News

The Crime Scene : The Guildhall, Faversham

28-11-23

Thanks to Rachel from Tales on Market Street (Faversham’s wonderful independent bookshop), who hosted authors Laura Marshall, Holly Seddon and myself at Faversham’s beautiful Guildhall. The audience was lovely and asked us so many brilliant questions. Mind you, sitting in front of those wooden boards commemorating all the past mayors of Faversham did make us feel a little as if we were conducting a town council meeting!

The Christmas Book Party: The Old Library, Birmingham

25-11-23

This was a brilliant event! Instead of panels and interviews, all the authors mingled with readers and bloggers, chatting and signing our books, and dancing! The venue was really beautiful too.

Frinton Literary Festival : Crime and Wine

26-10-23

I felt very honoured to interview the supremely talented Mick Herron about his Slough House series of spy thrillers, now being streamed on Apple TV as Slow Horses with Gary Oldman playing Jackson Lamb. It was a packed house and the staging was excellent. We even had sheepskin rugs on our chairs! Mick was a fascinating guest and the audience loved him!

Slaughter in Southwold

17-06-23

Southwold is such a beautiful seaside town, but don’t be fooled by its genteel image. There’s clearly a thriving community of crime readers here! After my interview, which was on the Sunday morning, the festival organisers treated us all to a fabulous fish and chip lunch! I couldn’t resist going down to the beach afterwards and taking some pictures.

Bristol CrimeFest

11-14 May 23

Bristol CrimeFest is an annual crime fiction convention. I’d heard lots about it, but this was my first appearance there, and my very first trip to Bristol as well. I was lucky enough to appear on two panels: On Thursday evening, it was ‘A Twist in the Tale’ with Lisa Jewell, Simon Toyne, Paul Durston and Lucy Martin. And on Friday morning, it was ‘All in the Mind’ with Jackie Kabler, Nev Fountain and Jo Furniss. As you can see from these pictures, we all had a brilliant time!

Skullduggery in Stowmarket Crime Festival

29-04-23

Skullduggery in Stowmarket is a delightful library-run festival in Stowmarket. It was an all-day event with lots of other crime authors all doing interviews at different times, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly liked my little jar of locally-produced apple chutney! Such a thoughtful gift.

The Inaugural Woodbridge Books ‘bookclub’ featuring The Dare

24-02-23

Woodbridge Books, in Woodbridge, Suffolk, is a lovely little independent bookshop run by Susie Keepin, who has had the wonderful idea of hosting a monthly bookclub. This first meeting was held in the gorgeous German cafe and art gallery, Vela, in Saxmundham, and I was thrilled to be able to talk about The Dare with such a friendly and lively group of local readers. And it was so nice to see my friend and fellow writer/co-podcaster, Lauren North, there too.

Paperback Publication Day for
The Apartment Upstairs

02-02-23

It’s always exciting when a book comes out in paperback, especially when it has a brand new cover! I really love how this one looks and it was great seeing it on the shelves earlier today. It’s available in all good bookshops, plus Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda, as well as W.H. Smiths and Amazon, where it can be found in print, ebook and audio.

Frinton Literary Festival, with Paula Hawkins

20-10-22

I might not live in Frinton anymore, but I’m still involved with the literary festival and it was my absolute pleasure to kick off the proceedings with the regular Thursday night Crime and Wine event. I interviewed the globally-bestselling author of The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins, and her editor, Sarah Adams. Sarah has also edited all four of my books, so it was really interesting to talk to them both about not only Paula’s amazing books, but the editorial process itself.

Capital Crime Festival

30-09-22

The Capital Crime Festival took place in Battersea Park this year. I was moderating a panel called Home is Where the Crime is with Stuart Neville, Eva Björg Æegisdottir and husband-and-wife writing team, Nicci French. It was blowing a gale outside this tent and I wished I’d put my thermals on, but luckily the cold didn’t stop us and the conversation flowed!

Waterstones Liverpool, with Tess Gerritsen

20-07-22

After a couple of stops for book signings at Waterstones in Chester and Birkenhead, we arrived at the famous Waterstones, Liverpool one with its wonderful Beatles backdrop to the stage. It was a real thrill to be sitting here alongside Tess!

Waterstones Brentwood, with Tess Gerritsen

19-07-22

I’ve long been a fan of Tess Gerritsen’s writing, so it was a real honour to be able to interview her. It was the hottest day of the year so far, but thankfully the Brentwood Waterstones had very efficient air-conditioning! As soon as this event was over, we were whisked back to London for the night, ready for our journey to Liverpool the following day.

Crime Central, Manchester Central Library

30-06-22

This was the second in a series of crime author panels held at Manchester Central Library and moderated by author and podcaster, Rob Parker. I was delighted to be invited to appear alongside fellow authors Russ Thomas and Stephanie Sowden. The library is a very impressive building and it was a lovely evening with one or two familiar faces in the audience.

