Anna Sayburn Lane

Thriller author

Marjorie Swallow

January newsletter: reading recommendations and a creative New Year workshop

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I hope you’ve had a good festive break, whether you’ve been celebrating Christmas, Hanukka, Diwali or simply pausing in the depths of mid-winter. I enjoyed a cozy Christmas in Deal with my husband and parents, after a wonderful week’s writing retreat in Devon.

The course was tutored by historical novelists Anna Mazzola and Natasha Pulley. They helped eight of us work on our novels, from my 1920s murder mysteries to Regency romances and sea-faring adventures from the age of sail.

The staff at the 14th century farmhouse where we stayed pulled out all the stops for a celebratory Medieval Christmas Banquet, complete with music. Some of us made impromptu medieval costumes (see my attempt left) – it was a lot of fun!

On the last night we all read pieces from our work in progress and I’m pleased that the sneak preview of Death On Fleet Street went down very well. I’m working on edits this month, and hope to have it with you in February or March.

Thanks to everyone who wrote to say they enjoyed my Christmas short story, A Venetian Masquerade. If you’d like to know more about the inspiration for the story, including more about Venetian masks, take a look at my Substack post here.

Read on for recommendations, book news, a Creative January workshop, and a New Year promotion.

Stepping out: travels through words and song

Exciting news! Following the success of our summer seaside workshop, musician Katie Rose and I are back to offer a creative boost for January.

The singing and writing workshop is themed around travel and journeys, as we take our first steps into 2025. Expect travellers’ tales and songs, creative soundscapes and signposts for your own creative journey.

Stepping Out will be held upstairs at the Brown & Green Life Cafe in Crystal Palace Park, London SE20 8DS.

It takes place on Sunday January 26, from 10.30am to 4pm. Tickets are £50 (£40 concessions).

 

Death On Fleet Street

Death On Fleet Street is the fifth Marjorie Swallow book and it might just be my favourite yet. I began my journalism career in the 1990s, by which time most of the British newspapers had already left London’s Fleet Street, which was the hub of the newspaper industry for centuries. So it was wonderful to research the heyday of Fleet Street, when media barons like Lord Beaverbrook set up newspapers like the Daily Mirror, and the newspapers themselves were printed using linotype machines and hot metal.

I took a trip to the St Bride Institute’s printing workshop by Fleet Street (pictured) to talk to retired Fleet Street printers about how it all worked, and read some hair-raising memoirs and autobiographies of journalists from the street. I particularly enjoyed the autobiography of Lord Beaverbrook’s daughter Janet, which gave me plenty of ideas for my fictional media baron, the loathsome Lord Ravensbourne. I’ll share more about the research when the book is published.

That should be quite soon now – my copyeditor will be working on it this month and I’ll be sending it to beta readers very soon. You can pre-order here. You won’t be charged until the book is published.

Reading recommendations

Spring and flowers might seem a long way off, but Rosie Hunt’s new mystery, Murder At A Flower Show, will have you feeling spring-like in no time.

Lady Felicity Quick receives a peculiar invitation. A prestigious competition between British rose growers seeks celebrity judges, and Felicity is top of their list.

Despite a lack of interest in flowers, and after a spot of meddling by her beloved grandmother, Felicity finds herself surrounded by sweet-smelling blooms in the charming Devonshire village of Bickleford. And as romance blossoms, judging the flower show proves surprisingly enjoyable…

Until Britain’s most notorious rose breeder is found murdered behind the floral marquee — with Felicity’s own grandma as the prime suspect! Can Felicity unearth Bickleford’s secrets in time to save her grandmother? Find out here!

I’m also recommending two excellent novels by my lovely Arvon tutors:

  • Anna Mazzola‘s The Unseeing, about a lawyer drawn into investigating a murder in 1837 London. It’s based on a true life case, the Edgware Road murder, and asks why a convicted woman might not tell the secret that could free her…
  • Natasha Pulley‘s The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, a magical tale of clockwork, friendship and love in Victorian London. Who could resist a tale with a clockwork octopus and a replica Japanese village in Knightsbridge (astonishingly a real place)?

