I'm very pleased to announce ...

... that book 7 in the Jacques Forêt Mystery Series has a cover and is about to be released.  Read on for more info ...

The last eighteen months have been a significant trial for me and my books.  At the end of September in 2024, Crooked Cat/Darkstroke, my first publisher, decided to call it a day and closed their publishing house.  At that time, I had been with Crooked Cat since 2015, when the very first Jacques Forêt story hit the streets.

More importantly, had it not been for Steph and Laurence, these books may never have seen the light of day!  They took a chance on a complete unknown who quite definitely was not tech-, promo-, or marketing-savvy in any way, shape, or form.  Since 2015 it's been a long and steep learning curve.  But Steph and Laurence, and the wonderful family of authors they supported, were always there to answer questions, debate issues, and shepherd me along when I needed it.

It was with very great sadness that I found myself querying after almost ten years.  It was also quite frightening to see how many things in the world of publishing had changed from when I made my first submissions in 2014/2015.

In January 2025, I found what I thought would be a new and forever home for my Jacques books.  The first six stories were handed over, and the seventh was submitted in August last year.  And then, I waited.  And waited.  And waited some more, only to find that my second publisher had decided to re-organise internally, which meant that my books and those of some other authors no longer fitted their remit.  In December 2025, I was back submitting again.  To misquote Lady Bracknell from Wilde's play, The Importance of Being Earnest, it seemed to me that losing one publisher 'may be regarded as a misfortune,' but to lose two 'looks like carelessness.'  And yes, the news of the re-organisation hit me like a wrecking ball, and I spent far too long wondering what it was that I had done wrong.

However, like the proverbial 'plodder' that I am, and I have any number of school reports confirming that, I picked myself up and carried on.  Becoming living proof of the fact that I 'always get there in the end,' it gives me the greatest of pleasure to write the following words : Meyrueis, book seven in the Jacques Forêt Mystery Series, will be published on Monday, May 11th, in both e-format and paperback.  To give you a little taste of the story that will be inside the fabulous new cover above, the burb is below.

... about the book Whilst conducting a routine security survey at a business in the city of Mende, Jacques comes across some facts that do not add up. Further surveillance work leads to a complicated web of lies and deceit.

The release of an old adversary from prison brings further work for Jacques and danger for his team and his son. The discovery of a body in the quiet town of Meyrueis adds yet another facet to a difficult investigation.

Can Jacques weave the numerous threads together to resolve the case, keep everyone safe, and identify the killer?

You can get the e-book Here, and the paperback will follow in the next week or so.

I'm reviewing The Unforgiving Town ...

... by Joan Livingston.  Read on to find out more about this brilliant story ...

Joan Livingston, a fellow author, is a great writer of crime stories.  I have thoroughly enjoyed her Isabel Long mystery series, and Joan has kindly supplied posts for this blog, too.  So, it was a great pleasure to pick up the second book in her Hilltown Crime Series to read as soon as it was published.

The Unforgiving Town is the sequel to The Sacred Dog, and both books are set in a New England hilltown.  As, Joan states in her introduction to the series at the back of book 2, ‘Crime in a small town can get personal – sometimes with deadly consequences.’  I knew as soon as I opened the book that I was in for a roller-coaster of a read.
Al Kitchen returns to his home town following 18 years in jail for beating a man to death during a botched robbery.  He has nowhere to go except the old house his grandmother was living in, which is being cared for by his cousin, Bernie.  There’s no job for Al to come back to, and the occupation he originally had, as a truck driver, is now beyond him because he has no driving license and his truck needs fixing.  After serving his time, his future seems hopeless, and no one in Holden is going to cut him any slack except his cousin.  Scott, the local police chief, of course, realises the situation could be difficult and is trying to keep a lid on the situation.  Add into the mix the death of Al whilst out riding his bike, and you’ve got a page-turning mystery that will keep you glued to your seat.
There are a lot of characters in this book, but they are all distinct, and some are more likeable than others.  But that’s how it is in any small, provincial town the world over.  I really enjoyed reading about small-town America, and Joan presents the scenarios and characters with great depth and empathy.  The dynamics between some of the principal characters fizz with tension, and the culprit behind the death is well-hidden in plain sight.
The narrative reads exceptionally well, as does the dialogue.  As Scott’s investigation into Al’s death ramps up to an unexpected conclusion, I was left considering murder (or was it?) in small-town America and a plot that kept me guessing to the end.

You can get the book Here

If you want to read more about Joan and her writing, check out the following links:  Chasing the Case   Writing Poetry   Creating new characters

I’m celebrating the life and work ...

