‘A Curiously Convenient Demise’ by Hannah Hendy

Published by Canelo,
16  October 2025.
ISBN: 978-1-80436476-5 (PB)

A Curiously Convenient Demise is the seventh book in Hannah Hendy’s Dinner Ladies Detectives featuring Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker and their fellow team of dinner ladies at Summerview Secondary School.

Clementine’s sister Maria turns up out of the blue in her dilapidated camper van which needs urgent repairs before she can return to her life on the open road. In the meantime, she agrees to help the dinner ladies cater at the school’s annual charity auction. 

Eleanor Black, the owner of the town’s Museum, agrees to give the museum’s prize exhibit, the historic Dewstow vase, to the auction. Everyone gathers in the school hall ready for the big event, but Eleanor who was supposed to be conducting the evening is missing. A search is made, and her body is discovered in the stage storeroom, killed with the precious vase.    

Maria’s fingerprints are found on the murder weapon, and she has vanished. The police officer in charge claims it as an open-and-shut case. 

Eleanor is not well-liked in the local community and has made a long list of enemies over the years. Clementine is convinced that her sister is not capable of murder, and she and Clementine are determined to prove Maria’s innocence. Their enquiries are thwarted at every turn, and it is going to take the combined efforts of the whole of the dinner ladies’ team to uncover the secrets no one in the town is eager to share.

This is a fun read. All it’s wonderfully quirky, over-the-top characters Margery and Clementine, fellow dinner ladies – Rose, Sharon, Karen, Ceri-Ann, Seren and Gloria, and headteacher Rose are back. The action is fast and furious until all the twisted plot strands are finally unravelled to reveal a surprising, satisfying ending.   

Perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Ian Moore.
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Reviewer: Judith Cranswick  

Hannah Hendy is a professional chef by day and author by night. She has recently signed a three book deal with Canelo publishing and is the author of the upcoming novel, ‘The Dinner Lady Detectives’. Hannah lives with her brand new wife (covid wedding!) and two cats in South Wales, UK.

 

Judith Cranswick was born and brought up in Norwich. Apart from writing, Judith’s great passions are travel and history. Both have influenced her two series of mystery novels. Tour Manager, Fiona Mason takes coach parties throughout Europe, and historian Aunt Jessica is the guest lecturer accompanying tour groups visiting more exotic destinations aided by her nephew Harry. Her published novels also include several award-winning standalone psychological thrillers. She wrote her first novel (now languishing in the back of a drawer somewhere) when her two children were toddlers, but there was little time for writing when she returned to her teaching career. Now retired, she is able to indulge her love of writing and has begun a life of crime! ‘Writers are told to write what they know about, but I can assure you, I've never committed a murder. I'm an ex-convent school headmistress for goodness sake!’ Her most recent book is Journey to Casablanca

Interview: Jill Amadio in Conversation with Mary Keliikoa

Author of thrillers, two mystery series, and short stories, 
Mary Keliikoa is a Silver Falchion finalist, and a Forword Indies award finalist. 

 She is also a Silver and Bronze Award winner.

A Shamus and CLUE finalist, and Lefty, Agatha and Anthony nominee.
She lives in Washington, Hawaii, USA.

https://marykeliikoa.com

Jill:     What is your literary/publishing history?
Mary: It’s been a long road! I started writing when I was 27. Co-wrote a novel with a friend that didn’t go anywhere, but I had the writing bug from that point on and wrote 3 more.  When I was 35, however, I tucked my writing away so I could start a company with my husband. That consumed about 15 years. Although I’d dabble with my stories during that time, I didn’t have the energy to do much else.
In 2015 we sold that part of the company and I took that last novel I wrote when I was 35 and entered it into a contest called Pitch Wars. I was picked up by two mentors, and in 2017 signed with my first agent and debuted with DERAILED twenty years after first drafting it. DERAILED went on to be nominated for Best First Novel in several arenas. After that, I wrote two more Kelly Pruett books, and then jumped to the Misty Pines mystery series which is ongoing, and had a standalone, Don’t Ask Don’t Follow, that published last year.