Free e-books for January

I’m taking part in the New Year Cozy Mystery giveaway promotion on Bookfunnel throughout January, where you can find dozens of mysteries to download.

December newsletter: a festive stocking full of stories

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I’ve had a wonderful time meeting readers at fairs and markets this month. Writing can be a solitary business, so it’s great fun getting out and talking to people about my books.

It gives me the chance to thank people in person when they buy a book – something I can’t do when you buy online. But I’d like to take this chance to say a big, heart-felt ‘thank you’ to all of you – everyone who has read, bought, borrowed or recommended one of my books this year. It’s been my best ever year as an author, and you made it possible.

I’m doing one more Christmas fair this year, at St George’s Hall in my home town of Deal in Kent, on Saturday 7 December. If you’re in the area, do drop in and say hello!

Now it’s December, I’m planning a jolly Christmas by the sea, with a big Christmas tree, delicious food and my family visiting. Will I manage the traditional dip in the sea on Christmas day?

But before the festive fun, I’ve booked myself a special treat – a week on an Arvon Foundation writing retreat in Devon. I’ll be surrounded by other writers, with helpful tutors and plenty of time to write, walk, chat and think, surrounded be glorious countryside. It’ll be a great way to unwind and contemplate editing the first draft of Death On Fleet Street.

Read on for more writing news and festive recommendations.

Writing news

Death On Fleet Street, the next Marjorie Swallow mystery, is on its way to the editor! I’ve finished the first draft and my designer Donna has come up with another brilliant cover. You can pre-order now – you won’t be charged until it’s ready to deliver in February or March.

Marjorie and Mrs Jameson are called in when the Daily Post newspaper receives a death notice for Lord Ravensbourne. Not unusual, you might think – but Lord Ravensbourne is the owner of the Post, and he’s still very much alive… for now!

Marjorie gets to work uncovering which of Lord R’s many enemies might have sent it – and wondering if someone plans to make the threat a reality.

Pre-order here.

A trio of festive recommendations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tis the season to curl up with a Christmas mystery! Agatha Christie, one of my favourite authors, was known for publishing ‘a Christie for Christmas’, so more or less inventing the seasonal Christmas book frenzy.

I have three festive historical mysteries to recommend:

Verity Bright’s A Midwinter Murder. Amazingly enough, this is the 20th Lady Eleanor Swift book! Lady Eleanor is hoping for a cozy Christmas by the fire with her new fiance – but the house party is interrupted by murder, just as Audwyke Hall on the Yorkshire Moors is cut off in a blizzard…

Benedict Brown’s The Christmas Candle Murders, the latest in his much-loved Chrissie and Lord Edgington series. Benedict says this is his favourite Christmas book so far, “set in a snowy English village with a thousand secrets, bad Christmas presents, far too many decorations and a string of inexplicable murders…”

The Emerald Threads, the latest Regency mystery from Lynn Morrison and Anne Radcliffe. It’s set at Alnwick Castle, a real and spectacular castle in Northumberland, where mysteries abound for Lady Grace and Lord Roland on a Christmas visit.
If you can squeeze a few more mysteries in your stocking after those, I’m taking part in the December Free Cozy Mysteries promotion on Bookfunnel, where you can find dozens of mysteries to download.

The Big Give

In the frenzy of present-buying and food preparations, it’s easy to forget about the wider world. A charity I always like to support at Christmas is Book Trust, which sends books to vulnerable children.

No matter what’s happening in a child’s life, a good book is can be a comfort and refuge. Help BookTrust give the gift of reading this Christmas and share the enchanting world of books with families.

The Riviera Mystery: out now!

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Cover of book The Riviera MysteryThe fourth in the 1920s Murder Mystery Series, The Riviera Mystery, is published today. Marjorie is looking forward to some sunshine and relaxation when she heads to the French Riviera with Mrs Jameson for a late summer holiday. But from the journey on the Blue Train to a glamorous party at the luxurious Villa Beau Rivage, that doesn’t go according to plan.

A suspicious death, a close shave in a speedy sports car and a night in the cells await – but will Marjorie learn who to trust in time to unravel the mystery?

 

September newsletter: First travel overseas, excerpt from The Riviera Mystery, and a Posh Night Out!

