MURDER AT MAPLE GRANGE
Maple Grange is the perfect place to retire for the residents of Merrywell. But when a murder investigation unfolds on its grounds, Violet Brewster must dust off her sleuthing skills once again.
Violet Brewster has just finished working on a project at the local retirement village, Maple Grange, when she receives a call that one of the residents, Phyllis Gibson, has passed away suddenly.
Violet is surprised when she finds out that Phyllis left her a beautiful jewellery box in her will. When she goes to collect it, Maureen Bond, Phyllis’s best friend, tells Violet that Phyllis had become paranoid during her last days, and was convinced that someone was trying to kill her.
When Maureen is pushed off her balcony, it becomes clear that something ominous is happening at Maple Grange. Violet is certain that the clues lie within the jewellery box. As the dangerous occurrences continue, can Violet unlock its contents and uncover the killer, before someone else gets hurt?
MURDER AT THE BOOK FESTIVAL
When a body is found at Merrywell Book Festival, amateur sleuth Violet Brewster must leave no page unturned to solve the mystery...
The small and idyllic village of Merrywell is getting ready to host its first ever book festival, and Violet Brewster is delighted when she is asked to interview the star author.
Leonie Stanwick, now a bestselling romance author, is the featured guest of the festival. She was born in Merrywell, but abruptly left when she was 18 years old and never came back.
But the festival takes a dark turn when Leonie is found murdered; her return to the village had clearly shaken someone up. When a shocking secret about Leonie’s past is revealed, Violet’s suspicions must turn to her own neighbours. Who in the village was intent on making sure Leonie could never leave the village again?
MURDER IN MERRYWELL
Welcome to Merrywell. Population: small. Secrets: aplenty.
Ex-journalist Violet Brewster is keen to make a good first impression in her new community, having just moved to the small village of Merrywell. When Violet hears about the mystery of Helen Slingsby, who disappeared from the village forty years earlier, she decides to help uncover what happened. But despite Violet’s best efforts, she can find no trace of the missing woman.
As Violet talks to the other residents, it becomes apparent that something sinister is lurking beneath the village’s idyllic exterior.
When a villager is found dead in their home, Violet becomes convinced that the murder is connected to Helen. Did Helen ever really leave Merrywell? Who in the village is hiding something? And can Violet finally solve this forty-year-old mystery before someone else gets hurt?
IN COLD BLOOD
No secret can stay buried forever…
As the Whitworth family begin renovations on their new home, their plans are brought to an abrupt end when they discover a body buried in the back garden. DI Isabel Blood and her team are called to investigate, but as she approaches Ecclesdale Drive, a feeling of unease settles in her gut.
The property cordoned off is number 23. The house she used to live in as a child…
The forensic team estimate that the body has been in the ground for up to forty years – coinciding with the time Isabel’s family lived in the house.
Isabel’s father vanished without a trace when she was fourteen years old. And with her mother remaining tight-lipped about her father’s disappearance, Isabel can’t escape the unnerving sense of dread that it’s his body, buried in the garden.
WITHOUT A TRACE
You can cover up the truth, but every murder leaves a trail…
The rain was relentless. It stung Ruth Prendergast’s face as she dashed towards her house, desperate to escape the cold and settle down for an early night. But upon entering her bedroom, she finds a man, lying on her bed – a knife buried in his chest.
When Detective Isabel Blood and her sergeant arrive on the scene, Ruth claims she’s never laid eyes on the victim before. But with no sign of a break-in, how did the killer gain access to the house?
Then Ruth disappears, leaving Isabel and her team to fear the worst. Has their lead suspect escaped, or is Ruth in danger herself?
Forensic evidence at the crime scene is sparse, and it’s proving impossible for Isabel to make a breakthrough. With Ruth still missing, time is running out.
But how can you catch a killer that doesn’t leave a trace?
When Anna Matheson fails to collect her son from the babysitter after a works party, the police are swiftly called. Anna is a stickler for time and a good mother – she would never abandon her baby. Her disappearance is totally out of character and DI Isabel Blood and her team soon suspect foul play.
CCTV footage shows Anna was last seen at precisely 11.11pm, as she collected her coat to leave the party. But the cameras outside the venue have failed to pick up her exit from the car park – how could she have vanished in plain sight?
Rumour has it that Anna was set to make big changes in the workplace, and Isabel can’t help but think someone wanted her out of the way.
Everyone at the party is a suspect, and all the clues point to murder…
How to Write Stories With a Twist will help you understand and master the techniques of writing twist plots for short stories and novels. Packed with advice, tips, writing prompts, exercises and story examples, this book explains the mechanics of twist plots and shows you how to create twist stories of your own.
Tales with a twist are fun to produce and because they are so popular with readers, there are plenty of markets for this type of fiction. In this book you will discover the six main types of twist: the Unreliable Narrator, Reversal of Identity, Reversal of Motive, Reversal of Perception, Reversal of Achievement, and Reversal of Fortune. Using story examples, including two classics of short twist fiction, you will learn how to analyse stories using a framework that can be used to develop your own twist plots.
With chapters on twist ideas, building and outlining a story, sowing clues, using the art of misdirection, editing, proofreading and submitting your manuscript, How to Write Stories With a Twist includes everything you need to get started as a writer of twist fiction.
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If you want to write fiction, then short stories are a great place to start. This book will help you to find ideas and teach you all the essential elements of short story writing. It covers plot and structure, conflict, dialogue, characterisation, settings, description, tense, viewpoint, flashback, and more. You’ll also learn about one of the most important steps in the writing process: editing.
How to Write Short Stories That Sell includes writing and editing exercises, and short story examples. It shows you how to increase your chances of selling your work by identifying the right story markets, and explains the correct way to submit your work to a magazine editor.