One of my friends is allowed to read the proof copy of my books, as a favour, before they come out. She returned the latest to me with a concerned expression on her face. What was wrong? Had I dropped an important plot point somewhere? ‘No, the book’s all right,’ she said. ‘But, I do worry about you, Veronica. You have such a peculiar mind.’

She’s right, of course. I was in my early twenties before I realised – with astonishment – that not everyone went around making up stories in their heads. So here am I with my peculiar mind, producing another complicated plot using characters we all know and love.

The book she’d read in proof stage is the latest Bea Abbot, FALSE IMPRESSION, which will be published officially at the end of this month. If you’re near a library, you may like to go and reserve a copy now. The cover is a little different from those we have used before in this series, as it has a large black cat on it . . . which is fine, I suppose, as Bea’s Winston does wind his way in and out of the story.

What is this book about? Well, Bea has taken in the helpless (and hopeless) Dilys, who accidentally infects the agency’s systems with a virus, while Bea’s on and off friend Leon first seeks sanctuary with her and then tells her to disown him. It turns out that both Leon and Dilys’s boy-friend Orlando had been lured to the car park of a swimming pool where a murderer had been at work – leaving them entangled in a web from which they find it hard to extricate themselves. Surely this can’t have anything to do with Leon’s taking over his elder brother’s global empire? Or can it? Everything that happens can be interpreted in different ways and it’s some time before Bea realises exactly who was murdered and why. Before she does so, she and everyone else in the house and the agency find themselves under siege.

I do hope you’ll like it. And, if you’re a professional reviewer, you can ask Charlotte at Severnhouse to send you a digital copy through NetGalley NOW.

Meanwhile, I’ve been slugging along with the next Ellie, which is, incredibly, number sixteen in the series! How has this happened? Most series peter out after six or seven, but this one keeps on and on. Of course some of the minor characters come and go; some stick around for a couple of books – or even more. Some pop back in again, as they would in real life. So the difficult schoolboy Mikey is still coming around, and of course Ellie’s dreadful bully of a daughter, Diana. Someone said recently that there is a touch of Diana in even the nicest of daughters. Hm. Better not let my own daughter hear that!

Every now and then I feel a character telling me that they have had enough. The years take their toll, and one of the characters who appeared in the very first Ellie, is feeling her age. And no, I can’t stop her leaving. When it’s time to go, then that’s it. With regret and a good many tears on my part.

At the moment I’m taking a rest from this book while I start on another short story, this time for the New Year for the Methodist Recorder. If you didn’t manage to catch up with the last two stories I wrote for them, just drop me an e-mail and I’ll send them to you. ‘Summer Holiday’ saw our heroes going off in different directions and learning something new, while ‘Accident & Emergency’ found Kerry ending up in hospital and his friends rallying round to keep the hostel going.

The saga of the moths in my house is, hopefully, drawing to a close, but I have had to dispose of three warm wool skirts and ditto tops. So I now have excuse to go shopping, hurray!

A blessing: may you enjoy to some of the seasonal produce which is now coming into the shops . . . but remember that sprouts are not at their best till they’ve had the frost on them.

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com
http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

One of my earliest historicals – My Lord, the Hermit – has just come out on audiobook. Libraries usually stock my audiobooks, so you can ask for it there. CD/9781407951638.

Cry for Kit – one of the early mysteries, is now out as an e-book, as is . . .

The Siege of Salwarpe – a romance set in the middle ages.

You can hear me reading various bits and pieces in recordings made by Isis (Soundings) as follows: Podcast & Interview:

https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/isis-unabridged-podcast-3-veronica-heley-interview

Collected newsletters 2011-2014 (one audio file)

https://soundcloud.com/isis/veronica-heley-newsletters-2011-2014

Links to individual newsletters (click on each title)

https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/sets/veronica-heley-newsletters

Severn House e-books released recently

Bea Abbot:   FALSE STEP: http://aerbook.com/books/False_Step-8687.html

Historical:   LONGSWORD: http://aerbook.com/books/Longsword-8830.html

Ellie Quicke: MURDER IN TIME:   http://aerbook.com/books/Murder_in_Time-8823.html

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?l1-11

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11

Safely back from teaching at the NAWG Writers’ Festival at Warwick University, I must report an amusing incident. I won the top prize in the raffle, which happened to be a teaching course for writers, run by Writers’ News! Yes, me! With seventy four books out with traditional publishers. Naturally, I asked the organisers to pick another winner – which they did, but there were quite a few people smothering the giggles when my name was announced. And yes, while I was at Warwick I found some good writers to encourage which was just great.

You remember I said I was going to cut down on my workload? And I went through all the things I really have to keep on doing? Yes, to the two series for Severn House, and to the newsletter which subsequently appears as a blog on my website. Yes, to the short stories, of course. Which reminds me, if you didn’t manage to get hold of a copy of the Summer Holiday one, just drop me an email, and I’ll send it to you. Also, I see that the harvest one – Accident & Emergency – was published last Friday, so that’s now available, too.

Back to the workload: I have to continue doing the copy-editing and proof reading, for my books. Thankfully both are now over and done with for the next Bea Abbot story, which will be coming out at the end of November. That one’s called False Impression, and it has a cat on the cover.

So, what’s left? Apart from all the stuff I do for the church and the community. Well, it seems to me that I must take a good hard look at the guest slots which I do on other people’s websites. Some of them I can keep up with, but some I might drop, at least for the time being. Sometimes I am asked for the equivalent of a short story or an essay, in order to get the name of my next book out through someone else’s website. And each one of those, I reckon, takes a couple of days to do. So I’m looking at each one and deciding if I can do them or, with regret, decline.

A word of warning. When I first started to get published in the 70s, I was writing crime stories which went out under my real name, Veronica Heley. So when I started to write historicals for a different publisher, Corgi, my agent suggested I invented a pen name – Victoria Thorne. Now these historicals are being brought out as e-books by Severn House but it is not clear that Veronica and Victoria are one and the same person; because there’s so little space to put the details on the cover, the note about the name has gone on the second page. Apologies if you’ve been getting double vision over this. I think the last in this series – The Siege of Salwarpe – came out in September.

