Fancy some Florida sunshine? You can grab the Retired Detectives Club series for just £1 an ebook for a limited time! Find out more here… https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Sunshine-Retired-Detectives-Club-ebook/dp/B094JMFJNK/
I’m super excited to share the cover of the third Retired Detectives Club book – Death on the Beach. It’s out in July 2023 and available for pre-order on Amazon here.
Here’s the blurb:
Did she jump—or was she pushed? The Retired Detectives have a theory. Now they just need the evidence…
The brand-new Shimmering Sands retirement community is a beachfront paradise—until realtor Jessie Beckton plunges to her death from the penthouse suite she’s selling. When the cops rule out foul play, the Retired Detectives agree to step in. They’re certain Jessie was murdered—but how can they prove it when the apartment was locked from the inside?
As the gang pursue their investigation, a host of potential suspects emerge who all have secrets to hide. But just as they seem to be closing in on a culprit, a shocking second murder sends them back to square one.
Meanwhile, former CSI Lizzie’s marriage to ex-DCI Philip suffers a fateful blow. And their partners in crime-solving, Rick and Moira, find their new romance tested when a mystery woman from Rick’s past appears—with a child in tow.
The team must put aside their differences and join forces with a former adversary if they’re to solve the case. But in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, can they lure the killer into the open before one of them pays the ultimate price?
I’m super excited to let you know that The Retired Detectives Club book 2 – DEATH AT PARADISE PALMS – has a gorgeous cover and an enticing description up on Amazon.
I really love them – what do you think?
When movie producer Cody Ziegler goes missing from The Homestead’s Millionaires’ Row, his wife, retired actress Olivia, immediately claims there’s foul play afoot. A million-dollar ransom demand soon follows, with clear instructions not to involve the cops. In desperation she enlists the help of Moira, Rick, Philip and Lizzie, aka the Retired Detectives Club.
Racing against the clock, the four retirees set to work. Sure, Cody had enemies—there’s a disgruntled employee, a jilted film-maker and a hundred other people who know how much he’s worth. But when it emerges that Cody’s apparently perfect marriage isn’t what it seems, even Olivia isn’t above suspicion.
When Cody’s car turns up in a nearby lake with a shocking surprise inside, the case becomes even more complicated. But with Philip and Lizzie’s marriage on the rocks, and threatening notes sending Moira into a spin, the Retired Detectives Club risks falling apart before getting any closer to the truth.
Can Moira and the gang find Cody before it’s too late? Or will this case see them lose in more ways than one?
DEATH AT PARADISE PALMS is out in October 2022. You can find out more and pre-order the book at Amazon UK HERE or Amazon USA HERE
This year the annual Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate took place from 21 – 24 July. I always look forward to it because not only is it a fabulous festival packed with crime writing panel and events, but it’s also a chance to catch up with my writer mates. This year was no exception, in fact I think it was the best yet!
I arrived a day early, on the Wednesday, as my panel was scheduled for 9.30am the next day. I’d been intending to travel by train, but 10 minutes before I was due to leave for the station I got an alert on my phone telling me that my train was cancelled (the rails were a casualty of the immensely hot weather the previous two days). So, instead, I jumped in the car and drove the four plus hours to Harrogate.
On Thursday I attended the opening of Creative Thursday, by festival chair and wonderful author, Denise Mina, and then it was time to get to work and onto the Creative Thursday Alumni panel with Mari Hannah, Lesley Thomson, and David Bishop. It was a lot of fun to be on a panel with these brilliant authors and the time flew past! It was lovely to meet the participants of Creative Thursday, and chat to them about their writing journeys during the coffee break, before they continued on to workshops with the fantastic Vaseem Khan, and Greg and Kate Mosse.
Over the next few days I caught up with writer friends old and new, met fabulous editors Leodora Darlington and Victoria Haslam for the first time in person (having joined my publisher in Covid times our meetings have been virtual until now), and met up with my brilliant agent, Oli Munson. I also attended Luca Veste’s book launch for his latest (wonderful) novel You Never Said Goodbye, and the hugely fun Thomas & Mercer party. Other top highlights were seeing the legends that are Michael Connelly and Mark Billingham on stage, and meeting Michael Connelly.
There really is no place like Harrogate Festival.
I’m already counting the days until next year!
I’m thrilled to share some very cool news – my new book DEATH IN THE SUNSHINE has been picked as one of the books in the February Amazon First Reads selection. This means that you can read it a month ahead of launch day, and Amazon Prime customers can chose to read it as one of the free books that come with Prime Membership.
The First Reads promotion is running in the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia.
Click on the links below to find out more:
I’m very excited for this book to be out in the world. It’s the first story in my new Retired Detectives Club series and I really hope you enjoy it.
Well 2021 has been a strange kind of year hasn’t it?! As the end of the year approaches I like to reflect on what’s happened over the past twelve months and start to plan for the new year.
For me, this year has been an emotional rollercoaster. I’ve moved house – an interesting process during a time earlier in the year when we had more Covid-related restrictions in place – but well worth it. I’ve also, like so many people over the past eighteen months, experienced the sudden loss of a close family member.
2021 has also been the first year for five years that I’ve not had a new book published which has felt quite odd but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been busy.
As well as doing novel critiques and coaching new and more experienced writers as part of www.crimefictioncoach.com I’ve been putting the finishing touches to the first book in my new Retired Detectives Club series.
DEATH IN THE SUNSHINE will be published in March 2022 by Thomas & Mercer, and I’m currently writing the first draft of the second book in the series. I’m super excited about this new series and can’t wait for it to be out in the world.
