It’s that time of year again. All my writing is finished for the year, Christmas cards are done, the tree has been decorated and the presents wrapped at last!
I’m already making plans for next year. In late January my sixth Joe Plantagenet mystery, KILLING IN THE SHADOWS, will be out. After a long break I really enjoyed writing about Joe’s adventures in Eborby (a thinly disguised York) again. His latest case finds him investigating the murder of a TV celebrity found dead in her swimming pool. Has she fallen victim to a stalker? Or is her death linked to a strange haunting in a house that was once an ancient pub? With a thrilling denouement in a reconstructed Victorian street, it’s a must read for those who enjoy a twisty mystery with just a hint of spookiness!
I’m very much looking forward to taking part in events to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Agatha Christie’s death. I was thrilled to be asked to contribute an article to a book published by the British Library. The subject is Agatha’s use of the past and archaeology in her books, a subject close to my heart. I also hope to take part in local celebrations in my village (where Agatha’s sister, Madge, once lived and the inspiration for many her mysteries). The plans are at an early stage so I’ll say more at a later date.
I’d like to finish by wishing all my readers a very happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Happy Reading!
PS I hope you enjoy this short ghost story, The Dead of Winter, a little gift to my readers featuring Joe Plantagenet!
THE DEAD OF WINTER
It was raining; a thin rain falling half-heartedly from the leaden sky. This time of year it should have been snowing, Joe Plantagenet thought. But that was for sentimental songs and Christmas cards. In real life North Yorkshire rain was the norm.
It was Christmas Eve and he’d been glad to receive the call from his old friend, Canon George Merryweather. ‘Come round for a Christmas tipple,’ he’d said. ‘I bought some mince pies today so we can make an evening of it.’ Joe had to smile. George’s idea of a wild night wasn’t exactly the same as his. Even so, he was looking forward to the evening.
George’s house in the cathedral close was Georgian and symmetrical as a doll’s house. George greeted him with his usual warmth and led him into the drawing room. The Christmas tree by the window twinkled while the open fire glowed. Joe felt he needed a little relaxation because he’d had a particularly tough day. His team at police headquarters had been investigating the theft of a consignment of frozen turkeys when they’d received word of a murder in an affluent suburb near the racecourse. All this meant he’d been working late and he hadn’t been feeling very festive. But the cosy scene in George’s drawing room suddenly kindled a sense of seasonal cheer.
His host was a small man with a chubby face that radiated benevolence, a benign clergyman from central casting. He was also Joe’s oldest friend in the city of Eborby, the man who’d offered him a listening ear and wise counsel after he’d gone through a hard time.
George had the bottle of sherry ready, not Joe’s usual tipple but somehow it seemed appropriate for the occasion. Joe soon found himself sitting by the fire, facing his friend with the sherry glass raised to his lips. The liquid warmed as it went down and he felt more relaxed than he had done in weeks.
George drained his glass and sat back, gazing into the glowing fire. ‘Want to hear a ghost story?’
To Joe the idea of a ghost story told by a roaring fire at Christmas seemed like a cliché but somehow it suited the mood perfectly. ‘Go on. I’m all ears.’
George put his sherry glass on the side table and leaned forward. ‘It was told me by a friend of mine, Andrew Hall, who was the rector of St Saviour’s church on Gallowgate before his retirement.’
‘That’s the church with the old box pews and no electric light, isn’t it?’
‘That’s right. A spooky place at the best of times. In fact it’s reputed to have a resident ghost, not that Andrew had ever seen it . . . well, not until one Christmas Eve ten years ago.’
George’s statement piqued Joe’s curiosity. ‘What did he see?’
