Marjorie Swallow

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!

Hello from Venice!

When I was a child, a phrase often heard was ‘I want doesn’t get’, whether that was a note to get out of P.E., a pair of drainpipe jeans or a Girls World mannequin head. I think I’ve internalised this message, with the result that I’m quite bad at saying what I really want.

And I’ve wanted to visit Venice for decades. I’m lucky to have had wonderful holidays in Spain, France, Britain, even other cities in Italy. But somehow, I never visited Venice. I’ve read about it, dreamed about it, watched films set there… and when friends told me they were going, I said I’d love to go myself. One day.

A week later, they asked if Phil and I would like to go with them. We checked our diaries – both unusually free. We found accommodation. Even the same flights had seats available. I was out of excuses.

I’d been warned that Venice was over-run with tourists, and the city had become a museum with barely any residents. Perhaps that too was why I’d hesitated, fearing it would not live up to the romance in my head.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. I spent the days floating through this dream city built on water. Near our apartment children played in a shady square, old men chatted beneath the trees and everyone crowded into the bakery for morning coffee.

We bounced around on vaporetti, taking a trip to the islands after a lunch of grilled fish overlooking the lagoon (thanks to Lynn Morrison for the recommendation!). In the evening, we strolled over the Rialto Bridge and through St Mark’s Square, busy in daytime but magical after dark. We visited art galleries and palazzos, ate delicious food, enjoyed the secluded alleyways, canals and bridges with views so picturesque that we took about 600 photos in 3 days.

I’m so glad we went. And I have a new resolution: to say what I want out loud, and try to make it happen.

Death At Chelsea

In that spirit, please do order, read and review Death At Chelsea, the third in my Marjorie Swallow murder mystery series. The book will be published in six days, on Thursday 2 May.
My advance reader team loved this book! Here’s what they said:

“I found all the characters distinctive and intriguing. You are especially good at strong women… I really enjoyed it and wanted to keep reading to find out whodunnit!”

“Each one gets better and better – tighter, more confident, more assured. I particularly enjoyed the humour in this one.”

“I absolutely loved it. Great characters, cracking plot, was hooked.”

I have five signed copies of Death At Chelsea to give away, to the first five people who reply to this email with the answer to the question at the bottom of the letter. Keep reading for your chance to win.

Recommendations

A new book by Magda Alexander is always an event, and her Kitty Worthington series continues with Murder At A Funeral, publishing on 30th April. With her wedding day to CDI Robert Crawford Sinclair mere weeks away, Kitty is thrilled beyond words. But first there’s a sad duty—the reinterment of Robert’s mother at Castle Rutledge.

But on the day of the funeral, things don’t go according to plan. The vicar’s gone missing; the organist is drunk as a judge. And then there’s the body in the sanctuary. Not the one you’d expect. Then Robert’s brother becomes the main suspect, leaving them with no choice but to investigate…

Pre-order here.

My other book recommendation is Donna Leone’s Death At La Fenice, the first in her series of murder mysteries set in… you guessed it, Venice. Unusually for a murder mystery, the investigation takes a leisurely pace, with the delightful Commissario Brunetti taking time to lunch well, annoy his pompous superior, buy flowers for his beloved wife and play games with his children, alongside his investigations. I admit I’d guessed the mystery about halfway through, but that didn’t lessen my pleasure at the atmospheric story. Very much recommended – especially if you can read it while strolling those same streets!

Finally in Venice, I’m enjoying Ripley, Netflix’s dark rendition of Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr Ripley. It sacrifices some of the gorgeous glamour of Anthony Minghella’s 1919 version for an uneasy monochrome noir. Some have said it’s a bit glacial, but I think the gradual build-up suits Andrew Scott’s subtle acting style well.

If you follow me on Amazon (which you can do here) you may have spotted that I have a fourth book in the Marjorie Swallow series in the works. The Riviera Mystery is due to publish in October, or sooner if I can mentally drag myself back from Italy to the south of France!

To win a signed copy of Death At Chelsea, tell me this: What is the big event that all English gardeners get excited about in Chelsea every May?

And just for the fun of it, what’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do, but somehow never got around to? Why not see if you can make it happen this year?

Have a marvellous May, and happy reading!

I can’t believe it’s only a year since I started writing the Marjorie Swallow mysteries! Marjorie already feels like part of my family – perhaps because she is inspired by my wonderful grandmothers and great-aunts.

I celebrated a year of Marjorie in the way she’d have loved best: delicious afternoon tea at a posh London hotel. The Goring, which opened in 1910 around the corner from Buckingham Palace, has served royalty and statesmen for more than 100 years. It makes a brief appearance in my next mystery, Death At Chelsea. I went with a writer friend, Kathy, and strolled around St James Park afterwards, watching the pelicans on the lake.

I’m also celebrating with a free short story featuring more adventures from Mrs Jameson’s past.

Short story: Jackdaw Jubilee

Marjorie and Mrs Jameson are off to the countryside for their next adventure, Death At Chelsea. But on the way, Mrs Jameson tells Marjorie about a visit to Hawkshill Manor for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, when a valuable piece of silver went missing.

Did she manage to retrieve it? Did the schoolchildren’s Jubilee Pageant go ahead? And did everyone enjoy a slap-up afternoon tea? Subscribe to the newsletter to find out!

Death At Chelsea

Death At Chelsea will be out in May in time for the Chelsea Flower Show.

The Royal Horticultural Society’s Spring Show at Chelsea is a gardening celebration attended by the Royal Family and celebrities, as well as keen gardeners. Think Superbowl for flowers!

I visited once and was amazed by the scale of the event and the beautiful display gardens. It’s a very English occasion which has been running since 1862, although it only moved to Chelsea in 1913. I loved the idea of setting a murder mystery at the show.

Thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered. If you want to be sure of getting a copy on publication day, you can do so here.

Recommendations

I had the great pleasure of visiting Sargent And Fashion at the Tate Britain Gallery, a tremendously jolly exhibition of John Singer Sargent’s portraits, with an emphasis on the wonderful clothes. Several of the outfits that the sitters wore were in the exhibition alongside the paintings, which added interest.

As you may have gathered from my books, I love beautiful clothes and get much enjoyment from concocting outfits for my characters to wear! This exhibition was very helpful for thinking about the clothes in Jackdaw Jubilee, although I couldn’t find an excuse for anyone to wear this exquisite cherry-coloured velvet gown!

Cozy Mysteries Promotion

If you’re still looking for more cozy mysteries, try the March Free Cozy Mysteries promotion at Bookfunnel, which you can find here.