Category: Cocktail Lounge

Angelena Boden

Angelena Boden  retired from running her own international training consultancy and happily settled in rural Shropshire. Her greatest pleasure is her  garden and having long conversations with the visiting robins. Her books include Edna’s Death Café and Love Bytes Back.

Hi how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?

A: Thank you for inviting me. I’d love a mocktail please. You choose!

So where did we first meet in real life?

A: We haven’t met in person but we became acquainted in 2016 and developed a telephone and Twitter friendship. I really hope we get to meet up in London this year.

What were your first impressions?

A: I found you to be very approachable and fun to chat to.

Apart from writing do we have anything other else in common?

A: Neither of us suffers fools gladly!

True! I’ve read Edna’s Death Café so tell me aboutits sequel.


A: My latest book is Love Bytes Back published by Troubador. It’s the second book in the Edna Reid Series. When lonely widow Kitty Merriweather moves to Derbyshire’s Hope Valley, she joins the Silver Rose online dating site because it offers a safe place for the over sixties to find romance. There she meets the enigmatic Harvey, a scientist working on a conservation project in Bali who promises her “hot days and stormy nights.”

Love blooms quickly but Kitty breaks all the rules laid down by the agency, putting herself at risk. When little things don’t add up she dismisses them as being unimportant. Nothing matters more than her plans for them to live happily ever after. When she confides in her new friend, Edna Reid, octogenarian and former café owner, Kitty gets angry at Edna’s implication she is likely the victim of a scam. The more Edna hears about Harvey, the more she is convinced he’s only interested in Kitty for her money. Using her knowledge of computers Edna finally uncovers the truth, but where does black magic and murder fit into this intriguing cosy mystery?

Are you working on anything at the moment?

A: I’ve been working on a novel based a memoir for the past two years. It’s called Chasing Peacocks and is about my time in Iran. It’s now finished and edited but as for its future…

What would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?

A: I’d love to do a Q/A with the former Bishop of Edinburgh – Richard Holloway. His latest book, Waiting for the Last Bus is one of my absolutely favourites.

What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

A: Invite my daughters for a celebratory dinner and to hug my grandson.

Is there anything lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

A: My lockdown life hasn’t been much different from my ordinary life, although I do miss my long coastal walks. I’ve completed an online course in First Aid Mental Health and I hope to offer my services to our local hospital.

You can find out more about Angelena Boden and her books here.

Linda Huber

Linda Huber grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, but went to work in Switzerland for a year aged twenty-two, and has lived there ever since. Her day jobs have included working as a physiotherapist in hospitals and schools for handicapped children, and teaching English in a medieval castle. Her writing career began in the nineties, when she had over fifty short stories published in women’s magazines. Several years later, she discovered the love of her writing life – psychological suspense fiction. Her ninth novel, The Runaway, was published in March 2020. She also writes feel-good novellas as Melinda Huber, and really appreciates having the views enjoyed by her characters right on her own doorstep!

Hi Linda how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?

L: Thank you – you need to either win the lottery or take out a huge mortgage to buy cocktails in Switzerland, so I’ve been looking forward to this! I’ll have a White Lady, please. They always look so elegant.

We can do elegance, Linda. Do you remember where we first met in real life?

L: I think that was in London. Bloodhound Books threw a huge party in a bar near King’s Cross Station, and I came over from Switzerland for that. It was a good evening!

It was and I was stunned to see you there, travelling all that way for a party! What were your first impressions?

L: You looked très chic in a dress, if I remember rightly. It was one of those evenings we were all meandering around in semi-darkness saying, ooh, look, there’s so-and-so!

Happy memories. Points in common?

L: The main point everyone had in common that night was – we were all screaming at each other, the music was so loud… Writers have so much in common, though, and it’s great to be able to chat in real life about the ups and downs of the writing life, especially if you write in a similar genre, as we do. Nobody “gets” it like another writer!

Indeed and we both started off by writing short stories. Tell me about your latest book?

L: A psychological suspense novel The Runaway. This one’s set mainly in and around St Ives. We had several holidays in Cornwall when I was a child – I just loved the magic of the place. The book centres on a family of three who relocate there from London. One of them discovers that you can’t run away from a secret. Or… can you?

