Author: a.coates1@btinternet.com

Noelle Holten

Delighted to welcome award-winning blogger and author Noelle Holten who worked as a Senior Probation Officer for 18 years before writing Dead Inside – her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins – which  introduced DC Maggie Jamieson in a series which continues with Dead Wrong.

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

N: I’d love a double rhubarb gin and tonic!

Sounds good, I’ll join you. Where did we first meet in real life?

N: We met at Morecambe & Vice Crime Festival in Sept 2019 – though we’ve be “friends” online for a few years.

It was wonderful to meet up there. What were your first impressions?

N: Adored you – adored you even more when I saw the evil eyes you gave the bar staff who tried to remove your glass of wine with one sip left! LOL Still makes me giggle!

My work is obviously done. Points in common?

N: Crime fiction; a good laugh and enjoying ourselves amongst our kind of people!

And crime festivals, of course. 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?

N: I love the topic of Offender Profiling so I think having the chance to interview Prof David Wilson would be interesting. I met him at Bloody Scotland last year and had a good chat, I also saw his panel and could have listened to him all day long!

I’d come along to that. I loved Dead Inside, tell me about Dead Wrong, the second in your series.

N: In Dead Wrong DC Maggie Jamieson’s past comes back to haunt her.Three missing women running out of time… They were abducted years ago. Notorious serial killer Bill Raven admitted to killing them and was sentenced to life. The case was closed – at least DC Maggie Jamieson thought it was… But now one of them has been found, dismembered and dumped in a bin bag in town. Forensics reveal that she died just two days ago, when Raven was behind bars, so Maggie has a second killer to find. Because even if the other missing women are still alive, one thing’s for certain: they don’t have long left to live.

A reading treat in store for me. What are you working on now?

N: Dead Perfect (Book 3) is coming out October 2020 and I’m working on the final legs of Book 4 for submission. Then I will be starting to write Book 5 – which is the last in my contract. After that – who knows? If I am not offered a further contract for this series, I have an idea for a psychological thriller which I wouldn’t mind having a go at.

You’ve certainly been busy! Is there one thing lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

N: Spend more time with friends and family – get my ass out more too! I am quite an introvert but when the choice is taken away from you – and you can’t go anywhere, you really appreciate the things you could do pre-lockdown!

That resonates with me too. What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

N: Meeting up with friends / crime fiction tribe for a MASSIVE G&T and some laughs! Hoping to also be able to go to Ireland for my dad’s one-year memorial mass and over to Canada to see my mom, sister and brothers.

Noelle, I do hope you can make your dad’s memorial mass and see your family soon. It was lovely to chat here and I look forward to that massive G&T in real life.

You can find out more about Noelle Holten’s books here and follow her on Twitter @nholten40

Ian Patrick

Today I’m delighted to welcome Ian Patrick who, before becoming an author, spent 27 years in the Metropolitan Police. Rubicon, his debut novel currently in development with the BBC for a six part TV series, was followed by Stoned Love and he has  just published How the Wired Weep. Ian is also an ambassador for Muscular Dystrophy Scotland where he lives dividing his time between family, writing, reading and photography. 

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

I: I’m so happy to be here, thank you. I don’t drink alcohol so I’ll have a mocktail please.

So where did we first meet in real life?

I: I believe it was at a book launch in London for Louise Voss and Mark Edwards. Jane Isaac brought me her guest and it was a great evening with a room full of writers. Many I then followed on Twitter. The energy in the room was addictive. It reinforced my belief that I was on the right path with my own writing.

Well, I’ll have to dispute that, Ian. We first met at BeaconLit when Jane was one of the panelists. However what were your first impressions?

I: You were very approachable, kind, and enthusiastic about my writing. I’d just started out and you agreed to read a draft of a novel that I’d written. I think it’s important to mention how that feedback went! Needless to say it was a bitter pill to swallow but as a result of your honesty, I wrote Rubicon. Criticism is hard to take but if you can’t take it and adapt then you will never know your best self. It was a valuable lesson and one I will never forget.

I must admit when I read Rubicon, I was amazed at how much your writing had improved and if my criticism helped in some small way to achieve that, I’m delighted! Points in common?

I: I know there’s a theory about six degrees of separation and this was evident when it transpired you are friends with family on my wife’s side. You also have an excellent series set in the 90s, when I was policing, so that was an enjoyable thing for me to help with advice for the first in the series.

Not just the first book, Ian and I really appreciate how quickly you respond to a query.Tell me about your latest book.

