Author: a.coates1@btinternet.com

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

Louise Beech

Louise Beech’s debut novel, How to be Brave, was published in 2015, followed by The Mountain in my Shoe, Maria in the Moon, The Lion Tamer Who Lost, Call Me Star Girl and, most recently, I Am Dust all published by Orenda Books and all attracting great reviews and accolades.

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

L: I’m a girl of routine. If I’m having a meal, I like a glass of Pinot Grigio. If I’m celebrating, then it’s Champagne or Prosecco. And if I’m out on the town, a Gin Sling or two. So what are we doing? Partying? Eating? Celebrating? All of it…

All of it but let’s start with Champagne. So where did we first meet in real life?

L: I believe we first met outside Goldsborough Books in London. It was September 2016, and I’d just had my launch of The Mountain in my Shoe at Waterstones. There was some sort of crime event and so I rushed across to attend that too. It was hot. I was quite drunk, I believe.

Yes, I was at your launch and then we all dashed over to Crime in the Court led by Karen Sullivan! You looked stunning and so happy. First impressions?

L: You had a lovely smile, and hair almost as wild as mine. I was on a high and a bit overwhelmed with having a new book out, and just having done a Q&A, but I clearly haven’t forgotten it. I think we have since met at a few festivals. And it’s always a pleasure.

Yes I think the last time was at CrimeFest 2019 where you did a fantastic job moderating a panel. Any points in common?

L: Writing is always a great thing to have in common. And there are not many out there with the same curls as I have. Most people give in and straighten them.

I’ve read all but two of your books and I loved I am Dust which resonated with some personal memories for me. Tell us about it?

L: I Am Dust is a bit of a ghost story and a bit of a love story and a bit of a whodunnit too set in a theatre – and was inspired by my own time working as an usher. The theatre is believed to be haunted by a long-dead actress, Morgan Miller, looking for the person who killed her.

Dust, the iconic musical, is returning after twenty years. Theatre usher Chloe Dee is caught up in the spectacle. As the new actors arrive, including an unexpected face from her past, everything changes…

 It’s been a challenge launching it during lockdown.

Yes so many authors have found themselves “grounded” during this time. What are you working on now?

L: I just finished a couple of books. This Is How We Are Human will be published by Orenda next year (pencilled in for June) and is about a young autistic man looking for love. It was inspired by the son of a great friend of mine, and a particular dilemma he had. It explores a few modern-day issues, including consent, sex workers, and how we judge those with any sort of disability. I also finished my memoir, Daffodils, inspired by my mum’s suicide attempt last year and have been sending it out to publishers.

That must have been difficult for you. On a lighter note 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: I’d love to do a panel with some of my favourite memoir writers, like Rhik Samadder and Maggie O’Farrell. Even though she writes fiction, it would be cool to have Margaret Atwood there too, just for the privilege. I’d also invite dear friend Madeleine Black, author of Unbroken, and we’d have a juicy chat all of us.

Sounds fascinating – mind you any panel that includes you is always fun. In the meantime what are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

L: Hugging my friends.

Another thing we have in common! Is there anything lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

L: It made me complete my memoir and decide to send it out for publication. I wasn’t going to, feeling it was too personal. But I realised it might help others.

Louise it’s been a delight to catch up with you. Good luck with This Is How We Are Human and your memoir, Daffodils. Let’s have another glass of Champagne to celebrate.

You can find out more about Louise Beech here and follow her on Twitter @LouiseWriter.

Victoria Dowd

Victoria Dowd was a criminal law barrister for many years, until she finally hung up her wig in favour of more fictional crimes. An award winning short story writer, Victoria’s début novel, The Smart Woman’s Guide to Murder, was published by Joffe Books in May this year and is the first in a series featuring the Smart women.


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

V: Hello! I’d like a Guilty 12 please, the cocktail invented on The Orient Express in homage to Agatha Christie. The 12 mystery ingredients represent each of the suspects. Sounds pretty lethal to me!

Deadly but I’ll join you – probably keeps all viruses at bay! So I don’t think we’ve actually met in real life, have we?

