harvey to staff his restaurants and hotels along the routes of the burgeoning rail network in the late 19th century. A few Harvey Houses still exist; in the 1890s they appeared in every town, and often the towns grew up around them.    

When a train guard is murdered in the course of a series of robberies of supplies for the Harvey Houses along the line to Santa Fe, Fred Harvey engages the Pinkertons to find the culprit, and Clare Wright goes undercover as a Harvey Girl in one of his restaurants in New Mexico. It's Wild West country, complete with cowboys, drunken sheriff, cat-house and dance hall, straight out of a 1960s Hollywood movie, and portrayed in cinematic detail. Well-known real-life characters from the era add colour to the picture, though maybe the parts they play aren't strictly out of the history books. Mark Twain makes a guest appearance and has a hand in solving at least one mystery. Whether Bat Masterson was ever a Pinkerton's agent is open to speculation, and it's doubtful whether Butch Cassidy was related to the policeman whose negligence resulted in Abraham Lincoln's assassination. 

The story is populated with colourful characters, from the variety of farm girls and naïve and ambitious young women among the other Harvey Girls, to sleazy Walter Dabney the local Indian agent, motherly Mabel the murder victim's widow, and Louis Abernathy the Harvey House manager, who is hands-on in more ways than one. Not forgetting, of course, George Washington 'Wash' Gowan, charming but shady local entrepreneur who has made his fortune and wants the world to know it. 

It all adds up to a pacy mystery with a high-octane ending. Clare Wright is a feisty heroine, observant and sharp-minded, and well able to solve more than the murder. Perhaps the Wild West would have been tamed sooner with more Clares to subdue its excesses. I look forward to meeting her again.
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Reviewer: Lynne Patrick 

Dana Stabenow was born in Anchorage in 1952 and raised on 75-foot fish tender in the Gulf of Alaska. She knew there was a warmer, drier job out there somewhere and found it in writing. Her first science fiction novel, Second Star, sank without a trace (but has since been resurrected as an e-book), her first crime fiction novel, A Cold Day for Murder, won an Edgar award, her first thriller, Blindfold Game, hit the New York Times bestseller list. The Land Beyond, the final third of her historical trilogy about Marco Polo's granddaughter, Silk and Song, was published in October 2015. There are 24 books in the Kate Shugak series. 

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: 'Heroica' by Alison Morton

Published by Pulcheria Press, 14 May 2026

Book 12 in the Roma Nova Thriller Series.

2020, Roma Nova. Carina Mitela investigates a potential rebellion but discovers the long-buried secret that ignited the attempted uprising links directly to her own powerful family.

1683, Vienna. As Europe struggles against the Ottoman onslaught, Honoria Mitela leads her troops into the desperate battle to save besieged Vienna. The fate of Europe – and of Roma Nova itself – hangs in the balance.

1849, Central Italy. Statia Mitela’s impulsive act saves one life but jeopardises Roma Nova’s very existence and threatens her descendants with public disgrace, financial ruin and permanent exile.

Three stories of the women of the Mitela family, descendants of the founders of Roma Nova, bound by blood and courage.

Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. She lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her latest three contemporary thrillers, Double Identity, Double Pursuit and Double Stakes. Her eleven-book Roma Nova thriller series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue. Six years’ military service, a fascinating with ancient Rome and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction have inspired her writing. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history. For the latest news, subscribe to her newsletter at
  https://www.alison-morton.com/newsletter and receive

 'Welcome to Alison Morton’s Thriller Worlds’ as a thank you gift.  

Coming Soon: 'Head Hunting' by Chris Blackwater

 
Published 10 April 2026

The third book in the Danny Verity, PI series.

A headless corpse
A fifty-year-old secret
And a jungle full of suspects

Private investigator Danny Verity is hired by the manipulative Marissa Ling to investigate her uncle's gruesome murder in the Borneo rainforest.

It looks like a straightforward case. The scene has been staged as a traditional headhunter ritual. But as Danny and sharp-tongued sidekick Gemma Gauld dig deeper, they uncover layers of family secrets, war crimes, and a disputed inheritance.

It seems that everyone has a motive for murder.

The trail leads them from a private island to an oil platform and into the heart of the jungle, where they face angry villagers, hired gunmen, and their client's devious charms. As the killers close in and the jungle reveals its deadly past, Danny must choose. Will he pursue justice at any cost, or accept that some truths are buried for good reason?

A darkly comic thriller of murder, deception and rough justice.

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. Head Hunting is his third book in the Danny Verity series. 

‘In The Dark’ by Lina Areklew

Published by Canelo Crime,
22 January 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-83598-388-1 (PB)

In The Dark is the second novel in Areklew’s series featuring Swedish detective Sofia Hjortén. She is heavily pregnant by Kaj, a much older colleague, after finishing a relationship with Fredrik Fröding, a situation to which neither she nor Fredrik are entirely reconciled. There are other tensions at her work, some caused at least partly by her pregnancy which is central to the whole story.

Ellie, the four-year-old daughter of property developer Anders Svensson and his wife Amanda, disappears overnight. Initially it is thought she may have wandered out into the snow, but increasingly it seems that she has been abducted. When there appears to have been a further abduction, Philip (a troubled friend of Fredrik) is found to have emotional ties to this person and was in the vicinity when she went missing. It is also discovered that Anders has financial worries and his marriage is in trouble. His pretty younger wife likes to be kept in the manner to which she has become accustomed. There is a suspicious accident. 

This is definitely Scandi Noir. There is barely a character in the story who is not suffering in one way or another with what these days is known as their mental health and/or has relationship problems. Fredrik was a survivor of a ferry disaster 26 years previously in which he lost the rest of his family. He has PTSD and a cocktail of pills following that, and for good measure he is currently recuperating from being the victim of a more recent shooting. Fredrik is also obsessed by the idea that his younger brother did not die in the ferry disaster. He is now seeing Ida, his former counsellor, and apparently on the verge of a relationship with her. Philip is autistic, agoraphobic and has panic attacks. Anders at one point seems to be heading for a mental breakdown. Someone makes a suicide attempt. Kaj is married to Mette, both in their sixties. They have not had children and Mette, fully aware of Kaj and Sofia if not fully reconciled to them even though any relationship has long since ended, is doing her best to muscle in on the baby, much to Sofia’s displeasure. Sofia doesn’t like Kaj despite having his baby. Her father is dead and she has little to do with her mother. I could go on, but you get the idea. The gloom is relieved by one or two sympathetic characters, including Tord, Sofia’s father confessor, and (rather unexpectedly, given events) Ida’s parents. 

The story is propelled along by short interpolations from an unnamed character. Little by little we are made to understand the role of this person in the novel. The action moves along swiftly in a race against time to an extremely dramatic conclusion at Sofia’s house on Ulvön Island. There is one occasion when what seemed to me an obvious line of enquiry is not pursued and is never mentioned again, even though it probably contributed to a death. And there are also one or two strands towards the end of the novel which don’t appear to add up, unless I’ve missed something (always possible, of course). These observations do not detract from a convincing if mostly sombre and snowbound novel which is full of atmosphere. I’m sure that lovers of Scandi Noir will approve.
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Reviewer: David Whittle 

Lina Areklew was born in Stockholm 1979 and grew up at the High Coast. Today she lives part time in a house northwest of Stockholm and part time in a croft outside Örnsköldsvik. After a career as a project manager within telecommunications, she studied literature and now works as a freelance copy editor.  Her debut novel Death in Summer is set in Stockholm and on the island Ulvön outside Örnsköldsvik. 

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 Antique Store Detective and the Riverside Murders’ by Clare Chase

Published by Bookouture,
6 February 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-80550229-6 (PB)

Bella Winter is happily settled in the Shropshire town of Hope Eaton, a place she has fond memories of because, after her parents divorced, her father had moved to the town and worked as the local police officer. Bella’s father died some time ago, but many of her happiest memories are of the times when she visited him. 

Bella’s antique shop, Vintage Winter, is doing well, and after solving several local crimes, she has added ‘problems solved’ to her repertoire. Bella has high hopes for this new aspect of her business, but she is sad when her first case involves personal distress. Her friend Jeannie asks her to investigate the death of Margie Fleming, a good friend to both of them. Bella had been visiting Margie not long before she drowned in the River Kite, near to her home. Margie’s death is even more poignant because her older sister, Bethan, died in the same manner and in roughly the same place. Margie had been a gifted creator of quilt pictures, and Bethan had been a successful sculptor, while their youngest sister, Freya, is a painter. The family’s artistic talent had originated with their grandfather, who had been an eminent sculptor. His most iconic work was a wonderful sculpture of a Mother and Child. Whenever Bella had visited Margie’s cottage, she had admired the sculpture, but she always wondered why it has been placed in the kitchen, in a position which failed to show off its splendour. Margie agreed but told Bella that this was where she found the statue when she inherited it and the cottage from Bethan. Margie had intended to sell the sculpture to pay for repairs to the cottage, but now the sale is cancelled, and the only surviving sister, Freya, has inherited her sister’s possessions. 