I: How the Wired Weep follows the paths of a detective called Ed and a Covert Human Intelligence Source (informant) called Ben. This book is very much a baby of mine. It’s taken two years for me to get it right and I’m very pleased with the result. It’s a fast paced dose of urban contemporary fiction. If your readers enjoyed the TV series The Wire or have read Richard Price’s Clockers, then they will enjoy How the Wired Weep. I like to get into the minds of both the detectives and the criminal when I write, as each brings a different perspective to the table.

I’m looking forward to reading this, Ian. What are you working on now?

I: At the moment I’m spinning plates! I have two novels in development both based in Scotland. One is very much a personal based drama story and the other more speculative fiction along the lines of The Hunger Games. I’m also developing a script for a short film.

A busy time. We’re all missing book events, 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?

I: I was very close to a dream panel at Newcastle Noir this year but sadly it was cancelled. To get an invite to appear at any festival is a privilege and I was very disappointed to miss this opportunity. As a wheelchair-user, festivals that promote inclusivity are very important to me. Newcastle Noir and Bloody Scotland are two inclusive festivals. I was at Bloody Scotland in 2018 on the main stage with Val McDermid and Denis Mina. Reading from Rubicon and the memory of that event, in front of 800 people, will always stay with me.

I: I would love to be on a Q&A panel with Margaret Attwood and Chuck Palahniuk chaired by Joe Rogan. It would be great to just sit and explore the craft of writing with these people and hear their take on the world. 

That’s a panel to aspire to! What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

I: This is a very interesting question because for me not a lot will change. I’ve been shielding for the entire time. I’m also listening to the science more than the government. I’m fortunate because we live in a very remote area of Scotland so live a pretty isolated lifestyle anyway but when tourism opens up again it will be interesting for me to see how things are and whether the R rate goes up.  

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

I: I’m a thinker; always have been. I like to be introspective and this period has been both a cathartic and challenging time. I have an incurable muscle condition but if you met me you’d never think I was vulnerable. I don’t consider myself so but nevertheless it wouldn’t do me any good to be laid up in bed as my muscle wouldn’t repair in the same way as most people’s.

I: It’s made me more aware of how precious life is and that we don’t have long to live a life of value. I write so people like myself who have times of struggle get a break from reality and can enter another world. I want to write more and support people in this way. Life really is what we make it and it’s very easy to lament what we don’t have rather than embrace and develop where we can and add value to others’ lives. 

I: Thank you so much for having me here and for all your support over the years. It’s very much appreciated. Ian x

Fabulous to catch up and good luck with all your projects, Ian.

You can find out more about Ian’s books here and follow him on Twitter @ipatrickauthor

Rachel Sargeant

My guest today is psychological thriller writer Rachel Sargeant, who is published by HarperCollins. Based in Gloucestershire for several years, she previously lived in Lincolnshire, Surrey, Shropshire, Nordrhein-Westfalen and Ceredigion. She likes to feature settings she knows in her writing, but gives them a twist so they are far darker than the real places.

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

R: Thank you for inviting me, Anne. I’m going to pretend it’s a balmy evening and your cocktail lounge has moved outside. Please can I have a Pimm’s and lemonade with lots of strawberry, orange, cucumber and a sprig of mint to enjoy on this sunny patio.

Always happy to enjoy a drink in the evening sunshine. So where did we first meet in real life?

R: We met in the grand foyer of The Midland Hotel in Morecambe during last year’s Morecambe and Vice Crime Writing Festival. We admired the wonderful art-deco staircase that featured in at least one Poirot episode.

We did and what an impressive building! And a fabulous festival. First impressions?

R: I’d formed my first impressions of you the day before when I attended the panel Let Them Lead the Way. You ably moderated a panel of children’s mystery writers: Sharna Jackson, Sarah Todd Taylor and Nicki Thornton. It was a lovely panel that particularly interested me as my last job before I became a full-time author was librarian in a primary school. I had read Sharna’s novel and bought it plus books by Sarah and Nicki for the school library. It was good to hear them speak enthusiastically about their work with children. You did an excellent job of moderating. It was clear you had done a huge amount of preparation, but, like the good author you are, you didn’t let your research dominate. Perfectly demonstrating the art of show not tell, you posed well-thought-out questions and let the panellists take centre stage.

Wow thank you! Points in common?

R: I think on that occasion in the hotel foyer we talked about the rain. There was rather a lot of it that morning. Since we’ve been friends on Twitter, it’s clear that we share a love of languages as well as writing. I believe you studied French at university. I studied German and lived there with my family for several years. We took the opportunity to travel to other European countries. My daughter spent last year in Belgium and Germany, and it was wonderful to see those countries again when we visited her. Spending time with our European neighbours is an enriching experience.