I’ll look forward to reading that. What are you working on now?

L: My WIP at the moment is another psych. suspense novel. It’s just back from its structure/characters/plot edit, so I’m working through my editor’s suggestions and corrections. This one, which is giving me biggest headache ever as far as finding a title’s concerned, will probably join the others in my self-published collection, though it won’t be ready for a few months.

We can only think wistfully about book events at the moment so what would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?

L: That’s a hard one. I think I would like to be on a panel discussing character development in crime fiction. The other panelists would be Elly Griffiths, Elizabeth George and Mary Higgins Clark. (I can dream, can’t I?) And if could do the impossible, I’d like to watch a panel with those three plus Ruth Rendell. These ladies all write/wrote such great characters.

I’d join you for that! What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

L: Being able to go where I want to go without packing face masks and hand sanitiser, and without the nagging fear at the back of my mind all the time.

Is there anything lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

L: I think we’ve all learned to appreciate what we have, in this pandemic. It’s often the little things in life that give us the most pleasure – a zoom chat with my kids, meeting (at a suitable distance) friends locally and having a chat or a coffee. In the Spanish Flu epidemic last century, it took them three years to get on top of it. I’m hoping for two, this time, but we’re not even halfway there yet. Thank heavens for the Internet…

Absolutely and it’s been so lovely to catch up with you now Linda. I hope it’s not too much longer before we can meet in real life. In the meantime let’s have another White Lady.

You can find out more about Linda and her books here and follow her on Twitter @LindaHuber19

Chris Nickson

For many years Chris Nickson lived in the US, where he was a music journalist (among many other things). He now writes historical crime, mostly set in Leeds where he was born and raised, covering a range of era from the 1730s, all the way to the 1980s. Lately his focus has been on Simon Westow, an 1820s thief-taker, and Detective Superintendent Tom Harper, a working-class man who runs Millgarth police station in Leeds in the late 1800s/start of the 20th century.

Hi Chris how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?

C: I’d love a cup of tea, please. No sugar, just the tiniest splash of milk.

Well that’s a first  but fortunately my teapot is at hand. So where did we first meet in real life?

C: We haven’t – at least not yet. Maybe sometime post-coronavirus, if such a time can exist.

Well I hope it does and I look forward to visiting Leeds some time. First impressions?

C: You’re a good writer, and a lovely genial soul.

That’s kind. Points in common?

C: Both crime writers, of a certain age, and our politics both seem to lie firmly on the left.

The last novel I read of yours was The Tin God, a Tom Harper Mystery, which I loved. Tell me about your latest book.

C: Last month The Mystery Press published The Anchoress of Chesterfield, which, as the title suggests, isn’t set in Leeds, but is the fourth in an occasional series set in medieval Chesterfield. I lived near there after I moved back to the UK and really like the place.

Set in the 1360s, it features John the Carpenter who has been happy to leave the investigation of death behind. For six years now he’s been content to work with wood. But times are growing desperate.

Then the coroner summons him to look at the mysterious death of an anchoress, a religious woman who lived in confined solitude. She’s been murdered. Her father is an important local landowner, a man of influence with the crown. He’s distraught, and the money he offers John to find the killer can solve his problems and leave his family comfortable for life. But the path to the truth leads John to places where he’s not welcome and in danger for his own life.

Sounds intriguing. What are you working on now?

C: There’s a new Simon Westow, To The Dark, coming at the end of December, and another Tom Harper set for the middle of next year. Publication has been delayed because of Covid. I’d completed another Tom Harper to follow that, now awaiting my revisions, and I’m 10k in yet another one, because the devil finds work for idle hands.

That’s some output! When you take a breath between books, what would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?

C: Raymond Chandler, Knut Hamsun, and another long chat about the blues with guitarist Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. We once spent several hours discussing it on the phone.

Great choice. What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

C: I’m not sure I trust this government to lift it safely, so I’ll hang back.

Is there anything lockdown has made you think about or want to do?

C: It’s certainly made me think a lot more about my own mortality, and the need to get the books written that I want to complete.

Thanks for joining me today, Chris. More tea?