George cleared his throat. ‘Andrew unlocked the church to make preparations for the midnight candlelit carol service. There was no electricity so he was carrying a powerful torch and when he entered the church he saw a man standing in the north aisle. He was a tall, cadaverous-looking individual dressed in what appeared to be Victorian dress, a top hat and frock coat. Andrew spoke to him but he didn’t seem to register his presence at all. He just stood absolutely still, pointing to an elaborate stone monument on the wall. Andrew was feeling nervous by this point as you can imagine. Then his torch flickered and he looked down at it, just for a split second. And when he looked up again, the man had gone. Vanished. The church is only small and Andrew made a thorough search but the stranger was nowhere to be found - and it was impossible for him to have made for the door without Andrew knowing.’
‘What happened then?’
‘Andrew went outside and told a passing policeman what had happened. The constable reluctantly made a search, although he made it clear that, as nothing appeared to be missing, he considered it a waste of time.’
Joe felt obliged to nod but he felt some sympathy for the constable who was called out on a wild goose chase on a Christmas Eve.
‘The constable said the strangely dressed man was probably a drunk who’d somehow been locked inside the church. But Andrew couldn’t bring himself to believe this.’
‘Maybe he imagined it?’ Joe suggested. ‘The dark church in the torchlight must have been full of shadows.’
‘That’s what I thought . . . at first.’
‘What do you mean?’
George took a deep breath. ‘A few years ago a local historian conducted some research into St Saviour’s and the people buried there. One of those people was a wealthy factory owner called Jonah Pethroyd. In 1896, during the reign of Queen Victoria, a shopkeeper called Elijah Sheldon was accused of murdering a groom in Pethroyd’s employ. On Christmas Eve Sheldon visited Pethroyd’s house to try to recover money he was owed; a large sum Sheldon could ill afford to lose. His livelihood at risk, Sheldon pleaded with Pethroyd to repay the debt but he refused. Thanks to Pethroyd Sheldon was facing financial ruin.
‘The next day Sheldon was in St Saviour’s church praying after the Christmas service, perhaps begging for Pethroyd to have a change of heart,’ he said with a smile. ‘But things were about to get worse for poor Elijah Sheldon. As soon as he left the church he was arrested for the murder of Pethroyd’s groom who had been beaten to death outside the Cathedral Tavern the previous night. Pethroyd told the police that he had witnessed the crime and that Sheldon was guilty of the murder. The lack of any other witnesses ensured the shopkeeper’s arrest.’
‘I take it he was innocent?’
‘Pethroyd was a powerful man who employed a lot of people. Nobody questioned his story so when the case came to the Assizes his testimony was enough to get Sheldon hanged. Sheldon protested his innocence to the end. The strange thing is . . .’ George paused, as though he was about to divulge the juiciest part of the story.
‘What?’ Joe suddenly felt impatient to know more.
‘A couple of years after that incident in the church I told you about, Andrew came across a book on a stall at a church jumble sale; Old Murders of Eborby. There was a very old photograph in the book of a man who’d been hanged for murder at Eborby Prison in 1897. His name was Elijah Sheldon.’ He took a sip of sherry, preparing for the dramatic denouement of the story. ‘Andrew identified the picture of Sheldon as the same man he’d seen in the church that Christmas Eve two years before. And when he went back to check, he realised that the elaborate memorial Sheldon had been pointing to was that of Jonah Pethroyd, the man who’d testified against him.’
‘Are we sure Sheldon was innocent?’
‘Three years after he was hanged a former servant of Pethroyd’s came forward to say the groom had argued with the master on the day of the murder and Pethroyd had threatened to kill him. He talked of how everyone was terrified of Pethroyd’s volcanic temper and he only dared to speak up once he’d left his service. However, he’d been dismissed for dishonesty so nobody took the accusation very seriously.’
‘But you think he was telling the truth?’
‘He stuck to the story until his dying day.’
Joe raised his hand. ‘How’s this for a theory - Pethroyd killed the servant in a fit of temper and saw the opportunity to put the blame on Sheldon who was making a nuisance of himself by demanding he repay his debt.’
‘According to Pethroyd’s memorial, he died at the age of eighty four on Christmas Eve 1936.’
‘You think the innocent man Pethroyd caused to be executed appeared on the anniversary of his death to accuse him?’