Talking about university reminds me of your latest book. Tell me more.

R: The Roommates is a psychological thriller set on a fictional British university campus during freshers’ week. Four new students, each hiding a secret from their past, find themselves sharing a flat. When one of them suddenly disappears, the others must trust each other and work together to find out what has happened. Little do they realise the danger ahead.

R: Four roommates, four secrets, one devastating lie.

What are you working on now?

R: I’m putting the finishing touches to two books. One is a serial killer thriller, the first in a new police procedural series. The other is a psychological thriller set in a Then-There-Were-None-type inaccessible location. I’m also part way through the first draft of a literary project that is going to take at least two years to complete.

You obviously don’t let the grass grow… What would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panellists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?

R: I think I speak for all authors in 2020 when I say any panel at all would be a dream panel.

R: I was due to appear at CrimeFest to discuss: Sanctuary? When Familiar Surroundings Become Murderous. I hope it gets to take place one day as my novels tend to feature everyday settings that have taken a turn towards darkness and I was looking forward to talking about the theme.

R: I went to CrimeFest last year but not as a panellist. It was my first time at a literary festival and I’m so grateful to Chris Curran and Anja de Jager for keeping me company in the bar each evening and inviting me to join them for dinner. It would be nice to appear on the panel with these friendly writers. I know setting is important to both of them. Anja’s Lotte Meerman police detective series is set in Amsterdam, and Chris’s alter ego Abbie Frost has scored a recent hit with The Guesthouse.

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

R: When lockdown is properly over, I’ll be very pleased to go to the seaside, but I won’t go yet. I like all the fish and chip cafés, town museums and souvenir shops that go with a day out.

That’s another point in common. I love English seaside towns – and fish and chips – but like you I’ll be waiting for the right time. Thank you so much for joining me today, Rachel and I look forward to seeing you at a book event when they again become a feature in our lives.

Find out more about Rachel Sargeant’s books here and follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelSargeant3

Beverley Harvey

My guest today is Beverley Harvey who, like me, grew up on Enid Blyton.  Her career has spanned working as a receptionist, a PA, a PR, a media consultant, a copywriter and a dog walker – all roles which helped inspire her first two novels, Seeking Eden (2017) and Eden Interrupted (2019) published by Urbane Publications. Born in Yorkshire, but raised in Kent, Beverley has spent her adult life in London and the South East – until recently, when she and her partner moved to Chichester.

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

B: Thank you, Anne. That’s very kind. I often love a vodka martini but as the weather’s so glorious I’ll take a chilled Sauvignon Blanc Blush, please. Will you join me?

I certainly will. So where did we first meet in real life?

B: At an Urbane drinks party in November 2016 at the Phoenix Arts Club, and happily a couple of times since then. I met so many wonderful Urbane authors that night and was completely awestruck to be surrounded by such talent.

That was a wonderful party. First impressions?

B: Big cheeky smile, deep, musical voice and lots of quite naughty laughter.  I thought: there’s a girl who knows how to enjoy herself! You were very welcoming to a then unpublished author. You and several others were so kind to me that night and it meant a great deal.

Naughty laughter? I wonder if that was a point in common?

B: There are others. In addition to both being published by Urbane and our mutual love of books, two words: South London! Before I “moved out” in 2007, I’d lived there most of my adult life. We also share a love of animals and have both been scarred by losing dogs we adored.

Yes we have but you have an adorable terrier now. I haven’t taken the plunge to adopt another canine friend. Unlike you I haven’t included a dog as a character in my books. How’s life on the book front in these strange times?

B: I’ve just celebrated the first birthday of Eden Interrupted, my second in a series that takes a wry look at family life on a prosperous, modern housing estate.

B: Plus I recently signed a two-book contract with Bookouture so I’m currently working across two psychological thrillers – editing one, whilst writing the other from scratch. It is a new experience for me, but I’m getting there. The first of these will publish in November 2020.

Congratulations. Looking forward to when we can enjoy festivals again, 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: I would love to be in a room with Louise Beech, Louise Candlish, Cara Hunter and Gillian Flynn to talk thrillers and the art of suspense and scaring people. I adore these authors and could learn so much from them. 

Fabulous choice. And what are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

B: Ah, that’s a no-brainer, Anne. Hugging my brother and sister. I haven’t seen either since early March and we’re a close family.

