‘The Darkening Hills’ by Kerry Buchanan

Published by Joffe Books,
19 September 2024.
ISBN: 978-1-80405-229-7 (PB)

It’s a cold morning in County Antrim in Northern Ireland when Gerren Penrose takes the twisty road in his battered Land Rover to visit is his friend Rob Harris in his secluded cottage, or maybe hovel would be a better description. Once a thatched Cottage now it has a rusted tin roof.  What greets Gerren inside is Rob’s dismembered body parts scattered over the floor.

The two police officers responding to the call treat Gerren as the possibly killer, but the arrival on the scene of Detective Sergeant Aaron Birch unwinds the tension somewhat. It’s Aaron Birch’s first case as investigating officer, and he is learning fast, with help from DI Asha Harvey.

This is an utterly fascinating book. It quickly becomes apparent that, although Rob Harris he has lived at the cottage for many years, very little is known about him locally, and as the police dig more anomalies surface.  

The answer to the story goes back many, many years and it was an interesting and engrossing journey as the history slowly unfolds bringing many hidden secrets to the fore, and none of them good.

Initially, the police are completely foxed but a further killing just days later turns up a possibility that it could be the same killer.  Will the killing go on?

The story is complex, and the characterisation is excellent of both the historic and current people involved. I do heartily recommend this book as a fascinating mystery and an astounding read.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

Kerry Buchanan lives amid the rolling County Down hills that feature in her crime series. When she isn’t writing, Kerry performs her work at literary events and participates in literary panels and works with new writers. She is disabled, and passionate about sailing and attempting to outwit the slugs in her vegetable patch. Generally, the slugs win. 

https://kerrybuchanan.com

‘In the Shadows’ by Anna Smith

Published by Quercus,
13 February 2025.
ISBN: 978-1-52942898-8 (HB)

Billie Carson, investigator, is finally in a good place, following the years of pain and worry, hope and disappointment she has endured since her husband took her child abroad. Now Lucas is back with her, and she is also in a relationship, which is going well but Billie is taking it slowly.

Then like waiting for a bus, two come along together. 

Gina Evans is emotional and frantic as she begs Billie to find out how her mother Cathy Evans has ended up on a beach in Spain, dead. And the mysterious and cagy Elizabeth Fletcher, who won’t speak on the telephone about her problem but wants to meet.

We learn in the first few pages of the book that Elizabeth has killed a man that assaulted her, but it’s not as straight forward as that as she wants Billie to find out who the man was and why he was searching her husband’s desk in the middle of the night. Billie’s response is that she should go to the police, but her response is ‘I knew your father’.   

And so, Billie is not only caught up in two mysteries, but also a personal one that of the death of her father.  

This is a compelling read and moves along at a cracking pace. I couldn’t put it down but sat up into the early hours to finish it. Most Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

Anna Smith has been a journalist for over twenty years and is a former chief reporter for the Daily Record. She has covered wars across the world as well as major investigations and news stories. she decided to put her experiences to good use. And so, the series of Rosie Gilmour novels were born, featuring a Glasgow journalist trying to tear down the world of corruption and injustice.  Her debut novel was The Dead Won't Sleep. There are nine books in the series. Her most recent series features Billie Carlson, former police officer now a working as a PI. There are now four books in the series. Anna lives in Scotland. 

www.annasmithscotland.com/ 

CrimeFest: Close to Home: When Family is the Source of Crime

    Friday, 16 May 2025

10:10 - 11.00

The panel are Sherryl Clark, Jane Corry,
Valerie Keogh, Hannah King, 
and the participating moderator is Victoria Dowd.