It was lovely that after very few crime writing events being able to go ahead in 2020, there were more able to take place this year. I was on a panel at the always brilliant Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate back in July and it was huge fun to meet up with readers, bloggers, reviewers and fellow writers over the four day festival – all united in our love of everything crime fiction. There have been more virtual festivals starting over the past couple of years which I think is fantastic as it makes festivals even more accessible. Hopefully (Covid-safety permitting) 2022 will see even more festivals – face-to-face, virtual and hybrid – able to take place.
My first task in 2022 will be to finish a polished first draft of Retired Detectives Book 2 and send it off to my editor by my deadline at the end of January. I’ll then be focusing on the editing of that book before starting the planning for the third instalment in the series. And I’m really looking forward to launching DEATH IN THE SUNSHINE in March.
Whatever your 2021 has been like, I’d like to wish you health, happiness and success in 2022.
Steph x
I love a Christmas themed murder mystery at this time of year.
For my top three Christmas-themed reads I’ve picked a favourite from a couple of years back plus two brand new releases that I think you’ll enjoy as much as I do.
The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict
Lily Armitage returns to rural stately pile, Endgame House, one last time to take part in the annual family tradition – the Christmas Game. Along with her relatives she must try to solve 12 clues and find 12 keys. The prize for the winner is ownership of Endgame House. But as the game begins, and the snow blocks the roads and holds the family captive, people begin to die. Lily has to solve the murders and the clues if she’s to have any chance of making it through Christmas alive. This atmospheric locked room mystery is a super more-ish, puzzle-filled read that’ll have you solving the clues along with Lily. It was published last month and you can find out more HERE.
Mistletoe and Crime by Chris McDonald
Published earlier this month, this modern cosy mystery sees best mates and amateur sleuths Adam and Colin investigating the death of a homeless man. Although the police have written the man’s death off as an accident, Adam and Colin think foul play is involved. Undeterred by a warning from the cops to stay out of it, they leap into action and soon find themselves getting much closer to the killer than they’d ever imagined. This is a fun, jaunty-paced read with lots of clever classic and modern Christmas references. You can find out more HERE.
The Deaths of December by Susi Holliday
This advent calendar themed novel is a fast-paced race against time to catch a killer who has gone undetected for a long time. When an advent calendar is sent to the police, and they discover there’s a crime scene behind each door, DC Becky Greene and DS Eddie Carmine must piece the clues together and find the serial killer before they strike again. This is a twisty, turny serial killer novel with lots of Christmassy action that’ll pull you in and along for the ride. It was published a few years ago and is still just as fresh. You can find out more HERE.
So if you’re looking for a Christmas-themed read I highly recommend you check out these books. Then pour yourself some mulled wine and have a cheeky mince pie as you settle down for a good read.
I’m thrilled to show you the cover of my forthcoming book – Death in the Sunshine. Isn’t it gorgeous!
Death in the Sunshine is the first book in my new Retired Detectives Club series and it will be published by Thomas & Mercer in March 2022. It’s available for pre-order now – click HERE to head over to Amazon.
Here’s the blurb:
Four ex-cops in a retirement paradise. Sure they’ll rest…when the killer is caught.
After a long career as a police officer, Moira hopes a move to a luxury retirement community will mean she can finally leave the detective work to the youngsters and focus on a quieter life. But it turns out The Homestead is far from paradise. When she discovers the body of a young woman floating in one of the pools, surrounded by thousands of dollar bills, her crime-fighting instinct kicks back in and she joins up with fellow ex-cops—and new neighbours—Philip, Lizzie and Rick to investigate the murder.
With the case officers dropping ball after ball, Moira and the gang take matters into their own hands, turning undercover homicide investigators. But the killer is desperate to destroy all the evidence and Moira, Philip, Lizzie and Rick soon find themselves getting in the way—of the murderer and the police.
Just when they thought they could finally relax, they discover that someone has infiltrated their ‘safe’ community. Can they hunt down the murderer and get back to retiring in peace? And after all the excitement, will they want to?
It was the best fun to be a part of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2021. After all face to face events were cancelled in 2020 it was so great to reconnect with my crime writing pals and with all the brilliant readers and bloggers that I haven’t seen in what seems like forever.
Programming Chair, Ian Rankin, along with Sharon Canavar and all at Harrogate International Festivals and the team at the Old Swan Hotel did a totally awesome job – making a friendly, fun and fresh-air filled programme with the most wonderful festival atmosphere.
The panel I was on took place on Friday morning where, guided by our excellent moderator Charles Cumming, Holly Watt, AA Dhand, Simon Kernick and myself talked about Gung-Ho Action Heroes and the fun and challenges of thriller writing. I was pretty nervous beforehand – the Harrogate tented auditorium was massive! – but as soon as we started talking the nerves melted away. It was so much fun.
As well as catching up with old friends and new, I took at trip to the brilliant independent bookstore – Imagined Things – in the centre of Harrogate and signed a few books. It’s a lovely shop, staffed by fabulous people, and I strongly recommend a visit at any time of the year.
If you love crime fiction, and you didn’t get to the festival this year, be sure to put next year’s date in your diary: 21-24 July 2022. It’d be great to see you there.
I’m really excited that Deep Dark Night – book four in the Lori Anderson thriller series – will be out in paperback next week.
In advance of the launch, my publisher Orenda Books has made this fab trailer 🙂
Check it out…
Steph Broadribb 