Hugs are so important aren’t they? I have just been able to join my daughter and her family in a “bubble” and the joy of being able to be with them is overwhelming. Is there anything lockdown has made you think about/want to do?

B: I’ve realised just how much I enjoy my partner’s company and I marvel that we never run out of things to talk about. Friends and family are everything – the rest is just set dressing and easy to suspend for a while.

That’s lovely to hear, Bev.

B: Gosh, Anne, so lovely to chat over a drink, but we made short work of those. Must be my round. Same again?

Thank you, and thank you so much for joining me in the Cocktail Lounge.

You can find out more about Beverley Harvey here and follow her on Twitter @BevHarvey_

Lesley Lodge

Today my guest is Lesley Lodge, prize-winning short story writer and author of Lights, Camera, Gallop which combines her love of film and horses. Her first crime book, Wayland’s Revenge, is a historical novel set during the Siege of Colchester.

Lesley, welcome to my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?

L: Let me think… I’ll have a Dark and Stormy please. Cheers!

So where did we first meet in real life?

L: In real life we met in the 1990s in East Dulwich, South London – so in both the time and the place of your Hannah Weybridge novels. I hope I haven’t inspired you in any criminal way…

That would be telling. What were your first impressions?

L: I thought what a welcoming person! I watched you take command of a meeting and realised you were someone who could judge characters well. I was soon to catch on to your creative side too.

We’ve known each other a long time so we must have quite a lot in common?

L: We had kids of the same age and journalism. I’d been a journalist for a Middle Eastern business magazine and at that time was cracking out articles on, well, housing regeneration. Actually, there is a very real connection between poor housing, Peckham and gangs. You were freelancing for all kinds of magazines and publications. We both had ambitions to write THE great novel, if only the kids would settle quietly…

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

L: Well what I’ve missed most so far, in the writing world, is the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. Hopefully it will be revived in 2021.

I think you’ve been to Harrogate every year. I’ve never got there but we did both make it to CrimesFest which was fun. 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 get Don Winslow, Stephen King and Val McDermid together on a panel. They’re all fabulously enthralling writers – and they’ve all been clear [if I may be just a tiny bit political here] about the leaders who’ve not led us well on Coronavirus on either side of the Atlantic.

Oh be as political as you like and have another drink as you tell us about your latest book.

L: So Wayland’s Revenge is set in 1648, a time of bitter civil wars in England. Wayland, the village blacksmith, returns from army service to find his wife, Rebecca, murdered and his son traumatised. Wayland’s overpowering desire for revenge is thwarted by the collapse of laws and a dearth of clues to her sadistic killer.  Wayland sets out on a perilous journey to find the killer, taking with him his son Jonathan and Alun, a canny Welsh baker. But just as they find their first suspect, they are trapped in the brutal Siege of Colchester, facing ever more dangerous challenges. Wayland, Alun and Jonathan must draw on all their strengths, devise new strategies and make agonising decisions, if they are to stay alive and find the real killer before he strikes again. It’s out in paperback, kindle and audiobook.

I don’t read many historicals but I must say I was totally gripped by Wayland’s Revenge. What are you working on now?

L: My longer-term project is to write a sequel for Wayland’s Revenge. I think this one will be set in the dark, dank Fens in the seventeenth century.  Wayland might just get caught up as slave labour for Cromwell’s project to drain the fen. But in the meantime, I’m working on a memoir about my misadventures in the 1970s. I have a 320 page first draft of that so far.

Well editing that will keep you busy during lockdown! Is there anything this time of pandemic has made you think about or want to do?

L: Run outside waving my arms manically… And head for a train to London.

And I’ll be there to meet you for a real drink. Lesley, thank you for joining me today and please get on with the sequel to Wayland’s Revenge.

You can find out more about Lesley Lodge and her work hereand follow her on Twitter @LesleyLodge

Vicki Goldman

It’s a delight to welcome writer and journalist Vicki Goldman to the Cocktail Lounge. Last year the opening chapters of her Jewish-themed crime novel, The Redeemer, won her the accolade of first runner up in the Capital Crime New Voices Award.

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

V: Hi Anne. Thank you so much for inviting me – it’s much more spacious than I expected. Many people who follow me on Twitter (or know me in the “real world”) will be aware that I am particularly partial to a shot (or two or three…) of Thunder Toffee Vodka. But I am currently staring into my sunny garden and realise that I fancy something more refreshing, such as a Pimms and Lemonade (with fruit and ice, of course). If your bar stocks are running low (because I know many people have been drinking more alcohol than usual during lockdown), my other usual drink is a vodka and orange.

