Anna Sayburn Lane

Thriller author

Helen Oddfellow

New year, new book

by

Mosaic of William Blake near Hercules Buildings, Lambeth, where the poet lived for 10 years.

I’ve made just one new year resolution this year – to write the first draft of my next novel.

Reading the reviews for Unlawful Things has been a delight, not least in discovering what people think about my heroine, Helen Oddfellow. She’s been described as “the new Morse”, a “splendid protagonist” and “who Dan Brown’s Professor Robert Langdon from The Da Vinci Code would have been if he were younger, female and travelled using an Oyster Card”.

But the big question readers have asked is: what happens next? Will Helen disappear back into my imaginary world, or are there plans for a sequel? The good news is, she’ll be back. I’m deep into researching, plotting and planning for the second Helen Oddfellow mystery.

I’ve been intrigued by the poetry and art of William Blake since university. Most people know him from the Songs of Innocence and Experience, including classics such as London and The Tyger. He was a bit of an oddball, a London tradesman who saw visions of angels and ghosts, and who struggled for recognition as an artist all his life.

I’m busy weaving a mystery around his already extraordinary life, for Helen and her friends to unravel. Think he’s not relevant today? Think again… I’ll keep you posted on progress. But let me know what you think – are there any other Blake fans out there?

To make sure you never miss out on news about the next book, sign up to my newsletter.

Walk through Helen Oddfellow’s Southwark

by

The George Inn, Southwark (Shakespeare’s local)

Have you got your free map of Helen Oddfellow’s Southwark? Every subscriber to my newsletter is sent a downloadable PDF of a hand-drawn map, drawn by Crystal Palace artist David Vallade. The map shows some of the key locations from Unlawful Things, enabling you to recreate the guided tour to Southwark that Helen gives near the start of the novel. I include background information about the sites, which formed part of the research I did for the novel.

Southwark and the Bankside area have been the heart of London’s entertainment district for hundreds of years. From the inn where Chaucer’s pilgrims set off to Canterbury, to the sites of the Rose Playhouse and Globe Theatre, they reflect the ways that people enjoyed themselves in days gone by. Part of this history is because theatres and other places of entertainment were banned from the city centre, so moved south of the river, where the authorities took more relaxed approach.

To get your copy of the map, sign up for the newsletter. You’ll receive regular updates on my books and events, and of course you can unsubscribe at any time.