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Do you remember your first trip overseas? Packing your case, the thrill of travelling by air or sea, the wonder as you stepped into a new world for the very first time, full of sunshine and colour?

For me, I was a ten-year-old on a day trip to Calais, France. We took the ferry from Dover – a mere 20 miles, but I was determined to feel ‘foreign’. I remember buying baguettes from a boulangerie, noticing schoolchildren chattering away in French, and looking at all the exotic-looking sweets in the shop windows.

It’s that sense of excitement that I wanted to capture in the new Marjorie Swallow adventure, The Riviera Mystery, out on September 19. A year ago, I stepped aboard the Eurostar train in London, bound for the south of France, then took the sleeper from Paris to Nice (pictures of that trip left). The journey sparked the idea for the new book, which begins with Marjorie lying awake in her compartment on the luxurious Blue Train… Read on for an excerpt from the new book to whet your appetite – and the chance to win a signed copy.

 

The Riviera Mystery

Cover of book The Riviera MysteryI was far too excited to sleep. The wheels rattled over the tracks, my toothbrush clinked in the glass on my nightstand and Mrs Jameson’s gentle snores vibrated rhythmically through the thin walls. Outside, the French countryside rushed past, fields and rivers and lakes and forests, an endlessly changing panorama of the first foreign country I had ever seen.

I reached from my bunk for the cord to pull up the blind. There might not be much to see in the dark, but I wanted to see it anyway. Ahead of me was the luxury of a September holiday, a whole month at a villa belonging to a friend of Mrs Jameson, my employer. Travelling as her secretary, I’d been promised turquoise seas, sunshine, white sailing boats and palm trees. I lapsed into a happy reverie.

Then someone screamed.

It was a woman’s scream, full of terror. I swung my feet to the floor, heart thumping, and wrenched open the sliding door to my compartment. All my parents’ warnings about the perils of Abroad, the danger of being robbed or murdered or worse on a sleeper train, rushed into my head. I’d hoped to get away from murders on this holiday, not be plunged straight into one before we even arrived.

Outside, the door to a compartment three down from mine stood open, light spilling into the corridor.

‘I say,’ I called, hurrying over. ‘Are you all right?’

***

What happens next? You’ll have to read the book to find out! You can also see me read the first few pages on my YouTube channel, here.

 

A Posh Night Out!

An author’s life might sound glamorous, but mostly it involves sitting in front of a computer, tapping away. However, I do enjoy a spot of glamour – and it doesn’t get more glamorous than Glyndebourne. This very English affair involves getting dressed to the nines for a picnic in the grounds of a sumptuous stately home, followed by world-class opera in a private opera house. It was my first time, and I had a ball.

Here I am with friends Christina and George, and husband Phil, all dressed up and ready for our champagne and smoked salmon.

 

 

 

 

 

Book recommendations this month

The Shanghai Secret by Vanessa Lind

A new author to me, but a subject close to my heart as a former journalist. The Shanghai Secret, by Vanessa Lind, is a duel timeline historical mystery from 1880s America.

In a charming riverfront town, a maid goes missing on the eve of her scheduled court appearance against a notorious shanghaier. Budding Gilded Age newspaper woman Jo Felch is determined to uncover the truth. But Jo’s investigation takes a terrifying turn when her newspaper’s beloved publisher turns up dead. She soon discovers nothing is as certain as she thought—not even her own past.

Link here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV17DZ14

 

 

 

 

A Murder In Paris by Magda Alexander

And an old favourite returns!

A honeymoon in Paris. Idyllic days and nights. It couldn’t be more perfect. Until somebody dies.

After their magical wedding, Kitty Worthington and her husband, Inspector Robert Crawford Sinclair, head to Paris for their honeymoon. Art museums, haute couture, French cuisine. Wondrous nights. It’s everything Kitty has always dreamed of and more. But then a body drops, putting a damper on things.

At least this time, it’s a matter for the French police. There’s no need for Kitty and Robert to get involved. Things change, however, when a dear friend becomes the chief suspect, and she begs Kitty for help. Unable to walk away, she and Robert agree to investigate…

Link here: https://readerlinks.com/l/3887369

July newsletter: Walking, writing, and Christmas in July!

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When you get this, I’ll be on my annual Big Walk, with my great friends from the Refugee Tales community. Every July (except 2020) for the past 8 years, I’ve laced up my walking boots and hoisted my backpack for a 5-day walk across the English countryside, in solidarity with refugees and people in immigration detention.

I’ll be one of the leaders in a group of 120 walkers, some of whom have travelled thousands of miles to be with us. We’ll eat together, sleep on the floors of church and community halls together, walk together and in the evenings we’ll hear stories and music – and dance together. It’s a joyful celebration of community and stories.

Walking has always been an important part of my writing process. The 60-mile ‘pilgrim’ walk from London to Canterbury kickstarted the idea that became my first novel, Unlawful Things. Walking long distances is calming, meditative, and allows my screen-addled brain to relax. Whether it’s flaneur-ing around a city or hiking in the hills, walking is an essential part of my life.

Read on for recommendations and promotions, news on the next book, The Riviera Mystery – and find out why I’m thinking about Christmas in July!

The Riviera Mystery

Cover of book The Riviera MysteryWhile I’m away walking, my editor Alison will be poring over the first draft of The Riviera Mystery.

Marjorie Swallow and Mrs Jameson are hoping for a relaxing holiday on the shores of the Mediterranean, staying at the luxurious Villa Beau Rivage. But en route to the Cote d’Azur, Marjorie is caught up in a troubling break-in on the Blue Train – and the mysteries don’t end there.

Marjorie meets handsome artists, glamorous movie stars, rich diamond dealers and smooth art dealers – but is everything as it seems on the dazzling surface? Not long now until you can find out!

The Riviera Mystery is scheduled for release in October – but I think it’ll be ready a bit sooner than that. Look out for it in September – or pre-order here to be sure to get it as soon as it’s published.

 

Recommendations

Rosie Hunt has a new 1920s cozy mystery out, Murder At A Boarding School. I grew up devouring Mallory Towers books, so I’m intrigued to revisit boarding schools with a murderous twist!

At a sprawling Devonshire estate, surrounded by wealthy girls targeting excellent marriages, Lady Felicity Quick has abandoned her career in journalism to teach letter-writing and table manners at an exclusive finishing school… Except nothing is as it seems. Felicity is undercover, hunting a Great War spy who betrayed the British and cost countless lives. Between lessons in dance, French, and flower arranging, Felicity edges closer to unmasking her foe, but then a body is found. Are more sinister schemes afoot than first thought?

Order Murder At A Boarding School here.

Seaside Songs and Tidal Tales

I’m thrilled to be hosting a writing and singing workshop with my good friend Katie Rose, a composer, singer, writer and choirmaster. We’ve teamed up for an afternoon of creating songs and stories on the seashore, at the lovely Downs Sailing Club on the beach in my hometown of Deal.

No experience of writing or singing is needed! I’ve never thought of myself as singer, but Katie makes it so easy to find your voice. Singing in a group is great fun and we’re sure to find plenty of inspiration from the sea, the boats and the shore.

Why not join us? Book using the link to Katie’s website here.

Publishing news

Writing and publishing independently can be a bit of a lonely business, so one of the highlights of my year is the Self Publishing Show Live in London. I spent two days catching up with author friends like Rachel McLean, being inspired by multi-million-selling authors like EL James (yes, that EL James!) and learning about all the amazing things happening in the independent publishing world.

There was a particular focus on audiobooks, and I’m planning to make my first foray into audio later this year… stay tuned!

Christmas in July!

Now that The Riviera Mystery is on the way, it’s time to start thinking about the next book. Christmas and cozy mysteries go together like holly and ivy, so I’m planning a festive mystery to round off the year.

Trying to think of Christmassy plots in July reminds me of working for women’s magazines, which I did a bit in my health journalism days. They work so far ahead of publication date that you’re forever thinking about summer in January and autumn at Easter.

I’ll have to put on some Christmassy music and maybe read a few old favourites like Hercule Poirot’s Christmas to get me in the mood! What would you recommend?

Promotions

For UK readers only, Blackmail In Bloomsbury has been picked as a Kindle Deal by Amazon, lowering the price to £0.99 for the whole of July. If you’ve not read that one yet, why not give it a whirl?

 

June newsletter: Hopes, dreams, flowers and book recommendations

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Thank you to everyone who got in touch last month to tell me what they really, really wanted. I loved reading your messages. From Cindy, who wanted to start her own book review blog (do it Cindy!) to dream trips to the Great Barrier Reef, Tuscany and Florida Keys, to a ride on the back of a motorbike feeling the wind through your hair – you’re an adventurous lot and I hope you all get to fulfil your dreams one day.

Quite a few people said their dream was to visit Chelsea Flower Show. I did that nine years ago and it was amazing (see photos below). However, it’s very crowded and sometimes I think it’s best to ‘visit’ via the excellent television coverage on the BBC which lets you get up close and hear the gardeners’ stories.

My big dream, the one I’ve had since I can remember, was to be an author and earn my living by writing books. That dream is getting closer. Death At Chelsea was my most successful book launch yet – thank you all so much for helping that happen. And congratulations to the five lucky readers who won a signed copy of the paperback.

If you’ve read Death At Chelsea, I’d love to know what you thought of it. Why not post a review online and send me a link? I read all my reviews and reviews are so helpful for independent authors.

Read on for recommendations and promotions, and news on my next book, The Riviera Mystery!

A trip to Dover Castle

I visited Dover Castle this month, just 10 miles away from my seaside flat. The headland over the straits of Dover has been a defensive stronghold for England for many centuries, and the castle grounds have played a role from the time of the Romans until the second world war – doubly memorable this month with the 80th anniversary of D-Day this week.

There’s a Saxon church next to a Roman lighthouse, a 14th century keep built by Henry II to impress visiting royalty, fortifications against Napoleon, and the bunker from which Winston Churchill watched the remains of the British Expeditionary Force limp home after Dunkirk in 1940.

The site was also important in the first world war, when the German guns could be clearly heard from Dover and the country was on the alert for war ships, zeppelins and the new-fangled combat aeroplanes. I visited an unassuming little hut which was home to the ‘spotters’ and signallers, perched on the cliff top to observe and direct traffic in the naval base at Dover and also out in the channel.

On a beautiful sunny day, enjoying the glorious sea views across to France, it’s hard to remember that war is ever-present, and that this corner of England was once dubbed ‘hellfire corner’ for the bombardment and loss of life that happened here.

Book recommendations

If you’re in the mood for a funny, thoughtful and well-written romance, do try David Nicholl’s You Are Here. I raced through it after receiving it as a birthday present and enjoyed it so much. It made me laugh out loud more than once. It tells the story of two lonely people, a walk across Britain, rather a lot of rain and some oh-so-familiar dodgy bed-and-breakfast hotels. Definitely made me want to pull on my walking boots and head for the hills – unless it’s raining, in which case I’d rather curl up with this book and a big cup of tea.

If, like me, you’re enjoying the glamour and escapism of the new series of Bridgerton on Netflix, you’ll want to know about Lynn Morrison’s latest murder mystery, co-written with Anne Radcliffe.

Set in the glittering ballrooms of Regency London, The Missing Diamond is about the hunt for the missing ‘diamond’ of the season, the most beautiful debutante – and best friend of Lady Grace. It’s the perfect companion to the season.

Writing News

I’m two-thirds of the way through writing The Riviera Mystery. Research has involved learning about the artists who lived in and around Nice during the early part of the 20th century, including Auguste Renoir, Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau.

Marjorie and Mrs Jameson are staying at the most beautiful villa on the Cote d’Azur, the Villa Beau Rive. Marjorie thinks she’s on holiday, but trouble follows her, from a disturbing incident on the famed Blue Train, to the twisty roads around the Riviera coast. And then a familiar face from Bloomsbury sets her heart thumping – but what about Freddie?

Promotions

If you’re holding out for some free books, try the Find A Cozy Mystery promotion via the good folk at Bookfunnel. I’m taking part with my Marjorie Swallow prequel, Murder At The Ritz.

Have a joyful June, and happy reading!