FREE KINDLE BOOK - Dirty Deeds in Downdene

My pressie to you lovers of Cleo Marjoribanks the cockney millionaire who lives in the New Forest. The second book in the series - Dirty Deeds in Downdene - will be free from tomorrow 9th January for FIVE days only.

In this book Cleo gets mixed up with golfing crowd after an estate agent is murdered. Yes, her close friend DCI David 'Steaming' Kettle is trying to solve the mystery with what he terms as interference!

As well as making new friends with some lady golfers, the golf club secretary tells Cleo she isn't welcome there as she is a 'whore'!!! Read it to find out her response!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008ORNGCU

Homicide in Hampshire

Opening of Chapter 1.....

I snatched up the phone in the pool room (using me skirt to hold it, of course.  No point in reading mystery novels and doing it all wrong), all the while staring at the thing in the pool.  It had to be Janet Spencer.  It was wearing her dress.  And there was red in the water.  I knew she was dead and, while talking to the police, I wondered how I was so sure she was dead.  I know I should have jumped into the pool to get her out and begin resuscitation but…  The thought of what I might see made me gaga, so I scarpered, at least as best me high-heels would let me!  (As I can’t swim, it probably wouldn’t have been a good idea anyway.)

I shot off straight down the hall, grabbed handbag and keys from the table near the door then scrabbled with the door locks.  Why are they always a problem when you’re in a hurry?  At last I was out in the night air and could take deep breaths. 

And don’t ask me why I was in the pool room when I’d just come home.  If you walk indoors and see lights on that shouldn’t be on what would you do?  No, not what I should have done – panicked.  I went to investigate.  Course it wasn’t until later that I realised I’d been stupid.

It felt like I was standing outside for ages before I heard the cops arrive.  Blue light flashing and siren moaning, just like a sick cow.

The car pulled up in front where I was leaning against the wall by the open front door.

E-BOOK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005LO72BA

PAPERBACK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/152017098X

Why Do You Write About Crime?

This is a question I am often asked. I didn't set out to write about crime. My short stories (many moons ago) were all romance. Then one day a short story grew and grew and became a novel. I am thankful to report that, although I sent to a publisher, it sank without trace.

That book was written when I was living in Mallorca and working as a courier. We were very busy in the summer but not so in the winter which gave me lots of time for writing. All romances.

As well as living in Mallorca, I have also worked on mainland Spain, Italy, San Francisco, lived in Florida (Sarasota and Bradenton with lots of visits to Miami Beach), and I have even worked on cruise ships - hence my love of cruising.

So how did I come to crime writing? We-e-ll, I was writing a romance then the heroine found a body. After that there was no contest. I love the intricacies involved with crime. Working out all of the whys and wherefores and sometimes even surprising myself. It is like working out a vast jigsaw puzzle.

My first successfully completed book in this genre was 'Homicide in Hampshire' which introduces the cockney millionaire Cleo Marjoribanks. Yes, people do ask me if that is her real name - I don't know. Maybe some time she will tell me. To date there are five books about her.

With 'Antiques in the Attic' I took a foray into police procedurals and followed it up with 'Model Murder'. DI Sinclair, DC Chris James, Sarah Stewart and their friends are currently keeping me busy with a third book in the series. Once I can think up a title I will let you know!

All of these books and some 'stand alone' ones are available on Kindle (APP). What I find exciting is checking to see which books have sold where around the world. Yes, I do mean around the world. The UK and Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and Japan.

Can I ask you all a big favour? Give my books lots of lovely 5* reviews. The more of those I get - such as 50 - the more publicity I get from Amazon.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for buying my books.

Cosy Crime on Kindle

I have just been checking my book sales on Kindle and found a lovely surprise - lots and lots of people are buying and reading my books. Thank you, everyone.

For those of you who didn't know that I write 'cosy crime' let me tell about my books. There are two 'series'...

The Cleo Marjoribanks Murder Mysteries is set in the New Forest, Hampshire. No, not New Hampshire but Hampshire in southern England. Cleo is a lady of a 'certain' age who is happy in her body, has a sense of humour, decided views on things and lots of money. She won the lottery and bought an almost derelict house which has been renovated as has the gardens. Due to some tragic circumstances - a double murder - she quickly became integrated into village life. And having for most of her life been scared of horses, eventually comes to like them. Not enough to get up on one, but to pet and talk to them.