V: Sadly not but after lockdown ends I’ve made a promise to myself to meet all the wonderful authors, bloggers and reviewers I’ve met online as a result of my book being published. I’m going to be very busy!

But happily busy, I hope. Apart from both being authors what else do you think we have in common?

V: I absolutely love the Cocktail Lounge! Cocktails and books – two of my favourite things. And crime, of course.

Of course. Tell me about your début.

V: The Smart Woman’s Guide to Murder was published by Joffe Books last month. It’s a crime novel in the tradition of the Golden Age of crime fiction. Members of a book club stay at an isolated country house and when they are snowed in the murders begin. There’s a lot of dark humour between the guests, particularly the mother, daughter and aunt. The atmosphere is very far from cosy! To survive, they will, of course, need to work out “whodunit”.

Another one for my TBR pile. What are you working on now?

V: I’m hard at work on the follow up book in the series. It’s called The Smart Woman’s Guide to Survival since the women who survive the first book decide they need to get better at surviving so they go on a Bear Grylls style survival course. They’re not well-suited to this kind of environment. When they find themselves on an uninhabited island in the Outer Hebrides and people start being murdered, it’s either one of them or someone else is on the island with them. I’m loving writing this novel. It’s based on an actual island in the Outer Hebrides which has one large Manor House and a very small chapel. I first saw it in photographs taken by John Maher and got in touch with him. It turned out he was the drummer in the punk band the Buzzcocks. The island is uninhabited but I managed to speak to the owner who is absolutely wonderful and agreed to take me over there. There’s no electricity and, of course, no phone reception or WiFi – perfect for a murder mystery so it’s all very exciting, if a little scary. I’m hoping to get over there later in the year or next year maybe – who knows?

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?

V: I’d love to be interviewed by Caitlin Moran at a literary festival such as Hay. I’ve seen her in conversation a few times and love her books. Because it’s a “dream” panel, I’m going to have to say Agatha Christie. She is my heroine and I utterly adore her work. Alongside her, I’d go for Sophie Hannah (because she writes the new Poirot so beautifully), Susan Hill (as I adore everything she writes and love her gothic novels such as The Woman in Black), Hilary Mantel (for sheer genius and eccentricity) and crime writer Margaret Murphy. Margaret gave up so much of her time just before my book was published to speak to me on the phone and email to give me so much advice and support. I couldn’t believe a best selling crime writer would be so interested and helpful to a new crime writer. She really made such a huge difference and is an amazing author. And finally, I’d have to have Helena Kennedy QC. When I had my first case in the Old Bailey, I remember sitting in the loo just saying to myself, “I can’t do this!” There was a knock on the loo door, I opened it and there was Helena Kennedy who simply said, “Yes, you bloody can. Now get out there!” She is the very epitome of yes, you bloody can and a strong, incredibly intelligent woman who, no matter what the case, crusades for justice. I think that’s a wonderful panel of Smart women to dream about sitting alongside.

An amazing array of smart women – a real dream panel. And what a lovely tribute to Margaret Murphy and Helena Kennedy. In the meantime, what are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

V: Having a hug with my sister and having a launch party for my book – which I’m hoping to combine. It’s been a little weird having a launch during lockdown but it has been very special and unique. The wonderful authors at Joffe Books and Books ‘n’ all Promotions came together for a Facebook launch that involved virtual drinks, food and quizzes with real prizes to celebrate the launch of The Smart Woman’s Guide. One of the lovely ladies even made prizes for the quiz of key rings of my book and fridge magnets. I was just so incredibly touched by the effort that went into this for a first time author that none of them had ever met. I also had a zoom party with close friends who all appeared on the screen in various forms of fancy dress. There were quite a few cocktails drunk that night. People have been absolutely wonderful and, in some ways, it has been so different that it’s made it something I will always cherish the memory of. Having said that, I think I can still have a real party too. As I’m sitting in the garden for this interview, my lovely neighbours who are part of a jazz band called Kalamazoo are rehearsing, I’m having a cocktail in the sun and talking about books. What could be more perfect?