You can find out more about Chris Nickson and his books here and follow him on Twitter @ChrisNickson2

William Shaw

William Shaw’s fiction has been shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger and a Barry Award and long-listed for the CWA Gold Dagger plus twice for the Theakston’s Prize. His DS Alexandra Cupidi series – and the standalone bestseller The Birdwatcher – are set in Dungeness Kent. He also writes the acclaimed Breen & Tozer crime series set in sixties London. He worked as a journalist for over twenty years and lives in Brighton. His eighth book, Grave’s End, the latest in his Alex Cupidi series, was published in July by Riverrun.

Hi William how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. I’m on a winner here as I don’t have to pay for the drinks. However what can I get you at the bar?

W: Oh. I’ve brought my own hip flask of rhubarb gin, as it happens.  

You obviously didn’t trust my selection of beverages! I hope that isn’t to do with where we first met in real life?

W: Waterstones, Brighton, I believe. Around 2012 or 2013. It was for a book launch, but I can’t remember which one. There was wine, wasn’t there? Probably snacks.  

There’s always wine and, of course, we’ve met up at many book launches since as well as at CrimeFest and Morecambe & Vice. First impressions?

W: Smiles a lot. Slightly shorter than me.

I’m beginning to feel like Hermia in these interviews. Any points in common?

W: We both write books, for starters.

And we’ve both worked as journalists. Thinking about book festivals, what would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?

W: Innua Ellams because I’ve seen a couple of his plays recently and they’re so good. The last was Three Sisters just before lockdown. C. L. Taylor, who I’ve never been on a panel with – but she seems both wise and funny which is my ideal combination. Marina Hyde for similar reasons. 

Sounds great. I love your Alex Cupidi series although I haven’t read the latest one, so tell me about Grave’s End.

W: In Grave’s End, an unidentified cadaver is found in a freezer in an unoccupied luxury house. No one seems to know or care who it is or who placed it there. When DS Alexandra Cupidi is handed the case, she can have no idea it will lead her to a series of murderous cover-ups and buried secrets. Namely the discovery of the skeleton of public-school boy, Trevor Grey, beneath a housing development. His disappearance twenty five years earlier had almost passed unnoticed. But as evidence surfaces that his fate was linked to long suppressed rumours of sexual abuse, Cupidi, her teenage daughter Zoe and her friend Bill South find themselves up against powerful forces who will try to silence them.

I’m looking forward to reading that. What are you working on now?

W: I am half way through a standalone set at sea that is filled with VERY bad rich people and there’s a storm coming and I’m not at all sure how they’re going to get out of this. No date yet for that one. Plus my next in the Alex Cupidi series has just gone off to the copy editors and involves trawler-men, but still doesn’t have a title. Titles are hell.

You’ve certainly been busy writing-wise but what are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

W: I play in a ceilidh band. Even when lockdown is lifted I think it’s going to be a long time before we get to do anything like that again, sadly. Weird to say that you miss crowded rooms, isn’t it?

It is. What has lockdown made you think about/want to do?

W: I’ve been doing all sorts of DIY-ish stuff. I built some hefty raised beds and I’ve been restoring cane chairs. Not very crime fiction, is it?

I still remember the lovely bookcase you made for free books outside your house! Thank you so much for joining me here, William, and I look forward to meeting up when all this is over.

You can find out more about William Shaw and his books here and follow him in Twitter: @william1shaw


Rod Reynolds

Rod Reynolds is the author of four novels, including the Charlie Yates series. His 2015 debut, The Dark Inside, was long-listed for the CWA New Blood Dagger, and was followed by Black Night Falling (2016) and Cold Desert Sky (2018); the Guardian has called the books “Pitch-perfect American noir”. A lifelong Londoner, in 2020 Orenda Books published his first novel set in his hometown, Blood Red City. Rod previously worked in advertising as a media buyer, and holds an MA in novel writing from City University London. Rod lives with his wife and spends most of his time trying to keep up with his two young daughters.

Hi Rod how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?

R: If it’s cocktails it has to be a mojito, please!

A popular choice here. So where did we first meet in real life?

R: Oh no, you’ve got me there – at a book event, maybe someone’s launch? I do remember we then were thrown together for a panel at CrimeFest shortly after, which was great fun.

Yes I think it was an Orenda book event at Waterstones and since then we’ve done two CrimeFest panels together. What were your first impressions?

