By pure c-incidence, at more-or-less the same time Alison Morton and I both decided to have a go at a different genre. Alison to write a thriller that was more contemporary than her Roma Nova alternative history series, and I thought I’d write something lighter than my historicals and Sea Witch Voyages, so I decided to have a go at a ‘murder mystery’ quick read novella. (If you can call murder ‘lighter’!)
I had also, for some time, wanted to write something where I could use my more than a decade of experience working as a library assistant. The two ideas gelled together and materialised as a ‘cosy mystery’ (more Midsomer Murders rather than Morse).
Here’s the result:
Eighteen-year-old library assistant Jan Christopher’s life is to change on a rainy Friday evening in July 1971, when her legal guardian and uncle, DCI Toby Christopher, gives her a lift home after work. Driving the car, is her uncle’s new Detective Constable, Laurie Walker – and it is love at first sight for the young couple.
But romance is soon to take a back seat when a baby boy is taken from his pram, a naked man is scaring young ladies in nearby Epping Forest, and an elderly lady is found, brutally murdered...
Are the events related? How will they affect the staff and public of the local library where Jan works – and will a blossoming romance survive a police investigation into murder?
A couple of lovely reviews also give a good idea of what the story is about:
 |
| Book of the Month |
“A delightful read about an unexpected murder in North East London. Told
from the viewpoint of a young library assistant, the author draws on her own
experience to weave an intriguing tale” Richard Ashen (South Chingford
Community Library)
“Lots of nostalgic, well-researched, detail about life in the 1970s, which readers of a certain age will lap up; plus some wonderful, and occasionally hilarious, ‘behind the counter’ scenes of working in a public library, which any previous or present-day library assistant will recognise!” Reader Review
ALISON MORTON’s DOUBLE IDENTITY
When it comes to writing contemporary thrillers, Alison knows what she’s doing regarding characters, plot, research and sheer page-turning engrossing readability!
Deeply in
love, a chic Parisian lifestyle before her. Now she’s facing prison for murder.
It’s three days since Mel des Pittones threw in her job as an intelligence analyst with the French special forces to marry financial trader Gérard Rohlbert. But her dream turns to nightmare when she wakes to find him dead in bed beside her.
Her horror deepens when she’s accused of his murder. Met Police detective Jeff McCracken wants to pin Gérard’s death on her. Mel must track down the real killer, even if that means being forced to work with the obnoxious McCracken.
But as she unpicks her fiancé’s past, she discovers his shocking secret life. To get to the truth, she has to go undercover and finds almost everybody around her is hiding a second self. Mel can trust nobody. Can she uncover the real killer before they stop her?
We’d love you to join us on our joint tour!
Alison and I are embarking on a joint tour during February, where we explain a lot more about our new books – and why and how we turned to crime!
FEBRUARY
4th Clare Flynn with both of us
5th Derek Birks with both of us
7th Elizabeth St John with both of us
8th Lucienne Boyce with both of us Should authors change names as well as genres?
10th Pam Lecky with both of us read an excerpt from each book
11th Jacquie Brown with a review of Alison Morton's Double Identity
and... Kathryn Gauci will feature both of us in her newsletter (Sign up for it here: https://www.kathryngauci.com/about-the-author/ )
12th Jo Barton with both of us A look at why we chose our locations and characters
13th AA Abbott reviewing Double Identity https://aaabbott.co.uk/blog/
14th Cryssa Bazos with both of us
15th Chris Longmuir with both of us
17th AA Abbott with Helen https://aaabbott.co.uk/blog/
18th Jacquie Brown with Alison Morton http://www.frenchvillagediaries.com
DOUBLE
IDENTITY
"A stunning new thriller from the author of the award-winning Roma Nova series, fans of Daniel Silva, Stella Rimington and Chris Pavone will love Double Identity."
Kindle: https://mybook.to/DoubleIdentity
For all ebook and paperback retailers: https://bit.ly/3s0XUlV
A MIRROR MURDER
Will romance blossom between library assistant Jan Christopher and DC Laurie
Walker – or will a brutal murder intervene?
Amazon: getbook.at/MirrorMurder
TOUR TWO!!!!
My thanks to Mary Anne Yarde ad an anonymous good friend of Richard Tearle's for organising this tour...
Join The Coffee Pot Book Club on tour with…
THE NORTH FINCHLEY WRITERS’ GROUP
By Richard Tearle, with Helen Hollick
February 15th – February 19th 2021
When a group of north London writers meet each month for a chat, coffee, and cake – what else is on their agenda? Constructive criticism? New Ideas? An exciting project? And maybe, more than one prospective romance...?
Eavesdrop on the monthly meetings of the North Finchley Writers' Group, follow some ordinary people with a love of story writing, and an eagerness for success. Discover, along with them, the mysteries of creating characters and plot, of what inspires ideas, and how real life can, occasionally, divert the dream...
reviews welcome
February 15th
February 16th
LoupDargent.info
Let your Words Shine…
Gwendalyn's Books
I got lost in a book
Candlelight Reading
Mary’s Bookcase
February 18th
The Book Bandit’s Library
Zoe’s Art, Craft and Life
The Books Delight
Anna Belfrage – Stolen Moments
Judith Arnopp Official Blog
Thank you for joining the tour!
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Helen