There are - so far - five books. Most of the action takes place in and around the New Forest and London (where she has a studio flat) but one, 'Ghosts in the Guest House', takes place in southern Spain when she and her gentleman friend, DCI David 'Steaming' Kettle go for a holiday.

The most recent one is 'Trouble in Trewith Green', which is the name of the village where she lives. A few murders and lots of mystery. And, I am glad to report, it is selling like the proverbial hot cakes.

'The South Downs Mystery' series is the second set. These are set in and around England South Downs (near to where I live). These are more serious as they are basically police procedurals - with thanks to Sussex Police (mistakes are my own!). 'Antiques in the Attic' introduced Sarah Stewart to DI Alan Sinclair and it took more than two books for them to get their act together! Sarah is a divorced lady whose former husband dies in mysterious circumstances. After the police have broken the news and left she remembers that her husband had left a few articles in the attic - and discovers a computer and some antique silver. She goes out for lunch to her mother-in-law's and, when she comes home and returns to the attic the silver has disappeared. Lots of twists and turns to reach the answer.

The second book 'Model Murder' also takes place on the South Downs. A well known and beautiful model is murdered and there are lots of possible suspects and about halfway through the story takes a twist that totally changes the police thinking. As one reader said of the ending, 'I totally did not expect that'. Which is how it should be with all mysteries.

I am currently working on the third book in the series but don't yet have a title. As soon as I think of a good one I will let you know. In the meantime, if you haven't read my books, give them a try. From the 5* reviews and comments I do know that people enjoy them.

Happy reading - and thank you for buying my books.

When Cleo meets a horse - excerpt from Homicide in Hampshire

Cleo is a lady from London and recently moved to the New Forest.  Part of her health regime is taking walks in the forest - avoiding the ponies. She's never been close to a horse or pony and is rather scared of them!

"As I was nearing the copse I could see a saddled horse cropping the grass and wondered where the rider was.  “Oh gawd, don’t tell me someone’s fallen off and broken a leg or something,” I muttered.

I looked hard at the horse, it moved and I got the back view.  “’Ere, horse, turn round I want to get a look at your front.”  Keeping me distance I moved slowly round until I could see its face.  “I thought so.  You’re Maggie’s horse, aren’t you?”  I remembered seeing it in a photo Paula had shown me.  “Now what the heck’s your name?”  The reins were hanging down, “Come on, Cleo, be brave.  Be brave.”

I inched towards the horse.  It inched away.  I got a little closer and he moved away again.  “Oh for gawd’s sake, come ‘ere!  I want to take hold of those reins before you break your bloody leg.  Now, come ‘ere!”  Surprisingly the horse did “come ‘ere”.  I got hold of the reins.  “Now what do I do?  I’m not getting up on top of you even if I knew how.

“Come on, where is she?  You’re Maggie’s horse.  Where’s Maggie.  Come on, show me where she is.”  I was actually thinking of the horse as being like a dog.

I began walking into the copse, the horse quite close behind and getting uncomfortably close.  I could almost feel it nudging me and I broke out in a cold sweat.  “Don’t get too close, horse.  Don’t run away with me, either.  Hang on a minute.”  I stopped and it stopped.  We both listened.

I could faintly hear the sound of sobbing.  The horse whickered (I think that’s what that noise is called) and flicked his ears.  “That’s her, innit?  Come on, horse, here we go.  You lead her to me.”  I stood to one side of the footpath and let it go forward and take the lead.

Margaret was sitting on the ground nursing a foot, her helmet on the ground beside her and her fair hair like a waterfall over her face. 

“So why didn’t you use your mobile and phone your mother?”

She shoved her hair back as she looked up and whispered, “Battery’s flat.”

“How clever can you be!  So you’ve fallen off your horse.  Please don’t tell me you’ve broken your ankle.”

“I don’t know.  I don’t know,” she sobbed.

HOMICIDE IN HAMPSHIRE is available on:

Amazon Kindle

W.H. Smith's Kobo

Apple I-Pad

Barnes & Noble Nook

Sony

And other e-readers via Smashwords.com