R: Bubbly, lively, chatty, fun.

Any points in common?

R: Writing, writing and writing. Also, my old job was to buy advertising space in some of the magazines you used to write for.

I’ve enjoyed your Charlie Yates series. Tell me about your latest book?

R: My latest book, Blood Red City, has just been published and is my first standalone. Set in my hometown of London, it sees a crusading journalist sent a video of an apparent murder on a London Tube train. When she begins to investigate, she’s drawn into a terrifying web of money, politics and power, where information is the only thing more dangerous than a bullet.

Sounds my perfect type of book. What are you working on now?

R: I’m working on a standalone that’s a bit more of a psychological thriller – but I haven’t discussed it with my publisher yet, so I can’t say too much more about that!

What would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?

R: I’d love to interview my big writing hero James Ellroy. I’m a huge fan so I’d like to ask him loads of in-depth questions about his work – the kind of thing authors hate, because I’d be asking him about some minor plot point in a twenty-five year old book that he probably barely remembers writing. He’d most likely just call me names and berate me for the duration.

Well if you’re reading this Mr Ellroy… What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

R: Being able to go to gigs again. I don’t get to go to that many these days anyway, and lockdown has made me miss and appreciate seeing live music even more.

Is there anything lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

R: Do some of the trips I’ve had in mind for years, such as travelling across Canada. It’s too easy to put these things off but lockdown and the pandemic have reminded me that there’s no time like the present.

I wonder what your daughters will make of travelling across Canada? Thank you so much for joining me, Rod and I hope we meet up at some book events soon.

You can contact Rod Reynolds rodreynoldsauthor@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter: @Rod_WR

Eva Jordan

Eva Jordan is the author of three novels, 183 Times A Year (2016), All The Colours In Between (2017), and Time Will Tell (2019), all are published by Urbane Publications. She also writes short stories and is a columnist and book reviewer for her local lifestyle magazine The Fens.

Eva,  how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?

E: Hi Anne, thanks so much for inviting me to your lovely cocktail lounge. I’d love a glass of Prosecco please; otherwise I’ll have a gin and tonic. Especially if it’s with one of those lovely fruity spice infused tonic waters.

Anything is possible here. So where did we first meet in real life?

E: I’m pretty sure it was at an Urbane drinks party in November 2016 at the Phoenix Arts Club. Then again at a couple more Urbane events, including the book launch of Simon Michael’s Corrupted in London in June 2018. I’ve got a fab couple of photos of you and I, and lovely fellow Urbane author Jo Ely from that day.

What were your first impressions?

E: That you were small, like me, that you had a lovely welcoming smile. You were also very bubbly and chatty, which was great for a newbie writer like me as you (and a few others) really helped put me at ease in what essentially was a roomful of complete strangers.

Any points in common?

E: We are both writers, are both published by Urbane, are both petite (sounds better than small!) and we both like to talk.

True on all counts. Tell me about your latest book?

E: I recently celebrated the first birthday of my third book, Time Will Tell, which, set in both the present day and 1960s London, is a story about family and the bonds that tie us together. It’s also a story of love and loss, retribution and redemption, but above all else, it is a story of hope. It can be read as a standalone but it is also the final chapter in a trilogy of stories regarding this rather madcap family, following on from my previous two novels, 183 Times A Year and All The Colours In Between.

What are you working on now?

E: Hmm… writing wise things have been a bit difficult of late. Unfortunately my daughter is chronically ill and has been for a number of years, which means she relies heavily on me for help. Recent months, however, have been particularly hard, especially with all the restrictions imposed on healthcare by the lockdown, which in turn of course has meant delayed treatment and appointments, and of course, a lack of outside help from friends and family, thus impacting on my time and ability to write. Any spare moments I have managed to steal have seen me exhausted, uninspired, and literally unable to write (partly because of worry). Having said that though, when I did stop writing earlier this year, I was actually part way through two stories; one, a love story spanning four decades, beset by deceit and tragedy and which currently stands at thirty thousand words, and the other, which has a slight supernatural feel about it, and currently stands at twenty thousand words. So it’s not all bad, and as lockdown continues to ease, it’s my dearest hope that gradually I’ll get back to writing again, picking up where I left off.

I hope you will. In the meantime what would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?