Knowing you’d be here, I stocked up on Thunder Toffee Vodka! So where did we first meet in real life?

V: We first met at First Monday Crime, which takes place in London on the first Monday of each month with great author panels and socialising in the pub afterwards. I was possibly lurking in a corner somewhere and you possibly dragged me into a conversation to share our love of crime fiction!

First impressions?

V: You put me at ease straightaway. Since then we have had great chats at more First Monday events and also at book launches and festivals. It is always lovely to see you.

Funny isn’t it, I thought you were quite intimidating – not realising you are shy. Points in common?

V: We seem to have quite a lot in common, as we are both journalists and also love crime fiction (although you are published and I’m not there yet!). We often share a laugh on Twitter at some of the ridiculous press releases that arrive in our inboxes.

And we both had non-fiction books published by the same company. What are you working on now?

V: By day, I work as a journalist and editor, specialising in consumer health, writing for various magazines. I am also freelance health editor for Bupa, updating the consumer health information on the website. Around 18 months ago, my day job and the book world collided when I decided to use my skills and experience elsewhere. I now proofread fiction for Orenda books and I have edited memoir for Mirror Books – a welcome break from some of the heavy health writing topics.

V: I review books for LoveReading and I am writing crime fiction too. I was first runner up in the Capital Crime New Voices Award 2019 with the first chapters of my Jewish-themed crime novel, The Redeemer. I am currently writing something that is crime but also a little spooky, which is a set in a former prison. I am not that far in, but several people are giving me a kick (I mean, push) to get it written.

Love the idea of your WIP so get on with it! Sadly we have no “real life” book events at the moment but what would be your dream panel?

V: This is a hard one for me to answer as I have never been on a panel. But if I was on a panel right now, it would likely be as a moderator, which terrifies me a little (okay, far more than a little).

V: Thinking back to the First Monday events I have been to, I think a panel featuring Susi (SJI) Holliday, Steph Broadribb, Rod Reynolds and Chris Whitaker would be great fun and I would learn a lot as they are all talented writers. They would certainly put me at ease, though I am not sure that I would be able to control the direction (or content) of conversation at all!

Having been on two panels with Rod, I think you’re on to a winner there. What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

V: Probably some “me” time (writing in solitude at home, wandering aimlessly around a bookshop or even just sitting in a park). I also can’t wait to meet up with some friends who don’t live nearby – this would usually be in central London (eg the Waterstones Piccadilly 5th floor bar), but sadly I can’t see that happening for a long while.

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

V: I really appreciate what I do have here – my family (husband and two teenage sons) and some work to keep me busy (although I am always looking for more). I know others aren’t so fortunate. I also appreciate the support of my closest friends, who make me laugh when I’m feeling down or anxious and listen when I need to chat.

Well it was great to chat with you today, Vicki, and good luck with your WIP.

You can find out more about Vicky’s Editorial services here and follow her on Twitter: @VictoriaGoldma2

Paul Gitsham

My guest today, Paul Gitsham, a biologist who retrained as a science teacher, is the author of the DCI Warren Jones crime books, which began with The Last Straw in 2014. The latest in the series, A Price to Pay is released on 5 June by HQ Digital.

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

P: Well, if you’re buying… I will have a bottle of Nanny State and a glass of lemonade, plus an empty pint glass. Yep, you read that right, an alcohol-free shandy. I know how to party!

So do you remember where we first met in real life?

P: Tricky. We’re both stalwarts of First Monday Crime, but I suspect we were brushing shoulders before then at CrimeFest.

First impressions? I was in awe of you as you seemed so confident.

P: I’m flattered. The only time anyone has said they were in awe of me in recent times was after I downed a glass of fizzy water, mixed with tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and whatever the hell else year 8 had added to the beaker. I did it in 8.2 seconds and held that record for most of a lunch-time, until an especially iron-stomached year 9 beat me by less than a second. In my defense, it was for charity.

P: As to my first impressions – like most writers I am constantly suffering from imposter syndrome, I recognised you and was delighted when you spoke to me. As always with the crime community, I found you to be a fun conversationalist and enjoyed chatting to you. You are one of the familiar faces I always keep an eye out for when entering a room for the first time.

What a lovely thing to say. Points in common apart from a geographical connection to Harlow, Essex where I lived and went to school.

P: Well our time in Harlow hasn’t really overlapped, as I have only been here a couple of years. However, as I mentioned before, we both really enjoy First Monday Crime in London.