Now, back to my work on the first draft of the next Ellie Quicke. Before I start on a book I work out who the villain is and why. This time I knew all about the people who behaved badly and looked as if they were the murderers, but when I came to write them and they turned into real characters – don’t ask! It’s something that happens in my mind as I go along. I can’t explain it. It just is – it became clear to me that though they were not nice people at all, they hadn’t actually killed the missing girls. Oh. So who did? Ah, well . . . now I see that I’d written the murderer in all along, but hadn’t realised it. At the moment I’m taking a rest from this book while I start on another short story, this time for the New Year for the Methodist Recorder. When I come back to this Ellie, I may have to lay a few more clues.

Thank you for your kind enquiries about the moths which have almost been eradicated from the house. I do spot one or two a day but nothing like the twenty or thirty I was getting before I had the carpets up.

A blessing: may you catch some sun bringing out the rich colours of autumn leaves, and find time to meet up with old friends.

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

A review for Murder in Time from Library Journal concludes, ‘the author’s latest is equally amusing with an intriguing plot and well-drawn, appealing characters; her protagonist is charming and loyal to a fault.’ 

The Siege of Salwarpe is one of my historicals which Severn House released in September as an ebook 978144301379. It’s a romance set in the Middle Ages in which a hero uses guile rather than the usual battle tactics to free Ursula’s besieged castle from a marauding baron, all the while knowing that she is due to marry his patron. Over the years I’ve lost every copy of this book, first published by Robert Hale in 1982. I’ve tried the usual channels but no one has a copy for sale . . . unless you know better? If you have a copy and are willing to part with it, I would be delighted to pay any reasonable sum for it.

You can hear me reading various bits and pieces in recordings made by Isis (Soundings) as follows: Podcast & Interview:

https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/isis-unabridged-podcast-3-veronica-heley-interview

Collected newsletters 2011-2014 (one audio file)

https://soundcloud.com/isis/veronica-heley-newsletters-2011-2014

Links to individual newsletters (click on each title)

https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/sets/veronica-heley-newsletters

Severn House e-books released recently

Bea Abbot:   FALSE STEP: http://aerbook.com/books/False_Step-8687.html

Historical:   LONGSWORD: http://aerbook.com/books/Longsword-8830.html

Ellie Quicke: MURDER IN TIME:   http://aerbook.com/books/Murder_in_Time-8823.html

Digital review copies of Murder in Time are available from Severn House through NetGalley for librarians, booksellers and established reviewers and bloggers, but NOT to the general public who post reviews on Amazon or Goodreads – unless they are Amazon Vine reviewers or GoodReads librarians. Apply direct to Charlotte Loftus at Severn House

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?l1-11

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11

Apologies if I’ve given you a fright by sending this out a couple of days early, but I’m off this afternoon to Warwick University to teach at their Writers’ Festival, and will be away on the lst, when I usually send the newsletter out.

You remember I said I was going to cut down on my workload? And you probably shook your head and smiled to yourself, thinking I didn’t really mean it. Well, I did mean it, but as to actually doing it . . . First I looked at what I really must keep on doing. Well, that’s obviously the two books a year for Severn House; one Ellie and one Bea. So far I’ve been able to keep producing a new story for each every six months.

How do I do it? I read the papers, I listen to people, I wonder ‘What if . . .’ and I pray a bit. Somehow or other, the stories pop into my head. After which the real work of getting them down onto paper begins. Sometimes I think up a character from scratch. That takes a lot of thought; no one person is absolutely good or bad, are they? Suppose they have this flaw, which negates all the good they try to do? Or a talent, which they misuse? Do they have any particular mannerisms? What sort of clothes do they wear/car do they drive? It takes time and thought to create a believable character. Then there’s the hard graft of getting the story onto the computer, and editing it. The Bea and Ellie stories must continue, but is there anything else I could drop? Well, not the newsletter, obviously.

Another thing I can’t drop, and that’s copy-editing. I’ve just done it for the next Bea Abbot – False Impression. Now I know that my editor is trained to do this work, and that new rules for such things as semi-colons come out every year. But I, who left school so long ago, don’t know these new rules. It seems that every time I put in a comma, Rachel takes it out. And every time she puts in a comma, I wonder why!

Copy-editing over and done with, I returned to the first draft of the next Ellie Quicke . . . where I met up with dilemma. Can a man who is something of a despot, be the best person to be in charge of a number of recovering addicts? He is convinced he is on the side of right. (Actually, he thinks he’s a prophet and expects everyone else to take him seriously.) He is doing some good in the community . . . or is he? Doesn’t it come down to the old adage, that you shouldn’t do wrong, in order that right may come of it? Oh, and Ellie discovers an unusual use for a fly spray.

Which brings me neatly onto the subject of the moths. Yes, thank you. The new carpets look a treat and they have definitely cut down the number of moths infesting my house, although they have not eliminated them entirely. I suppose that will take time. Meanwhile I am assured I am not the only household in the area to be affected.

There’s something else I can’t drop. The short story I wrote for the Methodist Recorder – Summer Holiday – was duly published on the 15th August. I haven’t been asked for a summer story before, and it was a pleasure to think up what might happen to my three favourite men at this time of the year. The usual process applies : if you can’t get hold of a copy, let me know and I’ll send you an e-mail copy in a few days’ time.

The Siege of Salwarpe is the historical which Severn House are releasing sometime in September as an ebook 978144301379. It’s a romance set in the Middle Ages in which a hero uses guile rather than the usual battle tactics to free Ursula’s besieged castle from a marauding baron, all the while knowing that she is due to marry his patron.

Here follows a plea for help; over the years I have managed to lose every single copy of this book, which was first published by Robert Hale in 1982. I have tried all the usual channels but no one has a copy for sale . . . unless you know better? If you have a copy and are willing to part with it, I would be delighted to pay any reasonable sum for it.

Also out this month as an ebook, is Scream for Sarah, an early crime novel of mine which has had a chequered career through hard back and large print and ebook with AudioGo . . . and is now being brought out by Endeavour as an ebook for £2.99.

