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Murder On The White Cliffs: out now!
Sunshine, seaside – and a body on the beach
Lady detectives Marjorie Swallow and Mrs Jameson enjoy a trip to a smart clifftop hotel for a very English seaside holiday… until a mysterious Italian woman appears, anxious to speak to Mrs Jameson. But Mrs Jameson definitely doesn’t want to talk to her.
When a corpse is discovered on the beach, every guest becomes a suspect, including our detective duo. What does Mrs Jameson know, and why doesn’t she want to investigate this murder? As Marjorie is drawn deeper into the mystery, she learns trust no-one. Secrets from the past come back to haunt Mrs Jameson. Is Marjorie about to discover what really happened in Rome?
Murder On The White Cliffs is the sixth in the 1920s Murder Mystery series. This will be the last in the series for a while – I’m taking a break from the series while I work on other things.
The Stories Behind the Story
I’ve started a Substack newsletter for readers who want to know more about my research process for writing my historical novels. The free newsletter, The Stories Behind The Stories, will go out fortnightly, with a mixture of research findings, tips and favourite moments. If you’d like to sign up, you can do so here.
August newsletter: Sun, sea and books to read on the beach
Where did July go? The month whizzed by. Between my Refugee Tales walk and my seaside creative writing day, I squeezed in a visit to the ancient university town of Oxford, a trip to Southwark in London to prepare for a guided history walk, and (somewhere in the middle) worked on editorial revisions to The Riviera Mystery.
Now I’m ready for a bit of beach time. In August, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than at home in Deal, maybe with a picnic lunch, a beach umbrella and a good book.
Read on for Oxford adventures, more on my history walk, and some special summer reading deals, promotions and recommendations.
An Oxford Adventure
Oxford, one of the two ancient universities in the UK, is a fascinating and beautiful place to visit.
Many of the colleges – established from about the twelfth century – back onto the River Thames, which meanders through the city. The Bodleian Library (centre photo) was founded in 1602 and holds an estimated 13 million printed items! When I visited it was hosting an excellent exhibition about how works of literature have been edited over the centuries. This was comforting, as I was wrestling with re-writing the end of my novel in progress.
I also took a trip to the Pitt Rivers ethnographic museum, a treasure trove of artefacts from all over the world. I was especially taken with the Japanese masks from Noh theatre, which were rather spooky en masse.
Like Venice, Oxford attracts a host of tourists. However, as I was house-sitting for a friend just outside the city centre, I was able to escape the crowds with walks along the riverside and visits to the local park, where I enjoyed my morning coffee in the neighbourhood cafe.
Playhouses, pubs and Winchester Geese
My first series of novels featured walking tour guide and literary researcher Helen Oddfellow, who got into all sorts of perilous adventures while digging up mysteries from the past.
I’m stepping back into Helen’s shoes for a while, by leading a walk around London’s historical Southwark district, in a charity event for the Refugee Tales project on August 10.
In a fine example of life imitating art, I’ll be recreating the tour that Helen took in the first book in the series, Unlawful Things. We’ll be visiting inns dating to the 12th century, the site of playhouses from the 15th century, a burial ground for London’s ‘outcast dead’ and the old palace of the Bishops of Winchester.
Books, books, books!
There’s nothing like lazing around in the garden or on the beach with a good book. A significant part of my travel luggage allowance used to be taken up with books, but (although I still love reading in print) I now fill up my e-reader instead, making my suitcase a bit easier to lug around.
If you’re off on vacation, here are a few offers, recommendations and promotions to make sure you don’t run out of reading material.
Firstly, The Soho Jazz Murders is reduced in price this month, both in the US, Canada and the UK. It’ll be just $1.99/£1.99, so if you’ve read Blackmail In Bloomsbury and are wondering what happens to Marjorie next, now’s the time to find out.
If you’re up to date with Marjorie’s adventures, The Riviera Mystery is due out next month. In the meantime, why not try one of these summery mysteries, both by authors I met at the Self Publishing Show?
Murder At Millar’s Hotel is the first in the Lady Ellen Investigates mysteries from Kelly Mason. Set in a British seaside town, it features the death of a satisfyingly unpleasant villain, and the unravelling of which of his many enemies got to him first.
Murder on the Côte d’Azur, by Colette Clark, features glamour, a little romance, a fiendish mystery involving a poisoned cocktail, and all the French Riviera locations I’ve been writing about for The Riviera Mystery.