Sherryl Clark has three novels in the Judi Westerholme series published by Verve Books: Trust Me, I'm Dead, Dead and Gone and Mad, Bad and Dead. The first of these was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger. Many of her plot ideas start with real crimes, including Melbourne's gangland wars, and grow from there. Her most recent novel, Woman, Missing, is also set in Melbourne and features PI Lou Alcott.

sherrylclarkcrimewriter.com  

Jane Corry is a seven-time Sunday Times best-seller, a Washington Post best-seller and, this year, a best-seller in Canada. She is also a journalist and contributes regularly to The Daily Telegraph. Jane’s three years in a high-security male prison as a writer in residence, inspired her to write mysteries abut families and crime. Her tenth Penguin novel The Stranger In Room Six comes out in June. Jane swims every day in the sea. 

janecorryauthor.com 

Valerie Keogh is the number one bestselling author of psychological novels including The Nurse and The Wives. Originally from Dublin, she has lived in the UK for almost twenty years. Her thirtieth novel, The Writer, will be released in July 2025. She is currently published by Boldwood Books.

Hannah King is an author from County Down. Her debut, She and I, a novel about claustrophobic friendship and murder, was published in 2022 by Bloomsbury Raven, with the Sunday Times calling it ‘a nifty fusion of psychological thriller and police procedural’. Her second novel, The Blindspot, was published in March this year, and her third novel will be published in April 2026. She lives in the countryside with her husband, two dogs, and three aquariums.

Victoria Dowd is the bestselling author of the award-winning Smart woman’s mystery series. She was shortlisted for the CWA Dagger and has won The People’s Book Prize. She was also the recipient of the Gothic Fiction prize and the Grand Puzzly. Her new novel, Death in the Aviary is out in September. Victoria is a board member of the CWA and co-convenor of the London chapter. She was a criminal defence barrister for many years. 

 victoriadowd.com 

CrimeFest: Historical Fiction: Lets Get Back to Victorian Values

   Friday, 16 May 2025

10:10 - 11.00

The Panel are Pam Lecky, Leslie Scase,
Lynne Marie Taylor, Bridget Walsh, 
and the participating Moderator is Linda Stratmann

Pam Lecky is published by Avon Books UK and Storm Publishing. She is the author of the Sarah Gillespie WW2 espionage series (Avon Books UK), and the Victorian Lucy Lawrence Murder Mysteries (Storm Publishing). Her standalone WW2 police procedural Under A Lightning Sky was published last July. She is currently working on a contemporary crime series set in her native Ireland. She is a member of the CWA and HNS. 

pamlecky.com 

Leslie Scase is a former Customs and Excise officer, born and educated in South Wales but now living in Shropshire. He is the author of The Inspector Chard Mysteries, crime thrillers set in the heyday of Victorian Britain. Flames of Anarchy is the fourth novel in the series. His interests include military history, fly fishing, cooking, real ale and football. 

facebook.com/InspectorChard 

Lynne Marie Taylor was born in Malta and has lived in NW London, York, Germany, Bristol and Worcester. She now lives in Corsham, Wiltshire, with her husband and their Springer Spaniel, Sam. Her debut crime novel Death in Valletta was published by Bloodhound Books in April 2024. Set in Malta in 1880, it features Detective Inspector Sam McQueen from the Edinburgh Police. She is currently working on the second novel in the series, also set in Malta. Website: lynnemtaylorauthor.co.uk. 

Bridget Walsh’s obsessive interest in the weirder elements of nineteenth-century life has led her to write a series of crime novels set in a down-at-heel Victorian London music hall. The Tumbling Girl won the HWA Debut Crown and was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger. The third in the series, The Spirit Guide, will be published in 2026. Bridget lives in the fine city of Norwich with her husband and two dogs. Website: bridgetwalsh.co.uk

Linda Stratmann is the author of three crime fiction series with Victorian settings. Her current series The Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, features a youthful Holmes, before he knew Watson, becoming the legendary detective. In the Bayswater mysteries Frances Doughty combats wily criminals and prejudice against lady detectives. In Brighton diminutive Mina Scarletti exposes fraudulent spirit mediums. Linda’s thirty-seven books also include biography and true crime, notably a history of nineteenth century poison murder. 

lindastratmann.com