The fire flickered, throwing dancing light on George’s face. ‘That was the conclusion Andrew came to. And you have to admit, it’s possible.’
Joe sat silently for a while, gazing into the flames. Then he spoke quietly. ‘The story reminds me of the case I’ve been dealing with today. A wealthy businessman called Jimmy Tadcaster has just accused a builder called John Smithers of murdering his wife. Yesterday Smithers turned up at Tadcaster’s house demanding that he pay a debt; a considerable sum of money for work he’d carried out for him a while ago. He claimed he’d be ruined if he didn’t receive payment and, according to Tadcaster, he became aggressive and violent, even threatening to kill his family if Tadcaster didn’t pay what he owed. Earlier today Tadcaster’s wife was found battered to death in the back garden. Tadcaster says he was out when she died but he saw Smithers’ van driving away fast just as he arrived home. Smithers is now in custody although he’s protesting his innocence. He claims that Tadcaster is involved with another woman and that he was planning to get rid of his wife because he doesn’t want her to get half his business in the case of a divorce. Of course Tadcaster denies this.’
‘Believe him?’
‘Not sure.’
George smiled. ‘If I were you I wouldn’t take everything Tadcaster says as gospel. Remember Elijah Sheldon.’
On his way home that night Joe passed St Saviour’s church. And, although the gate to the tiny churchyard was locked and chained, he thought he saw a pale glow behind the stained glass windows, there for a moment then gone.
Then soft flakes of snow began to fall from the night sky.
THE END
I was very excited to receive my wonderful editor’s verdict on Wesley Peterson’s next case. She loved it and there is very little rewriting to do. It is always a nerve-wracking time when you send your ‘baby’ (the manuscript you’ve been working on for months) out into the big world of publishing so it’s fantastic to get the thumbs up. The original title, however, has been changed and it will now be called THE CHAPEL OF BONES.
October was filled with activity. Early in the month I enjoyed a lovely cruise down the River Douro, getting lots of new ideas. A few days after my return I travelled to Sedbergh (close to Cumbria but actually in the Yorkshire Dales) for Death in the Dales. It was great fun with lots of lovely readers and fellow authors including M W Craven, Martin Edwards and Caroline England (and many more friends too numerous to list here). It was good to meet so many readers and to chat about all things crime fiction. It was the second year of the festival (wonderfully organized by Jean Briggs) and if you get a chance to attend next year I can heartily recommend it.
On the Saturday night, following Matthew Booth’s fascinating presentation on the life of Agatha Christie, I presented my Murder Mystery THE CASE OF THE LATE COOK. I was lucky to have a truly starry and talented cast (Marsali Taylor, Fiona Veitch Smith, Dea Parkin and Anthony Johnston ) who gave the performances of their lives. (Picture below).
I’ll be visiting York in early December to visit the Christmas markets (and, hopefully, getting some inspiration for my next Joe Plantagenet mystery). Don’t forget that Joe’s new case, KILLING IN THE SHADOWS, is out in January – an ideal New Year present for those who fancy a touch of the supernatural with their mystery.
Incidentally, some of my books are on special offer this month (SEEKING THE DEAD in the UK and THE JACKAL MAN and KISSING THE DEMONS in the States) so check them out for a bargain.
See you soon!
In early August my latest Wesley Peterson mystery DEADLY REMAINS was published in hardback and ebook. I’ve been out and about signing copies and I’m delighted that it’s had some wonderful reviews.
On a personal note, August was a busy month. As well as a lovely break for the entire family (including the dog) at Center Parcs, my husband, Roger, and I celebrated a very special wedding anniversary with a big party for family, friends and neighbours in our garden. The weather was glorious and it was a wonderful celebration I’ll never forget.
This month I was thrilled to be invited to speak at the Dartmouth Book Festival. I met so many lovely people there and it was a real joy to be in ‘Tradmouth’ once more. I began my talk by apologizing to everyone for turning their beautiful town into the murder capital of the South West – but nobody seemed to mind!