Finally, I’ve been re-reading one of my favourite Agatha Christie novels, Evil Under The Sun. It’s set in a glamorous hotel on the south coast of England, supposedly based on Burgh Island in Devon, a favourite retreat of the author. When Hercule Poirot arrives at a hotel, can murder be far behind?
July newsletter: Blackmail In Bloomsbury cover design
I hope you enjoyed Murder At The Ritz, the first Marjorie Swallow adventure. Blackmail In Bloomsbury, the first full-length novel in the series, is on track to publish in October. Here’s the cover! Thanks to Donna Rogers, my amazing cover designer, for another beautiful design.
A bohemian party, a handsome artist – and murder
At her first Bloomsbury party, Marjorie Swallow enjoys dancing, conversation, and the attentions of a handsome artist.
But for one guest, the night ends in murder – and Marjorie’s artist friend is a prime suspect. From the garden squares of Bloomsbury to the seedy backstreets of Soho, trainee detective Marjorie and her employer Mrs Jameson undertake a perilous hunt for the killer.
Can they save an innocent man from the gallows? Is it ever a good idea to blackmail a murderer? And will Marjorie’s new satin T-strap shoes be ruined forever?
If you enjoyed Murder At The Ritz, I think you’re going to love Blackmail In Bloomsbury.
Join my advance readers club!
I’m looking for more readers to join my advance readers club. How does it work? You get a free advance e-book copy of Blackmail In Bloomsbury, in return for letting me have your feedback within two weeks. That helps me to spot any clangers that have got past me and my editors. Then, when the book is published, I’d be most grateful if you could post an honest review on websites like Amazon and Goodreads. Fancy getting involved? Hit ‘return’ and let me know.
More about Marjorie
So who is Marjorie Swallow, my new sleuth? Marjorie seemed to spring to life almost fully-formed, perhaps because I drew on my own family for inspiration. For a start, Marjorie is my middle name. I hated it at school, I love it now!
My grandmother Marjorie Swaddling (born Marjorie Ball) grew up in South London, one of 10 children. She’s bottom right in the photo. She grew up in the 1920s and 1930s, living above the builder’s yard in Lee High Road. After working as a hairdresser she met and married my grandfather Dave Swaddling, who had a bicycle and toy shop in Catford. So my mother – like Marjorie Swallow – was the daughter of a Catford shop-keeper and also won a scholarship to Sydenham High School for Girls.
My grandmother and mother grew up in the aftermath of the two world wars that shaped the 20th century. As a child, I learned about Auntie Vi (the child on her mother’s knee), whose fiancé died in the second world war, and Auntie Dulcie (bottom left), whose husband was also killed. My grandfather was away fighting in France when my mother was a small child. It’s this aftermath of war, and the changes it brought, that first sparked my interest in writing about the 1920s.
What I love most about Marjorie Swallow is her mixture of innocence and quick-wittedness. She enjoys life, she’s kind and courageous – and she has a great sense of humour. Perhaps the many excellent women in my family history were peering over my shoulder while I wrote?
What I’ve enjoyed this month
The book I’ve enjoyed most this month is Stephen Bates’ fascinating The Poisonous Solicitor, a true-life 1920s murder mystery investigation. Did the mild-mannered small-town solicitor poison his wife with arsenic? Or was he really intending to use it to eradicate the dandelions in the lawn?
I’m also getting into the Shedunnit podcast by Caroline Crampton, which unravels the mysteries behind classic detective stories. From the forensics of Agatha Christie to 1920s slang, it’s a treasure trove for aspiring classic crime authors.
Free cozy crime and historical mysteries
There’s a banquet of crime and historical mysteries this month! I’m taking part in three promotions via Bookfunnel. Murder At The Ritz will be featured, along with lots more e-book free novels and novellas. Why not take a look?
The big question!
What did you think of Murder At The Ritz? I love hearing from readers, so do let me know.
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The Crimson Thread: out now
The third Helen Oddfellow mystery takes Helen out of London, to the cathedral city of Canterbury in Kent. Helen is expecting an exciting night out at the theatre – but things quickly become a bit too exciting for comfort.
A bloody curse, a (fresh) body in the cathedral crypt and a choirboy in peril make for a night at the theatre that Helen won’t forget. Helen will need all her intelligence and bravery to navigate the secrets of Canterbury cathedral and its tombs. But can she catch a killer – before he strikes again?
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