Anna Sayburn Lane

Thriller author

Newsletter

October newsletter: cozy reading for rainy days

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The seasons have definitely turned in Britain and it’s perfect weather for curling up by the fire with a cup of tea and a good book. I’m home after an eventful trip (see below) and enjoying reading the lovely reviews for The Riviera Mystery. I’m also getting started on writing the next Marjorie Swallow adventure, which will be set in the newspaper world of 1920s Fleet Street.

Read on for travel misadventures, reading recommendations and promotions.

An adventure on the water

September is often a glorious month in the UK, with late summer sunshine and mellow temperatures making it my favourite time to travel. So I was looking forward a week-long trip on a narrowboat in the English Midlands for the end of September.

Britain is criss-crossed by canals, man-made waterways which were used to ferry heavy goods like coal around the country during the industrial revolution. Long cast-iron narrowboats, originally horse-drawn and later motorised, supplied fuel to the factories of the industrial revolution and moved goods from one end of the country to the other. They fell into disuse after the rise of the railways but recently the canals have been restored and now many people choose to live or take leisure trips on converted narrowboats.

It can be fun, trundling gently through the countryside at four miles an hour. You do need nerves of steel to steer a 60-foot boat from the tiller at the rear through some of the narrow, winding sections of canal, not to mention navigating and working the frequent locks which are used to raise or lower boats from a higher to lower section of canal.

But I didn’t bank on the weather. We had about an hour of sunshine before the heavens opened. Our trip coincided with the heaviest rain we’ve had for months. Not only did we get soaked steering the boat and working the locks, but some sections of the canal were closed because of dangerous flooding, which meant our boat might have been swept into the fields with the cows! We moored up and waited for the waters to recede.

There are two British responses to this sort of thing. The first is to make a cup of tea. The second is to go to the pub. Luckily we had a kettle and plenty of teabags, and our mooring was close to a fine inn, The Swan, which had an open fire, good beer and served tasty and enormous meals. Even better, I had a good book on the go, Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, which I’m re-reading for a book club.

It may not have been the holiday I hoped for. But as Marjorie discovered in The Riviera Mystery, sometimes even the best holiday doesn’t quite work out as planned. I’m sure she’d agree that a cup of tea, good food and a gripping book makes it all worthwhile!

The Stories Behind the Story

A quick reminder that, if you are keen on learning more about the historical research I do for my novels, you can find out more on my separate newsletter, The Stories Behind the Story. Next week I’ll be sharing some of my favourite finds in the British Newspaper Archives.

Sunny books for rainy days

After my soggy adventure, I’m drawn to some sunny books! And coincidentally there are not one but two newly-published Egyptian adventures on my to-be-read pile.

Sara Rosett, author of the 1920s High Society Lady Detective series, has a new mystery featuring a Lady Traveller in Egypt, starting with Murder Among The Pyramids.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Verity Bright’s next book, Murder On The Nile, sees Lady Eleanor Swift and butler cruising down the Nile on the SS Cleopatra – when the inevitable happens and the cruise is interrupted by murder.

At least none of my narrowboat adventures resulted in a corpse! (Although I wouldn’t bank against my experiences finding their way into fiction at some point.)

Promotion

Looking for a few more autumnal cozy mysteries to squeeze into your e-reader? Check out the Everything Nice Cozy Mystery promotion at Bookfunnel for free novels and novellas.

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!

May newsletter: Tell me what you want

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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!

April newsletter: one month to go

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Thank you to everyone who got in touch to tell me they enjoyed Jackdaw Jubilee, the short story I send you last month. It leads perfectly into the next Marjorie Swallow mystery, Death At Chelsea, which will be out on May 2.

I also have some exciting travel news, and some great recommendations for Easter visits and reading.

An inspirational garden

One of my inspirations when writing Death At Chelsea was the English writer and gardener Vita Sackville-West. There’s perhaps a hint of her in Constance Hall, the gardener in my novel.

Vita had an extraordinary life and she made an extraordinary garden in Sissinghurst, Kent, not far from where I live. She and her husband Harold bought Sissinghurst Castle when it was a complete ruin, and gradually restored it, along with its beautiful gardens. I visited in winter but there was still much to see, including Vita’s writing tower, which gave me serious writing room envy! You can see some of the formal gardens from the top of the tower.

The house and gardens are open year-round and well worth a visit. If you can’t get there in person, I recommend Vita Sackville-West’s Sissinghurst: The Creation of a Garden, with additional text by Sarah Raven.

Recommendations

A new Verity Bright novel is always a treat, so I’m looking forward to getting stuck into A Death In Venice. Lady Eleanor Swift is off on a grand tour with her faithful butler and her bulldog Gladstone. But death stalks the canals of this beautiful city.

Excitingly, I’m off to Venice myself after Easter – a trip I’ve longed to do for years. I know which novel I’ll be packing in my suitcase!

Buy A Death In Venice here.

I’m getting started on research for the fourth Marjorie Swallow mystery, which will be set on the French Riviera, making use of my recent travels to Nice.

I very much enjoyed watching The French Riviera: A History of Pictures, a documentary about the artistic life of the Côte d’Azur presented by actor Richard E Grant. The film was made a few years ago but very informative about the artists who found inspiration here, from Henri Matisse to Pablo Picasso and Raoul Dufy. You can find it on YouTube here.

The Big Question!
Do you live in the US? Would you like to help me write my next book? Read on…

I have a great team of beta readers, who see an early draft of my books and give me excellent feedback on what they think of the story, whether they guessed whodunnit, whether I’ve made any obvious errors or forgotten to explain something! They see the book before it goes to my editor, so I can get it into the best possible shape before she sees it.

Because I’m UK-based, most of my beta readers are also in the UK. But I know lots of my readers are from the US. I’d like to include more US readers in my beta team. If you like the sound of that, hit reply and let me know. I’ll reply with more details and you can decide whether it’s for you.

Have a wonderful April, and happy reading!

March newsletter: Celebrating a year of Marjorie Swallow

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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.