E: Ah – now there’s a question. I actually count myself lucky enough to have met and worked with some fabulous writers over the last five years or so. But if I could have done, it would have been wonderful to meet and do a Q&A with Andrea Levy. Sadly Andrea passed away last year, but I love the way she wrote, and Small Island is definitely one of my favourite books. I’d also love to meet Anna McPartlin because I love the way she weaves humour into her family based dramas, even during the really sad bits. I’d also like to meet Susie Lynes (I think we almost did once!) who is currently one of my favourite psychological thriller writers. I’m sure, locked in a room together, I could really learn a lot from these two fabulous authors.

What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

E: Hugging everyone again. I am an extremely tactile person, especially with friends and family, and there’s something very intimate, very healing about a hug – don’t you think? And not being allowed to hug the ones we love has to me, at times, almost felt inhuman.

Hugging is on my list as well! Is there anything lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

E: Honestly? To help people more, especially those struggling with health issues. The lack of proper help for my daughter has meant I’ve had to do a lot of my own research, which in turn has led me to alternative and complementary therapies, like homeopathy. That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped believing in traditional medicine, but I do think it can be beneficial to practice a combination of both. I’m therefore seriously thinking about studying and practicing homeopathy. Whether I actually follow that through, and if I do, whether I continue to write alongside it, remains to be seen. So… like the title of my third book I guess… ‘Time Will Tell!’

E: Thank you so much for a fabulous Q&A session, Anne. Now… fancy another drink!

I do and it’s been a pleasure to see you here and I hope life gets better for your daughter as lockdown eases and the NHS catches up with itself.

You can find out more about Eva Jordan and her books here and follow her on Twitter: @evajordanwriter

Kelly Florentia

Kelly Florentia was born and bred in north London, where she continues to live with her husband Joe, and where her novels The Magic Touch, No Way Back, Her Secret ­the last two published by Urbane Publications, are set. Before penning her debut, she wrote for women’s magazines – To Tell a Tale or Two is a collection of her short tales. In January 2017, her keen interest in health and fitness led to the release of Smooth Operator ­– a collection of twenty of her favourite smoothie recipes.

Hi how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge, Kelly. What can I get you at the bar?

K: Hi Anne, thank you so much for inviting me over. I’ll have a gin and tonic, please. A large one.

 A woman after my own heart! I feel I’ve known you for ages but we’ve never met in real life, have we?

K: No we met (virtually) on Twitter shortly after I signed with Urbane Publications.

I remember it well! First impressions?

K: I’ve been told that I’m a very good judge of character. I thought you were lovely and I was right!

Apart from a publisher, do we have any other points in common?

K: A love of writing and reading. I enjoy going to the theatre, too, whenever I can. We both live in London and I think we may both be a little bit addicted to social media.

And we’ve both written collections of short stories. Tell me about your last book?

K: My latest published book is Her Secret (Urbane Publications). It’s the second instalment in the Audrey Fox series, although it can be read as a standalone. I don’t know about you, but I feel a bit bereft when I finish a novel, so it was a joy to reconnect with all the characters from No Way Back whilst penning Her Secret. I’d describe it as a romantic drama with a thriller-esque edge. It’s set in Muswell Hill, north London, and is about real, ordinary people, warts and all. It’s based around the consequences of rushing into marriage and includes secrets, obsessions, old flames, and shoes! Audrey loves her Louboutins and her new husband loves buying them for her. But, of course, that can never be enough… can it?

I did enjoy reading Her Secret. What are you working on now?

K: I signed a book deal with Bloodhound Books a few weeks ago for my fourth novel, so I’m very excited about that. It’s a fast-paced psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns, and it publishes next February. Currently, I’m working on book five, another psychological thriller. I’m at that exciting stage of planning and plotting and creating characters. I’m more of a planner than a panster. I can’t get excited about a story until I’ve figured out the ending. I then take the most exiting route there! That said, the plot often changes once I get into the crux of the story and inside the character’s heads.

 Well that’s where we differ as I rarely plan as I write. But tell me what would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?