I am ‘guesting’ on various friends’ websites about now. One you might like to look at is Ellie Whyte’s Soul Inspiration site, which is running a competition for a digital copy of my latest book until Sept 3rd. Another is at www.margaretdaley.com/margarets-blog/ and a third is at Lyn Cote’s Strong Women site www.LynCote.com , when I ask if it sometimes wrong to withhold the truth. . . See what you think. I’m also on www.TrishPerry.com As if you didn’t get enough of me!

A blessing: may you find time to sit in the sunshine, or to rest indoors while it rains, appreciating the time out, for autumn days will soon be upon us.

Veronica Heley
www.veronicaheley.com
http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

PS. Another review for Murder in Time. Library Journal concludes, ‘the author’s latest is equally amusing with an intriguing plot and well-drawn, appealing characters; her protagonist is charming and loyal to a fault.’

You can hear me reading various bits and pieces in recordings made by Isis (Soundings) as follows: Podcast & Interview:
https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/isis-unabridged-podcast-3-veronica-heley-interview

Collected newsletters 2011-2014 (one audio file)
https://soundcloud.com/isis/veronica-heley-newsletters-2011-2014

Links to individual newsletters (click on each title)
https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/sets/veronica-heley-newsletters

Severn House e-books released recently
Bea Abbot: FALSE STEP: http://aerbook.com/books/False_Step-8687.html
Historical: LONGSWORD: http://aerbook.com/books/Longsword-8830.html
Ellie Quicke: MURDER IN TIME: http://aerbook.com/books/Murder_in_Time-8823.html

Digital review copies of Murder in Time are available from Severn House through NetGalley for librarians, booksellers and established reviewers and bloggers, but NOT to the general public who post reviews on Amazon or Goodreads – unless they are Amazon Vine reviewers or GoodReads librarians. Apply direct to Charlotte Loftus at Severn House

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php

Now and then someone asks me what Ellie Quicke is like. Sometimes they say they think that she’s like me, and I say, ‘Yes, she is – sort of.’ Because she is not very tall, not exactly sylph-like and her hair is silver. But Ellie is not really me. I wouldn’t call myself a soldier for Christ – but then, neither would Ellie. Yet that is what she is, in a way. But she’s also a fallible human being who can be forgetful and leave the house with her skirt tucked up into her pants at the back. And yes, the other day I put on a full skirt, and as I was walking up past the shops, a woman I didn’t know called out to me and pointed . . . and then we both got the giggles. So perhaps I’m more like Ellie than I thought.

Do you know what the letters html mean? No, I don’t, either. But Severn House have very cleverly arranged to put seventeen of my books into this format, and if I put this list of figures and letters onto my newsletter or at the bottom of an e-mail it means that anyone doing Ctrl and click on them can get a picture of the cover, an extract from the book, and can even buy it direct from the site. I’ll try to put some of the list on the end of the newsletter. All I know is that there are some _ characters between the words of the title, but that they disappear when the whole ‘sentence’ gets underlined. I did try it out myself, putting in the _ signs and it worked. Amazing!

I recorded an interview and some extracts from my newsletters for the people who produce the Ellie and Bea audiobooks, and they have now gone live on their Soundcloud page. I do hope you like them. My website manager says he’s put links through my website on the home page – that’s the interview; and on the blog page. But you can also access the official Isis sites through this:

Podcast & Interview:
https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/isis-unabridged-podcast-3-veronica-heley-interview

Collected newsletters 2011-2014 (one audio file)
https://soundcloud.com/isis/veronica-heley-newsletters-2011-2014

Links to individual newsletters (click on each title)
https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/sets/veronica-heley-newsletters

Some more good news. I’ve got the first of the reviews in for MURDER IN TIME, published in May in the UK, and August in the USA. Booklist says that ‘The indomitable amateur sleuth Ellie Quicke is back doing what she does to perfection… An absorbing plot starring the always charming Ellie, and a slam-bang ending, makes this one a pleasure to read.’ AND – wait for it – Publishers Weekly says ‘Heley’s prose is sure, her characters well-drawn, and though her tone is light, the plot is satisfyingly dark and sinister.’ How about that!

I now have some new carpets. Yes! The bad news is that I’ve had to move my computer around again, with the usual set of problems which that entails. Updating my computer meant that the old method of storing and sending out pictures by email disappeared. Cue maximum confusion and frustration! But my wonderful guru taught me another path through the maze, and hopefully we’re back in business.

I’ve been trying to find out when the Holiday short story for the Methodist Recorder will be out. I’m told – sometime in August. Just keep an eye out for it, will you? If you can’t get a copy, I’ll send one to you by email in the usual way – but not before it’s published.

LONGSWORD is the next of my historicals to be brought out as an e-book by Severn house. We’re back in the lawless Middle Ages when a man fleeing from a wrongful conviction takes refuge in the castle in which lives a girl who’d once been promised to him in marriage. He’s a red-head but the cover gives him black hair. Oh well. Now, if I’ve understood this correctly, if you do Control and click on this URL, you get the cover and the first two chapters; http://aerbook.com/books/Longsword-8830.html And yes, it works!

And so, back to Ellie number sixteen. This is now roaring ahead, with Diana being threatened with hell-fire – am I enjoying that bit! – and suspicion being cast everywhere. I know that very soon I’m going to have the copy editing of the last Bea Abbot to do, so I’m trying to get ahead with Ellie while I can.

We finished our afternoon tea club for the over 65s at the end of July and will restart in September. My favourite cake is the mushy chocolate, but it does crumble a bit which means we have to get the hoover out at the end of the afternoon. We think it’s worth it. Coronation chicken is top of my list for sandwiches, but we have a different menu every week and it’s always a nice surprise to see what’s coming up.

A blessing: may you find enjoyment and not heatstroke in the sun, appreciate the wonderful range of summer fruits in the shops, and spent some catch-up time with a friend.

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com
http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

PS. I may send the next newsletter out a couple of days early as I’m at the Warwick Writers’ Conference at the end of the month.