Bella is certain that the deaths of Bethan and Margie are linked and would have investigated even if Jeannie hadn’t requested her to do so on behalf of Hope Eaton’s arts trust. Fortunately, she has a group of trusted helpers, including Jeannie herself, a forceful lady who owns the local pub, who believes that it is her prerogative to oversee the behaviour of everyone who lives in ‘her’ town’. Bella’s most reliable helper is John, Jeannie’s quiet, reserved son, who assists Bella in Vintage Winter. Jeannie has two other sons, extrovert Leo, who is always eager to get involved, along with his wife, Carys; and Jeannie’s youngest son, Matt, who lives in the same apartment block as Bella. The local police force is less than proactive, but Bella can always get ‘inside information’ from her godfather, Tony, a retired police officer. 

At the top of Bella’s suspect list is Bethan’s promiscuous, predatory husband, who has built his own artistic career by piggybacking on Bethan’s far greater talent. Bella also considers the possible guilt of the youngest sister, Freya, who refuses to acknowledge that she lacks the artistic talent of her sisters, and is bitter, jealous, vindictive and desperate for fame.

However, there are several other suspects, and, when the secret of the sculpture is revealed, the investigation takes a new and sinister turn. The death toll increases, and Bella has to follow several art-related clues and take some personal risks in her quest to discover the truth and get justice for her friend. 

The Antique Store Detective and the Riverside Murders is the fourth book in the series featuring Bella Winter and her friends. Bella is an engaging protagonist, who leads a likeable team of helpers, and is part of a fascinating community that has many interesting local traditions. This is an enjoyable cosy mystery, which I recommend.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron

Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations. Like her heroines, Clare is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in settings as diverse as Littlehey Prison and the University of Cambridge, in her home city. She’s lived everywhere from the house of a lord to a slug-infested flat and finds the mid-terrace she currently occupies a good happy medium. As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.

www.clarechase.com 

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 Festival Unveils First Authors for 2026

Whitby Lit Festival has announced the first authors confirmed for its 2026 programme, as the event returns from 19–22 November following a highly successful inaugural year.

Leading the first wave of announcements are Ann Cleeves OBE, Joanne Harris OBE, Dr Sian Williams, and Mark Billingham.

Ann Cleeves OBE, creator of the Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez (Shetland) series—both adapted for television by ITV and the BBC—has received widespread acclaim for her crime writing, alongside an OBE for services to reading and libraries. Her latest novel, The Dying Light, from the Detective Matthew Venn series, was published in October.

Joanne Harris OBE, best known for her bestselling novel Chocolat—later adapted into an Academy Award-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp—has written more than 30 books. Her forthcoming novel, Sleepers in the Snow, will be published in October 2026.

Dr Sian Williams is an award-winning broadcaster and chartered counselling psychologist. After a 40-year career in television and radio, including over a decade presenting BBC Breakfast, she now hosts Life Changing (BBC Radio 4) and Classical Unwind (BBC Radio 3). Her work focuses on trauma, stress, and anxiety, including collaborations supporting emergency services personnel. Her latest book, The Power of Anxiety, published this month, combines research, case studies, and personal insight.

Mark Billingham, originally from Birmingham, is a novelist, actor, and comedian, and a familiar presence across UK media. He is best known for the Tom Thorne crime series, adapted for Sky, starring David Morrissey. The latest instalment, What the Night Brings, is released in paperback this March.

Further authors will be announced in the coming months, with the full programme continuing the festival’s commitment to showcasing both bestselling and emerging voices.

The debut festival exceeded expectations, drawing large audiences and establishing Whitby as an exciting new destination on the UK literary calendar. Building on that momentum, organisers promise an ambitious and diverse programme for 2026.

Uniquely, Whitby Lit Festival is the UK’s only literary festival headquartered in a fish and chip restaurant—Hetty & Betty.

Lois Kirtlan, Chair of Whitby Lit Festival, said:

“We were thrilled by the response to our inaugural festival in 2025. The enthusiasm from audiences, authors, and the local community was extraordinary. For 2026, we’re expanding the programme and are delighted to begin announcing what promises to be an exceptional line-up.”

Festival Patron Kate Fenton has also announced that Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE will join as Honorary Co-Patron.

Sir Alan Ayckbourn said:

“I’m delighted to become co-patron of this exciting new venture. The festival promises to inject fresh literary energy into Whitby in a way unequalled since the days of Bram Stoker.”

Set against Whitby’s dramatic coastline and historic streets, the festival will once again feature author talks, panel discussions, workshops, book signings, and special events across multiple venues.

Whitby Lit Festival continues to champion accessibility and inclusivity, bringing readers and writers together in a vibrant cultural celebration.

Tickets and full programme details will be released in summer 2026. Early updates and exclusive content are available via the festival’s website and social media channels. 

http://www.whitbylitfest.org.uk