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

V: It’s really made me think how important independent bookshops are and libraries. I used to spend a lot of time grabbing a coffee and wandering around my local bookshop browsing and chatting to the owner and all the people who work there. I miss that a lot and hope that when we surface, those shops are still intact and can thrive again. Local based businesses have been so important over the last few months. Not just for books, but round us the farmers, dairies and local farm produce shops have been utterly invaluable. It used to be so easy just to click on a supermarket website for whatever we wanted but I’m never going back! I love the local farm shop and the tiny dairy who have never failed to deliver milk and fresh eggs. I think it has really hit the re-set button for me and I’m going to hold my family and friends so close and value all the small, irreplaceable things in life.

It’s been lovely to chat with you Victoria and I’m really looking forward to celebrating with you in the real world!

Your can find out more about Victoria Down here and follow her on Twitter @victoria_dowd 

Ruby Speechley

A pleasure to welcome Ruby Speechley to the Cocktail Lounge. Before becoming a full-time writer Ruby’s career spanned HM Land Registry PR and marketing then journalism. She has had two psychological thrillers published by Hera Books: Someone Else’s Baby (July 2019) and Every Little Secret (April 2020).

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

R: A glass of Prosecco please!

I’ll join you. So where did we first meet in real life?

R: I think I first met you at a Vanguard evening in Peckham, although I’m sure we knew each other before that on Twitter.

We did and it was so lovely to meet you IRL. I was delighted when you came over to me and were so friendly. What were your first impressions?

R: You gave me such a warm welcome when we first met, as though we’d known each other for years!

So we must have a few points in common.

R: We both enjoy crime fiction and know lots of other writers: Angela Clarke,  Amanda Saint (Retreat West) and Richard Skinner (Faber Academy), to name a few.

I’ve read and enjoyed Someone Else’s Baby so tell me about your latest book?

R: My second psychological thriller, Every Little Secret came out on 23 April this year. Maddy and Max Saunders are devastated by the death of their five-year-old daughter, Chloe. Maddy is trying to keep the family together for the sake of their other daughter, Emily but then Max goes missing and the fallout following his apparent suicide reveals he had told her lie after lie. His web of betrayal forces her to examine their life together to uncover the truth of his secret life…

Sounds right up my street. What are you working on now?

R: I’m working on the edits for my third as yet untitled novel with Hera Books, which is due out this November. Book four is planned out and I have a solid idea for book five.

You’re being amazingly productive. 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 liked to be at one of those old informal late-night TV chat shows with guests drinking and smoking and not being at all guarded about what they say. Daphne du Maurier, Patricia Highsmith and Agatha Christie discussing their writing craft would be interesting clash of the titans.

That would be an amazing array of writers. What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

R: Spending more time with my new grandson! He was born a month ago and I’ve only seen him once. I’ve not seen my parents for six months either due to them shielding (even before lockdown) so I would love to see them too.

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

R: Family, friends and my health have always been important to me and lockdown has emphasised this. It has also proved to me the importance of creativity in all its forms, writing, reading, cooking, films, TV dramas, art and music.

I’d agree with all that Ruby. Thank you so much for joining me and I’m looking forward to seeing you when we can. In the meantime, may I refresh your drink?

You can find out more about Ruby Speechley and her books here and follow her on Twitter @rubyspeechley

Bernie Steadman

I’ve missed seeing Bernie Steadman at our usual get-together at CrimeFest this year so am delighted to welcome her here. Bernie is the author of The West Country Crime Mysteries (Bloodhound Books), a trilogy set in the city of Exeter and the surrounding Devon towns, coast and countryside.

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

B: It’s very nice to be invited, thank you. I’ll have a dry gin with Fevertree tonic, much ice and a slice of lime. Under no circumstance must there be vegetables in my gin. Shall I bring two?

One of my own favourites so yes please! Where did we first meet in real life?

B: We met at Bristol CrimeFest, several years ago. Actually, we met in the bar at CrimeFest I seem to remember.