PPS. I’ve just been told that Ulverscroft have put an opening section of False Diamond onto the cloud too. You can hear that on https://soundcloud.com/ulverscroft/false-diamond-by-veronica-heley

Severn House e-books released in June, July and August

Bea Abbot: FALSE STEP: http://aerbook.com/books/False_Step-8687.html

Historical: LONGSWORD: http://aerbook.com/books/Longsword-8830.html

Ellie Quicke: MURDER IN TIME: http://aerbook.com/books/Murder_in_Time-8823.html

Don’t forget that if you would like a digital review copy of Murder in Time, it is available from Severn House through NetGalley. This facility is available to librarians, booksellers and established reviewers and bloggers, but NOT to the general public who only post reviews on Amazon or Goodreads – unless they are Amazon Vine reviewers or GoodReads librarians. Apply direct to Charlotte Loftus.

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories originally published in the Methodist Recorder, concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php

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The great thing about old friends is that you never have to explain anything to them – they’ve known you for years, warts and all. So in June I went on my travels to visit some of them. We played ‘catching-up-on the news in the families’ and in addition I gave a talk in the library at Lytham. I really enjoyed a few days without emails or computer.

Then, I took my life in my hands and upgraded my computer to Windows 7! Not 8, which I gather has many faults, and not 8.1, which I thought would be a step too far. Anyway, with 7, I have lived to tell the tale. More or less. No, of course I didn’t do it myself. I had the most delightful man come round to show me what he’d done and what I had to do in future and, with clenched teeth and many a prayer, I have more or less come to terms with the new system and found where everything has been stowed away.

Well, except for the pictures, which disappeared. You expected that, didn’t you? I can hear you laughing from here. And, it was a big problem. Each time I am asked to guest on someone else’s website, I have to send a picture of the cover of the latest book, plus a picture of me. And, although there seemed to be hundreds of images on my new system, none of them related in any way to what I do. Question: Why are they there? Does anyone ever use any of them? Why burden everyone’s computer with all that stuff? But eventually all was made clear and I am now able – fingers and toes crossed – to perform the usual tasks, if not in the usual order.

I managed to send off the Summer Holiday story for the Methodist Recorder between my trips out of town, but I’m not sure when it’s going to be published. Perhaps the editor will be popping it in early if another promised item fails to show up? Perhaps it will hang around till August? I’ll let you know when I hear. And of course I now have to think up a Harvest story for them. Hmm.

Going away meant a break in my routine. Usually I start on the next Ellie story the day after I deliver a Bea Abbot. This time I made a start and went away . . . without my computer . . . came back to struggle with business matters . . . and still haven’t got my desk sorted and ready to get back to proper work. And of course my decorator arrived just as I was thinking I could get down to it, and now I have my computer in my bedroom and my files are all over the place. I do keep a notebook with me at all times and have scrawled some words about the plot which I’m having some difficulty in deciphering. I’m sure it will be all right when I can finally get down to it . . .

You may remember that Severn House is bringing out one of my early historical novels as an e-book each month? On July 14^th, the next one will appear; this is THE TARRANT ROSE, which has a proud but poor heroine – the Rose of the title – falling for a man she thinks is equally poor, until he turns out to be one of the movers and shakers in the Hanoverian government who are trying to deal with the Jacobite rebellion. All ends happily – except, of course, for Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Severn House is also tackling the backlog of the early Bea Abbot stories, bringing them out as e-books. The very first title, which introduced Bea as a new widow staggering under the necessity of taking on her husband’s business, is FALSE CHARITY, and this came out on June l4th. The second, FALSE PICTURE, deals with a picture which may or may not have been stolen, but which has certainly gone missing – and that will be out on July l4th. Mark and I are struggling to get all the information about the new ebooks up on the website. Yes, there’s shortly to be even more, from another publisher called Endeavour. I’ve seen some of the covers but have no Isbn numbers as yet. To be continued, no doubt.

About the moths? I have been very brave and ordered new carpets for the affected rooms. I cringe at the thought of the disruption involved but I must say my carpet supplier is an old friend, knows how to deal with old houses and worried women. He assures me that even if he has to replace the odd floorboard or re-hang a door, All Will Be Well. Meanwhile the moths continue to breed. You can hear me grinding my teeth, can’t you?

Our afternoon tea club for the over 65s is going really well. We have a different menu of sandwiches and cake every week; so far the mushy chocolate cake is the favourite!

A blessing: may you find some time to sit and enjoy of the beauty of daisies and roses, a blue sky with the trail of an aeroplane across it. And the delight of a really hot cup of tea. (The hotel I stayed at in June thought you could make decent tea by pouring hot water out of an insulated pot onto a tea bag in a cup. Sorry, but No, You Can’t!)

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com
http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

Severn House e-books released in June and July

Historicals:   MY LORD, THE HERMIT June l4th. ISBN 9781448301362

                       THE TARRANT ROSE, July 14^th. ISBN 9781448301355

Bea Abbot:   FALSE CHARITY June 14^th. ISBN 9781780105611.

                       FALSE PICTURE July 14^th. ISBN 9781780105628

FALSE REPORT, 6^th Abbot Agency story, large print, hardback, June 14^th. ISBN 97807278 97114

Don’t forget that if you would like a digital review copy of Murder in Time, it is available from Severn House through NetGalley. This facility is available to librarians, booksellers and established reviewers and bloggers, but NOT to the general public who only post reviews on Amazon or Goodreads – unless they are Amazon Vine reviewers or GoodReads librarians. Apply direct to Charlotte Loftusx at Severnhouse.com

The short story, ‘The Art of Saying “No”’ was published in The Methodist Recorder at Easter. If you’d like to read it, let me know and I’ll send it you by email.

FALSE DIAMOND. Bea is drawn into the questionable doings of the multi-billionaire Holland family, which include an engagement with a fake diamond ring, an alleged suicide attempt, an abusive man who tries to put the frighteners on Bea, and the ambiguous behaviour of the black sheep of the family, who turns out to be the joker in the pack. ISBN 978072788298 1. Also in e-book in March 2014: 781780104843

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories originally published in the Methodist Recorder, concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php

Apologies for being a couple of days late with the newsletter. I had a chance to take a few days off so I returned to beautiful Bruges to shop, look at art, eat good food, and see the fantastic Procession of the Holy Blood on Ascension Day. I really needed that break and what’s more, it refreshed my memories so that I can use this as a holiday destination in my next short story. Yes, there’s going to be another for August, but it has to be delivered mid June, so I have to get writing now!

