The Wedding Murders

Book Two

Book Birthday!

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Today (11 February 2023) marks a year since the publication of my second novel, The Wedding Murders.

In that time, it’s had two different covers!

I must admit I prefer the original cover although the second perhaps reflects the book more accurately. (It’s not that blood thirsty!)

The Wedding Murders is set at a celebrity wedding in a grand manor house in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

Libby is the plus-one of her boyfriend Matthew a former drummer in a 90s band. It’s the first time the group has got together since their acrimonious split, and she soon learns that they all have secrets to hide…

The Wedding Murders was published by One More Chapter, the digital imprint of HarperCollins, in February 2022.

One of the highlights of the past year was getting an amazing endorsement from crime writer Sophie Hannah. She said:

“This gripping murder mystery will keep you riveted from start to end.

“The Wedding Murders has all the traditional satisfactions of a golden age puzzle plot, while at the same time demonstrating a wholly contemporary sensibility.

“Fans of Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie will love it.”

You can buy The Wedding Murders here:

Amazon UK: The Wedding Murders

Amazon US: The Wedding Murders

The Wedding Murders has a new cover!

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My second novel, The Wedding Murders, has a new summer jacket!

I must admit I loved the old cover with its bright colour contrast but I think the new jacket is a closer reflection of the story. I particularly love the discarded high heels!

If you love closed-door mysteries, lots of 90s nostalgia, and a fast-paced plot, check out The Wedding Murders on Amazon UK or Amazon US

It’s also available as a paperback from Waterstones.

The Wedding Murders is now out in paperback!

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I’ve been busy over the past couple of months promoting my new book, The Wedding Murders.

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind since the e-book was published by One More Chapter in February (2022). It seems to be doing well and one of the highlights was when it got a bestseller flag (for one day only!) on Amazon US. On 19 March, it hit number 145 in the overall chart and was number 1 in the subcategories Amateur Sleuths and Vigilante Justice Thrillers. The latter is not a description I would use for the book but I’m not going to complain!

There are now more than 200 reviews of the book on Amazon (UK) so I am really thankful to the people who have taken the time to leave a review or a rating. It makes such a difference!

To promote the book, I did my first ever Facebook Live for the UK Crime Book Club with Abby Davies and Casey Kelleher. I was TERRIFIED but the organiser, Samantha Bowley, and the other authors involved were so lovely and put me completely at ease. If you join the Facebook Group, you can watch the video.

The paperback of The Wedding Murders was released at the end of April and receiving my author copies was another highlight. It’s always nice to be able to hold your book in your hands!

This week I returned to Marsden Library to do an in-person event with my friend and fellow author, Amanda Huggins. As always, we were made to feel very welcome. I also got a real kick out of seeing my debut novel on a display of Yorkshire Authors, alongside Alan Bennett, Joanne Harris and Charlotte Bronte. You couldn’t ask for better company!

And my next event is Essex Book Festival in June when I will be in conversation with J A Corrigan. Tickets are available here: https://www.essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/the-bad-sister-and-the-wedding-murders/

In the meantime, I will be putting the finishing touches to the latest draft of Book Three (provisionally called The Challenge) this weekend before returning it to my agent. It’s a sequel to The Wedding Murders and I have enjoyed being back with my main character, Libby, and her partner-in-crime, Peter.

You can buy The Wedding Murders online from a number of retailers including Waterstones and WH Smith, or you can purchase it from Amazon using the link below:

A COVER AND A NEW TITLE FOR BOOK TWO!

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You’re invited to the wedding of the season…but you might not live to tell the tale!

The cover of my second book was revealed on social media this week and I love it!

I love the striking contrast between the red, white and black. Coincidentally these were the colours of my own wedding which makes it extra special.

Some of you will know that I originally called the book The Wedding Guest, but the title was changed after discussions with the publisher, One More Chapter.

The Wedding Murders features Libby Steele, a plus-one at a celebrity wedding. She’s the guest of her boyfriend Matthew who used to be in a Britpop band with the groom. It’s the first time the band have been reunited since their acrimonious split in the 90s and Libby soon realises they all have secrets to hide.

When a bridesmaid goes missing just hours before the ceremony, Libby suspects there’s a killer on the loose…

I was lucky enough to get an endorsement from the amazing Sophie Hannah which blew me away. This is what she said about the book:

‘This gripping murder mystery will keep you riveted from start to end. Fans of Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie will love it.’ 

You can’t get much better than that! But here are some of the other lovely endorsements I’ve received from published authors:

‘An intensely compelling, riveting story with a nail-biting climax!’ Abby Davies, author of Mother Loves Me

‘A fast-paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns’ Sophie Flynn, author of All My Lies 

‘A gripping tale with plenty of twists and turns making for a most enjoyable read!’ Roz Watkins, author of The Devil’s Dice

I really enjoyed writing this book. It will be published as an ebook in February 2022 and a paperback in April 2022 and is available to pre-order now.

If you’re a book blogger, you can request a review copy on Netgalley.

Book Two is on its way!

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I’ve had a busy couple of months since signing with my agent.

I have recently signed a book deal for my second psychological thriller, provisionally called The Wedding Guest. If all goes to plan, book two will be published by One More Chapter in April 2022.

Local journalist Libby is a plus-one at a celebrity wedding at a grand manor house in rural North Yorkshire. She’s the guest of her boyfriend, Matthew, who used to be in a Britpop band in the 90s. It’s the first time the band members have been reunited since the band split up and she quickly discovers that they have something to hide…

I’m really looking forward to launching Libby into the world! This book was a lot of fun to research and write.

At the moment I am doing my structural edits. These are big changes that the editor suggests in order to make sure the story works. They’re a little tricky, as you have to check that when you change something in chapter 20, it doesn’t impact on something in chapter 47. There is a lot of ‘find and replace’ going on! The plan is to complete these edits by the end of May.

I have also been working on a follow-up to this book. It’s early days and I have just done an outline, a bit of preliminary research and written about 3,000 words. This means I have put aside the other novel I was working on for the time being. At some point I am hoping to pick it back up and work on them both simultaneously but I’m not sure if my brain can handle that…

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash