The Sitter by Caroline McGhie - #bookreview

Steam tumbled skywards as the train beat onwards to Swanton Stoke, scurrying through black turned fields towards the end of the line. It was late in the afternoon on the last day of October and only one passenger remained on board...

The Blurb

Adolescent baker’s boy Jack catches sight of a beautiful woman alighting from a train at dusk. His remote Norfolk village is built around a railway maintenance hub known as The Works which is ruled by ritual, hierarchy and God.

Newcomer Rosie is escaping a secret past involving a well-known London cartoonist who is a proponent of early photographic pornography.

A beguiling tale of love and learning unfolds against the backdrop of the hardships faced by the railwaymen and fishermen of the time.

Poignant and moving, this literary novel weaves the key themes of women’s rights, childhood memories, sexual freedom, religion, art and pornography around its compelling cast of characters. Based on extensive research in and around Melton Constable and Cromer, The Sitter exudes the charms of Victorian Norfolk and a nostalgia for the steam railways.

An historical novel of richness and depth, The Sitter is a remarkable, engaging and deeply atmospheric debut.

My Review

I enjoyed reading this book and it has much to commend it.

It follows the story of two people: Rosie, who is the titular sitter and who has escaped to Norfolk after realising that being the subject of a photographer's obsession wasn't as innocent as she had thought. Also, we have Jack, a young boy who, seeing her alight from the train, is struck by her beauty. 

Alongside the characters, we read of the arrival of steam trains. Many of the local upper and middle class have invested, and as readers, we can observe the hype surrounding this and the impact the trains will have on the area.

The writing in this novel is beautiful. It is a slow-paced, literary luxury of a book. I found its gentle pace almost a meditative experience to read. The author has used and placed every word of text with care, and the result is this gorgeous reading experience.

Ms McGhie is clearly an intelligent writer who has researched both the time and place thoroughly. Additionally, she inhabits her characters and permits the reader to accompany her as we observe Jack turn from a boy to a man within its pages, and Rosie's discovery that we cannot always leave our past behind.

This is a compelling story, and the author has captured the spirit of the age, place and her characters perfectly. Whilst Ms. McGhie is an established journalist and writer of non-fiction, this is her first foray into fiction. This debut novel feels accomplished, and I hope we will see more fiction from this author in the future.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1739603410

Publisher:  Waterland Books

Formats:  e-book and paperback 

No. of Pages:  230 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Waterland Books

Waterstones

Amazon UK

About the Author

Caroline McGhie is a multi-award-winning journalist who has written for The Sunday Times, The Sunday Times Magazine, The Sunday Telegraph, and was part of the launch team for The Independent on Sunday. She has written columns for The Financial Times, The Standard and Country Living. She has lived in North Norfolk for over thirty years.

You can also find Caroline at:

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(ARC and media courtesy of Hannah Hargrave)

(all opinions are my own)

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths - #bookreview

Alison Dawson can never cross the Old Kent Road without thinking of Monopoly. The brown quare nobody wants. She used to play it with one of her husbands, she can't remember which, offhand...

The Blurb

Ali Dawson is a police officer working on crimes so old, the joke goes, that they are not only cold but frozen. What most people don't know is that the team travels back in time to complete their research - a process pioneered by the mysterious Italian physicist, Serafina Pelligrini.

So far the team has only ventured a few years back but Ali's boss has a new assignment for her. He wants her to step back to 1850, the heart of the Victorian Age, to clear the name of Cain Templeton, the eccentric great-grandfather of Tory MP Isaac Templeton.

To prepare for the challenge ahead, Ali researches the Victorian era. She learns that Cain Templeton was part of a sinister group called The Collectors, the rumour being that you had to kill a woman to become a member. Duly prepared, she arrives in London in January 1850, at the peak of the so-called mini ice age, to start her journey in a house used by artists, with a dead woman at her feet.

Soon she finds herself in extreme danger. Even worse - she appears to be stuck, unable to make her way back to the present, to her life and to her son, Finn.

