Writing – JO LAMBERT

March 14th is publication day for author Wendy Dranfield’s new thriller…

Posted on March 14, 2023March 7, 2023 by Jo Lambert - Author

The Night She Vanished

Available in ebook, audiobook, paperback and on Kindle Unlimited.

My parents seem to be the perfect couple. But no one knows what I know…

Everyone in the small Midwestern town of Henderson looks up to my perfect parents. With dependable jobs as a midwife and the town sheriff, they help this close-knit community feel safe. But the locals didn’t grow up in my parents’ house. They don’t know what I know. And they wouldn’t believe me if I told them…

After my best friend vanished when we were just fifteen, I left town and never looked back. I couldn’t prove it, but I think my parents killed her.

Now, years later, my little sister has vanished. I have no choice but to go home and play happy families again. Because I have to find out what my parents have done to her. I have to try to save her.

But when bones are discovered on a local farm, and all the evidence leads back to our front door, I realize I was wrong about absolutely everything. And that coming back was the deadliest thing I could do…

An utterly gripping read that will have you on the edge of your seat long into the night.

Amazon link: https://mybook.to/TheNightSheVanished

Author bio

Wendy is the bestselling author of the Detective Madison Harper crime series.

She is a former coroner’s assistant turned crime writer who writes a mixture of standalone thrillers, crime series and short stories. Some of her books have been shortlisted and longlisted for various writing competitions and awards, including the Mslexia novel competition and the International Thriller Writer Awards. Several have also hit the Amazon Top 100 chart.

You can find more information on her website: wendydranfield.co.uk

Twitter: @WendyDranfield

Facebook & Instagram: Wendy Dranfield Author

MY REVIEW

When she was 15, Nicole Rivers best friend Lori disappeared. Blood on the grass in the local park where she was last seen indicated foul play, but her body was never found. Now, Nicole’s younger pregnant sister Amie has also disappeared. A phone call from her mother, asking her to return home, sees Nicole and her husband Lucas travelling back to Henderson, the town where she grew up to be reunited with her estranged parents. Unhappy that little appears to have been done by her father, the local sheriff, to locate her sister, Nicole decides to investigate.

The Night She Vanished is Wendy Dranfield’s second stand alone thriller and it’s another brilliant read. The story is full of twists, turns and surprises with cleverly written characters whose motives you’re never quite sure of. It’s a total page turner with a dramatic conclusion. I have to admit to burning the midnight oil to finish this one, I simply could not put it down. A well deserved five stars from me.

Crime Thriller, Holidays, MONTHLY UPDATE, Psychological Thriller, Writing

MONTHLY UPDATE

Posted on March 3, 2023March 2, 2023 by Jo Lambert - Author

First post of 2023! January has simply whizzed by and now we’re saying goodbye to February. The first month of the year is my least favourite and usually the most quiet. So, I decided to move on and save my first update for February. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to have happened, here so I am, finishing off the post during the first few days of March!

What a lot of difference these weeks have made. The days are lighter and the dusk is nudging towards six pm. Whether you believe in Seasonal Affected Disorder or not, dark mornings and the early onset of dark evenings as the year ends definitely makes an impression on me. And not a good one. The run up to Christmas, with all its social activities acts as a distraction. There are things to look forward to. Purchases to make, get togethers to organise. And then, soon after the last strains of Auld Lang Syne have faded, there you are, face to face with January and a whole month which makes me feel I want to hibernate. No, of course that’s an exaggeration. It’s another year. New things to plan and look forward to. Nevertheless, I always find myself eager to get away from those thirty one days and move into February. And now, here we are, and I know I should not wish my life away, but I’m so glad January and February are behind me.

Fitness classes have resumed and I’m glad because I really felt the need to get back to proper exercise. Standing in the kitchen using two tins of beans for weights is no substitution. Joking aside, I do actually have some proper weights (in a girly pink circa late 1980s). I also have a step exerciser, and a selection of exercise bands, and I try to make time for home exercise. There is no substitution, however, for exercising as a group with a proper fitness trainer.