The good news is that I signed lots of contracts in May (hurray!) So now I’ve delivered the next Bea Abbot – False Impression, to be published late November 2014 – I am able as of today to make the mental change from ‘being’ Bea to ‘being’ Ellie. Believe it or not, this is going to be the l6th Ellie Quicke. I have been thinking about this plot and I know just where the villainous part of the story is set. That’s one of the attractions about writing based in this particular part of London; we have old buildings, buildings which have been extended upwards and outwards; we have brand new flats and small tenements which now house professionals. This particular story was inspired by several local events – as my stories usually are – but there’s a particular building with an unusual extension at top of a nearby hill which has always intrigued me. More on that later.

Meanwhile MURDER IN TIME has been published in the UK – three months later for Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand. This is the one in which the man who raped schoolgirl Vera twelve years ago, returns to claim his son. He plans to pay Vera off and remove Mikey and descends to blackmail and force when his offer is rejected. Attempting to solve the mystery of the doctor who was killed on the night of the rape takes Ellie into contact with Vera’s old school friends, who are not happy to have their current lives disturbed.   A copy of the cover has gone on the website already, plus the first couple of pages for you to look at.
ISBN 9780 7278 83988

Now there’s a chance for some of you to request a secure digital review copy (not a hardcover copy) of Murder in Time as Severn House have put it on NetGalley. It’s free to become a member and Severn House manages all requests for review copies this way, but it only applies to collection development public librarians, booksellers and established reviewers and bloggers; this does not include the general public who only post reviews on Amazon or GoodReadreads, unless they are Amazon Vine reviewers or GoodReads librarians. If you qualify, let me know and I’ll pass your details on to Severn House – or you can apply direct to Charlotte Loftus via severnhouse.com

E-books: Severn House is bringing out the first of my early historical novels on June 15th. This is MY LORD, THE HERMIT, set in medieval times, in which a wrongly convicted man has to build a church in silence, with his own hands . . . until a feisty heiress crosses his path and a neighbouring lord invades her lands. This originally came out under the pseudonym of ‘Victoria Thorne’, but will now be titled: ‘Veronica Heley writing as Victoria Thorne’. ISBN 978 1 4483 01362.

Later this month I’ll be going up to Lytham St Anne’s to visit and old friend and to give a talk in the Library on Tuesday morning l7th June. If you’re around, it would be good to see you there.  

About the moths? Every day I think I’ve counted fewer bodies but still they keep coming. I have reluctantly decided to get rid of three oldish carpets in the hope that that will defeat them. This means CLEARING OUT MY STUDY!!! Oh, the agony! Oh, the discovery of things I thought I’d lost! Oh, the cramming of files into bookcases not meant for them. But oh, where have I put X. . .not to mention Y? I keep telling myself it will be good when it’s all done, but meantime . . . yuk!

Our afternoon tea club for the over 65s is going really well. We’re mostly widows and widowers, with two ninety-odd year olds. It’s a lot better, they say, than sitting at home staring at the telly.

A blessing: may you find some time to relax by yourself, to enjoy the longer hours of daylight, and make the most of the time you spend with friends.

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

Recent releases.

The short story, ‘The Art of Saying “No”’ was published at Easter. If you’d like to read it, let me know and I’ll send it you by email.

FALSE DIAMOND. Bea is drawn into the questionable doings of the multi-billionaire Holland family, which include an engagement with a fake diamond ring, an alleged suicide attempt, an abusive man who tries to put the frighteners on Bea, and the ambiguous behaviour of the black sheep of the family, who turns out to be the joker in the pack. ISBN 978 0 7278 8298 1.

Also in e-book in March 2014: 978-1-78010-484-3

MURDER MY NEIGHBOUR. Large print, hardback. Pub Nov 2013. ISBN 9780727896551.

MURDER FOR MERCY. Ellie finds some deaths in the community are not exactly what they seem, while her pregnant, difficult daughter Diana is concerned that her husband is still in a wheelchair. Sabotage at the big house nearby is being blamed on young Mikey. Can Ellie track down whoever it is who is killing for mercy, keep Mikey out of the clutches of Social Services, and steer her difficult daughter Diana into calmer waters? ISBN 9780 7278 8281 3

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories originally published in the Methodist Recorder, concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php

FALSE REPORT, an Abbot Agency story, is available in large print, hardback, from June 14^th ISBN 9780 7278

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php

www.veronicaheley.com
http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

London Book Fair has come and gone. Oh, the buzz! The bustle! The search for a decent cup of coffee! (Yes, I know where to get one now.) And ah, the moment of agony when you think you have forgotten your pass for the day!

However, all went well. The first thing I have to tell you is that Severn House want another Bea and another Ellie after I’ve completed my current contract. So I will be delivering False Impression at the end of this month – which is a Bea Abbot, of course – and start straight away on the next Ellie which will be, incredible to relate, her 16^th story! How about that! And yes, I have thought up a title, but it’s too soon to share that with you.

Meanwhile, Severn House has decided to bring out e-books of four of the historical novels I wrote years ago, starting with the first one on the lst June. This will be

MY LORD, THE HERMIT, in which a wrongly convicted man has to build a church in silence, with his own hands . . . until a feisty heiress crosses his path and a neighbouring lord invades her lands. I enjoyed writing this story, which is set in the baron-bashing, lawless times of the middle ages. It was first published in l980 by Corgi and, because I’d only written crime before, my agent thought there might be confusion in my readers’ minds about the name so I was asked to think up a pseudonym. The book came out as ‘by Victoria Thorne’. I think the publishers are now going to catalogue it as ‘Veronica Heley writing as Victoria Thorne’.

There’ll be another historical out on the first of the following three months and I’ll tell you about those as they come out. I don’t have the ISBN numbers yet but will give them next time.