P: I know it’s a cliché, but that love of books from an early age is something that we have in common. I know that you were inspired to read by a teacher, who allowed you access to his office to choose books. As a child in primary school, I was a little slow to start reading, but when I did, I soon polished off everything the school had to offer. I too felt incredibly special when the teachers gave me a special dispensation to bring in my own books to read.

Thinking about book events, 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?

P: So many to choose from! I think if I were to sit down and spend time with another author, it would be David Baldacci. I am really in awe of him. The way he juggles so many different series and consistently produces a couple of good page-turners a year is inspiring. I’ve never seen him speak publicly, so a Q&A with him would be fantastic. David, if you’re reading this…

Fingers crossed! So what are you working on now?

P: I am currently in the throes of next year’s DCI Warren Jones. It’ll be the seventh full-length and the eleventh in the series. No title as yet, but my internet history for the past weeks includes how long after death biometrics continue to work and how one goes about leasing an allotment – so make what you will of that. It should be published by the HQ imprint of HarperCollins in June 2021.

But your latest book is just about to be published?

P: Yes, 5 June sees the release of the sixth full-length DCI Warren Jones, A Price to Pay. As the tenth entry in the series, it feels pretty special. It’s just a shame I won’t get a chance to talk about it at CrimeFest or show anyone the lovely new bookmarks I’ve had printed!

P: In this book, I decided to focus on the world of undocumented workers. After a brutal murder the investigation has lots of twists and turns and a pretty devastating conclusion. For long time readers of the series, it continues to deal with the fallout of previous novels.

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

P: I haven’t seen my family for months. We have been having regular video-conferences on a Sunday, and I phone my parents for a good chat a couple of times a week, but it isn’t the same. My two toddler nephews are a little too young to understand quite how Skype works and generally run around yelling rather than sitting in front of the camera, so I am looking forward to having them on my knee again.

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

P: To go out without a teatowel wrapped around my face. We torture ourselves by planning what we are going to eat when we finally get to go for a meal. The biggest disappointment is the need to postpone our wedding and honeymoon. When it finally takes place, it is going to be the party of a lifetime!

Thank you for joining me in my virtual Cocktail Lounge, Paul. I’m looking forward to meeting up the next time there’s a real event – you never know it might be the CWA Christmas party!

You can find out my about Paul Gitsham’s books on his website and follow him on Twitter @DCIJoneswriter

Jane Isaac

Jane Isaac is the bestselling author of detective crime fiction which includes her DCI Helen Lavery series and her DC Beth Chamberlain books, the third of which, Hush Little Baby, will be published by Aria Fiction on 23 July 2020.

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

J: Hi Anne, It’s great to be here! Ooh, so many to choose from… I do love a crisp refreshing Mojito, but since it’s warm today and we’re in lockdown, I think I’ll plump for a Cosmopolitan. Fancy joining me? We can kick back, sip away and imagine we’re on a warm beach, somewhere exotic.

That sounds so appealing – it’s ages since we’ve seen each other. Do you remember where we first met in real life?

J: Gosh, it was some years ago now! I think it must have been at one of Mel Sherratt’s events – maybe her London book launch for the release of Taunting the Dead.

It was – my first “Twitter party” and it took me so long to find the venue I nearly gave up. Yours was the first face I recognised and I thought you looked just as lovely in real life. What were your first impressions?

J: You were warm and super friendly, just as you are online, and very welcoming with that lovely big smile!

Points in common?

J: We both write crime with strong and feisty female protagonists. I’m a huge fan of your Hannah Weybridge series btw! Plus, we both share a love of the theatre and the arts.

We do and I’m looking forward to being able to see live performances. Since Mel’s launch party we’ve met up at numerous book events and 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?

J: I would love to interview Jeffery Deaver! He was one of the crime writers who inspired me to write detective fiction – I adore his Lincoln Rhyme series. I’d also love to chat with Jodie Comer to ask how she got into character as Villanelle in the TV series, Killing Eve. Her depiction of a psychopathic serial killer in the first series was so convincing.

Oh yes, I would love to listen in on your chat with Jodie Comer. In the meantime what are you working on now?

J: I’m just finishing the edits for Hush Little Baby, the third in my DC Beth Chamberlain series, which is scheduled for release by Aria Fiction on 23 July. Hush Little Baby follows the historic case of a missing child. When new evidence comes to light, Beth is deployed as Family Liaison Officer and she uncovers a whole host of juicy family secrets.