A brand new series from No 1 bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries. If you're missing Ruth and Nelson, wait till you meet Ali and Cain.

My Review

I adored every one of the Dr Ruth Galloway series of books by this author (links to previous reviews at the end of the post.) When I heard the author, Elly Griffiths had written the first in a new series, I was very keen to read it but with a little trepidation. After all, when you read a series that you love, there is always the possibility that something new might disappoint.

However, my fears came to nought as I enjoyed this book very much. It is very different to the Dr Ruth Galloway series. In fact, I would suggest not going into this thinking it might be similar. This is very different and actually, I enjoyed seeing this talented author turn her hand to something a little different.

The main character, Ali Dawson is a police officer working on a cold case review team. It is a little different to the usual 'cold case' scenario as the officers can actually travel back in time in order to solve the crimes. Thus we see Ali travel back to London in 1850 in order to investigate Cain Templeton, a man associated with a group known as The Collectors. It is said that in order to become a member, one has to murder a woman. What made this even more interesting is that we detect the beginnings of an attraction between Ali and Cain. I can hardly wait for the next book to see whether this relationship develops. 

Whilst she is stuck in the past, Ali's son Fin, is arrested for the murder of Cain's descendent. Needless to say, she is keen to get back to the present to clear his name.

It is a refreshing new take on this genre of books - crime and science fiction mixed together, and it worked very well. The edges of the genres blur perfectly. I loved the way both past and present parallel one another and how a resolution is found.  Although the book moves between past and present, it did so seamlessly.

Ali is a fabulous character. She is a determined, strong minded woman and I am looking forward to seeing how her character develops in subsequent books in the series. 

I highly recommend getting started with this series. I know that I am going to read them all.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1529433371

Publisher:  Quercus

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  368 (paperback)

Series:  Book 1 in the Ali Dawes series

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

About the Author

Bestselling crime author Elly Griffiths worked in publishing before becoming a full-time writer.

Her series of Dr Ruth Galloway novels, featuring a forensic archaeologist, are set in Norfolk and regularly hit the Sunday Times top ten in hardback and paperback. The series has won the CWA Dagger in the Library and has been shortlisted three times for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year. There are twelve books in the series so far with number thirteen to be published in February 2021.

Her Brighton-based mystery series set in the 1950s and 1960s is inspired partly by her grandfather's life on the stage and the war magician Jasper Maskelyne, who claimed to have spent the war creating large scale illusions to misdirect the enemy. One of the two leading characters in the series, Max Mephisto, is based on Maskelyne. 

In 2017 she was Programming Chair of Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Festival in Harrogate, the oldest and best-established crime fiction festival in the UK.

In 2018 Elly wrote her first standalone novel The Stranger Diaries. The novel was a top 10 paperback bestseller, selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club and as a summer 2019 Richard and Judy book.

In 2019 Elly published her first children's book in spring 2019 to great reviews with a second following in 2020.

Elly Griffiths lives near Brighton with her husband, an archaeologist, and their two grown children.

You can also find Elly at:

Author Website

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A Taste of Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan - #bookreview #blogtour #GIVEAWAY

Lara huddled under the golf umbrella with her mum as the countdown to the Christmas lights switch-on began. She wished she'd worn her puffy jacket with the lining like her mum had suggested as the cold was beginning to make her shiver...

The Blurb

CAN LARA ADD A DASH OF MAGIC THIS CHRISTMAS?

The Sugar and Spice bakery sparkles with holiday spirit as Jacob serves up more mouthwatering festive treats, and Christmas spirit Lara tries to sprinkle her magic over those finding the time of year difficult.

Ollie is at his wits’ end. A debt from years ago comes back to haunt him just as he and his girlfriend are buying their dream home.

Rose is dejected as her college sweetheart has dumped her now they’re in their final year. She’s not looking forward to Christmas alone, nor her twenty-first birthday on Christmas Eve.

Sacha has recently moved to Winstanton following the failure of his business. He’s too embarrassed to confide in his family, but can he find the friendship he so desperately needs and begin to trust again?