At the end of this month Ellie Quicke’s 15^th story will be published in the UK (three months later for the States, Australia, etc.) This story is called MURDER IN TIME, when Ellie comes face to face with the man who raped the schoolgirl Vera twelve years before. Abdi didn’t want anything to do with her then, but now he finds he’s unable to have any more children and thinks he can give Vera a cheque and take Mikey off into the blue. As you can imagine, that doesn’t go down well with either of them, so there’s trouble ahead. A man also died the night of the rape and solving that old mystery might just help Ellie to work out who did what to whom. I have a pull of the cover for this already, and Mark will, I hope, be putting it on the website soon. It’s got a frame of jagged glass around the edges, a half moon and a man’s shadow thrown across the lawn. I think it’s nice and scary and I hope you agree.

Yes, Easter was late this year, but several people have already asked me to send them the short story titled ‘The Art of Saying “No”’ which was published on Good Friday in the Methodist Recorder. If anyone else would like to read it, just let me know and I’ll send it to them by e-mail. Oh, and I’ve been asked to write another for the holiday period. Do you think it would be all right to use the title, ‘We’re all going on a summer holiday’ Or does that date us too much? I like it, but . . . Yes, there will be a holiday theme for this one, and it will be published some time in July. I’ll confirm the actual date later.

About the moths? Every day I think I’ve counted fewer bodies but still they keep coming. I have reluctantly decided to get rid of three oldish carpets in the hope that that will defeat them.

I asked my webmaster to put the first few pages of the Bea Abbot book, False Diamond, onto my website, and then had a job to find it. Has anyone else met with the same problem? I suspect it will need to go on the home page so that this will be easier to come across. I must get on to that.

We’ve started an afternoon tea club for the over 65s locally and it’s going really well. The only thing is, I have to remember not to have any lunch beforehand. . .

A blessing: may you find some time to relax and be yourself, to contact old friends and perhaps to make new ones.

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

http://blog.veronicaheley.com

Recent releases.

FALSE DIAMOND. Bea is drawn into the questionable doings of the multi-billionaire Holland family, which include an engagement with a fake diamond ring, an alleged suicide attempt, an abusive man who tries to put the frighteners on Bea, and the ambiguous behaviour of the black sheep of the family, who turns out to be the joker in the pack. ISBN 978 0 7278 8298 1.

Also in e-book in March 2014: 978-1-78010-484-3

Booklist: An action-packed variation on the British cozy, this latest from Heley is full of unexpected twists and gentle humour. Publishers Weekly: Starred: Excellent . . . suspense and betrayal combined with appealing players make this a superior series entry. Library Journal: Marvellous!

MURDER MY NEIGHBOUR. Large print, hardback. Pub Nov 2013. ISBN 9780727896551.

MURDER FOR MERCY. Ellie finds some deaths in the community are not exactly what they seem, while her pregnant, difficult daughter Diana is concerned that her husband is still in a wheelchair. Sabotage at the big house nearby is being blamed on young Mikey. Can Ellie track down whoever it is who is killing for mercy, keep Mikey out of the clutches of Social Services, and steer her difficult daughter Diana into calmer waters? ISBN 9780 7278 8281 3      

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories originally published in the Methodist Recorder, concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?11-11

FALSE ALARM, the 7^th Abbot Agency story, is now available in hardback and also as an e-book. Bea is asked to find the person who laid a booby trap for the powerful tycoon, Sir Lucas Ossett, in his own block of flats. ISBN 9780 7278 8237 0 for the hardback and ISBN 978 1 78010 289 4 for the ebook.

MURDER BY MISTAKE is now available in large print. ISBN 978 0 7278 9935 4.

FALSE REPORT is available as a paperback and also as an ebook . ISBN 978 1 843751 408 0. Ebook: 978 1 78010 201 6.

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11

www.veronicaheley.com
http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

Easter is late this year, and my short story for the season will be published by the Methodist Recorder during the weekend of the 18^th April. My grateful thanks to all of you who emailed me to say which title they preferred for this particular tale. The consensus of opinion was that it should be ‘The Art of Saying “No”’, so that is how it went  through to the publisher. One reader suggested that it should be ‘The Art of Saying No . . . probably!’  I liked that, even though I didn’t use it. The usual terms and conditions apply. If you’d like to read it and can’t get hold of a copy of The Methodist Recorder, drop me an email after the Easter weekend, and I’ll send it to you.

I have been thinking about one plot strand in this story for some time, which is that those who spend time working for the church, can get burn-out. Also, Kerry is being pursued by a widow with marriage in mind, and he doesn’t know how to say ‘No’.

The saga of the moths continues. Urgghh! I think I need a new carpet or two. I managed to change the battery in my moth zapper – with some difficulty. Why can’t they devise a battery cover which can be removed and replaced with ease? I was ages with a knife and a fork (don’t ask!) trying to get the ‘lid’ off. I feared at one point that I’d broken it, and gave myself a pat on the back when I eventually succeeded. But I must say that the increase in power is worth it. Zzzapfft!

I try to keep up to date with all that’s good and new in the publishing world – and fail, of course. I am technically incompetent. I’m not proud of it; it’s just the way I’m made. Too right-brained (or left? I can’t remember which).  However, I have noticed that some writers are putting the first page – and sometimes the first chapter – of a new book on their website. So I have just done this for FALSE DIAMOND, the Abbot Agency story which came out in the UK last November and will be out in the States and elsewhere sometime in March. I would very much like to know if you think this is a good idea. If so, I will try to put up the first page of the next book to be published as well. This will be Ellie Quicke’s MURDER  IN  TIME, to be published in the UK at the end of May. I have a pull of the cover for this already, but sometimes there are minor changes before production, so I don’t want to put the publicity up too early.

April is starred in my calendar because that’s when the London Book Fair is to be held at Earls Court. I have appointments to talk to my editors about what they want next, and hopefully they’re going to let me have contracts for Bea and Ellie to go on for another year. Then there’s some of my out of print books which may be available for a new edition and an e-book, and what about the historical novels which I wrote years ago, long out of print? I’ve always had a soft spot for them, and will be delighted if I can interest another publisher in doing something with them. If I succeed, I’ll tell you all about it in my next newsletter.