I also visited some great Devon bookshops to sign copies of DEADLY REMAINS and completed my annual pilgrimage to Agatha Christie’s stunning home, Greenway – a challenging walk one way then a lovely cruise down the River Dart on the way back. The photo shows The Boathouse at Greenway House, a location that inspired Agatha Christie’s “Dead Man’s Folly”
I’m pleased to say that just before I set off for Devon I completed Wesley’s next case (working title THE BOOK OF BEASTS) and sent it off to my editor. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she likes it.
I’m also delighted that Joe Plantagenet’s sixth case KILLING IN THE SHADOWS will be out in January. Hopefully I’ll get to York (aka Eborby) sometime in December to visit the Christmas markets). It’s already available to pre-order.
I must finish on a slightly sad note. After 25 years, it’s been decided that Murder Squad will be disbanded. We went out on a fantastic high with our 25th anniversary celebrations hosted by the wonderful Serenity Books in Stockport and I must say I’ll miss the events we did together – although we’ll still remain friends and, hopefully, see each other regularly.
That’s it for now. See you soon.
Since I last wrote this diary the paperback of COFFIN ISLAND has been published and it’s been a real pleasure meeting and chatting with readers when I’ve visited bookshops to sign copies.
It’s been a particularly busy time, not only because of the new paperback but because I’ve been doing a lot of events, including library talks, bookshop panels and attending CrimeFest in Bristol.
It’s also been the year of a very important anniversary. It is now twenty five years since a group of Northern authors, despairing of their publishers’ lack of publicity support, formed Murder Squad. I wasn’t published when Margaret Murphy had the initial idea but I was really delighted when I was invited to join the group later. Such a momentous anniversary deserved a great celebration so we all (myself, Ann Cleeves, Martin Edwards, Chris Simms, Margaret Murphy and Cath Staincliffe) travelled to Stockport’s magnificent Guildhall to drink fizz and eat cake with our readers and talk about the Squad and our work. It was a wonderful occasion I’ll never forget. Many thanks to Serenity Books in Stockport for organizing our event – and here’s to another twenty five years!
Another wonderful event was my appearance at Slaughter in Southwold where I was interviewed by the excellent Charlotte Clarke about my books (sitting on deckchairs – very appropriate for the seaside). It was my second visit to Southwold and it was a real pleasure to return and explore some of beautiful Suffolk. As an archaeology enthusiast of course I visited Sutton Hoo and was thrilled to find that Time Team were filming there. It was Time Team that triggered my interest in arachaeology and I often describe my Wesley Peterson books as ‘Inspector Morse meets Time Team’!
I’m excited by say that Wesley’s twenty ninth case, DEADY REMAINS, will be published in hardback (and e book) on 7th August.
When a body is discovered in a picturesque South Devon village, DI Wesley Peterson is called in to investigate. The victim, Barry Brown, is a celebrity ghostwriter and the theft of his laptop suggests that the motive for murder may lie in his work.
While Wesley investigates Barry’s famous clients, Wesley’s teenage son Michael joins family friend, Dr Neil Watson, on an intriguing excavation of a crashed World War Two plane on Dartmoor. The plane was used to ferry secret agents into Europe during the war and, when three skeletons are discovered nearby, it seems the wreckage might hold more secrets than they could ever have imagined.
Wesley's case leads him to the same area and he discovers a sinister history surrounding the moor and the nearby village of Moor Barton.
With four unexplained deaths, can Wesley solve the mystery before anyone else is put in danger?
Hope you enjoy!
I can’t believe it’s March already. Christmas and New Year are a distant memory and welcome signs of spring are everywhere. The view from my office at the bottom of the garden is growing greener and more appealing as I begin work on Wesley Peterson’s new case.