…  of the Bronte sisters today because Charlotte was born on this day in 1816.  Read on …

It’s natural to think of the Bronte sisters as being only Charlotte, Emily and Anne, as they are the ones we know most about and are always associated with their brother Branwell, and their books.  But when Charlotte was born in 1816, she was the third of a family of six children.  Her two elder sisters were Maria and Elizabeth.

Born in Thornton near Bradford, Charlotte and the rest of the family moved to Haworth in 1820 because Patrick Bronte had secured the post of perpetual curate at St Michael’s and All Angels Church in the village.  Soon after arriving in Haworth, Maria Bronte (née Branwell) fell ill and subsequently died on September 15th, 1821.  The death of Maria, left their father Patrick with six children to rear and a full-time post as curate to manage alongside his own grief.  In August 1824, Charlotte and Emily, along with their two older sisters Maria and Elizabeth, were sent to the Clergy Daughters’ School at Cowan Bridge, Lancashire.  In 1825, because conditions at the school were insanitary and following an outbreak of Typhus, Patrick brought his children home to the paronsage.  Unfortunately, it was too late for Maria and Elizabeth and they both died shortly afterwards.  Charlotte always maintained that, her slight build, short stature, poor eyesight, and recurring bouts of ill-health, were a direct consequence of the conditions at the school.  I can only wonder at the extent to which those early experiences featured in her book, Jane Eyre.

At the age of nine Charlotte, in conjunction with her Aunt, Elizabeth Branwell, became guardian and mentor for the younger siblings.  It was during this period of her life that Charlotte first took up writing and story-making.  She also began writing poetry and creating plays.

At the age of fifteen in 1831, Charlotte was sent to Roe Head Boarding School in Mirfield.  It was here that she met two other girls who became life-long friends and correspondents.  The following year she left the school to return home to teach her sisters.

In 1835, Charlotte took up a teaching post at Roe Head and she remained there until 1838. Her time at the school was not happy and she immersed herself in her writing and completed Farewell to Angria in 1839.  Between 1839 and 1841 Charlotte worked as a governess for a number of local families.  I’m sure some of those experiences must have provided her with material for scenes in her later books, too.

In 1842, Charlotte accompanied her sister Emily to Brussels and the Pensionnat Héger, a boarding school run by Constantin Héger and his wife.  Both sisters were scholars at the establishment.  Although Héger (1809-1896) was a renowned professor and literary figure of that time, he is largely remembered now only for his relationship with Charlotte.  Indeed, was he the individual who inspired the titular character in her later work, The Professor?  Whilst he may have had a choleric temperament, he was a great influence on Charlotte’s writing.  Her time in Brussels came to an end in October 1842.  The sisters returned to the UK because their aunt had died.

In the following January, Charlotte travelled to Brussles alone to take up a teaching post at the pensionnat.  That journey, which she found alarming, would later be recreated in her book, Villette.  Her period working at the school was solitary, her interest in Constantin became obsessive and unrequited, and she missed her home in Yorkshire.  Twelve months later, she was back in Howarth.

A brief period working with her sisters to create their own school proved unsuccessful and spurred Charlotte on to pursue her own writing career.  In May 1846, and at Charlotte’s insistence, the sisters paid for a collection of poems to be published under the pseudonyms of Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell.  It would seem that self-publishing is not solely the invention of the 21st century!  The collection hardly sold at all, but Charlotte made sure that some prominent gentlemen-of-words of the time were presented with a copy.  Later that same year, Charlotte submitted The Professor, Emily’s Wuthering Heights, and Anne’s Agnes Grey to a publisher in London.  Her sisters' stories were accepted, but Charlotte’s manuscript was rejected. Undeterred, Charlotte submitted Jane Eyre to a different publisher in August 1847.  This novel was published shortly afterwards and became a success to such an extent that it is now considered to be a classic.  In 1848, Charlotte began her third novel, Shirley.  The work on this book was overshadowed by the illness and death of each of her three siblings over a nine-month period.  Shirley was eventually published in October 1849 to a less-than-welcoming audience of readers.  The book never achieved the status of Jane Eyre.

The sisters' workroom, Haworth

Villette, Charlotte’s final novel, was published in 1853.  The following year Charlotte married Arthur Nicholls, an Irish clergyman from Antrim, on June 29th, 1854.  It appears that marriage suited Charlotte, but it was not to last long.  After finding some happiness, she and her unborn child died on March 31st, 1855.

As an appropriate postscript to a life dedicated to writing, The Professor was published posthumously in 1857.  Charlotte left the beginnings of another novel when she died, and that unfinished manuscript, along with some of her earlier writings, has been completed and published.