Diana tries to find her new normal after the unexpected death of her husband earlier this year. All her plans for retirement have been thrown out the window and she feels lost. She needs a renewed sense of purpose and to find her place in the world.

Can Lara provide the answer to a joy-filled Christmas?

A story of hope, love, friendship, community, and of course, Christmas spirit.

My Review

Before I even begin my review, I want to let you know that there is a giveaway of this fabulous book, further down in the post.

It is the first Christmas book that I have read this year, and it was a lovely one to kick off my festive reading with. Although, it is the fourth book in the series, it is not necessary to have read the earlier books in order to enjoy this one.  In fact, I came into this series with the third book, A Little Christmas Spirit and you can find my review of that book here.

In this book we meet Sasha, Diana, Ollie and Rose. Each of them has their own backstory, and they come together and find warmth and  companionship at The Sugar and Spice Cafe, which is set in the small Scottish village of Winstanton. I was pleased to see that Lara is still very much the essence of the book. Lara is the ten-year-old niece of cafe owner Jacob, and she sprinkles her own version of Christmas magic throughout the book.

During this book, the cafe becomes host to a celebrity chef who is making a Christmas cookery programme in the kitchen. This adds excitement for the regular visitors to the cafe who become the live studio audience.

Into this wonderful setting, the author has conjured her own Christmas magic throughout her story. She is a wonderful storyteller, and it was very easy to get pulled into this special tale. It is full of festive traditions from far and wide, all centred around this extraordinary cafe.

If you like a feel-good novel, then you will love this one. It has everything to make you smile whilst reading this. It is an utterly charming book to read and I highly recommend it.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1915589057

Publisher:  Susan Buchanan

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  230 (paperback)

Series:  Book 4 of the Christmas Spirit series

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Susan Buchanan writes contemporary romance, women’s fiction and romantic comedies, usually featuring travel, food, family, friendship, community – also Christmas!

Her books are Sign of the Times, The Dating Game, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit, A Little Christmas Spirit and Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn, The Leap Year Proposal and You Can’t Hurry Love.

As a freelance developmental editor, copyeditor and proofreader, if she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about it.  

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors. 

She lives near Glasgow with her husband, two children and a crazy Labrador. 

When she’s not editing, writing, reading or caring for her two delightful cherubs, she likes going to the theatre, playing board games, watching quiz shows and eating out, and she has recently discovered a love of writing retreats.

You can also find Susan at:

Author Website

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GIVEAWAY

Giveaway to Win a signed and dedicated paperback of A Taste of Christmas Spirit (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Gleam box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Click below to enter.

Giveaway

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

Shades of Yellow by Wendy J. Dunn - #bookspotlight #blogtour

Today I am shining the spotlight on Shades of Yellow by author, Wendy J. Dunn. I love the look of this one and I hope to read it very soon.

The Blurb

During her battle with illness, Lucy Ellis found solace in writing a novel about the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, the first wife of Robert Dudley, the man who came close to marrying Elizabeth I. As Lucy delves into Amy’s story, she also navigates the aftermath of her own experience that brought her close to death and the collapse of her marriage. 

After taking leave from her teaching job to complete her novel, Lucy falls ill again. Fearing she will die before she finishes her book, she flees to England to solve the mystery of Amy Robsart’s death. 

Can she find the strength to confront her past, forgive the man who broke her heart, and take control of her own destiny?

Who better to write about a betrayed woman than a woman betrayed?

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1764070409

Publisher:  Other Terrain Press

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  350 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

WENDY J. DUNN is a multi-award-winning Australian writer fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of Dear Heart, How Like You This, her first Anne Boleyn novel, which narrated the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder. 

Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their holdings. It seems very likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.

Wendy gained her PhD in 2014 and tutors in writing at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. She loves walking in the footsteps of the historical people she gives voice to in her books. 

You can also find Wendy at:

Author Website

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(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

Love, Lies and Family Ties by Florence Keeling - #extract #excerpt #blogtour

I am super happy to be bringing you an extract of this book today. Love, Lies and Family Ties by Florence Keeling looks like a good read. It is an uplifting romantic comedy that will warm your heart – perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews. 