A visit to Transworld’s fabulous new offices

29-06-22

Today was really special. Not only did I get to have a celebratory lunch with my editors, agent, publicist, marketing manager and cover designer, but I was also given a tour of Transworld’s fabulous new offices in Embassy Gardens, Nine Elms. I was thoroughly spoiled and came away with a bottle of champagne and a tote bag full of amazing books.

Woodbridge Emporium: Book Signing

27-06-22

Woodbridge Emporium, near Ipswich, is another independent bookshop which has recently changed ownership. Susie Keepin, the new owner, invited me along to sign books and meet customers. It was a very jolly morning!

Halesworth Books, Suffolk

24-06-22

We had a great turnout at this small, independent bookshop in Halesworth, near Southwold, owned by Abbie Clements. The audience was fantastic and asked lots of really interesting questions. The top layer of cake from the event in Colchester the night before was still intact, so I brought it along. Needless to say, by the end of the evening it was totally demolished!

Hardback Publication Day for The Apartment Upstairs

23-06-22

This evening, I did an event at Waterstones, Colchester, with fellow author, Charlotte Northedge, whose debut novel The House Guest came out at the end of May. We were interviewed by the wonderful Alison Barrow from Penguin Random House about our books, and because it was my publication day, I ordered a very special cake, pictured above. It was a great evening and that’s my mum with the black handbag sitting in the front row!

The Apartment Upstairs

Coming soon!!

I’m very pleased to announce that my fourth book will be published on June 23 and is now available to pre-order. (Purchase links and more information can be found on my Books page). The proofs have already landed and I will be visiting lots of bookshops between now and publication day to drop some off. This book was previously called This Girl, That Girl, but as sometimes happens in publishing, titles are reconsidered and changed. I love the new title and am thrilled with its bold (and slightly sinister) orange jacket! And just look at this fantastic quote from the super-talented T.M. Logan! I can’t wait to share it with you.

Bay Tales Live : Keeping the Home Fires Burning

12-02-22

It was a great honour to be invited to participate in the inaugural Bay Tales Live in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear. It was a one-day event packed with author panels. Here I am with debut author, Nikki May, and my podcast partner and fellow author, Lauren North, being interviewed by Vic Watson.

Frinton Literary Festival

21-10-21

I was absolutely delighted to return to Frinton-on-Sea to host the Crime and Wine evening on Thursday night. My guests this year were S.J. Watson and Fiona Barton and we had a hugely appreciative audience in the McGrigor Hall.

First Monday Crime (on a Thursday!!)

07-10-21

This was, of course, supposed to happen on the Monday, but that was the night Facebook went down for hours on end, so we did it on Thursday instead. Panel members included myself, Inga Vesper, Mara Timon, and Tariq Ashkanani, and it was moderated by Jonathan Whitelaw. You can watch it here.

US Publication Day for The Dare

03-08-21

I always get really excited when one of my books comes out in North America. Look at this beautiful blue jacket! One of these days, I might make it over there to celebrate in style!

Paperback Release of The Dare

22-07-21

It’s paperback publication day at last and I’m celebrating it at the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Festival in Harrogate! I’m really thrilled with this edition. There’s an extra Q&A section at the back, and joy of joy, the shops are open this time!

Locked-Up Festival 2

09-04-21

I really enjoyed taking part in this panel for the Locked-up Festival 2, organised by Two Crime Writers and a Microphone and in aid of The Trussell Trust.

Hardback Publication Day for The Dare

04-03-21

Today is the hardback publication day for my third novel, The Dare. I was hoping we might be out of lockdown by now, and that I’d be able to see it on sale in actual bookshops, but hopefully it won’t be long before the shops are open again. In the meantime, it’s been wonderful reading some of the reviews from early readers!

Granite Noir 2021 : Vengeful Hearts Panel

21-02-21

This was my first time appearing at the Granite Noir festival, and like everything else at the moment, it was online. Stina Jackson, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir and myself were interviewed by Alex Clark and had a really interesting discussion about revenge and the part it plays in our novels. It was a fantastic festival with lots of really interesting panels, all of them free and now available to watch on YouTube. You can see the Vengeful Hearts Panel if you click on the button below.

Lesley and Lauren venture into vodcasting!

23-09-20

I’ve long been a fan of podcasts and have now teamed up with fellow author, Lauren North, to bring you In Suspense, a brand new video podcast (or vodcast) for fans and writers of crime fiction. It comes out every two weeks and is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms. Our first guest, in episode 2, was the legendary S.J. Watson, author of the phenomenally successful thriller, Before I Go To Sleep, and we’ve got loads more exciting guests lined up for future episodes. Do please check us out and subscribe to our channel. Thank you so much!