… if you enjoyed this post, you might also be interested in my posts on the life and works of  M. R. James, Virginia Woolf,  Rumer Godden,  or   A. A. Milne

 

I'm not running with my planned blogpost today because ...

... something very exciting is coming to town.  Read on to find out more ...

In my very small and very sleepy little bit of Yorkshire, nothing much happens really.  Night inevitably follows day, sometimes leaving me with a fabulous sunset to admire, like the one from last week pictured to the right.  

The year's lambs arrive in spring and take up temporary residence in one of the fields surrounding the village.  The four seasons pass as always, bringing the best and the worst of the weather as dictated by the winds and the ocean currents.  The cherry tree in my garden blossoms, the flowers and the lawns grow, all of which is followed by the wind-down of each year as we move steadily through the calendar to the year-end and the cold and stasis of winter.

But this year, there's a big event happening for film enthusiasts and writers.  Okay, it's not happening in my tiny little village, but it is definitely happening not that far away.  Indeed, if my village had a regular bus service, I would be able to say that the event was just a bus ride away!  

And how do I know all of this?  Purely by accident.  The weekend of April 11th saw the Crime Writers' Association Northern Symposium take place in Buxton.  Over dinner, I had the great fortune to be seated opposite two people who were involved in putting together the particular event that is happening right on my doorstep!  Well, perhaps not literally on my doorstep, but certainly near enough for me and some of my fellow writers in Doncaster Writers Group to attend.

What, where, and when is this big thing?  The 'What' is the Sykehouse Film and Writers' Festival 2026.  The 'Where' is in Doncaster and the 'When' is May.  I'll leave you to investigate further because there is so much to find out.  So, just click on the link for more information and tickets from the official website/blog which is Here

In the meantime, I will relax in the sunshine in my sleepy little bit of Yorkshire.  It'll be good to see you at the big event ... 

I'm continuing my journey following the Granville-Paris Express ...

… and I’m now in Vire, a small town in Normandy, just 55Ks inland from Granville.  Join me as I take a stroll through the streets …

It was a book and a train that prompted my current journey, particularly the Granville-Paris Express of October 1895.  That train left Granville early, at 8.45 in the morning and took just over an hour to reach Vire.  Travel by train at that time was much slower and dirtier due to coal dust and the steam from the engine.  Travel by rail was also very much a class-based thing, with more expensive, comfortable seats in first class for wealthier travellers and a gradual decline in comfort and space for second- and third-class passengers.

I’m not taking the train.  It’s too modern and too fast.  However, if you look at a map, you will see the current rail line leaves Granville and takes an almost due west direction that pretty much follows the route of the D924 to Villedieu-les-Poêles, which is where I’m camped.  At Villedieu, the D924 becomes the D524 to Noues and Vire, and the railway continues on a very similar course.  From the coastal area, the scenery begins to change, becoming more rolling as my journey takes me west.  It’s a dismal day in September, and there are intermittent showers.

Vire has a population of just over 10,000 people, but its history stretches right back to the early Middle Ages.  The surrounding countryside is grassland and forest, ideal for farming and referred to as bocage.  The town sits on a river of the same name that flows for 128Ks out to the English Channel.  In the 12^th century, Vire was part of the duchy of Normandy and therefore, part of England for a while.  The original industries here were farming, leatherwork/tanning, and textiles.  When the Industrial Revolution reached Normandy, a railway was built, and the station here in Vire opened on October 1^st, 1866.  And that’s my first port of call.

As soon as I turn onto the street that gives me access to the station, I can see that I am out of luck.  The old 19th-century building I was hoping would still be there has been replaced by a more contemporary, clean-lined building constructed little more than 60 years ago.  During the Normandy bombings in 1944/45, this town, like so many others, was practically obliterated, with around 95% of what was here for earlier train visitors destroyed.  As I make my way back into the heart of town, I can see what little remains of the old is mixed with and overshadowed by the new.

Église Notre-Dame sits in the heart of what would have been the original old town.  Built in the Gothic style over a number of years, it replaced an old Romanesque church dating from the 12th century, which had been constructed on the orders of Henry 1 (Henri Beauclerc).  In the forties, it was severely damaged, and the restoration took 12 years to complete.  It is primarily constructed of granite and is considered one of the finest pieces of architecture in all of Normandy.

Walking on beyond the church, I find that the fair has come to town with its enormous caravan of confiserie.  I have to take a moment to consider how a vehicle of such size could get through some of the narrow streets to reach this spot!

On my way back through town, I come across the clock tower, which sits above the main gate to the old fortified town.  The gate dates from the 13^th century, with the clock and bell tower being added two hundred years later.  Despite the lack of sun and the showers, I manage to get a reasonable shot – see above.