J: I’m also working on a standalone psychological thriller, something new for me and, I have to admit, after nine detective novels it’s proving a huge learning curve! How about you? What’s happening in your writing life?

Strangely enough I’m also working on a standalone psychological thriller and my next Hannah Weybridge. But you’ve just had another book published, haven’t you?

J: Yes, the last book published was a re-release of DC Beth Chamberlain 2 by Aria Fiction called For Better, For Worse in February. I’m so in love with the cover for this one.

We’re lucky that we’ve both been able to carry on writing during the pandemic but what are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?

J: Seeing friends and family. My husband is with me and I’m lucky to have my daughter home from uni, but I do miss hugging other loved ones. Phones and FaceTime are great, but it’s just not the same. I miss my people. I also miss going out and enjoying the arts. So many shows have been sadly postponed – I can’t wait to catch up with them all post lockdown. First up, is a stage adaptation of Wuthering Heights in September, fingers crossed.

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

J: Travel, travel and more travel. I think I took for granted how easy it was to hop on a plane, a train or a bus, or even drive up the motorway for an adventure before lockdown. I’m relishing the possibility of soaking up the sunshine in Seville, enjoying the amazing Parisian cuisine and seeing the wonderful canals of Amsterdam – I can’t believe I’ve never been to Holland! Plus, I’ve grown to appreciate the beauty of our own country too and want to spend time walking my dogs in the Derbyshire Dales and the Lake District. So much travel, so little time…What about you, Anne? What do you want to do?

Like you I have never been to Amsterdam and that’s on my list plus I am going to hug everyone! Including you Jane next time we meet. Chatting now has reminded me what I’m missing. Although it was wonderful having you here virtually.

J: Thanks so much for inviting me into The Cocktail Lounge. It’s been such fun chatting!

You can find out more about Jane Isaac’s books on her website and follow her on Twitter @JaneIssacAuthor

Lesley Thomson

Lesley Thomson is the prize-winning author whose work includes the bestselling The Detective’s Daughter series published by Head of Zeus who have also just released her latest novel, Death of a Mermaid.

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

L: Ooh thanks Anne, please could I have a G and T in a lovely ice filled globe glass with a few drops of lavender essence?  

Lavender essence in a G&T is new on me so I think I’ll join you. Can you remember where we first met?

L: My memory has got worse since #Lockdown (not sure why I feel it has # – perhaps because it’s a concept as well as a way of life) so I can’t give a time, date place etc. It was many years ago on the crime-writing circuit where I always perceive you as a warm supportive presence.

I think we first met at an event in Brighton but the last time was at the Morecambe & Vice festival, which is sadly not going ahead this year. I was so pleased you remembered me! Do we have any points in common?

L: We both write fiction and we have written characters whose lives are set in London where, I for one, lived for the first four decades of my life and which will be forever in my bones.

Mine too and I’m still in London.  Tell me about your latest book which I am just about to read.

L: Death of a Mermaid is a standalone set in Newhaven. It features three women who went to the Convent School in the town. It’s a murder story revolving around trawler-fishing, the tumultuous sea that encompasses themes of greed and betrayal

L: Mags, a librarian is a devout Catholic, Toni is now a detective in the Sussex Police who shoplifts confectionery and Freddy, daughter of five generations of fishery owners, whose father threw her out when she  tells him she loves a woman.  I’m thrilled to say it’s been very well received by readers and is a #1 bestseller. 

Congratulations! What are you working on now?

L: I’m halfway through the eighth in The Detective’s Daughter series. It gets a new title every other day and I suspect it will be my gimlet-thinking editor, Laura Palmer who, as she so often does, finally names it. 

L: A Christie-esque tale, I’ve set it within the ancient walls of Tewkesbury’s Abbey in Gloucestershire, it owes much to the creepy atmosphere of Charles Dickens’ shadowed cloisters in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The story traces the fatally desperate lengths, which those with dark secrets will go to ensure those secrets stay hidden. The novel spans the London Blitz in 1940 to All Souls Night in 2019. It will be published by Head of Zeus in May 2021.

Sounds intriguing. Thinking about the events and festival we’re missing, 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 have had a Q and A with Ruth Rendell. Although I’ve been lucky enough to meet her more than once, it would have been special to share a stage with her. 

L: When I read The Fatal Inversion in the Barbara Vine series I understood the kind of novel I wanted to write. These stories explore the why of a murder not only the who. Two of my novels owe much to her novel set during the draught of 1976. A kind of Vanishing – a standalone set in an abandoned village near Newhaven in a 1968 summer drenched in sunlight and The House With No Rooms which also takes place during the 1976 parched summer.  