Who Did You Tell is in the Sunday Times Top Ten!

23-08-20

Can this really be happening? Who Did You Tell has reached number 9 in the Sunday Times Top Ten. To say I am thrilled would be an understatement. Thank you so much to everyone who has bought a copy!

Paperback Publication Day for Who Did You Tell

06-08-20

It’s been a long seven months since Who Did You Tell first came out in hardback. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown meant that several events I was really looking forward to were cancelled. So today’s publication of the paperback in its chilling new cover is extra special - even more so now that I can actually see it on sale in books and supermarkets!

The Rumor Goes Mass Market in North America

28-07-20

Just look at this stunning new cover for the mass market edition of The Rumor. I absolutely love these atmospheric colours!

US Publication Day for Who Did You Tell

16-06-20

It’s US publication day at last! The question is: will I be able to stay off Twitter long enough to get any work done?

The Frinton Launch of Who Did You Tell

27-02-20

This event at The McGrigor Hall, Frinton, was organised by the wonderful Caxton Books and the fabulous Alison Barrow from Transworld. It was a great night, with lots of friends, family and locals helping me to celebrate.

Interview with Jack Jordan

23-01-20

What a fabulous evening! Thanks to Waterstones Colchester for hosting, and Jack Jordan for putting me through my paces. Super audience, too.

BBC Essex: Tony Fisher Show

22-01-20

What a lovely man Tony Fisher is! We talked about both Who Did You Tell and The Rumour. Tony had some really interesting questions. 

Publication Day and London Launch Party for Who Did You Tell

09-01-20

This evening I celebrated with family and friends in Waterstones Greenwich to launch Who Did You Tell. Thank you so much to Alison Barrow, Sarah Adams and all at Transworld for organising such a brilliant party and keeping us all topped up with drinks and snacks!

Vanguard Readings at the Margate Bookie

23-11-19

It’s always a great pleasure to take part in a Vanguard Readings event and this one was extra special as it took place in the fabulous Turner Contemporary, looking out over the sea. My fellow readers were: Jeff Hilson, Renée Knight, Phoebe Locke, S J Watson and Helen Young. Thanks to our MC, Adrian Cross, and Bookie Chief, Andreas Loizou!

Pre-Launch Events for Who Did You Tell

21-11-19

It was so nice to meet booksellers and bloggers at these two pre-launch events, at Hotel Du Vin, Cambridge and The Pavilion, Colchester. Thank you to everyone who attended.

East Anglian Book Awards

14-11-19

I was absolutely thrilled to discover that The Rumour was shortlisted in the fiction category at the East Anglian Book Awards. The lunch event at Norwich Football Ground, Top of the Terrace, was a real treat. The very talented Penny Hancock (pictured here in the pink jacket) won the prize for her wonderful novel I Thought I Knew You.

Frinton Literary Festival

17-10-19

It was a real honour for me to interview the legendary Ann Cleeves at the annual Frinton Literary Festival. We talked about her highly successful Vera and Shetland series, and her most recent novel, The Long Call. Ann has so many fascinating stories to tell - it really was a pleasure to hear her speak and the audience loved her.

Halesworth Bookshop

05-10-19

A big thank you to Halesworth Bookshop for inviting me along to sign copies of The Rumour as part of the nationwide ‘Bookshop Day’.

September Festival Fever

September was a very busy month: Bloody Scotland (New Crimes Panel with Alex Grey); the inaugural Capital Crime Festival (Whose Crime Is It Anyway) in the Grand Connaught Rooms, London, and the Henley Literary Festival (How to Write a Crime Novel), where Fiona Barton and I were interviewed by the wonderful Alison Barrow.

The Rumour hits the Sunday Times Top Ten again!

After its first full week of paperback sales, The Rumour reached number 6 in the Sunday Times Top Ten and number 8 in the UK Top 50. If only I could go back in time and tell my younger self that one day this would happen. Mind you, I’m not sure I’d have believed it.

Paperback Publication Day for The Rumour

25-07-19

The Rumour came out in paperback today. Here I am signing copies (and flashing a little too much cleavage!) at Caxton Books, my local bookshop. The owners, Judith Charlesworth and Sally Johnson, have been so supportive of my books.

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate

July 2019

A year ago this weekend, Transworld pre-launched The Rumour in the tent where the Dead Good Books Awards event was being held. (See first news item if you scroll to the bottom of this page). This year, The Rumour was shortlisted for ‘The Cat and Mouse Award for Most Elusive Villain’, alongside Beautiful Liars by Isabel Ashdown, Do No Harm by L V Hay, The Infirmary by L J Ross, Last of the Magpies by Mark Edwards, and Twisted by Steve Cavanagh. Mark Edwards was the ultimate winner, but it was a great honour to be shortlisted amongst such talented company.