Jill:     Why did you choose to write crime novels?
Mary: From early on, I’ve been drawn to the justice system. My favourite shows as a kid were Adam 12, Columbo, Kojak and Perry Mason, and later Moonlighting. Later, right out of high school, I went to work as a legal secretary and then became a paralegal. I did that for 18 years. About that time, I also found many of my still-today favourite authors, including Mary Higgins Clark, Faye Kellerman, J.A. Jance, and Sue Grafton. So, when I decided I’d like to write a novel, it was just natural that it would be in the crime genre.

Jill:     How do you decide on a point-of-view?
Mary: Sometimes I just know because the character’s voice is so clear to me. But if there’s a question, I’ll write the first chapter in both first and then third to see which one feels right.

Jill:      What draws you to the mystery genre?
Mary: Hands down, it’s the puzzle. It’s seeing all the pieces floating around and trying to figure out how they fit. Some things look like they should, but they don’t, and there’s such surprise in that which I enjoy.

Jill:       What inspires your plots, antagonists, protagonists, and other characters?
Mary: Most of my books center around strong women who must overcome obstacles. As for the plot, I’m inspired by headlines and everyday news. Though sometimes it’s just a question I have that I need answered. Most of the time, the characters come to me with the story to tell and I’m just the transcriber.

Jill:     Are minor characters important to your stories?
Mary: Absolutely. They’re the colour of the story and they’re often a reflection of the main character, or an obstacle to understand or overcome for the protagonist.

Jill:      Have any of your travel experiences crept into your settings?
Mary: My published novels are set in Portland and the Oregon coast, areas in which I’ve lived. My most recent draft of a novel I set on a cruise ship for part of the book and that was inspired by my travels as I do get to travel the world quite a bit. I also am currently looking to place a book that’s set in Hawaii. Definitely a travel destination, although I also have a home there.

Jill:      Is there an actual Misty Pines?
Mary: There is not, but it is based on a place I grew up on at the Oregon coast. It’s just when I went to write the novel, the community felt too small, and I wanted to utilize more of a stretch of beach there, so I put a few cities together and called it Misty Pines. Many of the places referenced though are real to that area.

Jill:      Kelly Pruett is a strong P.I. Is she modeled after anyone you know?
Mary: No one in real life, but I was a huge fan of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone, and she inspired the Kelly Pruett character.

Jill:      How many sub-plots do you create for each book?
Mary:  I usually have at least a couple of things happening that relate to the character or the relationships. For example, in my Misty Pines series, there is a relationship between Jax and his FBI agent ex-wife. Their cases often overlap, so there’s that negotiation and butting heads happening throughout the series. There’s also issues with Jax’s ex-partner, a detective in Portland, and the father to Jax’s current deputy. That often creates some tension and other elements.  In the PI series, Kelly is juggling raising a deaf daughter and that creates all kinds of judgments and obstacles from her ex-mother-in-law and ex-husband, so that’s a subplot that plays along and intertwines with the main story as well.

Jill:     Which book was the most fun to write? 
Mary: My most favourite that I’ve written isn’t published, yet. It’s set in Hawaii and it’s about a woman who for reasons she doesn’t understand is compelled to help find young girls when they are taken to be trafficked. She lets nothing stand in her way, including the men who dare try, or the detective determined to see her in prison. Of course I loved the setting, but more than that, I loved the drive of the character and that for me is everything when I write. Second would be Deadly Tides in the Misty Pines series. It centers around a missing surf shop owner. I really enjoyed being able to utilize the surf culture at the Oregon coast, but since my husband is Hawaiian and was an avid surfer, it was fun to work with him on the details of the plot. And of course to give a nod to the beautiful Hawaiian culture.

Jill: How many drafts do you write on average?
Mary: It varies because I often work with an editor, but generally, three or four drafts before I let my beta readers have a peek. Then another couple after that.

Jill:      Were there pitfalls and challenges along the way of your writing career?
Mary: There’s a lot of waiting and that’s a challenge for me because I can write fairly quickly. But what I do work on is just enjoying the journey of this. My books are published, I have readers, and that is a blessing. As long as I can keep telling my stories, the one thing I can control, I can feel satisfaction in that.

Jill:       What keeps you in the chair?
Mary: I love story telling. I love coming back to my characters each day and seeing what trouble I can put them in and the strength that they’ll have to dig deep to get out. Writing for me is processing life, and I’m quite driven and goal oriented. I want to keep telling my stories, and I have to write them to make sure they’re available to be out in the world.