Always a good place to meet! First impressions?

B:I thought you were warm and welcoming, as I knew very few people, but you gave me your time, which was kind. Now, you’re a mate. You took me along to dinner one evening, and now we have a regular “girls’ night out” on the Friday of CrimeFest where seven or eight of us go for something to eat and a good old natter.

A highlight of the weekend. Points in common?

B: We both started writing a little later than some of our contemporaries, but have refused to be judged by that paltry detail! We both lean to the left of politics, love animals, and our families, and are determined to do what we want to do, when and how we want do it.

Sounds about right. Tell me about your latest book?

B: My last published book was Death on the Coast (Bloodhound Books), the last of a trilogy of police procedural crime books set in and around the Devon coast and Exeter. It deals with issues of revenge and betrayal, and rounded off the series, at least for now!

What are you working on now?

B: My next book, The Man She Couldn’t Trust is a standalone thriller set in Crete. It was a book shouting to be written, and the research was fun, too. No cover to reveal as yet, until edits are completed, but there will be more to follow over the summer, which is exciting! It will be published by Bloodhound Books in November 2020

B: Following that I have started a slightly “cosier” crime series which will be set in Lyme Regis, near where I live, and feature two women who run an art gallery and uncover fraud and other poor behaviour amongst the local populace. Lyme is a beautiful place, and will be almost a character in the books.

I shall look forward to that, as Lyme is one of my favourite places. We’ve missed book events under lockdown 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?

B: My dream panel would be at CrimeFest, with Kevin Wignall as moderator. He’s hilarious, and I like to have a laugh to conquer the old nerves. It would be around a sense of place in novels. Kate Atkinson with her “Jackson Brodie” hat on, mainly so I can bow a lot, Stuart McBride because his Scottish characters leap off the page and beat you round the head, Jane Harper because the sense of place in “The Dry” was handled superbly, and finally, Peter May, because I have read everything he has written and you cannot beat the Lewis Trilogy for bringing the Scottish Islands to life. I’d just sit there, that would be enough.

Sounds a perfect panel. What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

B: Well, I had to miss a holiday to Crete, so that could come back. It will be wonderful to see and cuddle my family again. I’ve missed them.

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

B: Write a Will. Also, to do the things I really want to do, because we genuinely have no idea what’s coming next. Don’t put stuff off, do it!

B: Well that was thirsty work. Thank you so much for inviting me to the Cocktail Lounge, mine’s a large one!

A pleasure to see you here, Bernie – cheers!

You can follow Bernie on Twitter @BernieSteadman and find out more about her and her books here

Alice Castle

Great to catch up with Alice Castle today. Before turning to crime, Alice was a feature writer on national newspapers. She writes the Death in Dulwich cozy crime series for Darkstroke/Crooked Cat as Alice Castle and psychological thrillers for HQDigital under the name A.M. Castle.

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

A: Hi Anne, thanks so much for inviting me! And great to clink glasses with you again. I’d love a Mojito, please

So where did we first meet in real life?

A: We met via Twitter, when you cleverly realised we both write murder mystery series starring female amateur sleuths, based in Dulwich and south east London! Luckily yours are based in the 1990s and mine are contemporary, otherwise we’d probably have to bump each other off.

Very true! And our first meeting was, of course, in Dulwich. First impressions?

A: It’s such a pleasure to meet someone who’s so effortlessly good at networking. It’s not one of my skills but you have it in spades. Since then we’ve been to CWA events together as well as First Monday Crime. And met for mojitos of course!

Not sure about the networking but happy you think that! Any points in common?

A: We both have a background in journalism and I’d say there is a very strong sense of place in our books.

And cats – don’t forget the cats! You’ve moved away from Dulwich in your latest book, tell me about The Perfect Widow.

