2019 News

Vanguard Readings at the Margate Bookie

23-11-19

It’s always a great pleasure to take part in a Vanguard Readings event and this one was extra special as it took place in the fabulous Turner Contemporary, looking out over the sea. My fellow readers were: Jeff Hilson, Renée Knight, Phoebe Locke, S J Watson and Helen Young. Thanks to our MC, Adrian Cross, and Bookie Chief, Andreas Loizou!

Pre-Launch Events for Who Did You Tell

21-11-19

It was so nice to meet booksellers and bloggers at these two pre-launch events, at Hotel Du Vin, Cambridge and The Pavilion, Colchester. Thank you to everyone who attended.

East Anglian Book Awards

14-11-19

I was absolutely thrilled to discover that The Rumour was shortlisted in the fiction category at the East Anglian Book Awards. The lunch event at Norwich Football Ground, Top of the Terrace, was a real treat. The very talented Penny Hancock (pictured here in the pink jacket) won the prize for her wonderful novel I Thought I Knew You.

Frinton Literary Festival

17-10-19

It was a real honour for me to interview the legendary Ann Cleeves at the annual Frinton Literary Festival. We talked about her highly successful Vera and Shetland series, and her most recent novel, The Long Call. Ann has so many fascinating stories to tell - it really was a pleasure to hear her speak and the audience loved her.

Halesworth Bookshop

05-10-19

A big thank you to Halesworth Bookshop for inviting me along to sign copies of The Rumour as part of the nationwide ‘Bookshop Day’.

September Festival Fever

September was a very busy month: Bloody Scotland (New Crimes Panel with Alex Grey); the inaugural Capital Crime Festival (Whose Crime Is It Anyway) in the Grand Connaught Rooms, London, and the Henley Literary Festival (How to Write a Crime Novel), where Fiona Barton and I were interviewed by the wonderful Alison Barrow.

The Rumour hits the Sunday Times Top Ten again!

After its first full week of paperback sales, The Rumour reached number 6 in the Sunday Times Top Ten and number 8 in the UK Top 50. If only I could go back in time and tell my younger self that one day this would happen. Mind you, I’m not sure I’d have believed it.

Paperback Publication Day for The Rumour

25-07-19

The Rumour came out in paperback today. Here I am signing copies (and flashing a little too much cleavage!) at Caxton Books, my local bookshop. The owners, Judith Charlesworth and Sally Johnson, have been so supportive of my books.

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate

July 2019

A year ago this weekend, Transworld pre-launched The Rumour in the tent where the Dead Good Books Awards event was being held. (See first news item if you scroll to the bottom of this page). This year, The Rumour was shortlisted for ‘The Cat and Mouse Award for Most Elusive Villain’, alongside Beautiful Liars by Isabel Ashdown, Do No Harm by L V Hay, The Infirmary by L J Ross, Last of the Magpies by Mark Edwards, and Twisted by Steve Cavanagh. Mark Edwards was the ultimate winner, but it was a great honour to be shortlisted amongst such talented company.

I had a really enjoyable weekend, mingling and talking with authors, readers and publishing folk, and attending some fantastic parties and panel events. In fact, I had such a great time, I stupidly forgot to take any photos!

US Publication Day

18-06-19

An early morning cup of Earl Grey tea to celebrate The Rumor hitting the shelves in America today. I just love the colours on this jacket. I’m also beyond thrilled and very honoured that it’s been chosen to be part of the Barnes and Noble Summer 2019 Discover Great New Writers Program.

Vanguard on Tour

10-05-19

On a lovely, sunny evening in May, I found myself on the i360 in Brighton, along with Molly Flatt, Colette McBeth, Trisha Sakhlecha, Stephanie Scott and Helen Trevorrow. Vanguard Readings was founded in 2011 by Richard Skinner: novelist, poet and Director of the Fiction Programme at the Faber Academy. Richard was there to introduce us and we each read a short section from our respective novels. It was a very glamorous venue, looking out over Brighton and the South Downs as the sun set.

The Making of a Murderer

16-04-19

I had the very great pleasure of interviewing Erin Kelly and Olivia Kiernan at Goldsboro Books in Cecil Court, London. It was a really enjoyable evening.

Frating Reading Group

06-02-19

Frating is quite close to where I live and I have often driven past the Penguin Random House Distribution Centre and wondered what exactly happened here. Well, now I know! I met the lovely members of the Frating Reading Group, who had all read The Rumour, and enjoyed a delicious lunch of sandwiches, cakes and scones. Then I was taken on a tour of the centre. It was absolutely enormous and a real eye-opener. I even saw the shelf where copies of The Rumour are stored.

BBC Radio Essex

31-01-19

Today, I was interviewed by Rob Jelly on the Afternoon Show at BBC Radio Essex. It was great to be in Chelmsford again. I was born and grew up there so finding my way to the studio was no problem at all. Rob was so easy to talk to and I really enjoyed the experience!

Waterstones, Colchester

28-01-19

This evening, I was interviewed by Jack Jordan at Waterstones, Colchester. Jack is a local author and actor and he had some great questions for me.

Whistle-Stop Tour of the North

January 2019

For three action-packed days in January, I was lucky enough to go on a whistle-stop tour of the north with the amazing Fiona Barton, bestselling author of The Widow, The Child and The Suspect. We had a fantastic time visiting bookshops and other venues in Manchester, Bolton, Liverpool, Heswall, Harrogate, Little Ripon, Leeds, Newcastle and Durham. Lots of stories to tell, but ‘what happens on tour, stays on tour’, so my lips are sealed!

The Frinton/‘Flinstead’ Launch Party

15-01-19

Frinton-on-Sea, where I now live, is the inspiration for the setting of ‘Flinstead’ in The Rumour. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have had a second launch event here and to celebrate with friends, family and local residents. A big thank you to Caxton Books and Transworld for organising such a well-attended event.

Launch Party at Belgravia Books

09-01-19

A massive thank you to Transworld, for organising the London launch party for The Rumour, and thanks also to Belgravia Books, for letting my family and friends take over your wonderful bookshop for the evening! What an incredible night it was.