Jill:     Do you have a specific writing process?
Mary: I write every day. Sometimes it’s fresh new pages, other times it’s editing. But I always have a project in process that gives me something to work on.  When I’m drafting a novel, I basically write a chapter a day. That can be anywhere from 1200 words to 2000, but I do like to finish the chapter before I leave my desk for the day.

Jill:      Do glaring errors in other mysteries irritate you?
Mary: Since I know how hard it is to write a book, I am pretty forgiving about most things. The fact that a writer sat down and got it done is huge and should be celebrated. But we’re writing fiction, and sometimes it’s more important to be in the story and in the characters and the relationships than whether someone gets a procedural thing right or wrong. 

Jill:      How do you conduct your research?
Mary: Ah the internet is my friend! But I also have a wonderful local detective that I bounce my ideas off and fact check most of my procedural aspects through. If need be, I pick up a phone and call specific experts in a field if I need more details than the internet can provide. People love to talk about what they do, so that’s always fun. Also, if I need to know a place, I get in the car and go. No matter how wonderful the internet is, there’s nothing like walking around a town for the sights and smells and sounds of it. And, of course, meeting the people who make up the community.

Jill:     Are there lessons you hope readers will take from your books?
Mary: I want my readers to enjoy and be immersed in the story. Sure, I do often address social issues—houselessness, sex trafficking, etc. - but it’s more to shine a light on the issues. I often have my characters seeking to understand the why of those situations and I’ve been told by readers that it’s a great approach because it’s like showing you something without beating you over the head with it. Maybe if I can get a reader to think differently about a situation that looks one way but has much more depth than what’s on the surface of it, that’s a win.

Jill:      Do you have a favourite marketing strategy?
Mary: Don’t be afraid to tell people you write and what you write. I’m an introvert, but I have the best time when I’m on a cruise ship or tour and people ask what I do for a living. I’m retired—so I could say that, but  more fun to say full-time author. I’ve had more invites to book clubs across the country just by telling people what I do and being excited about that. Word of mouth really is one of the best ways to sell your books. Also – have a nice website, so when you are talking about yourself, people have a professional place to go that makes you look like you are legitimate.

Jill:      Tips/advice for budding mystery writers?
Mary:  Have plenty of red herrings in your book, but always make sure they tie somehow into the main plot. And you always want to play fair with the reader. It’s a balancing act, but leave enough bread crumbs so that the reader can look back and think, yeah, I must have missed that but oh what a great twist! 

Jill:      What’s next for you?
Mary: Killer Tracks the third book in the Misty Pines mystery series will be out in September 2025. Beyond that, I’m contemplating a fourth book in that same series, and looking to get my other stories out in the world.  

Thanks for chatting to us, Mary.

Kelly Pruett Mysteries
Derailed
Denied
Deceived.

Misty Pine Mysteries
Hidden Pieces
Deadly Tides
Killer Tracks

Non Series
Don't Ask
Don't Follow

 

Jill Amadio hails from Cornwall, U.K, like the character in her crime series, Jill was a reporter in Spain, Colombia,  Thailand, and the U.S.
She is a true crime author, ghosted a thriller, and freelances for My Cornwall magazine.

She lives in Connecticut USA. 
Her most recent book is

In Terror's Deadly Clasp, 

 

‘Cold Blooded Killer’ by Alex Pine

Published by Avon,
23 October 2025.
ISBN: 978-0-00-870684-5 (PB)

It’s Christmas Eve in the Cumbrian village of Kirkby Abbey, and DCI James Walker is settling down with his wife Annie after getting their three-year-old daughter Bella and baby brother Theo to bed.  They are both hoping that this year will be different from previous Christmases when James had been called out to investigate a murder, which had blighted their last five Christmases. Just as they started to wrap the children’s Christmas present’s they heard James’s phone ringing from the kitchen.

After receiving the good Christmas wishes from his boss, Superintendent Tanner, James notices a missed call from journalist Gordon Carver, one of the few hacks James trusted and curiosity compels him to return the call, but there was no reply. He makes a mental note to check in with the journalist the next day. 

Christmas morning there was lots of squealing, fun and present opening, until DI Stevens, telephoned to say, there’s been a murder here in Kendal. It’s Gorden Carver, the journalist at the gazette. It appears that he was attacked going home from the pub using a shortcut from the town centre to his house and received a fatal blow to the back of his head.