A blessing: may you find time to pet a dog or stroke a cat, to marvel at the spring flowers, and to tell your family and friends how much you appreciate them.  

 Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

Recent releases.

FALSE DIAMOND.  Bea is drawn into the questionable doings of the multi-billionaire Holland family, which include an engagement with a fake diamond ring, an alleged suicide attempt, an abusive man who tries to put the frighteners on Bea, and the ambiguous behaviour of the black sheep of the family, who turns out to be the joker in the pack. ISBN 978 0 7278 8298 1.

Also in e-book in March 2014: 978-1-78010-484-3

Booklist: An action-packed variation on the British cozy, this latest from Heley is full of unexpected twists and gentle humour. Publishers Weekly: Starred: Excellent . . . suspense and betrayal combined with appealing players make this a superior series entry. Library Journal:   Marvellous!

MURDER MY NEIGHBOUR. Large print, hardback. Pub Nov 2013. ISBN 9780727896551.

MURDER FOR MERCY.  Ellie finds some deaths in the community are not exactly what they seem, while her pregnant, difficult daughter Diana is concerned that her husband is still in a wheelchair. Sabotage at the big house nearby is being blamed on young Mikey. Can Ellie track down whoever it is who is killing for mercy, keep Mikey out of the clutches of Social Services, and steer her difficult daughter Diana into calmer waters?  ISBN 9780 7278 8281 3      

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories originally published in the Methodist Recorder, concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?11-11

FALSE ALARM, the 7^th Abbot Agency story, is now available in hardback and also as an e-book. Bea is asked to find the person who laid a booby trap for the powerful tycoon, Sir Lucas Ossett,  in his own block of flats.  ISBN 9780 7278 8237 0 for the hardback and ISBN 978 1 78010 289 4 for the ebook.

MURDER BY MISTAKE is now available in large print. ISBN 978 0 7278 9935 4.

FALSE REPORT is available as a paperback  and also as an ebook . ISBN 978 1 843751 408 0. Ebook: 978 1 78010 201 6.

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11

Don’t you hate it when people ask if you want the bad or the good news first? I do. So here’s the bad news first; the moths are still around. At least twice a day I go round the house with my zapper and last night I found one in my bed! In it! No, I didn’t scream, but I said ‘Aaargh!’ in a heartfelt manner.

The good news is that both Ellie and Bea are being asked to go on for another year. I am currently working on a Bea Abbot, which will be out this November. After that, it will be back to Ellie. I am so pleased.

Do you ever get round to reading the reviews in that section on my website? I’ve been a member of a book reading club for over forty years. This means that every year I have to prepare a half hour talk about a book I’ve chosen. Sometimes it’s something light, sometimes it’s an oddity that has caught my fancy. This year it’s Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death, by James Runcie. An interesting and thoughtful writer venturing into murder mysteries. He’s now produced two volumes of short stories with a clerical hero, and they are definitely Good Reads. I mention this because the first book is being made into a TV series to be shown on ITV in the autumn. I don’t know who is going to play Sidney. It’s an interesting game to play . . . who do you fancy for the part, and is he available?

Work progresses, more or less as usual. I have come to the end of the first draft of the next Abbot Agency story. There’s a lot to do to it yet, as I probably go through it another three or even four times before I consider it’s ready to send off at the end of May. But I must leave it aside for a little while to ‘settle’ in my mind, so that I can come back to it afresh in due course.

The title of this next Bea is FALSE IMPRESSION. Almost everything that happens can be interpreted in different ways and it’s some time before Bea realises exactly who was murdered, when and why.  Technically, I set myself a challenge as, until the very last chapter, Bea never leaves the house. She, and the people who have taken refuge under her roof are, in fact, under siege . . . which makes for increased tension. I hope.

I’m also working on the next short story for the Methodist Recorder. I want to deal with the difficulty a busy person has in saying ‘no’. If you’re anything like me, you’ve had to learn how to say ‘no’ the hard way by saying ‘yes’ and finding out that you really can’t manage to fit whatever-it-is into your schedule without major problems. It’s easy enough to respond to a plea for help by saying ‘Yes’, but is it the right thing to do? I wanted to call this story ‘THE ABILITY TO SAY “No!”’  Then I thought that ‘THE ART OF SAYING “No!”’ might be better. Now I’m dithering between the two titles. Perhaps you’ve got a preference? If so, do let me know. The story won’t be out till just before Easter, by the way, and I can’t send copies to anyone until after that.

Talking of Downton – which we weren’t, but why not? – I wrote a series set in a modern British stately home in crisis. This is the Eden Hall series and the last of the four books – Master of the Hall – is now out as an e-book.  My heroine, Minty, is nothing like flinty Mary from Downton, but I enjoyed writing these books and hope you will enjoy reading them.

The short stories in Unsung Heroes is also available as an e-book, and doing well. I think I’ve almost got enough stories to fill another book, but they all need editing. Some need lengthening, some need shortening. Oh dear. Well, I must find the time, somehow. . . To be continued…

 There’s still a lot of talk going on about putting my early crime novels back into print or e-book, but these things take time. I get e-mails from this publisher and that asking me if I’d be interested to going with them, and then I ask another publisher who has taken my earlier books if they’d like them, and I wait for a reply from them. Meanwhile, I calm myself by thinking my agent has all this under control. Also to be continued . . .

A new blessing: may you find time to look around and appreciate the beauty of this world, the daffodils, the early red tulips, the forsythia . . . the birds . . . and the kindness of friends. Till next time . . .

 Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

Recent releases.

FALSE DIAMOND.  Bea is drawn into the questionable doings of the multi-billionaire Holland family, which include an engagement with a fake diamond ring, an alleged suicide attempt, an abusive man who tries to put the frighteners on Bea, and the ambiguous behaviour of the black sheep of the family, who turns out to be the joker in the pack. ISBN 978 0 7278 8298 1.