A: The Perfect Widow, published by HQDigital, is a bit of a departure for me as it’s a psychological thriller about a woman with a seemingly perfect lifestyle. However, when PC Becca Holt arrives to break the news that Louise’s husband has been killed in an accident, the widow doesn’t react in the way Becca would have expected. And there are only three plates set out for dinner, as if Louise already knew Patrick wouldn’t be home that night… I love my heroine, though she’s the scariest person I’ve ever written about.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a more traditional murder mystery, for HQDigital again. It uses one of the classic whodunit devices, the locked room, which I’ve never tried before and I’m really enjoying playing with the constraints it imposes. Plus I have a fabulous cast of twisted, dysfunctional characters who are getting up to no good at all. I’m hoping my cozy crime readers will love it as a fresh take on a genre.

I’m sure they will! Thinking about all the book events we’ve missed during lockdown, 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 get very nervous about public speaking, though I’ve done a fair bit of it now. I’ve also given workshops on crime writing, which I enjoyed more. I once interviewed P D James and Ruth Rendell for a newspaper article and, although they’d be quite a daunting combination, I’d love to appear on a panel with them – they really had all the answers and I could just soak up their expertise!

Definitely be interested in that one. What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

A: I really miss going to art galleries, including Dulwich’s own Picture Gallery which stars in one of my whodunits and is the most perfect space to sit and think in. It’s also wonderfully cool on a hot day. In its grounds is an ancient mulberry tree which will be coming into fruit soon so it would be great to pop along and snaffle a few of those while no one’s looking!

I won’t tell! One thing lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

A: I think lockdown has made me think a lot more seriously about climate change and our use of fossil fuels. Outside my study window I’ve seen so many more species of birds, as well as squirrels and foxes, and it’s been lovely watching children learning to ride their bikes in our quiet street. I hate the thought of going heedlessly back to pollution and traffic jams.

Indeed. Thank you so much for joining me, Alice hopefully not to long before we can meet up properly.

Find out more about Alice Castle and her books here and follow her on Twitter @AliceMCastle. She lives in south east London with two children and two cats.

David Barker

Welcome to fellow Urbane author David Barker whose debut novel, Blue Gold, was released in 2017, followed by Rose Gold, 2018and White Gold, 2019forming the Gaia trilogy. He lives in Berkshire with his wife (a picture book author) and daughter.

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

D: A Sea Breeze, please! (Vodka, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice. Very refreshing.)

The last time we met was at your launch for White Gold but can you recall where we first met in real life?

D: I can’t honestly remember, but I think it was probably at a Vanguard Reading night down in Camberwell or Peckham. They were great evenings of established and wannabe authors reading extracts from their latest works over a drink and a pizza. Great fun!

Yes we did. Then later we both read from our books there. First impressions?

D: You were very friendly. And what a fantastic smile. 😊

Any points in common?

D: Both part of the Urbane stable of authors. And we both enjoyed nights out at Vanguard Reading, of course.

Tell me about your latest book?

D: The final part of the Gaia trilogy, White Gold, was out in May 2019. It’s an exciting stand-alone adventure but also draws together several threads from the previous two books, hopefully into a satisfying conclusion.

D: Some readers/reviewers are desperate for a fourth instalment, but I’m giving the main characters a well-deserved break.

What are you working on now?

D: I’ve been working on some children’s fiction since last year but haven’t found a home for the stories yet. (Urbane Publications don’t do children’s fiction.) I’ve also been tinkering with a new darkly comic thriller. If I can get the plot and characters to work, watch this space!

We’ve all been deprived of the books events we love.  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?

D: I would love to have been on a panel with Douglas Adams. I adore his books. He was a genius about many things, so it wouldn’t matter what the discussion was about. Oh, and Gillian Anderson, just because she’s Gillian Anderson.

That’s a bit cheeky but I’ll let you off. What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

D: Heading to Devon for some time near the sea and enjoying a pint of beer.

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

D: I dug out an old Airfix kit that’s been lurking in the loft for many years and finally started putting it together. It’s a very big and complicated model of a WWII airplane called the Mosquito. No idea what I’m going to do with it once finished!

Well good luck with that! And thank you for joining me virtually!

Follow David Barker on Twitter @BlueGold201 and find out more about his books here.