The Blurb

Bea Winters is in desperate need of a fresh start. Being bullied at work is not her idea of fun and she longs to follow her dream of becoming a published author. When an advert appears in her local paper to work in a publishing house in the sleepy village of Bloomsdale, it sounds too good to be true.

She strikes up an instant friendship with gorgeous aspiring author, Eddie Richards and her dashing millionaire boss Scott Summers. But all isn’t as it seems in the sleepy village of Bloomsdale.

How does the local clairvoyant know her name? Who does the little black dog that keeps appearing belong to and why does she keep bumping into the mysterious Charlie?

As she starts to unravel the truth, it seems that everyone in Bea’s life is keeping secrets.

The Extract

I adore the "meet cute" in romances, when eyes meet eyes for the first time and what better place for a would be author to have a "meet cute" in a coffee shop full of writers underneath a publishing house.

Bea has just arrived in Bloomsdale for a job interview and steps into the coffee shop with a new story idea buzzing in her head.

She couldn’t wait to explore and after changing into her jeans and trainers she locked her door and almost ran down the two flights of stairs and out the front door.

It was starting to cool down but the air was still muggy. Bea walked straight across into the centre, nodding to people as she passed. Considering it was only a small village there seemed to be lots of people around. Checking her phone for the name and address of the publishing house, she followed the directions on her phone and found Summers Day Press was on the top floor above a coffee shop at the end of a particularly long street called North Avenue.

The coffee shop was still open so she headed inside and ordered a large latte, cheese panini and a delightfully stodgy-looking chocolate chip muffin. She sat by the window and for the first time in days pulled out her pen and notebook and started scribbling. A new idea was forming in her head and she wrote the basic outline and characters before staring out of the window thinking of how to begin.

A bespectacled man with messy brown hair walked in and caught her attention. He looked about twenty and carried himself with an awkwardness that Bea found endearing. He was carrying what looked like a laptop case and after buying the largest cup of tea she had ever seen he sat in the far corner, pulled out his laptop and then sat staring out the window just as Bea had been doing.

This was when she noticed that most of the people in the coffee shop were sitting alone and had either a laptop or notebook open in front of them. Bea supposed this was what you got when you owned a coffee shop underneath a publishing house and wondered which one had come first and whether all of these budding writers actually lived in the village.

The young man caught her eye and she smiled nervously at him before turning away, embarrassed to be caught staring. For the next hour she kept her head down pretending to write even though she still couldn’t even think of a killer first line. At ten to nine the place was virtually empty so Bea picked up her stuff and headed back to the hotel. The young man in the corner watched her leave before packing up his own things and heading off in the opposite direction.

Book Details

ISBN:  979 8375730059

Publisher:  Independently published

Formats:  e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  279 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Florence was born in Coventry but now lives in Nuneaton. She married the love of her life over 20 years ago and they have two almost grown up children. They share their lives with two mad dogs as well.

Writing is a great passion of hers, that one day she hopes to be able to turn into a career but until that day comes, she will continue working in accounts and payroll.

You can also find Florence at:

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(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

The Price of Loyalty: Serving Adela of Blois by Malve Von Hassell - #extract #excerpt #blogtour

I am so pleased to be sharing an extract from this gorgeous looking book today. This will appeal to lovers of Ken Follett's, The Pillars of the Earth.

The Blurb

In a time of kingdoms and crusades, one man's heart is the battlefield.

Cerdic, a Saxon knight, serves Count Stephen-Henry of Blois with unwavering loyalty-yet his soul remains divided. Haunted by memories of England, the land of his childhood, and bound by duty to King William, the conqueror who once showed him mercy, Cerdic walks a dangerous line between past and present, longing and loyalty.

At the center of his turmoil stands Adela-daughter of a king, wife of a count, and the first to offer him friendship in a foreign land. But when a political marriage binds him to the spirited and determined Giselle, Cerdic's world turns again. Giselle, fiercely in love with her stoic husband, follows him across sea and sand to the holy land, hoping to win the heart that still lingers elsewhere.