While I was in York before Christmas (doing the final piece of research for my next Joe Plantagenet mystery) I wandered into an old church where a fascinating exhibition was laid out at the west end. The church (Holy Trinity on Micklegate) was once part of a Benedictine Priory and the exhibition concerned the day to day life of the monks who worshipped there. One part of the exhibition particularly caught my attention and that was a bestiary (or Book of Beasts) lovingly made by the monks to show the wonders of creation. Some animals depicted were ones we would know today but others were fantastic beasts such as unicorns and dragons. It is amazing how seeing something like this can plant a seed in the imagination and Wesley’s next investigation will feature something similar. People often ask authors where they get their ideas from and this is an example of seeing something that sparks an idea. The book is still very much at the planning stage but I love the idea of including strange medieval beasts in a plot. Watch this space.
My next Joe Plantagenet mystery is now finished and I’m just waiting for my editor’s opinion. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she likes it.
The paperback of COFFIN ISLAND is out on April 10th and I’m celebrating the launch on 16th April at Serenity Books in Romiley, Stockport, with a panel of my fellow authors. I have several events already planned for this year. See the ‘events’ section for details.
Finally, my publisher has sent through the brand new cover image for DEADLY REMAINS (out in August) I think it’s brilliant. Hope you agree.
Christmas is now approaching at speed and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers. It’s been wonderful to meet so many lovely people at libraries, bookshops and festivals this year and their enthusiasm makes all the hard work of researching, planning, then rewriting each book several times, worthwhile.
Deadly Remains, Wesley Peterson’s next mystery, is now completed and will be out next August. I’m pleased to say that the paperback edition of Coffin Island will be out on 24th April and I hope to arrange some events to coincide with its publication. Watch this space. My 2025 diary is starting to fill up and I’m particularly excited to have been asked to speak at the Dartmouth Book Festival next September. I just hope the good people of Dartmouth don’t mind that I’ve made their gorgeous town the murder capital of the South West.
I’ve also finished the second draft of Joe Plantagenet’s new mystery (set in a thinly disguised York). In November I spent a few days researching in York – sometimes I love this job.
I’d better finish now to get on with more festive preparations. I’d like to wish all my readers a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. And Happy Reading!
I realized with horror that I haven’t written this diary since May. The truth is that it’s been a really busy year. I’ve been out and about speaking at libraries, doing book signings and attending crime festivals. To add to this I’ve been contracted to write two books this year (which keeps me fully occupied). I’m pleased to say that my next Wesley mystery is now finished and edited (I can finally reveal the title will be Deadly Remains) and I’ll say more about it nearer publication time. I’m currently working on a brand new Joe Plantagenet book which is going well so far and I’m hoping to visit one of my favourite cities (York) soon to conduct more research.
In May I was on two panels at CrimeFest in Bristol and in June I attended a crime weekend called ‘Alibis in the Archives’ at the wonderful Gladstones Library in Hawarden, North Wales. During the weekend I was thrilled to meet a crime fiction hero of mine. The style of my own books was inspired by the twisty mysteries of a TV detective series called Taggart, written by Glenn Chandler. It was great to finally meet Glenn (and tell him how much I’d enjoyed his work). For anyone who hasn’t seen Taggart, I can’t recommend it too highly. The gritty Glasgow setting turns out to be rather deceptive because the mysteries are worthy of Agatha Christie herself and I’m often left gasping by the conclusion - I never saw that coming!
August saw the publication of Coffin Island, Wesley Peterson’s 28th case which has been very well received. The story includes a group of bell ringers and I was delighted that it earned a glowing review in the Ringing World (the magazine taken by bell ringers throughout the country). In September I visited Devon where I spoke at the lovely Ivybridge Bookshop and signed copies of my books at a number of bookshops in South Devon, including Browser Books, Dartmouth Community Bookshop, Harbour Books and Plymouth Waterstones.
The Ivybridge Bookshop & Waterstones Plymouth
I’ve spoken at libraries in West Kirby, Padgate, Huyton and Whitehaven where I’ve met a lot of enthusiastic readers. It’s always fantastic to meet the people who read my books and find out how much enjoyment they give. It makes all the hard work of writing worthwhile.