Holidays – I think everyone thought I was mad booking two holidays for 2023 in November. However, it’s clear from the situation with the current level of bookings on holiday websites that UK holidays a very much in demand. I’m spending my birthday in Norfolk at Wells Next The Sea. We first came here in 2007. Friends of ours retired to Dereham and love it so we always catch up with them whenever we stay here. I’ve always had this thing about boats and water and love Wells. It’s also a place for walkers and is a great opportunity to walk those extra pounds off (the pubs here are very good!)

In June we travel down to Devon. This time we’re in Kingsbridge; somewhere we haven’t stayed for quite a few years, usually opting for Dartmouth if we decide to stay in South Hams. And finally, in September we’re spending a week at Lake Garda. I really love the Italian Lakes and this time we’re going back to Desenzano, staying in the same hotel as we did in 2016. It will be my first trip overseas since Covid. The last time I holidayed out of the UK was in 2018 in Menorca. Memorable for all the wrong reasons, as I broke my ankle stepping awkwardly off the bottom step of the staircase in the villa where we were staying. As a result, I spent most of the summer in plaster, followed by a boot and physio. Not something I’m keen to repeat…

And finally –

READING AND REVIEWING

A busy two months so far – and some exceptionally good reads. For an excellent crime drama, I can recommend The Lonely Lake Killings by Wes Markham. Or if you are a lover of psychological thrillers then why not try The Summer Party by Rebecca Heath?

JANUARY and FEBRUARY

Have a good March everyone, by the time I’m here again, we’ll be looking forward to Easter and hopefully, the weather will be a tad warmer…

Cornwall, CUMBRIA, Happy New Year, Holidays, Norfolk, Update, Writing

2022 ROUNDUP

Posted on December 31, 2022December 30, 2022 by Jo Lambert - Author

So here we are, facing the final few days of 2022. For me, it’s been not only one of the speediest but probably the most challenging. So what exactly has been happening?

WRITING

The plan had been to publish my WIP in August, a month I usually work to for publication. Unfortunately, due to issues which will come to light later in this post, it’s now been rescheduled for the end of January 2023. I’m nearly there, but it has been a long journey, one which has had a knock on effect and caused the start of my 13th novel to be delayed. On a positive note, maybe the beginning of this new year is a good time to launch a new project, who knows? Anyway, in anticipation of the new title, here’s the banner advertising the now completed Cornish trilogy.

HEALTH

The good news is I’ve had my last post Cancer CT scan and once again, thankfully it was clear. All that is left now are two six monthly CEA blood tests and then that’s it. Having experienced the big C, caught at Stage One (for which I am eternally grateful) it has given me a nudge with regard to diet and fitness and I’m not only careful what I eat now, but exercise (mostly walking) regularly.

If I had thought that was it and I could get on with life, I was to be disappointed. In January, I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, something which affects around 1.4 million people. I was put on a small dose of beta blocker and a blood thinner. This worked for a while but gradually I began to feel light headed and breathless. I got to a stage where I couldn’t even walk up a flight of stairs at home without struggling for breath. Back to the doctors and a blood test showed I was severely anaemic and needed a transfusion. After that my iron levels went back to normal as did my breathing. However, the general consensus was that I must have an internal bleed. So began the investigation. To date, I have had a Radioscopy, Colonoscopy and a tablet pill. The latter is swallowed on an empty stomach and takes intermittent pictures of your upper digestive track. All very sci fi and when you think about it, truly amazing. This took place on 13th November and there is an 8 week wait for results – which means I should get them in about two weeks from now. I’ve also had an echocardiogram which takes an ultrasound of the heart. Am happy to say both Radioscopy and Colonoscopy were both clear and the echocardiogram showed no problems. So at the moment, everything hangs on the camera pill results. As for me, I’m feeling well, breathing is fine and energy levels good. I believe if anything was terribly wrong I would have been told by now.

HOLIDAYS

We spent a week in May in Cumbria which due to my health problems wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been. However, it’s such a beautiful part of the country and sitting in the car it was easy to forget my situation and simply enjoy the scenery.