K: My dream panel would include Tammy Cohen, Alex Michaelides and S.J. Watson. All three authors wrote outstanding débuts, which I devoured in days. Their psychological thrillers are so intense and twisty and intriguing. As you know, Before I Go to Sleep has already been adapted into film and The Silent Patient is due on the big screen. I think that all novels have the potential to be made into films or TV dramas. The Mistress’s Revenge by Tamar Cohen remains a firm favourite of mine, and I’d love to see it on the box one day.

Now that lockdown has been eased, what are you most looking forward to?

K: Getting my hair cut, although husband has told me that he likes it long now! Going out for dinner with family and friends, although I know that won’t be happening for quite a while. Going to the library to get away from it all and write in peace!

Is there anything lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

K: Live in the moment and worry less about the future, especially the what-ifs and things I can’t change.  

K: Thank you so, so much for inviting me over, Anne, I’ve really enjoyed our chat!

It’s been a real pleasure.

You can find out more about Kelly Kelly Florentia here and follow her on Twitter @kellyflorentia

Jonathan Whitelaw

After working on the frontline of Scottish politics, Jonathan Whitelaw moved into journalism covering everything from breaking news, the arts, culture and sport to fashion, music and even radioactive waste. He’s also a regular reviewer and talking head on shows for the BBC. HellCorp and The Man In The Dark are published by Urbane Publications.

Hi how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge, Jonathan. What can I get you at the bar?

J: While I’m not a huge cocktail drinker (a nice pint of Guinness would be lovely), I’m going to opt for a classic Bloody Mary. Simple, delicious, classic.

So we haven’t met in real life but we do have a connection.

J: Unfortunately we’ve never met in real life, but we’re both Urbane-ites, and that’s as good as family!

Or better in some cases!

J: Seriously though, since I joined the Urbane stable, I’ve made so many great, new, wonderful friends. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a little over two years. But as I’m sure you’ll agree there’s a great sense of community about us Urbane writers. We stick together.

Apart from Urbane do we have any points in common?

J: Well, we’re both writers. We both write mysteries and thrillers. And we both enjoy a juicy whodunnit. Like you, I’m also a journalist – much like your fantastic protagonist Hannah Weybridge. I remember reading and reviewing Perdition’s Child ahead of its release and thinking, gosh, I wish my career as a hack was as exciting as this. Then all the grizzly stuff happens and I come back to my senses and am thankful of all the great, wonderful opportunities I have had as a reporter.

I don’t think many of us would enjoy Hannah’s career. Tell me about your latest book?

J: The Man in the Dark has been out a little over six months now. It’s the second in the HellCorp series that sees The Devil long for a holiday, only to be challenged by God to solve mysteries instead.

In the latest novel, Old Nick is on the hunt for a tourist kidnapped by international terrorists. But while he helps out the Met, Brutus and Cassius (yes that Brutus and Cassius) are making machinations to overthrow him in the Underworld.

What are you working on now?

J: The beauty of being a journalist is that I’m constantly writing – which is fantastic. I’ve always seen writing as a marathon – if you don’t keep at it, train yourself and stay in shape then it affects your overall performance. The third of the HellCorp novels is with Urbane at the minute. And I’m working on a number of other projects still in development.

What would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?

J: I grew up a huge Roald Dahl fan so getting a chance to interview him on a panel would be absolutely brilliant. His work transcends generations – Esio Trot, George’s Marvellous Medicine (which has one of the greatest opening lines in literature history) and The Vicar of Nibbleswicke are all so much fun that it’s hard not to smile just thinking about them. He was also a very accomplished adult fiction writer and screenplay scribe too. Truly a multi-talented writer who is still very sorely missed in our household and around the world.

What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

J: To be able to go back into a bookshop again. I know that sounds a bit corny. But it really is true that you don’t know you’ll miss something until it’s taken away from you. Waterstones in Glasgow Sauchiehall Street is a personal favourite of mine. I had the honour of hosting the launch of HellCorp there in 2018 and it’s one of the best-stocked shops of its kind in the city. A shout out to Waterstones Gower Street in London too. I was thrilled late last year to be in there and see The Man in the Dark on the shelves. I sort of felt like I’d made it!

J: The lockdown has been a very strange time for everyone. And I think having everyone involved has almost helped slightly. There’s been a sense of comradeship that was perhaps not as prominent as it could have been before all of this. My wife is a doctor so she’s seen it all on the frontline. We’ve both been greatly moved by the support shown of her from ordinary people. It really has made us all think.

