If this latest crime offering by Elizabeth George were a river it would be a long, winding outback river that has experienced a once-in-a-lifetime flood—breaking its banks and spreading slowly in all directions. In this instance, the once in a lifetime flood is the murder of Michael Lobb, owner of a tin and pewter workshop that’s become the subject of a mining company’s offer.
It’s a straightforward crime with a clear motive, yet it takes Detective Beatrice Hannaford the first half of the...
For readers of thrillers, The Last Word is a wild, tense, hold-your-breath ride from beginning to end. For writers, it’s a masterclass in the use of red herrings, misdirections, and unexpected twists and turns.
Honestly, by the time I reached the end—dizzy from the number of twists in the last few pages—I was still expecting another one to come out of nowhere and sucker punch me.
Amazing.
It has all the elements of a good thriller: Emma Carpenter, a lone woman running from a tragic past with...
Investigative journalist, Martin Scarsden, makes a return in Chris Hammer’s latest thriller, Legacy. The novel starts with a bang, sending Scarsden into hiding in the outback town of Port Paroo. There he discovers feuding families, a historical mystery, stolen paintings, reported treasure, an unsolved murder, and a missing woman alleged to have shot her fiancé.
Scarsden’s life on the run crosses paths with that of Ekatrerina Boland (Ecco), a ghostwriter commissioned to write the history of...
Trouble in Paradise is the second of the Jesse Stone novels to be adapted for television—starring Tom Selleck. Set in the fictional town of Paradise, Massachusetts, this is a fast-paced, heavy-hitting novel that follows Stone, the police chief, as he battles his drinking problem while trying to prevent a heist that threatens the wealthy residents of nearby Styles Island—all while juggling the three women in his life, including an ex-wife.
Challenging? Not for Selleck… uh, sorry, Stone. He’s a...
The Raging Fire
As promised, subscribers to my newsletter should have received an e-book link for the prequel to The Whispering Palms—a novella called The Raging Fire, which I have just published. It’s not too late to sign up for my newsletter and receive the free e-book—just click the link below.
Get your FREE copy of The Raging Fire
The Roaring Seas
This month I’ve spent some time up in Andie and Mac country. There were plenty of whispering palms and plenty...
Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth has returned in Fiona McIntosh’s latest police procedural, Blood Pact. In this novel, Jack is charged with heading a counter-terrorism team investigating a series of domestic events. At the same time he is also drawn into a parallel investigation of murders triggered by a single blood transfusion.
Fiona McIntosh doesn’t share the belief that a novel is “just fiction” and is renowned for her commitment to authenticity and research as readers of her...
Writing by the Water
The highlight for me was attending Fiona McIntosh’s workshop and her keynote address. Both were fantastic, as were the other panels and discussions. While there were many great takeaways from the weekend, here are my top five from the workshop:
1. Time waits for no writer
Words...
When I grabbed The Palazzo, Kayte Nunn’s crime novel, from the shelves I was imagining a Palazzo in Venice. But no—it’s set in the Italian Alps. Despite this, it doesn’t disappoint. It has all the atmosphere you’d expect in a renovated palazzo, complete with vineyard and Marco, a Michelin-starred chef and its owner. Ever present is the tension of a ‘locked-room’ mystery made famous by Agatha Christie.
The action revolves around Vivi, who, after the death of her husband, chooses to celebrate...
I love a destination thriller, and The Surf House, set in Marrakesh and along Morocco’s windswept coastline, seemed to tick all the right boxes. The isolated surf house, set on a rugged and often dangerous section of the coast forms the ideal backdrop for a group of characters who all appear to be hiding something.
The main character, model Bea, throws in her modelling career and, while exploring her new-found freedom in the alleyways of Marrakesh, is robbed of her passport and bag. When she...
New Website
Hang on tight—for what could be a bit of a wild ride. My website is set for a glow up when I migrate to a new platform. I’m hoping the transition will be smooth, but if not, it will be up and running as soon as possible. My URL www.annetteleigh.com will remain the same.
New Covers
I’ve received the covers for my two novellas coming out soon. The Raging Fire is the prequel to my two novels in the Bayswater Series—so, if you’ve ever wondered how Andie and Mac met, this one is for you....
Imagine my excitement when I picked up The White Crow, the new crime novel by Michael Robotham, and discovered he’d opened with a quote from one of my favourite authors, F. Scott Fitzgerald:
‘…in a real dark night of the soul it is always three o’clock in the morning.’
And for the main character, Philomena McCarthy, that’s exactly what it feels like—for the entire novel.
And why wouldn’t it? She has a promising career with the Metropolitan Police in London, a father who heads a crime family...