June, post transfusion, I was back to normal for our trip to Suffolk. We had been here in 2019 and watching The Dig starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes made me realise I’d missed out on Sutton Hoo. Our trip took place on one of the warmest days of the holiday and we both enjoyed the day there, even if I chickened out of climbing the observation tower. I really don’t do heights! We also did a lot of walking, met up with old friends and enjoyed eating out at some great restaurants and pubs. All in all, a perfect week.

In September we returned to Fowey. After all these years I still find Cornwall a magical place. We stayed in our usual apartment in The Old Stationmaster’s House, within sight of the Boddinick Ferry. The weather was a little disappointing, probably because we’d not been able to book our usual first week of the month, which still manages to hold onto most of August’s heat. Instead, we arrived on the 17th to a chilly breeze and drizzle. There were some brighter days, of course, but a planned trip across on the ferry, followed by a walk along the coastal path to Polruan had to be postponed. I’m sure we’ll get to do that sometime in the future though, as we will definitely be back.

READING

I set my Goodreads Challenge at 45 this year, and having just finished my final read for the year, ended at 71! Because hospital appointments meant I continually had to dip in and out of my writing, it was good to take a break and relax with a book. I’ve already set up for the first six months of 2023 with 17 books. However, I do realise it is important to put my own writing first and that’s something I definitely plan to do in the new year. The trouble is, there are so many good books out there!

Here are a few of my favourite titles for 2022.

And so that’s about it. Another year beckons. New places to go, people to meet, books to be written (and read). So it’s goodbye for now and wishing everyone a very Happy New Year. Tomorrow it’s my turn to cook for friends. The day will be busy with food prep and it will be all about making sure everyone enjoys their evening and raises a glass to the incoming new year.

See you in 2023!

Writing

NOVEMBER UPDATE

Posted on December 5, 2022December 2, 2022 by Jo Lambert - Author

A bit of a white rabbit moment ‘I’m late, I’m late for a very important date…’. This post should have been published a few days prior to the end of last month, but sadly got held up. However I’m here now with some big news.

COVER REVEAL!

Yes, at last my twelfth novel and third part of my Cornish trilogy has moved a step forward. I can now reveal the cover for The Secrets We Keep. Set, as the other two novels have been, in the fictitious estuary town of Kingswater on the south Cornish coast, it’s sad to be leaving. I’ve enjoyed my time there and will miss them all. But new situations and characters beckon and I’m eager for a fresh challenge.

A special thanks to Jane Dixon Smith, who has designed an amazing cover. There will be more news about the publication date and pre-publication purchase options soon. Watch this space!

ooo0ooo

Can it only be a month ago that we were celebrating Guy Fawkes on 5th November, and fireworks were bursting across the night sky? Now it’s all about Christmas markets, festive food lists and writing and posting cards.

November has been a quiet month. Mostly there’s been rain; lots of it, which thankfully didn’t affect us as we live on a steep road, so no flooding. Nevertheless, it left its indelible print as the leaves came down and settled in soggy piles on the lawn. Thankfully, in those last days of the month we were able to clear them away and get the garden ready for winter.

The Christmas Market opened in town in the last week of the month and as usual, is busy. It does bring in a lot of visitors as well as locals and is one of the big events of the year.

My writing journey is almost at an end. It’s one of those times which pulls in a mixture of sadness that I’m leaving my characters and relief that the project is complete. On this occasion, I am doubly sad as this is the third and final book in my Cornish series. I have enjoyed writing these three novels, which in the beginning was only planned as a single book. However, once Shadows On the Water had been published, it occurred to me that there were two more individuals who had their own stories to tell. As my central character Ava Warren’s two closest friends, I felt they deserved their own ‘fifteen minutes of fame’.

The first, featuring Ava’s childhood friend, Keira Merrick, was an easy journey. Progress was good and A Kingswater Summer published in August 2021. The third and final instalment of the series, which ran with a number of titles, but finally ended as The Secrets We Keep featured single mother Hayley Young, another of Ava’s friends. I wrote this during the winter months, hoping to finish it and publish in August 2022. Unfortunately, some unexpected health issues interrupted the writing, turning the whole thing into a stop-start, and completely disrupting my progress. I can’t remember a more frustrating time during the years I have been writing. But never one to give up, I knew I really needed to complete this series. Now I’m looking forward to getting down to novel number 13 after Christmas. This time, I’m coming home. I’ve set books in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and now it’s the turn of Wiltshire, the county where I was born and raised. Can’t wait to get started.