Is there anything lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

J: It’s not as easy as just starting to write a book. I’ve been lucky during lockdown in that I’ve not missed any work. As a journalist and writer, there’s been plenty to do over the past few months. But I’ve seen a lot of the online community, perhaps newcomers to creative writing, saying that they’re using the time to start that project they’ve always wanted to do. I know there’s been a bit of smugness from us writers who have been shouting “we told you so” when all these people realise there’s a lot more to it than just bashing out 80,000 words. That said. Anything that gets people exploring their creative sides – no matter how difficult that is – surely has to be a good thing. So I wish them all the very best of luck. I really do think that this period will produce some great writing and stories we all want to read for years to come.

Thanks for joining me in The Cocktail Lounge, Jonathan and good luck with all your projects.

You can follow Jonathan Whitelaw on Twitter @JDWhitelaw13

Margaret Murphy

A past Chair of the Crime Writers Association (CWA), Margaret Murphy has published nine internationally acclaimed psychological thrillers under her own name, and two forensic series under pseudonyms. A Short Story Dagger and CWA Red Herring award winner, she has also been shortlisted for the ‘First Blood’ critics award and CWA Dagger in the Library. She has recently returned to writing under her own name with Before He Kills Again just published by Joffe Books.

Margaret, how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?

M: Thanks so much for inviting me! I’d usually have a cold, crisp glass of white wine, but as it’s a special occasion, and in deference to the psychoanalytic psychotherapist in my new novel, could I have a Freudian Slip, please?

Wonderful – I never knew there was so many different cocktails but I love the idea of this one! So where did we first meet in real life?

M: At Morecambe & Vice crime festival, September 2019, though we’d been online buddies for some time.

That was such a lovely festival. First impressions?

M: Wow, what a warm greeting! I have a bad memory for faces, and for a second, I was mentally scrambling to recall where we’d met before. Unless we really had met before . . ?

Yes I thought we’d met before but maybe the years on Twitter just make it feel that way. Points in common?

M: I love the research process because it sparks so many ideas for setting, character and plot; I imagine that, as a journalist, you do, too? And we’ve both written about the vulnerability of sex workers. Before He Kills Again features a predator who targets street prostitutes, as does your first Hannah Weybridge novel, Dancers in the Wind.

It does. Tell me more about Before He Kills Again.

M: It has just been published by Joffe Books, and I’m really hoping it will become a new series. A serial rapist is on the prowl in Liverpool: the “Furman” has taken seven victims so far – mostly working girls. DC Cassie Rowan, working undercover, has gained their trust, but the investigation stalls, and the next victim turns up dead. After a TV appeal yields a name, Rowan is convinced that he is the attacker and tracks him down to psychotherapist Alan Palmer. He has recently returned to work to after a devastating mistake which led to his young daughter witnessing a mentally scarring tragedy. He resists Rowan’s rather tactless attempts to elicit his help, and she finds herself at odds with both Palmer and her bosses. Can she find the Furman before he kills again?

Sounds like a great basis for a new series. What are you working on now?

M: I’ve just completed the third of the Detective Jeff Rickman books – a series I’d actually set aside for many years. Joffe Books are relaunching the first two (See Her Burn and See Her Die) and will publish the third later this year. I’m delighted to return to Jeff and his team: Scouse scally, DS Lee Foster; cool, sharply observant DC Naomi Hart; and slow-but-steady Lancastrian, Chris Tunstall ­– it was like meeting up with family after a long absence.

I love how our characters get under our skin like that. No Morecambe this year but what would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?

M: I’d love this to be a more informal round-table discussion over a meal and drinks, if that can be arranged? I mentioned after reading your interview with Victoria Dowd that Jeffery Deaver should be there – he’s a charming man, a brilliant writer, and widely read, as well as read widely. Richard Montanari, would be on my guest list, too: his books are always so different and the premise of his stories very inventive. Added to this, they often they have delicious film references, and I’d love to talk film with him. Patricia Highsmith, because she’s a supreme psychological writer, and to my mind, the originator of the serial killer genre. Her insights into the psychopathic mind are also chillingly authentic, so I might pick up a few tips. When I taught creative writing, I’d often turn to Margaret Atwood’s novels to inspire students to write compelling characters that lived and breathed in their readers’ imaginations. She has such a broad spectrum of interests, including popular fiction, and a ready, dry wit, that I’m sure she’d keep us spellbound. She also has a cocktail named for her: the Margarita Atwood – which would be the perfect ice-breaker!