When James attends the crime scene, Chief Forensic Officer Tony Coppell is there and reckons he was attacked between nine and midnight, but he says Dr. Pam Flint, the Forensic Pathologist is on her way and will give us a more accurate assessment.  There are no witnesses, just Vincent and Erika Lynch, Gordon’s neighbours who found his body. Erika recalled that she had been looking out of the window at about 3pm on Christmas Eve and saw Gordon and a woman step out of his front door, and kiss quite passionately before she got into a car that was parked at the curb and drove away.

Why would Gordon call him Christmas Eve, muses James.  What did Gordon want to tell him?  What vital information was Gordon about to reveal, and who silenced him?  Who is the mystery woman? As far as James knew he was not in a relationship.

When they check out Gordon’s house, they find the third bedroom is set up like a police incident room. And James recalls Gordon telling him some weeks ago that he was putting together another story on missing Chloe Walsh. This suggests he was pursuing his own investigation, including possible suspect Daniel Porter her ex-boyfriend. Did Gordon learn something that got him killed?

An exciting entry in this excellent series. Alex Pine has again woven a fascinating tale.  Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
Other books by this author:  The Christmas Killer, The Killer in the Snow, The Winter Killer, The Night before Christmas, The Killer in the Cold. 

Alex Pine is the pseudonym of a bestselling author who has also written books under the names Jaime Raven, James Raven and JP Carter. He was born and raised on a council estate in South London and left school at sixteen. Before becoming a full-time writer, he spent a career in journalism as a newspaper reporter and television producer. He was, for a number of years, director of a major UK news division and co-owned a TV production company. He now splits his time between homes in Hampshire and Spain with his wife. 

http://www.james-raven.com/ 

‘Black Notice’ by Joy Ellis

Published by Joffe Books,
15 September 2025.
ISBN: 978-1-80573341-6 (PB)

Six am in the morning and retired police officer Bob Ruston is confronted on his doorstep by a man with blood on his face and a handcuff dangling from his lacerated wrist, saying ‘Please let me in, they’re going to kill me.’ Conscious of his wife and disabled son in the house, Bob dials 999. But the lad scuttles off.

This is the 11^th book in the series featuring DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans. Both have experienced the loss of a partner and have reached a kind of acceptance. Their morning is interrupted by a request from Anna Millard to speak with Marie.  Her husband Johnny Millard has served seven years of a ten-year sentence, and five days ago was released on parole. And yesterday he went missing. I want you to help me find my husband, said Anna. Marie recalled he was an astute villain and found it easy to manipulate the transfer of money.  Anna is convinced he was set up because he discovered something he shouldn’t and someone decided to shut him up, by revealing his hacking, fraud and identity theft. Marie and Jackman decide to look into it with DC Robbie Melton, who was proving to be a very good detective.

Enter Lucas, who has concocted a plan to rob a house owned by two brothers that contains the stuff that dreams are made of. Entering the property to have a look round, Lucas saw that the décor was pure Art Deco. It was way beyond all his expectations.  And his carefully formulated plan should run like clockwork since he had found the genius hacker Chaos, who despite the house’s state of the art security can easily control it.

Every couple of months Bryson Smith liked to spend at least a week in the Fens with his parents who had scraped together the money to send him to university to get a degree in fine art. Today he is attacking the garden for them.  Particularly the area at the bottom which is incredibly overgrown, and with the arrival of Colin, old Gabriel Reynold’s grandson, they make terrific headway surprisingly discovering an old-World War Two air raid shelter. Sweating from exertion they could now see its shape. Let’s have a look inside, said Colin. As they expected it was full of rubbish, but as they looked closer, they could see tangled limbs, and a skeletal hand reached up. Bryson gasped, there’s someone dead in there. We need the police.

Marie and Jackman hasten to the scene. What they thought was a hoax, was clearly not. The tangle of contorted and twisted limbs showed that there was clearly more than one body in there.

I have read many books by Joy Ellis, and they are all fascinating mysteries. But this one exceeds all those that have gone before.  So where do I start….

Is Johnny Millard dead?

Will Lucas get away with the steal of the century?

Who is the man with the lacerated arm?

Just how many dead bodies are there in the World War Two air raid shelter? Who are they and who murdered them?