NOVEMBER READS

And lastly, my review reads for the month

So that’s it for November. Holidays are over for the year, there’s all the organising for Christmas to get on with. I have only had one read and review for December, which has been a blessing with so much else to do. I’ll catch up with you again as we look forward to 2023 and all that brings us. Take care and Merry Christmas to everyone!

Author Promotion, TUESDAY TALK, Writer's Journey, Writing

Tuesday Talk Welcomes Author Rachel Brimble

Posted on November 8, 2022November 3, 2022 by Jo Lambert - Author

Today, I’m pleased to welcome author Rachel Brimble onto my blog to talk about her writing journey – and what an incredible one it has been…

Almost Fifteen Years And I’m Still Going Strong…

When my first novel, a contemporary romantic suspense called Searching For Sophie was published by The Wild Rose Press in 2007, I had not thought much further than writing this first book. It had been my dream to become a published novelist since I read Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven series when I was about eight or nine, so I was ecstatic when my very first attempt at writing a novel was accepted by a publisher.

Within a month or two of the book’s release, I became aware that the writing bug (or curse!) had got me. I was desperate to get back to the keyboard and start writing my next book! Of course, I didn’t know anything about the publishing industry, how it worked or just how much more an author needs to do than actually write! The next book was published in 2008 (Reluctant Witness) and I knew then that writing was now a big part of me, and it wasn’t going away anytime soon.

Being the newbie I was, I did not promote these two books AT ALL, wrongly assuming that my publisher would take care of the marketing/selling side of things, leaving me free to get on and write the next book. Of course, that is not the case at all and so with book three (The Arrival of Lily Curtis) came the additional job of learning about promotion/social media/bloggers etc, but all too soon I was on my way and striving to become a bona fide author who actually sold a few books!

Which I can happily call myself today having had 28 novels published to date as well as magazine articles and founding my First Chapter Critique service for aspiring romance and women’s fiction authors (https://rachelbrimble.com/first-chapter-critique-service/ ). Which, I have to say, is one of my proudest achievements to date. Helping writers achieve a dream that I understand only too well is just an amazing blessing and hearing of their successes makes me so, so happy!

The publication of Victoria & Violet is a huge triumph for me as it is the realisation of a long-held ambition of writing a novel that included real people and events. Even though the idea for this book (and series) had been in my mind for a while, I was just too scared to start writing it. Why? I was unsure how much I could or was allowed to fictionalise and couldn’t help but worry than I would be criticized by the many readers who love the Victorian age and British royalty.

But it was hopeless to keep fighting this huge wish inside of me to write a book set in a young Queen Victoria’s court and I am so glad I took the leap! I adored writing this book and especially the scenes with Queen Victoria. She became a huge part of my life and consciousness for six months and this book will always be very special to me. The reviews so far have been fabulous so – fingers crossed – I’ve got the storytelling just right…happy reading!

VICTORIA AND VIOLET

It should be a dream come true to serve the Queen of England…

When Violet Parker is told she will be Queen Victoria’s personal housemaid, she cannot believe her good fortune. She finally has the chance to escape her overbearing mother, a servant to the Duchess of Kent.

Violet hopes to explore who she is and what the world has to offer without her mother’s schemes overshadowing her every thought and action.

Then she meets James Greene, assistant to the queen’s chief political adviser, Lord Melbourne. From entirely different backgrounds and social class, Violet and James should have neither need nor desire to speak to one another, yet through their service, their paths cross and their lives merge—as do their feelings.