As the clash of empires looms and a crusade threatens to tear everything apart, Cerdic must confront the deepest truth of all-where does his loyalty lie, and whom does his heart truly belong to?

The Extract

Land Flowing With Milk And Honey

I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey. Exodus 3:17

1097 Nicaea

“Dratted quills.” Count Stephen tossed the frayed goose feather into a corner and grabbed another one. “I should have asked Father Alexander to sharpen more for me.” He dipped it into a pot of ink and continued writing. Scritch, scratch. 

Count Stephen to Adela, his sweetest and most amiable wife, to his dear children, and to all his vassals of all ranks, his greeting and blessing.

You may be very sure, dearest, that the messenger whom I sent to give you pleasure, left me before Antioch safe and unharmed, and through God’s grace in the greatest prosperity. And already at that time, together with all the chosen army of Christ, endowed with great valor by Him, we had been continuously advancing for twenty-three weeks toward the home of our Lord Jesus. You may know for certain, my beloved, that of gold, silver and many other kind of riches I now have twice as much as your love had assigned to me when I left you. For all our princes, with the common consent of the whole army, against my own wishes, have made me up to the present time the leader, chief and director of their whole expedition. 

Cerdic sat on a stool in Count Stephen-Henry’s tent in the encampment outside of Nicaea. His head itched. He would have to check his gear for lice. All the men were infested with them. He could hear them through the tent walls—an unceasing cacophony of shouts, angry voices, muttered curses, and occasional bursts of laughter. 

Count Stephen-Henry’s tent boasted a Persian carpet, a comfortable pallet, a working area with a folding table, and several travel chests. The count had sent many gifts he had received for Emperor Alexios home to Blois, entrusting them to a small contingent of his retinue, but some he was loath to let out of his grasp. And Cerdic had heard him dictate a letter in which he had gone on and on about his delight in the many presents he had received from the emperor.

The count was once again writing to his wife. Usually, he had his chaplain, Father Alexander, take dictation, but today he had dispensed with his services. 

Cerdic liked Father Alexander. Tall and slender, with a face that seemed to be carved out of oak, full of crags and sharp corners, he never seemed to lose his calm. 

Count Stephen and his contingent had arrived in Nicaea after the siege had been going on for several weeks. Emperor Alexios Komnenos had been solicitous and anxious to show his support by providing Count Stephen and his army with food. However, he was not eager to accompany them. Constantinople had already endured the presence of Peter the Hermit and some 30,000 men earlier. While the city felt relatively opulent and Count Stephen was treated like a favorite son by the emperor, Cerdic got the distinct impression of a populace that could hardly wait for the disappearance of their unwelcome guests.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1964700267

Publisher:  Historium Press

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  376 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research. Working as an independent scholar, she published The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002) and Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993: The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996). She has also edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell's memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich - Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994). 

Malve has taught at Queens College, Baruch College, Pace University, and Suffolk County Community College, while continuing her work as a translator and writer. She has published two children’s picture books, Tooth Fairy (Amazon KDP 2012 / 2020), and Turtle Crossing (Amazon KDP 2023), and her translation and annotation of a German children’s classic by Tamara Ramsay, Rennefarre: Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures (Two Harbors Press, 2012). 

The Falconer’s Apprentice (namelos, 2015 / KDP 2024) was her first historical fiction novel for young adults. She has published Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC Press, 2020), set in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades, and The Amber Crane (Odyssey Books, 2021), set in Germany in 1645 and 1945, as well as a biographical work about a woman coming of age in Nazi Germany, Tapestry of My Mother’s Life: Stories, Fragments, and Silences (Next Chapter Publishing, 2021), also available in German, Bildteppich Eines Lebens: Erzählungen Meiner Mutter, Fragmente Und Schweigen (Next Chapter Publishing, 2022). 

Her latest publication is the historical fiction novel, The Price of Loyalty: Serving Adela of Blois (Historium Press, 2025).