Booklist: An action-packed variation on the British cozy, this latest from Heley is full of unexpected twists and gentle humour. Publishers Weekly: Starred: Excellent . . . suspense and betrayal combined with appealing players make this a superior series entry. Library Journal:   Marvelous!

MURDER MY NEIGHBOUR. Large print, hardback. Pub Nov 2013. ISBN 9780727896551.

MURDER FOR MERCY.  Ellie finds some deaths in the community are not exactly what they seem, while her pregnant, difficult daughter Diana is concerned that her husband is still in a wheelchair. Sabotage at the big house nearby is being blamed on young Mikey. Can Ellie track down whoever it is who is killing for mercy, keep Mikey out of the clutches of Social Services, and steer her difficult daughter Diana into calmer waters?  ISBN 9780 7278 8281 3

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories originally published in the Methodist Recorder, concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php

FALSE ALARM, the 7^th Abbot Agency story, is now available in hardback and also as an e-book. Bea is asked to find the person who laid a booby trap for the powerful tycoon, Sir Lucas Ossett,  in his own block of flats.  ISBN 9780 7278 8237 0 for the hardback and ISBN 978 1 78010 289 4 for the ebook.

MURDER BY MISTAKE is now available in large print. ISBN 978 0 7278 9935 4.

FALSE REPORT is available as a paperback  and also as an ebook . ISBN 978 1 843751 408 0. Ebook: 978 1 78010 201 6.

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php

I don’t know if you twitter or tweet. If so, congratulations. I’m afraid I’ve never got round to learning how to do such things. Many of my friends do, and they text and Skype and goodness what else. In theory, I think it would be a good idea if I did get round to mastering these skills, but in practice, there’s always something else that I need to do first. Like writing this newsletter.

But, if you do twitter or tweet, you might enjoy posting a note about good books that you have read to @cleanreadbooks. And yes, I know I ought to get round to posting something about my books on it, but . . . see above. I’d be most interested to hear if you do manage to connect with this site as it sounds as if it would be helpful for people who like to read books which don’t contain much blood, sex or profanity. In the trade we used to call such books a ‘cozy’. Then they were called ‘soft’ or ‘gentle’ crime. Is ‘clean reads’ a better title? Perhaps it is.

My short story, Christmas is coming, duly went out in the Methodist Recorder on December 20, without giving my name as the author! You will be amused to hear that they thought everyone knew I wrote their seasonal stories, and could they please have another for Easter. Mm. Oh well. I’ve sent a number of copies of this story out to people on e-mail who can’t get a paper copy, but let me know if you want one, too.

Meanwhile, congratulations are in order. You remember that FALSE DIAMOND duly came out in November (February/March in America and all points south).  Booklist had given it a good review but now I have – wait for it! – a starred review from Publishers Weekly. It would be extravagant to say that ‘now I can die happy’ and of course I don’t really mean it, but . . . you get the picture? You may never have heard of Publishers Weekly as it is really a trade paper for libraries and bookshops, but it is highly influential in those areas. It is clear that the reviewers have actually read the book, and they are reputedly not kind to writers who have turned in sub-standard work. So a good review is gratifying, while a starred review is . . .. whoopee?!! See the end of this newsletter for a word about the plot.

Master of the Hall – ebook out now. This is the fourth and last in the series, which has been a long time in coming. I’ve always liked Patrick and Minty and wish them well as they look forward to coping with whatever else life may throw at them.

There’s no news yet of a copy of The Siege of Salwarpe coming to light after the sad demise of Chivers. But another publisher is enquiring about the e-rights of the other early crime stories of mine previously published. Wait and see on this…

I am enjoying working on the next Bea Abbot. I titled it FALSE IMPRESSION, as almost everything that happens can be interpreted in different ways. I’ve even managed to get Leon into a crude disguise, much to his disgust and Bea’s hilarity.

I’ve been sent a rough of the cover for MURDER IN TIME, which isn’t the least bit what I expected, but is really rather good. We’re quibbling at the moment about the shadow of a man which falls across the lawn in the picture, but yes; I think it should do the trick nicely.

One dismal note: the moths are back!!! I am so cross!!! My trusty electronic racquet is back in daily use. Oh dear.

I rather liked the blessing/farewell I put in the last newsletter, so I make no apologies for repeating it here. May your days be full of interest and all your aches and pains manageable. Till next time . . .

 Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

Recent releases.

FALSE DIAMOND.  Bea is drawn into the questionable doings of the members of the multi-billionaire Holland family, which include an engagement with a fake diamond ring, an alleged suicide attempt, an abusive man who tries to put the frighteners on Bea, and the ambiguous behaviour of the black sheep of the family, who turns out to be the joker in the pack. ISBN 978 0 7278 8298 1.

Booklist: An action-packed variation on the British cozy, this latest from Heley is full of unexpected twists and gentle humour.

Publishers Weekly: Starred: Excellent . . . suspense and betrayal combined with appealing players make this a superior series entry.

MURDER MY NEIGHBOUR. Large print, hardback. Pub Nov 2013. ISBN 9780727896551.

MURDER FOR MERCY.  Ellie finds some deaths in the community are not exactly what they seem, while her pregnant, difficult daughter Diana is concerned that her husband is still in a wheelchair. Sabotage at the big house nearby is being blamed on young Mikey. Can Ellie track down whoever it is who is killing for mercy, keep Mikey out of the clutches of Social Services, and steer her difficult daughter Diana into calmer waters?  ISBN 9780 7278 8281 3

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories originally published in the Methodist Recorder, concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php

FALSE ALARM, the 7^th Abbot Agency story, is now available in hardback and also as an e-book. Bea is asked to find the person who laid a booby trap for the powerful tycoon, Sir Lucas Ossett,  in his own block of flats.  ISBN 9780 7278 8237 0 for the hardback and ISBN 978 1 78010 289 4 for the ebook.

MURDER BY MISTAKE is now available in large print. ISBN 978 0 7278 9935 4.

FALSE REPORT is available as a paperback  and also as an ebook . ISBN 978 1 843751 408 0. Ebook: 978 1 78010 201 6.

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11