I had a really enjoyable weekend, mingling and talking with authors, readers and publishing folk, and attending some fantastic parties and panel events. In fact, I had such a great time, I stupidly forgot to take any photos! 

US Publication Day

18-06-19

An early morning cup of Earl Grey tea to celebrate The Rumor hitting the shelves in America today. I just love the colours on this jacket. I’m also beyond thrilled and very honoured that it’s been chosen to be part of the Barnes and Noble Summer 2019 Discover Great New Writers Program. 

Vanguard on Tour

10-05-19

On a lovely, sunny evening in May, I found myself on the i360 in Brighton, along with Molly Flatt, Colette McBeth, Trisha Sakhlecha, Stephanie Scott and Helen Trevorrow. Vanguard Readings was founded in 2011 by Richard Skinner: novelist, poet and Director of the Fiction Programme at the Faber Academy. Richard was there to introduce us and we each read a short section from our respective novels. It was a very glamorous venue, looking out over Brighton and the South Downs as the sun set.

The Making of a Murderer

16-04-19

I had the very great pleasure of interviewing Erin Kelly and Olivia Kiernan at Goldsboro Books in Cecil Court, London. It was a really enjoyable evening.

Frating Reading Group

06-02-19

Frating is quite close to where I live and I have often driven past the Penguin Random House Distribution Centre and wondered what exactly happened here. Well, now I know! I met the lovely members of the Frating Reading Group, who had all read The Rumour, and enjoyed a delicious lunch of sandwiches, cakes and scones. Then I was taken on a tour of the centre. It was absolutely enormous and a real eye-opener. I even saw the shelf where copies of The Rumour are stored.

BBC Radio Essex

31-01-19

Today, I was interviewed by Rob Jelly on the Afternoon Show at BBC Radio Essex. It was great to be in Chelmsford again. I was born and grew up there so finding my way to the studio was no problem at all. Rob was so easy to talk to and I really enjoyed the experience!

Waterstones, Colchester

28-01-19

This evening, I was interviewed by Jack Jordan at Waterstones, Colchester. Jack is a local author and actor and he had some great questions for me.

Whistle-Stop Tour of the North

January 2019

For three action-packed days in January, I was lucky enough to go on a whistle-stop tour of the north with the amazing Fiona Barton, bestselling author of The Widow, The Child and The Suspect. We had a fantastic time visiting bookshops and other venues in Manchester, Bolton, Liverpool, Heswall, Harrogate, Little Ripon, Leeds, Newcastle and Durham. Lots of stories to tell, but ‘what happens on tour, stays on tour’, so my lips are sealed!

The Frinton/‘Flinstead’ Launch Party

15-01-19

Frinton-on-Sea, where I now live, is the inspiration for the setting of ‘Flinstead’ in The Rumour. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have had a second launch event here and to celebrate with friends, family and local residents. A big thank you to Caxton Books and Transworld for organising such a well-attended event.

Launch Party at Belgravia Books

09-01-19

A massive thank you to Transworld, for organising the London launch party for The Rumour, and thanks also to Belgravia Books, for letting my family and friends take over your wonderful bookshop for the evening! What an incredible night it was.

Breaking News - The Rumour hits the Sunday Times Top Ten

Pinch me, someone.  This can’t possibly be true. The Rumour has only gone and made number 6 in the Sunday Times Top Ten!

One Night in Soho

28-11-18

Last week, I was invited by Transworld to take part in my first ever panel event at The Soho Hotel, London, alongside the wonderful Fiona Barton and Renée Knight. Click on this link for a good write-up of this exciting event.

Look What Just Happened!

This was the culmination of a very exciting process. No fewer than six different production companies vied to buy the TV rights for The Rumour. I spent a surreal day in a private members’ club in Soho, listening to their different pitches and trying to decide which one to go for. But in the end, Cuba Pictures bowled me over with their passion and enthusiasm for the project. Fingers crossed it all  goes ahead!

The Rumour as an audiobook

10-10-18

Last Wednesday, I went along to Red Apple Creative Studio in Tottenham Court Road and heard the brilliant Clare Corbett narrating The Rumour. You should be able to see my ghostly reflection in the glass! It was such a thrill to hear my words read aloud by a professional actor and I can’t wait to hear the whole audiobook when it comes out on 10 December.

The Rumour spreads to Harrogate

July 2018

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to be invited by Transworld to pre-launch The Rumour at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival at Harrogate. Here I am signing proof copies, each sporting a special edition jacket and Theakston Old Peculier badge. It was my first official outing as a soon-to-be-published author and my first ever visit to Harrogate.