Full of twists and turns, this is a gripping, heart in the mouth, edge of your seat thriller. Most highly recommended.  Keep them coming Joy.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

Joy Ellis was born in Kent but spent most of her working life in London and Surrey. She was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the Sixties and Seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. She swore that one day she would have a shop of her own. It took until the early Eighties, but she did it. Sadly the recession wiped it out, and she embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager Joy now lives in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with her partner, Jacqueline. She had been writing mysteries for years but never had the time to take it seriously. Now as her partner is a highly decorated retired police officer; her choice of genre was suddenly clear. She has set her crime thrillers in the misty fens.   

www.joyellis.info

‘Made for You’ by Jenna Satterthwaite

Published by Verve Books,
29 April 2025.
ISBN: 978-0-85730909-9 (PB)

Made for You displays a fascinating fusion of genres. It is a love story as well as a murder mystery while introducing an element of science fiction that curiously manages to reinvigorate traditional tropes of crime fiction. Whatever one thinks of Jenna Sattterthwaite’s innovations, it is impossible to fault the audacity of her ambition and the fecundity of her imagination: achievements all the more remarkable as this novel is the author’s debut work.

Set in a world almost identical to the one we presently inhabit; scientific advances have resulted in the manufacture of so-called ‘Synths’: robots who resemble humans in nearly every respect. They have ambitions and dreams; they possess reason and feelings; they can fall in love; they can procreate. The only significant difference between Synths and humans seems to be the means by which they are produced.

In Made for You, an inventor named Andy Wekstein, the genius behind the firm WekTech, creates a ‘bot’ or ‘synth’ with one aim in mind: the beautiful red-head Julia Walden has been specifically designed to win the affections of a handsome bachelor named Josh LaSala on a popular reality television show called The Proposal. Before filming starts, Julia is a hit on social media, garnering over a million Instagram followers within hours after the announcement of her creation, a number that quickly quadruples once she grants an interview.

Dressed in finery, hair brushed and set, make-up carefully applied, Julia is ferried by limo to a luxurious house where she will meet Josh and compete – with twenty-three other lovely contestants – for his hand in marriage. The winner is the woman he eventually proposes to. Julia is the only Synth and wonders if that will prove a drawback or an advantage.

Satterthwaite’s novel has a double timeline. ‘Then’ is January 2022 and the place is Los Angeles, where The Proposal is filmed. ‘Now’ takes place in Indiana several years later. Josh and Julia have settled in the Midwest following their marriage, living in an isolated spot with their baby daughter Annaleigh and large, boisterous dog named Captain. For Julia, alas, the fairytale ending of The Proposal has evolved into a nightmarish existence. Neighbours are suspicious of Synths and shun the young family; lonely and bored, Julia begins to drink too much; she and Josh argue. It is a surprise but not surprising at all when Josh disappears. After his severed arm is found, confirming the suspicion Josh has been murdered, the local police decide the Synth living in their midst is the prime suspect. Julia is arrested and convicted, manages to escape from prison, and embarks on a search for her husband’s killer, desperate to be reunited with her young daughter.

Satterthwaite is to be commended for writing such an entertaining and clever book, and in such eloquent, self-assured prose. Ironically, it is the musings of a robot that make us realise what it means to be human.
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Reviewer: Wendy Jones Nakanishi/aka Lea O’Harra.

Jenna Satterthwaite was born in the Midwest, but grew up in Spain, lived briefly in France, and is now happily settled in Chicago with her husband and children. Jenna studied classical guitar at the Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Zaragoza and earned her BAs in English Lit and French at Indiana University. Now she is a literary agent with Storm Literary and also works a 9-5 style office job.  Once upon a time, Jenna moonlighted as a singer-songwriter in folk band Thornfield. In the winter, you can find Jenna obsessively and cozily pounding out novels on her laptop by the fireplace. In the summer, you can find her getting sunburned at the pool with her kids, vaguely wondering how a novel is even written. She loves sushi, reading in her natural habitat (aka her bed), and women taking back their power.

Connect with Jenna on Twitter @jennaschmenna, Facebook on her author page, and Instagram @jenna.satterthwaite.author. She loves to hear from readers!  

Lea O’Harra.  An American by birth, did her postgraduate work in Britain – an MA in Lancaster and a doctorate at Edinburgh – and worked full-time for 36 years at a Japanese university. Since retiring in March 2020, she has spent part of each year in Lancaster and part in Takamatsu on Shikoku Island, her second home, with occasional visits to the States to see family and friends. An avid reader of crime fiction since childhood, as a university professor she wrote academic articles on it as a literary genre and then decided to try her hand at composing such stories herself, publishing the so-called ‘Inspector Inoue mystery series’ comprising three murder mysteries set in rural, contemporary Japan. She has also published two standalone crime fiction novels.

‘The Christmas Clue’ by Nicola Upson

Published by Faber,
25 September 2025.
ISBN: 978-0-57139502-6 

The names of Anthony and Elva Pratt are probably a mystery to most people, but the chances are that a lot of us have a memento of them tucked away in a cupboard. They were the inventors of Cluedo, one of the most popular board games in the western world. The Pratts are now lost in the mists of history, but when Nicola Upson, herself a lifelong Cluedo fan, discovered them, she decided that a suitable homage would be to give them a murder mystery of their own to solve.

The Christmas Clue is fiction, of course, but with more than a nod not only to the Pratts who are centre stage, but also to Tudor Close, the celebrated Sussex hotel where the mystery-loving couple used to entertain visitors between the two world wars. Over Christmas 1943 the pair are engaged to run a murder mystery for the seasonal guests – but on their way to the hotel they discover a body! And when the arrival of the police is delayed by heavy snow, the festive game they planned has to be cancelled and it’s up to the Pratts to find out who really dunnit.

There are more nods to the famous board game in the names of the characters they encounter: Browning the hotel concierge; Miss Silver the village shopkeeper; Mrs Grayson the cook; Mrs Threadgold, the reclusive guest. And I especially enjoyed Colonel Colman...

At first there are plenty of clues, but they give rise to more questions than answers. Where did the body disappear to? Who called the two policemen who are on the spot almost right away? Is someone trying to scare the guests, and if so, why? A trail is laid, and it’s up to Anthony and Elva to gather the evidence and unravel the knots, which of course they do.

The Christmas Clue is a slim volume, fewer than two hundred pages, but it’s packed with references to the classic crime fiction of the Golden Age: a country house hotel cut off by snow, a motley crew of suspects with connections that date back for years, an amateur sleuth (in this case two) with a genius for joining dots the police haven’t even spotted, and above all, an intricate plot with plenty of red herrings and carefully placed misdirection. It’s enormous fun, and with the festive season rapidly approaching, an ideal stocking filler for the murder mystery fan. 
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Reviewer: Lynne Patrick

Nicola Upson was born in Suffolk and read English at Downing College, Cambridge. Her debut, An Expert in Murder, was the first in a series of crime novels to feature Josephine Tey – one of Britain’s finest Golden Age crime writers - and was dramatised for BBC Radio 4. She is a member of the Detection Club, and in 2024 curated the acclaimed Murder by the Book: a celebration of twentieth century British crime fiction at Cambridge University Library. She lives with her partner in Cambridge and Cornwall.  

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.

‘Murder on the Great Northern Railway’ by Edward Marston

Published by Allison & Busby,
18 September 2025.
ISBN: 978-0-74903222-7 (HB)

In April 1867 a large wooden box is loaded onto a train at King’s Cross bound for Lincoln. It is accompanied by an escort. At Peterborough a diversion on the platform allows the box to be stolen. The escort is short dead. The box contained a priceless silver model of Lincoln Cathedral, the work of the eminent London-based but Lincoln-born silversmith Gregory Tomkins and is a gift to his home city. Its disappearance is particularly upsetting as, because of declining health, the model is likely to be Tomkins’s final work. The Dean of Lincoln Cathedral turns to Scotland Yard.

Murder on the Great Northern Railway is, I believe, the 24th novel in Marston’s admired ‘Railway Detective Series’. It follows its predecessors in that Detective Inspector Colbeck, the Railway Detective himself, is summoned to solve the mystery. I have read a number of early novels in the series (with later ones awaiting me on the shelves) and both the career and life of Colbeck have moved on since I last came across him. His trusty sidekick Sergeant Leeming is still in post but is joined by two further detectives, Eric Boyce and Alan Hinton (as a follower of Derby County FC I was delighted to come across the latter, a namesake of one of the great wingers of the 1970s!). Colbeck’s artist wife, Madeleine, is now a mother and has a close friend by the name of Lydia Quayle. More of them in due course. Madeleine’s father, a former employee of the London and Northwestern Railway, continues to denigrate all other companies and blames the Great Northern Railway for the model’s disappearance.