Only Victoria’s court is not always the place for romance, but rather secrets, scandals, and conspiracies…

BUY: https://geni.us/u0GmS5

ABOUT RACHEL:

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of 28 novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin). Her latest novel, Victoria & Violet is the first book in her new Royal Maids series with the Wild Rose Press and released 17^th October 2022.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here: https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt

Website: https://bit.ly/3wH7HQs

Twitter: https://bit.ly/3AQvK0A

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3i49GZ3 Instagram: https://bit.ly/3lTQZbF

Cornwall, Crime Thriller, Goodreads Reading Challenge, Reviewing, Writing

OCTOBER UPDATE

Posted on November 1, 2022October 31, 2022 by Jo Lambert - Author

So here we are, at the end of yet another month. As always time scoots by and now, after surviving flu and Covid shots (one in each arm, at the same time), it’s all been about Halloween and pumpkins. And beyond that November and, dare I say, the countdown to Christmas. This month I decided to chart my life in books – not as a writer, but as a reader. Of course, to include everything I have read would be impossible, and to do so would end up making it sound like an inventory in a library. But here are those which had the most impact, and maybe gradually nudged me towards becoming a writer.

LIFE AS A READER

Very often when choosing something to read by a writer new to me, I check out their bio. More often than not, they always say they have either read or written from an early age. Me too, I think. One of my childhood memories (when I was very young) was being taken to church on a Sunday and sitting between the adults with an Enid Blyton book – normally Noddy and Big Ears. So while the vicar stood in the pulpit imparting the weekly lesson to his flock, I was engrossed in the goings on in Toy Land.

Starting school, I began reading lessons with books involving brother and sister Janet and John, which I’m sure many will remember. And by the time I’d reached seven or eight, was pulled into the worlds of the Famous Five and Secret Seven – also written by Enid Blyton. One of my uncles, a teacher, regularly sent me books for birthdays and Christmases. I got though all the standards – Black Beauty, The Secret Garden, The Children of the New Forest, The Jungle Books and The Wind in the Willows to name a few. To receive a book token meant I could check out the children’s book section in W H Smith and purchase something new to read. I also joined the library in town and regularly took books out. Those early days were filled with the ability to escape to new and magic worlds.

My next real book memory came when I was in Year 11 (fourth year in pre-National Curriculum days ) at senior school. Competing with teen magazines and anything that had to do with the Beatles, copies of the Pan Book of Horror stories were very popular, and regularly swapped in class.

During my later teens it was all about music and socialising. It meant reading got put on the back burner for a while, although during my years at college I wrote regularly for the College Magazine. At the time, though, I never ever contemplated attempting to write a novel of my own.

Into my twenties, my reading taste became anything from horror and thrillers to historical fiction. I read Penmarric while on holiday in Cornwall one year, which for me, added to the magic of the story. My daily train journey to work in Bristol also gave me time for reading – and I made good use of it. I dipped into horror with Carrie and The Exorcist – and Peter Benchley’s Jaws (which everyone on the train seemed to have a copy of). Jeffery Archer, Rosemary Rogers and Jean Plaidy also featured in my TBR list of the time.

Over the years, I’ve enjoyed a wide variety of reads. I’ve never lost my love for historical fiction (Phillipa Gregory has taken Jean Plaidy’s place). Wilbur Smith was another favourite with his mix of South African history and saga. Currently I enjoy crime and psychological thrillers alongside contemporary fiction.

There are great romance writers out there too, so it’s a bit of a pick and mix for me, dipping in and out, from one genre to another as I find a book, read the blurb and decide on a download. As well as writing, I read and review and each year take up the Goodreads Challenge. This year, so far I have completed 61 reads.

The desire to become an author came in the noughties, when Sting’s Fields of Gold triggered thoughts of writing a romantic saga set in the West Country where I live – clearly his reference to fields of barley was an influencing factor. It was a huge challenge to undertake. I had worked on a couple storylines prior to this, after attending creative writing classes but nothing had come of either. This, however, felt more serious and I soon began working on a plot. I then began writing, not knowing whether the whole thing would fizzle out, or as I hoped, I would eventually get to the part where I could type THE END. Well, it was by no means an easy journey, but I did it, and my first book ‘When Tomorrow Comes’ charting the lives of four young women growing up in Somerset in the 1960s, was published in 2009. Four more in the series followed, then two set in Devon, three in Cornwall, with The Secrets We Keep, my final Cornish novel due to be published early in the New Year.

So what’s next? Honestly, I’m not sure at the moment. I do have the outline of a new story worked out, but need to give it some more thought. Until then, it’s all about seeing The Secrets We Keep through to publication. Next month I will be revealing the cover….yes, it’s definitely happening.

OCTOBER READS

Until next month, enjoy Halloween and stay safe.

Jo

Cornwall, Costal Romance, Romance, Writing, Writing Journey

SEPTEMBER UPDATE

Posted on September 30, 2022September 30, 2022 by Jo Lambert - Author

September seems to have come and gone in the blink of an eye. We spent a week of it in Cornwall, where the days were warm, but with the chill of autumn lingering in the air once the sun had set. Unlike June and July, when we stayed in Cumbria and Suffolk, our return did not have us looking forward to more warm, bright weather and time away. There were no more lunches in the garden, or getting in early morning reading time just as the world was waking up. Even the pigeons, our usual early morning alarm clocks, have gone. Instead, it’s now about the darker evenings creeping in, the trees turning colour and swapping the summer duvet for something a little more substantial. It has also seen me changing short sleeves for longer, warmer ones. Of course, there have been moments when the summer has poked its head around the door to remind us it hasn’t quite disappeared. But today being the very last day of September, I don’t think it will linger for long.

This year I have missed the usual mists rising up from the river valley to the south of the village. We have had one or two of these mornings where a first look out of the window has found our road covered in a fine curtain of white. Houses have appeared as shrouded indistinct shapes, which soon materialise once more when the sun breaks through. Now we are looking at clearing up the garden ready for winter months. Clearing leaves, planting more bulbs and filling the hanging baskets and tubs with pansies. I do hate the restrictions of the winter months, when the garden is a foreign, damp place and lunch on the decking outside the dining room is only a memory. Of course, as there is less to do outside, it does give me more time for writing. Our stay in Cornwall did trigger some positive thoughts about my next project. But hey! I still have an unpublished book to sort out.

The Secrets We Keep – and yes that is it’s final title – has been a bit of a stop/go writing experience. I’ve been blessed through my adult life with good health, but I guess that couldn’t last for ever. I don’t do illness. It’s not me. But this year I’ve had problems which I’ve found more disruptive than debilitating. At the time of writing it seems I’ve reached the end of the tunnel and emerged into daylight once more. Currently I’m fine and my energy levels are on the up. So it’s all about making the most of things. Because of the disruption, my writing journey has suffered and frequently been put on hold. An anticipated publication date in August had to be moved. To give the whole thing my best shot, I decided to suspend any thoughts of publication until the new year. That means I’m now looking at an end Jan/beginning Feb date for the final part of my Cornish trilogy to step into the spotlight. Watch this space!

READING AND REVIEWING

These are my September reads. I have now completed 55 books so far this year, ten more than my Goodreads challenge of 45. My favourite of this month’s selection is definitely The Three Loves of Sebastian Cooper. One of the best books I’ve read so far this year and one I can highly recommend.

Well, that’s it for another month. I’ll be back in October. By then I should have had my Covid and Flu shots so hopefully be fully protected for the coming winter months.

Best wishes….Jo

Author Promotion, Bookouture, Crime Thriller, Madison Harper, Publication Day, Writing

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY TO WENDY DRANFIELD. CATCH HER DEATH – DETECTIVE MADISON HARPER BOOK 5 – IS OUT TODAY

Posted on September 9, 2022September 6, 2022 by Jo Lambert - Author

Catch Her Death (Detective Madison Harper book 5)

Available in ebook, audiobook, paperback and on Kindle Unlimited.

As snow falls on the small town of Lost Creek, Colorado, a three-year-old boy is found playing quietly in his car seat, his mother, cold as ice, slumped against the steering wheel in front. Tearing herself away from reconnecting with her special agent father who abandoned her for his career, Detective Madison Harper is haunted by the fear in the boy’s sky-blue eyes, and vows to find justice for this innocent child, left motherless just days before Christmas.