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

L: I look forward to a day when I can amble along the street without anxiously dodging those who pass too close. When there’s no more stepping out into the road to avoid a jogger – into the path of a car going too fast.  I will be ambling along that street to Libby’s Patisseries opposite Lewes castle to get a latte, a brioche and a chat before I return to writing my unnamed novel. Right now it seems an impossible dream to dream.

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

L: Since my twenties, on and off – mostly off – I’ve done meditation with the intention of living more in the moment. The only actual moment we have. During these months my plans have rarely extended beyond the end of the week. I am lucky enough to have a garden and have relished sitting in dappled shade watching a robin hop from a hollyhock to a lupin. In the moment. I hope as life evolves to a new normal, I will retain this finally found ability.

Something else we have in common, Lesley. I too have been trying to concentrate on living in the moment and my garden has aided this.

Thank you so much for joining me. It’s been really lovely to catch up over a (virtual) drink and now I’m off to read Death of a Mermaid.

You can find out more about Lesley Thomson’s books on her website  and can follow her on Twitter @LesleyjmThomson

Ray Clark

Today I’m delighted to welcome Ray Clark, an award-winning Yorkshire-born author. Ray’s published work includes short story collections, horror novels, stand-alone cross genre novels and crime. The highly acclaimed IMP series, featuring detectives Gardener and Reilly in the Yorkshire city of Leeds, begins with IMPURITY, now published by The Book Folks.

Hi Ray how lovely to see you here. What can I get you at the bar?

R: That’s an easy one. A nice cold glass of Chardonnay, and you must take one for yourself.

I shall, thank you. The last time we met was towards the end of 2019 when we had a very enjoyable lunch together in Covent Garden but where did we first meet in real life?

R: That would have been the 2017 CrimeFest in Bristol – in the bar of course. I was quite surprised because you saw me and stood up and came over and the first thing you said was, “I didn’t realise you were here.” I was quite flattered because I didn’t realise anyone knew who I was – let alone I was there.

That’s me with my journalist’s hat on. First impressions?

R: You were the first author I’d met over the weekend from the same publishing house. I felt immediately relaxed in your company and I really enjoyed chatting to you about all sorts of things.

Always good to talk. Points in common?

R: I think the obvious one was a love of stories and books, writing in similar genres, and the fact that we worked for the same publisher.

In fact we shared two publishers as we’ve both been published by Endeavour – now Lume Books. Thinking of 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?

R: I love the idea of a dream panel. I would firstly choose Peter James because of his wealth of experience in film and books. Graham Masterton would be another. I love his writing style and storytelling ability. I would also like Nigel McCrery, the author of New Tricks and Silent Witness, and the DCI Mark Lapslie thrillers. And I think a very good moderator would be you, yourself, Anne. You also have considerable experience in the industry, and you’re very good at settling people down.

A great panel and thank you for the compliment! Tell me about your latest book which has just been published.

R: That would be Impression, featuring D.I. Gardener and D.S. Reilly, the fourth in my IMP series published by The Book Folks.

R: My detectives are called out to a housing estate at midnight and find a woman pinned to the floor with a bayonet. Before they have a chance to investigate, another corpse is found three miles away, with a connection. And that is just the start!

I’ve enjoyed the previous three IMP books so I’m looking forward to reading this one. What are you working on now?

R: I’ve also just finished the edits for a new book (the second) in the paranormal thriller series, called Spirit, and I’m really pleased that my publisher, Erik Empson of The Book Folks is more than happy to read the series, but no date for publication yet.

Lockdown has affected us all in different ways. What are you most looking forward to when it is finally lifted?

R: A couple of things: the first being a quiet meal out with friends, a chance to catch up. The second is a return to the music scene. I’ve been a musician for forty years. It’s in my blood and I find entertaining exciting. It’s live and you never know what is going to happen. Sadly, lockdown has killed that off completely.

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

R: If it’s made me think about anything, it’s the fact of how lucky I am not to have caught it, and perhaps the sterling job that the NHS are doing in such dire circumstances and under such inhuman pressure. I think it’s taught me patience: standing in a line for your shopping is something new to the British public, that and the fact that you don’t have to rush anywhere these days. If it’s made me want to do anything, it’s that when things return to normal I should live life to the full and take nothing else for granted.

I’ll drink to that, Ray. Thank you so much for joining me here and I look forward to the next time we meet for lunch.

You can find out more about Ray Clark’s books here and follow him on Twitter @T1LOM