As with others in the series, this is not a whodunnit. The reader discovers the villains early on, and the enjoyment is seeing how Colbeck tracks them down and in this instance how he proceeds when the expected ransom demand arrives. Although many of his enquiries are centred on Peterborough, Colbeck bases himself in Lincoln where the relative chaos of the annual horse fair does nothing to help his investigation. He also has to cope with his ever-interfering superior Superintendent Tallis (although Tallis proves his worth towards the end) and there is a poignant episode where the superintendent wonders whether he is getting too old for his sort of work. Further poignancy is added by descriptions of the despair of Gregory Tomkins as he faces the loss of what he believes will be his last major work. In London there is also a side-plot concerning Lydia Quayle’s domestic security caused by worries that a former servant has burglarious intentions. Madeleine supports her wisely.

This is yet another thoroughly enjoyable novel from Edward Marston. The action moves along quickly, with short scenes constantly switching from one area of the plot to another, so it is – in the best sense – a rapid read. The characters are convincing, and the period detail adds much to the story (‘Thanks are due to the telegraph system’ Colbeck says at the end), although I believe I am correct in saying that in 1867 Peterborough was in Northamptonshire and not Cambridgeshire (that didn’t happen until 1974). As a native of Lincolnshire who went to school in Peterborough, Murder on the Great Northern Railway strikes a chord with me as I’m sure it will with others, and I am very pleased to recommend it. I must get round to the other books in the series that I have yet to read.
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Reviewer: David Whittle

Edward Marston (A pseudonym used by Keith Miles) was born and brought up in South Wales. A full-time writer for over thirty years, he has worked in radio, film, television and the theatre and is a former chairman of the Crime Writers' Association. Prolific and highly successful, he is equally at home writing children's books or literary criticism, plays or biographies.

www.edwardmarston.com

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. He is currently convenor of the East Midlands Chapter of the Crime Writers Association. 

‘Retribution’ by Craig Vannan

Independently Published,
23 June 2025.
ISBN: 978-1-03692588-6 (PB)

We meet briefly James Reid, born in Glasgow’s East End and the son of one of the notorious criminal gangs. He has a secret he has learned to hide by building a reputation of unpredictable violence, money and power. Having docked his thirty-foot motor cruiser at Invercord Marina he settled for the night. Seeking breakfast, the following morning he is gunned down and killed.

Detective Chief Inspector Mitchell, known as Mitch, has the unenviable task of breaking the news of his son’s death to the unpleasant John Reid. Unfortunately, he also runs into the volatile unpredictable Junior Reid.

They are of course not the only criminal gang operating in Glasgow.  Colin Marr, born in Dublin during the troubles created his own kingdom focusing on smuggling, extortion and drug trafficking, and was arising star in the underworld. After the Good Friday agreement Colin moved to Glasgow which proved to be fertile ground for his ventures.

The two criminal gang Lord’s rub along and keep out of each other’s way. Until one of Colin Marrs low level runner’s is murdered. At this point matters escalate, and the story moves along at a terrific pace.

Mitch and his team seek to cool matters, before the underworld erupts into a full-blown gang war.  But the peace was always fragile and old rivalries flare up. 

While the situation between these two drug Lord’s is the main interest in the story, we meet Mitch’s team.  DI Devendra Kapoor, DI Trevor Clark, and DS Fiona MacLeod, who all play a part as the story unfolds.  Also, which becomes apparent the Reid’s have some police on their payroll. But who are they?

This is an excellent crime thriller that keeps one on the edge of one’s seat.  And the twist was a surprise I didn’t see coming.

Cleverly plotted, this is a compelling read, and I look forward to the next book from this new writer. Most highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

Craig Vannan had over 30 years of experience as a police officer, having served in various crime units within the Metropolitan Police and a range of roles in Police Scotland. His debut book offer’s genuine insights drawn from real-life experiences. The stories and characters he creates reflect the gritty realism of his time on the front lines, catering to readers who appreciate raw, authentic crime fiction rooted in the realities of street life and law enforcement. 

‘The Nothing Month’ by Cat Miller.