Another highlight of the year has been speaking at a brand new crime fiction festival in Sedbergh (England’s only book town) called Death in the Dales. Sedbergh is a gorgeous little town in the Yorkshire Dales endowed with a generous number of bookshops. The festival was really well attended and enjoyed by everyone there. Hopefully, it will return again next year.
I’m very much looking forward to being ‘in conversation’ with fellow crime author, Tom Mead, about the rise of ‘cosy crime’. It’s at Simply Books in Bramhall (a fantastic shop now run by the excellent Ben and Karen who’ve made a wonderful job of transforming the shop and making it a real asset to the community) on 7th November at 7pm and tickets are available now. https://lu.ma/kateandtom Do come along if you’re in the area.
On a personal note, I wrote last time about the loss of our beloved family dog, Finley. My younger son and his family have been missing having a dog around the place (and we’ve been missing having a furry house guest every time they’re away) so we were delighted to hear the news that they’re getting a new puppy – a cocker spaniel called Dot. We can’t wait to meet her!
I really can’t believe it’s May already. I think it’s probably because of the dreadful weather we’ve had up until now – cold and rainy with little sign of spring. Hopefully that will change from now on and next week I’m due to travel to Bristol to take part in CrimeFest, my favourite and, in my opinion, most friendly crime fiction festival. I’m participating in two panels this year. On Thursday 9th May I’ll be discussing abuses of privilege and power and on Sunday 12th I’m moderating a panel about crime fiction set between the wars. Should be fun and I hope to meet some of you there.
On a sadder note, this week saw the death of our beloved family dog, Finley (he was our younger son’s dog really but he stayed with us a lot and we came to love him). He was thirteen and his health had been deteriorating for a few months but losing him was still very difficult. He was a gorgeous border collie with a beautiful gentle nature and I’ve been very touched by the messages of condolence I received on Twitter (or should I say X). He is immortalized, however, in my book The Shadow Collector where he features as the heroic dog who helps Wesley to make a dramatic discovery. Sleep well, Fin.
To return to crime fiction, on 11th April I had a wonderful evening at the Serenity Bookshop in Romiley, Stockport where I launched the new paperback of The Killing Place, Wesley Peterson’s 27th investigation. It was lovely to meet such a large and enthusiastic audience there and many thanks to Chris and Kerry, the owners, for making me so welcome.
With Wesley’s 28th case, Coffin Island, ready to be published in early August, I’ve been working hard on the next in the series (number 29 – working title Murder Moon, although this may change). After I’ve completed this, I’ll begin work on a new Joe Plantagenet book – quite an exciting prospect! I’ll let you into a secret – I’ll have to re-read the first five before I start because as soon as I’ve finished a book, I tend to forget all about it and move on to the next – and it has been rather a long time since Joe solved a spooky crime in the mean snickleways of Eborby (aka York)!
Over the next few months, I’ll be out and about visiting libraries etc so do look at my events page and come and say hello if you can. Looking forward to seeing you.
A (very) belated Happy New Year to everyone. It seems a long time since Christmas but I do hope everyone enjoyed the Festive Season – and maybe received some of my books in their Christmas stockings.
After New Year I got straight back to work and I’m now 50,000 into the first draft of Wesley Peterson’s 29th case. This time Neil is tackling the excavation of a crashed World War Two plane on Dartmoor and Wesley’s investigating the mysterious death of a ghost writer in a chocolate box village nearby. However, that’s all I can really say about it at the moment because I’m still working my way through the plot.
The beginning of this month saw the publication of my next three Joe Planagenet books (there are five in all) with gorgeous new covers. SEEKING THE DEAD and PLAYING WITH BONES have now been joined by KISSING THE DEMONS, WATCHING THE GHOSTS and WALKING BY NIGHT and now that this series is more widely available, I really hope more people will be able discover Joe’s spooky investigations in the ancient Northern city of Eborby (which closely resembles the lovely, historic and very haunted city of York). I’m so thrilled that I’ll soon be able to continue this series, although it might be a while (because of my publisher’s schedule) before the next one appears on the shelves.