You can also find Malve at:

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(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

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A Mirror Murder by Helen Hollick - #guestpost #blogtour

I am so thrilled to be hosting the author, Helen Hollick on the blog today. Helen is not new to the blog. I featured her book, Harold the King, earlier this year, and her Sea Witch Voyages prior to that.

Today, Helen is going to tell us about her book, A Mirror Murder which is the first book in the Jan Christopher Cozy Mystery Series.  However, the whole series looks great so I am going to include some information about the other books in the series further down in this blog post.

But first a little about A Mirror Murder...

The Blurb

July 1971Eighteen-year-old library assistant Jan Christopher’s life is to change on a rainy evening, when her legal guardian and uncle, DCI Toby Christopher, gives her a lift home after work. Driving the car, is her uncle’s new Detective Constable, Lawrence Walker – and it is love at first sight for the young couple. But romance is soon to take a back seat when a baby boy is taken from his pram, a naked man is scaring young ladies in nearby Epping Forest, and an elderly lady is found, brutally murdered... Are the events related? How will they affect the staff and public of the local library where Jan works – will romance survive and blossom between library assistant Jan Christopher and DC Walker? Or will a brutal murder intervene?

Hi Helen. Welcome to the blog.

Location, Location, Location...

When I decided to write A Mirror Murder, back when we were about to enter the first Covid Lockdown, I already had a basic Cosy Mystery plot for this first episode of an intended series. It was to be set in the 1970s, in the north-east London suburb town of Chingford and based around young, public library assistant, Jan Christopher. Why? Because I had worked as a Chingford library assistant through the 1970s, and had quite a useful memory-file of ideas to use. I had also decided to alternate between Chingford and the location where I now live, rural North Devon.

The main characters came just as easily. Jan, based loosely on myself working at the library and sharing our hobbies. I must add, though, I have never been involved in a murder or police business! That’s where the skill of writing imaginative fiction comes in! Jan’s adopted ‘parents’ presented themselves: her Aunt Madge and her Uncle, DCI Toby Christopher. Then his bagman, DC Lawrence – Laurie – Walker, provided a romantic interest for Jan. Police characters who needn’t be too intrusive with the details of police procedures. These are, after all, Cosy Mysteries, where amateur sleuthing (usually by a woman), set in easily identifiable locations come into their own.

Laurie’s parents live in North Devon, so it made sense to alternate my settings to give different aspects, and alternative interest, to the plot lines. Town v country. London v Devon. And different characters could then be included alongside regular cast members to give extra diversity. The library staff in Chingford and the villagers at Chappletawton in Devon, such as Heather from the village shop and Mary-Anne Calpin, a mischievous but likeable child. (Oh, and Bee Bear, a teddy bear regularly appears from Episode 2 onwards.)

My dilemma? Chingford is a real town. Did I use the name but make up the roads and places, or use the real thing? I decided on the latter – apart from any streets where a murder is committed. Although anyone who knows Chingford could probably work out the locations.

I use Ridgeway Park, for instance, where there is (or a least, used to be,) a ride-on model railway, once famously visited by Walt Disney. The old police station at the top of King’s Head Hill, which in the 1970s was a crumbling old Victorian house – eventually replaced by a modern (for the 1970s/’80s) building. Epping Forest, where Jan and Aunt Madge go horse riding – as I did with my own horses back then.

The actual library is still there, in Hall Lane, although sadly it is now offices – what a shame that our libraries are rapidly disappearing? As readers, writers and booklovers how many of us started out in our local library, discovering a new book we’d not read, or going back to familiar, favourite authors and their wonderful books? You can travel to new places – new worlds – in a book, or as I found as a shy schoolgirl, escape the bullies by immersing myself with better people, even if they were fictional characters.

The Devon village, however, I have invented, Chappletawton doesn’t exist because this location is based, very slightly, on today’s village where I live. I had quite a bit of fun, for instance, merging our 2025 Flower and Vegetable annual show with those of the 1970s. (A Mischief of Murder.) The village pub, by the way, The Exeter Inn, is a real place.  As is our, slightly disguised farm.