Published by Canelo Crime,
4 September 2025. 
ISBN: 978-1-83598-126-9 (PB)

Zara, who is 17, leaves home to take part in a challenge sweeping the nation – no technology for one month.  In the wake of COVID the idea has taken off and people are going further and opting for an in-person, off-grid, experience, rather than just staying at home.  A variety of accommodation is on offer, but nothing fancy.

Sally, Zara’s mum, goes with her to say goodbye.  The minibus arrives and Sally, though she is suddenly aware of how little she knows about the general arrangement, waves goodbye, leaving Zara to get to know her fellow travellers.  After a little while the minibus comes to a sudden halt and, suddenly, the atmosphere changes.  The driver takes charge and issues some unwelcome instructions; the seriousness of the situation is made clear when he murders one of the other passengers who objects.

The action moves to a campsite in the New Forest, where the group have been booked to stay for the ‘Nothing Month’.  The local police are investigating the discovery of a body and news of this is broadcast on the radio, including the first names of the people booked to stay at the camp site.  Sally, enjoying her first day of leisure, is having a relaxing day at a spa when she hears the news.  She immediately returns home knowing that she must find out more.  And so her search begins…..

The story uses some interesting ideas - a possible reaction to the uncertainties of Covid and a spin on the number of months with a theme to capture the public imagination.  The search, hindered by the usual access to mobile phones, is vividly described and the sense of fear and tension stretches though the novel.
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Reviewer: Jo Hesslewood

Cat Miller is the evil twin sister of Catherine Miller. Although strictly speaking they're the same person. Cat is a mum to twins and since they were born, she's dedicated her life to writing. The Nothing Month will be her thirteenth published novel and her debut in the thriller world.

Jo Hesslewood.  Crime fiction has been my favourite reading material since as a teenager I first spotted Agatha Christie on the library bookshelves.  For twenty-five years the commute to and from London provided plenty of reading time.  I am fortunate to live in Cambridge, where my local crime fiction book club, Crimecrackers, meets at Heffers Bookshop .  I enjoy attending crime fiction events and currently organise events for the Margery Allingham Society.

‘First to Fall’ by C L Pattison.

Published by Headline,
27 February 2025. 
ISBN: 978-1-0354 -51-9 (PBO)

Libby fell in love with figure skating when she was 11.  She has achieved some success, but the need to earn a living has meant her getting a job and reconciling herself to giving up her skating ambitions.  However, to her surprise she receives an invitation from Lukas Wolff, the world-famous figure skater, to train with him and, after some persuasion, takes up the offer.  On arriving at his amazing house in the Bavarian Forest, she is again surprised to discover that eight other very talented young skaters have also been invited.  Wolff starts the course with an unusual first day of training and later shares the news that the training programme will result in one person being evicted every week. .

The course progressed, friendships and relationships are forged, and Woolf continues to surprise, unsettle and shock the skaters.  Then one of the skaters dies in mysterious circumstances, the snow starts to fall and, suddenly, they find themselves snowed in.  They are trapped, with no electricity, no connection with the outside world, limited food and a murderer in their midst.  The beautiful setting of the house takes on a threatening aspect.  As the anxiety and tension build up the story moves to an unexpected ending.

Libby’s colleagues are a mixed bunch, all very motivated, but with a variety of backstories and motivations.  She is a strong main character – though she underestimates her own abilities, she does follow her instincts and act on them, something that Woolf seems to value.  He himself is a somewhat mysterious character, whose motivation for the training course gradually become apparent.  The figure skating background itself adds colour and information to fascinating and interesting story. 
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Reviewer: Jo Hesslewood. 
Other books by this author:  The Housemate, The Guest Book, The Florist

C.L. Pattison worked as an entertainment journalist for 20 years, before re-training as a PCSO with Hampshire Constabulary. Today, she writes psychological thrillers from her home on the south coast of England. Her previous novels, The Housemate, The Guest Book and The Florist, have been published in eight languages and were all eBook bestsellers.  

Jo Hesslewood.  Crime fiction has been my favourite reading material since as a teenager I first spotted Agatha Christie on the library bookshelves.  For twenty-five years the commute to and from London provided plenty of reading time.  I am fortunate to live in Cambridge, where my local crime fiction book club, Crimecrackers, meets at Heffers Bookshop .  I enjoy attending crime fiction events and currently organise events for the Margery Allingham Society.