Madison works around the clock on her only clue: a perfect circle of clean glass found on the car’s rear window. But she’s stopped in her tracks the moment another mother is found dead outside a church during Midnight Mass, her young boy left sucking his thumb on the frozen ground beside her. It can’t be a coincidence.

The need to spare the children might hint to the suspect being a woman, but the deeper Madison digs, the closer she gets to a serial killer her own father spent a lifetime chasing. Has the killer followed her father here? Could Madison, single mother to a son herself, be next?

As a blizzard closes in, wreaking havoc on the investigation, Madison hits the same dead ends her father did all those years ago. But when her closest friend goes missing, Madison must dive into the mind of this twisted soul and risk it all to stop another heart-shattering tragedy. But will she make it in time?

Amazon link: http://viewbook.at/CatchHerDeath

Author bio

Wendy is the bestselling author of the Detective Madison Harper crime series.

You can find more information on her website: wendydranfield.co.uk

Twitter: @WendyDranfield

MY REVIEW

This is the fifth book in the Detective Madison Harper series and is every bit as gripping as the previous four. It begins with a killer who murders a woman in a parking lot but leaves her small son alive. Straight away the story plunges you into the investigation, with Madison determined to find the perpetrator. When a second woman is murdered under similar circumstances, she begins to wonder whether a serial killer is operating in Shadow Falls.

All the familiar faces are there: Madison and her team, her son Owen, father Bill who has recently returned from Alaska, as well as Nate Monroe and his dog Brody.

It’s a complex plot. Nothing is as it seems. It’s well written, with the usual twists and turns and red herrings which predictably take you in the wrong direction. One thing I love about Wendy’s writing is the detail. It gives an authenticity that leaves the reader feeling they are actually there with Madison. Bill and Nate’s sub plots dovetail in well to the main story, which as usual, ends with a situation that tells us Madison will be back. It’s Wendy Dranfield at her best – another great five star read!

My thanks to Wendy, Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC of Catch Her Death in exchange for an honest review.

Contemporary Romance, Costal Romance, Holidays, ROMANTIC SUSPENSE, Writing

ADIOS TO SUMMER…

Posted on August 31, 2022August 31, 2022 by Jo Lambert - Author

Yes, I know that seems a little depressing, but for me, the August Bank Holiday weekend has always been a symbol of the ending of summer. It feels like a door closing behind us, moving us on towards autumn. Looking back on this month, I have to confess that it’s been one of the most uncomfortable ever. Sunshine is definitely therapeutic. It energises me, makes me feel relaxed and puts a different face on the world. However, although the heatwave that arrived in the UK during August was very welcome, it soon turned uncomfortable. Despite having all the windows and doors open, some days there was little air. And nights, with most of those windows still open, still meant at times it was difficult to sleep. Open windows also proved an irresistible invitation for insect life. Moths are an expectation. Crickets maybe not, but the worst intruders were spiders, who seem to get bigger and bigger each year. All were given a helping hand out of the bathroom window never to be seen again.

I was around during the 1976 heatwave/drought (whatever you want to call it), when we had ten whole weeks without rain. Gardens were watered with bathwater, lawns went from green to brown (as they have this summer), and stand pipes were issued in some places, leaving people to queue with buckets to collect water. The stand pipes didn’t reach my road and thankfully the country has not experienced such draconian measures now. I remember ironing in my underwear because it was so hot and wondering if it would ever rain again. Comparing them both, Summer 2022 has definitely been the worst experience of the two. In those days there were no talks of global warming, it was just a very long, hot summer. Now what is happening has far reaching implications for both the planet and us in general. Looking forward, I guess the downside of all this is that we will have a very wet autumn. Mother Nature normally balances the seasons, and despite global warming, I have a feeling when the rain does arrive, there will be lots of it.

WRITING: At the beginning of the month my manuscript left the building for editing. Unfortunately, part way in my editor hit a problem. One which needed it to be returned and some comprehensive rewrites undertaken before she could continue. It’s the first time this has happened to me, and I guess it won’t be the last. Even after eleven books, I’m still learning. The delay has meant my hope of a late September publication date has had to be shelved. Instead, I’ve moved it to the New Year, probably late January or early February.