The only other old artefacts that would have been here in 1895 for fellow travellers, that I can find, are the remains of the chateau and the old dungeon, which were part of the fortified town.  This large and impressive round tower is now surrounded by modern buildings and discoloured by exhaust emissions from the constant traffic around it.

If you enjoyed this post, you can find the previous ones by clicking the links Granville part 1 ,  Granville part 2 ,  and my review of the book, The Paris Express, is Here 

There will be more from my journey following the Granville-Paris Express next month, so keep watching this space…

 

I'm reviewing House Arrest ...

... by Alan Bennett.  Read on...

I’ve always been a fan of Alan Bennett’s writing be it his books, memoirs or plays.  I’ve taken roles in some of his plays and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to recreate one of his characters.  I’ve also directed some of his work, too both full-length plays and some of his Talking Heads monologues.  And I can’t begin to count the number of productions of his work that I’ve seen at theatres across the country.  So, I suppose I could be labelled as biased when it comes to anything newly published by one of our greatest living writers.

I am also a member of the Book Club in the village where I live.  Finding Bennett’s House Arrest on the list from the library was too good an opportunity to miss and I put it on the selection of books for us all to read for this year.  I am so glad that I did.

House Arrest has the subtitle ‘Pandemic Diaries’ and I can fully understand why that might mean this book is returned to the shelf unopened by some people.  The pandemic was a frightening, unsettling, and for some, a very upsetting experience.  But that was then and this book is worth considering and reading.

A selection of the diary entries were first published in the London Review of Books, a paper that Bennett has been a regular contributor over the years.  But this collection of musings was put together and published in 2022.

The book is a collection of diary entries beginning just before the first lockdown in 2020.  Bennett, with his usual wit and sharp observation of human behaviour, records how the pandemic affected him and those around him.  He bemoans his arthritis, the bumping of elbows, and the sour milk one morning that meant there was no early cup of tea or breakfast until a trip to the local post office had been undertaken.  All those little things that we all get uptight about are here in this book.  They are of course presented in the light of Bennetts razor-sharp wit.  And one of my favourite quips is included in the entry for Good Friday.  ‘Good Friday,’ writes Bennett.  ‘… when this year Pontius Pilot is not the only one washing his hands.’  I have to say that I couldn’t stop myself laughing out loud at the point.  Luckily, I wasn’t on a train, bus or tram at that moment!

The quips keep coming too as time moves on.  Bennett lets you know, in no uncertain terms, what he thinks of Boris Johnson as an orator and compares him with Starmer.  Then there are the entries about, and his views on the management of the school exams.  Bennett has a view on everything, including some of the books he read during that time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this little – and the book is only 49 pages long – escape into the life of a magnificent writer.  I found I couldn’t put the book down and read it pretty much at one sitting.  I was also very disappointed when I reached the end.  I wanted more of the insight, the wit and the keen observation.  But I guess I will just have to wait for his next volume of memoirs instead.

Join me and...

... Gianetta Murray, in the fabulous and historic Abbey in Selby on Saturday, August 15th. More details below ...

Authors in the Abbey is another big event for your diary.  There will be numerous authors from in and around Yorkshire.  You can expect a plethora of genres to choose from, and if you wish, you will be able to take home signed copies, too.

The event runs from 10am to 4pm, and both Gianetta and I will be there all day.

I will have all six of my Jacques Forêt Mysteries with me, along with the Meyrueis, book 7 in the series which will be published in a few weeks time.  So, if you would like to chat about France, the Cévennes, the stories, or even Jacques himself, please drop by and say hello.  I will also be able to give you an update on Book 8, too

I will be bringing the three fabulous Miss Moonshine anthologies as well.  If you are in need of a feel-good, heart-warming read for the summer, then these collections of gentle stories will see you through.  They are also ideal for those few moments when the kids are busy, and all you need is a cuppa and a bit of me-time.

Gianetta Murray, author of A Supernatural Shindig, an anthology and the Vivien Brandt Mysteries will also be at the fair with her books.  I’m sure Gianetta will be only too pleased to chat about how the work on book 3 is shaping up.

In addition, we will have the multi-genre miscellanies of tales from the Seasonal Paths Collection.  All four are now available in print and E-format.  We will also have Earth, the first in a new series of anthologies with the elements as a theme.

Once you've filled your bags with books for yourself, family and friends, please take a moment to appreciate the abbey itself.  This magnificent building has stood in the heart of Selby since 1069 and it deserves some attention!

Please note your diaries and join me and Gianetta on August 15th from 10.00 am at Selby Abbey, The Crescent, YO8 4PU. It'll be great to see you there...