Brillaint. What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

M: Go EVERYWHERE! I’ve had to shield during the lockdown, because of an underlying health condition, and was sent increasingly doomy texts by the government, warning of the dire consequences of face to face contact and imploring me to stay indoors, so I’m going quietly stir crazy! So, I’ll be going places, seeing wide skies and meeting with friends – one of whom conveniently lives on a cliff top in Cornwall, so I can combine the two.

One thing lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

M: My first degree was in environmental biology, so nature and the environment are always on my mind. I’ve made my garden a wildlife haven over the years, with hedges, bird feeding stations and bee & butterfly friendly plants. It’s been a haven to me, too, during lockdown, and so encouraging to see the variety and numbers of butterflies this year (though I wish they would lay off my brassicas!). I’ve done fundraising in the past for a couple of wildlife charities, but I’d like to take that further by doing some hands-on volunteer work.

That sounds wonderful, Margaret, and I look forward to hearing more about your garden when we next meet in person. Thank you for joining me today.

Find out more about Margaret’s books here and she’s always up for a natter on Twitter @murphy_dyer

Amanda Lees

Broadcaster, actress and novelist, Amanda Lees appears regularly on BBC radio and LBC and was a contracted writer to the hit series Weekending on Radio 4. She is the author of the bestselling satirical novels Selling Out and Secret Admirer (published by Pan) and has now turned her hand to nonfiction with A Dictionary of Crime published on 23 July by Little Brown.

Hi how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge, Amanda. What can I get you at the bar?

A: It’s lovely to see you too. I only wish it wasn’t virtually. A gimlet, please – for the vitamin C content, of course.

Of course. So where did we first meet in real life?

A: I think it the first time was at a CWA chapter meeting above a pub. Or was it a book launch? Anyway, alcohol was involved.

It was and alcohol always seems to be muscling in. What were your first impressions?

A: That you are every bit as fab, fun and feisty as your online self.

Those attributes must be our points in common. Any others?

A: Writing, crime, writing crime, cocktails, intolerance of idiots… a love of a good time… and no doubt many more that we have yet to discover. That’s why we need to have that wine-fuelled dinner as soon as possible (see below).

Absolutely! Tell me about your latest book which I love?

A: From Aconite to the Zodiac Killer: A Dictionary of Crime is an essential, go-to resource for readers and even for writers of crime fiction. More than simply a glossary, this is a guide that provides a doorway into a supergenre, and one that is not just for readers, but also for the many fans of film and TV dramas, of podcasts, and crime blogs. It is also an indispensable resource for writers or would-be writers of crime fiction who want to look behind the crime.

I certainly learned a few new words and definitions. What are you working on now?

A: The first book in a new fiction series as well as a standalone psychological thriller. No dates as yet but plenty of publishers asking to see both so I had better type faster.

What would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?

A: Of course, I would love to have a one-to-one chat with Keanu Reeves but I’d probably be stunned into silence so, as an alternative, I’d love to meet some of the astounding women I am researching, none of whom I can name as yet. They were brave, brilliant and had brains as well as beauty. And they could kill with their bare hands and drink any man under the table.

That’s one I’d love to see! What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

A: Sharing a bottle of wine and some great food with friends in a pub or restaurant. We can chat the night away, be silly, be ourselves again with no screens in between… just be.

Is there anything lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

A: I have more or less been locked down for five years anyway, caring for my daughter who was very ill but is now on the road to recovery. I want to make up for lost time and travel, one of my great passions. I also want to spend more time in nature and most especially by the sea. I grew up in Hong Kong and went to school in Devon, overlooking the sea. I can never be away from it for too long just as I can never stop writing for too long. Both make me happy and bring me peace.

Well you can keep writing and I hope you manage to get to the sea soon, Amanda. And I can’t wait for our proper catch-up in person.

You can find out more about Amanda Lees and her work here and follow her on Twitter @amandalees