HOLIDAYS: In three weeks we’ll be in Cornwall. Fowey is a place I never tire of. It’s somewhere that really influences my writing. It’s a place where Daphne Du Maurier wrote in her house on the estuary next to the Boddinick Ferry. In fact, in my latest novel, I have taken something from the town – the Old Quay House Hotel – as inspiration for the Estuary House Hotel, which is central to my story. At this moment, with the completion of the third and final part of my Cornish trilogy imminent, I’m fairly open minded about what happens next. It’s always good to discover another part of the West Country where I can put down ‘roots’ and create another community, weaving romance and mystery around the lives of everyday folk. However, there are still characters in my fictitious estuary town of Kingswater who might be able to provide enough interest for a fourth book. I’ll just have to see what soaking up that Cornish atmosphere does. Watch this space!

READING & REVIEWING: And finally, my reading for the month. You can find my reviews on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/thewriterwhoreads

So that’s all for now. I’ll be back at the end of September. In the meantime take care everyone…

Cornwall, Costal Romance, MONTHLY UPDATE, ROMANTIC SUSPENSE, Writer's Journey, Writing

JULY UPDATE…

Posted on August 1, 2022July 31, 2022 by Jo Lambert - Author

Another month over and a milestone reached. Yes, at last I’ve arrived at the point in my writing where I can finally type THE END. At just over 103,000 words, it’s the smallest book I’ve written so far. And it has been one of the toughest. Some books almost write themselves. This one hasn’t. Part of the problem has been I’ve had one or two health issues. They have been irritating rather than worrying ones but nevertheless distracting enough for my writing to go into stop-start mode. Not a good thing when you have a timetable to keep to.

This month has seen another trip – a mid-week break to Alderminster, just outside Stratford Upon Avon. The Bell is a favourite stop over of ours. I can highly recommend this as a place to stay if you’re planning to visit Stratford. Not only is the accommodation first class, it has a really good restaurant if you fancy staying put for the evening. And if you want to leave the car behind, there’s a good bus service into Stratford with a bus stop right outside the pub.

We had a two night stopover, giving us a whole day to ourselves. Deciding to make use of our National Trust membership, we decided on a trip to Coughton Court, near Alcester (about 12 miles away). A Tudor Country house with extensive grounds and gardens, we spent a few hours there before returning for a late lunch in the pub garden.

Book News – The manuscript has left the building, which you would think leaves me with a huge amount of time on my hands. Not so. In fact I seem to be busier. As a great fan of period drama, I managed to get some chill out time watching Jane Austen’s Emma and Persuasion. I loved Anya Taylor-Joy in the lead role of Emma Woodhouse and Bill Nighy did a great job as her father. Netflix and Persuasion not a good mix. Not only was this my set book for English Literature ‘O’ level, the action takes place in Bath (my home town) and Lyme Regis. That means I’ve always had a special affection for it. I’ve also carried with me my own idea of what Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth should look like – which as any reader knows is dangerous once a book finds its way onto the screen. I have seen two previous versions, one with Ciaran Hinds (1995) and the other with Rupert Penry-Jones (2007) taking the role of Captain Wentworth. Although Hinds was quite imposing as a senior naval officer, I preferred Penry-Jones (far more handsome), and was keen to see how this twenty first century version compared. Unfortunately, all I managed to watch was 33 minutes then sadly, I gave up. Maybe my expectations were too high, who knows? The whole thing simply didn’t work for me, particularly having Cosmo Jarvis as Frederick Wentworth.

JULY BOOK REVIEWS

And finally, when I next post, I will be including a cover reveal for my new romantic suspense novel Secrets That We Keep. It is the third part of my Cornish Estuary series set in the fictitious town of Kingswater. When I finished the first book Shadows on the Water I had no plans to turn it into a series. However, with three young women featuring, I soon saw the potential for two more stories. What happens next? Well, that’s all in the lap of the gods at the moment. We’re staying in Fowey during September so perhaps I’ll pick up those Cornish vibes and return home with the inspiration for another book. Who knows?

Until next month, take care and enjoy August…