As well as writing, I’ve been busy arranging events for 2024. A couple of weeks ago I was delighted to find that a brand new independent bookshop had opened not far from where I live. I noticed that a fellow writer, Anthony Johnson, was launching his new book there so I went along to support him and I’m please to say that his new series, about a dog-sitter detective is proving very popular. I’ve noticed recently that people are beginning to enjoy the, shall we say, cosier end of the crime fiction market. Perhaps this is because the world is so troubled at the moment that readers want to escape into a more comfortable and certain place when they settle down with a book (I believe this happened in the 1930s as well). I’ve always tried to keep my own books fairly ‘cosy and classic’ because this is the type of book I’ve always enjoyed reading. I’m so pleased to see that fashion in reading appears to be catching up with me!
The shop where Anthony spoke is called the Serenity Bookshop in Romiley near Stockport and I’m pleased to say that I’m doing an event there to celebrate the launch of THE KILLING PLACE paperback on April 11th (see my Events page for details). Do come along if you can make it. I’ll also be speaking at some libraries as well as attending Alibis in the Archives at Gladstones Library and CrimeFest in Bristol. Hope to meet some of you there.
Better get back to writing. Neil’s just dug up a skeleton that definitely shouldn’t be there!
I’m writing this in the middle of all my Christmas preparations although so far they’re going well. The cards have all been sent, the presents have been wrapped, the carol services have been attended (although a cold I suffered from recently has robbed me of my singing voice) and this morning the turkey was caught and is now safely stashed in the fridge. As well as this I’ve completed the copy edit for Wesley’s next case (COFFIN ISLAND – out in the summer) and I’ve even started to plan his investigation for 2025 (although I’m afraid I’ve had to abandon writing for the time being to concentrate on the Festive Season).
A few days ago I received a rather nice Christmas present. My publisher has given me a contract for three new books (two Wesley Petersons and a brand new Joe Plantagenet). The good news is that three of my Joe Plantagenet books, KISSING THE DEMONS, WATCHING THE GHOSTS and WALKING BY NIGHT (rather spooky and set in Eborby – a thinly disguised York) will be issued by Little, Brown with beautiful new covers on 1st February 2024 – not long to go now. I must say I’m really looking forward to resuming this particular series and earlier this week I spent a few days Christmas shopping in York - and picking up a few new ideas of course.
However, the real purpose of this short update is to wish all my readers a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
And here’s something that I hope will make you smile. I’ve been thinking up a few new lyrics to famous Christmas songs – lyrics suited to the world of classic detective stories!
This one’s to be sung to the tune of Santa Claus is Coming to Town:
YOU’D BETTER THINK UP A GOOD ALIBI
IT BETTER BE CONVINCING, I’M TELLING YOU WHY
HERCULE POIROT’S COMING TO TOWN
HE’S MAKING A LIST
HE’S CHECKING IT TWICE
THOSE LITTLE GREY CELLS WILL WORK IN A TRICE
HERCULE POIROT’S COMING TO TOWN
HE KNOWS WHEN YOU’VE BEEN LYING
HE KNOWS WHO DID THE CRIME
HE KNOWS IF YOU’VE BEEN BAD OR GOOD
AND WHO DESERVES TO BE DOING TIME
SO YOU’D BETTER THINK UP A GOOD ALIBI
IT BETTER BE CONVINCING, I’M TELLING YOU WHY
HERCULE POIROT’S COMING TO TOWN
And finally here’s a revised verse for Walking in a Winter Wonderland:
IN THE MEADOW WE CAN BUILD A SNOWMAN
AND PRETEND THAT HE IS FATHER BROWN
HE’LL SAY ‘HAVE YOU SOLVED IT?’
WE’LL SAY ‘NO, MAN’
‘WELL I CAN DO THE JOB WHILE I’M IN TOWN’!
A very happy Christmas to everyone – and happy reading. See you next year!