So locations are important, and what I have discovered, lots of readers are enthusiastic about the nostalgia for the things they remember about back then. The bold, bright patterned wallpaper, the popular orange colours. Flared trousers and miniskirts. My cover designer researched the colours and styles of the 1970s – for A Mirror Murder we had to enlarge the cover design to ensure we’d removed roof-top skylights (loft conversions for ordinary households were rare in the 1970s), and all the wall-mounted TV reception dishes.

Oh, and for the Devonshire-based titles, I assure you the cream teas are just as delicious for us today as they are for my 1970s characters. Cream first, though, on scones. Jam first is the Cornish tradition, not Devonshire. The rivalry is sincere and genuine!

Helen, thank you so much for being my guest on the blog today. The book sounds great and I would love to read it.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1838131807

Publisher:  Taw River Press

Formats:  e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages: 158 (paperback)

Series:  Book 1 in the Jan Christopher Mysteries series

Purchase Link

Amazon

The Rest of the Series

Episode 2: A MYSTERY OF MURDER 

 Set in rural Devon, Christmas 1971, Library Assistant Jan Christopher is to spend Christmas in Devon with her boyfriend, DS Laurie Walker and his family, but when a murder is discovered, followed by a not very accidental accident, the traditional Christmas spirit is somewhat marred...

What happened to Laurie’s ex-girlfriend? Where is the vicar’s wife? Who took those old photographs? And will the farmer up the lane ever mend those broken fences?

"There are lots of things to enjoy in the second in the Jan Christopher cosy mystery series" Best-selling cozy mystery author Debbie Young

"A laid back sort of novel, the kind that you can relax while reading, and simply let the story happen. This author has a particularly unique style of writing... this book wasn’t simply a story, but an experience. You almost have the feeling that the author is reading the book to you, and is adding in her own little quips every now and again. I loved every second... The whole mystery is well thought out... utterly amazing!" Review: I Got Lost In A Book Blog

"The pace is gently cosy, despite the murder... Jan is a wonderful character; young, naïve, but also savvy when needed. And Laurie is a gem. All the characters and their foibles and actions stay true to the era... a lovely, warm story." Review: Ruins & Reading

Episode 3 A MISTAKE OF MURDER

Was murder deliberate - or a tragic mistake?

Episode 4 A MEADOW MURDER

Make hay while the sun shines? But what happens when a murder is discovered, and country life is disrupted?

Episode 5 A MEMORY OF MURDER

A missing girl, annoying decorators, circus performers and a wanna-be rock star to deal with. But who remembers the brutal, cold case murder of a policeman?

Episode 6 A MISCHIEF OF MURDER

The village Flower and Veg Show should be a fun annual event – but who added mischief and murder to the traditional schedule?

About the Author

Known for her captivating storytelling and rich attention to historical detail, Helen’s historical fiction, nautical adventure series, cosy mysteries – and her short stories – skilfully invite readers to step into worlds where the boundaries between fact and  fiction blend together.

Helen started writing as a teenager, but after discovering a passion for history, was initially published in 1993 in the UK with her Arthurian Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy and two Anglo-Saxon novels about the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, one of which, The Forever Queen (USA title – A Hollow Crown in the UK) became a USA Today best-seller. Her Sea Witch Voyages are nautical-based adventures inspired by the Golden Age of Piracy. She also writes the Jan Christopher cosy mystery series set during the 1970s, and based around her, sometimes hilarious, years of working as a North London library assistant. Her 2025 release is Ghost Encounters, a book about the ghosts of North Devon – even if you don’t believe in ghosts you might enjoy the snippets of interesting history and the many location photograhs.

Helen and her family moved from London to Devon after a Lottery win on the opening night of the London Olympics, 2012. She spends her time glowering at the overgrown garden, fending off the geese, chasing the peacocks away from her roses, helping with the horses and wishing the friendly, resident ghosts would occasionally help with the housework...

You can also find Helen at:

Author Website

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(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)