IS IT REALLY SUMMER YET?

Summer 2024

News and latest updates.

It's finally summer. A wet and windy one so far for some of us, but always a great time to pick up a book and read! Great new developments to tell you about this month. Info on new releases, book recs and exciting upcoming events!.

Paperback Release Date

I can't believe the paperback version of THE NIGHT SIDE will be out soon! June 27th in the UK and August 27th in the US and Canada. Prices for Kindle and paperback are now way more reasonable, and you can pre-order the paperback by clicking here: PRE-ORDER THE NIGHT SIDE My talented panel colleagues at THRILLERFEST 2024 "SHOCKING GRIPPING or RELATABLE: CRAFTING GREAT OPENINGS"

EVENTS: THRILLERFEST 2024

I had a wonderful time at Thrillerfest in New York City. Above you can see the panel of talented writers I shared the stage with. Even at 8:00 a.m on a Saturday morning, we had a big audience who asked plenty of questions. We chatted about how to craft great opening lines. How to grip the reader and make them want to read on! Everything about opening chapters and how they need to begin as deep into the story as possible so the reader quickly learns important information about the character, their wants, needs and an indication of the obstacles standing in their way. In other words Character and Conflict are key in the opening chapter, as is an indication of the setting, atmosphere and the tone of the book. That's why openings are so tricky to master but so satisfying when you get them right!! We were asked to share a favourite opening lines from a book that wasn't our own. Here's mine from The Secret History by Donna Tart: The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation... There's something so disturbing about the detached, aloof tone of the narrator that makes this such an ominous opening line, raising so many questions about the nature of Bunny's death and what part the narrator played in it. What's your favourite opening line? I'd love to hear from you!

THRILLERFEST PANELS

Here I am on the red (maybe it's brown) carpet on the way into the Thrillerfest 2024 opening reception! Here I am on the red (maybe it's brown) carpet on the way into the Thrillerfest 2024 opening reception!    Yes, that's the legendary R.L. Stine along with John Sanford, Walter Mosley, Heather Graham, Charlene Harris and Tess Gerritsen. Such wisdom from these prolific maestros of crime and suspense! And so entertaining! These guys are laugh-out-loud funny. Their dry wit and hilarious reflections of their long and prolific careers made for great entertainment. I also attended incredible panels featuring such bestselling authors as Ruth Ware, Claire Mackintosh, Shari Lapel, Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner and Lisa Unger as well as a one on one interview with the legendary Dennis Lehane.     THE NIGHT SIDE AUDIOBOOK

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS If you're ever visiting New York, I highly recommend staying at the amazing Citizen M boutique hotel, situated just steps away from Broadway and Times Square, a short walk away from Rockefeller Plaza and all the other incredible sights New York has to offer. It's bright, scrupulously clean and a feast for the eyes. Checks out the pics

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

Having visited the Isle of Lewis many years ago, I was instantly transported back to this wild and wonderful place while reading Carole Johnstone's darkly chilling novel. In many ways the dangerous and tumultuous setting of an island dominated by the unforgiving North Atlantic becomes the major force in the book. The inhabitants accept the unpredictability of the weather and the many storms that roll across the island, but they also embrace the bright days of sunshine and unmatched beauty of the terrain. It is these rhythms that make the people living on the fictional island of Kilmeray, come together as a community, for it is only together that they can exist in such a harsh setting. Life is tough here, but the people are family, united by their love for this fierce place. It's understandable that they would react with suspicion to a stranger in their midst, especially one who visited years previously as a five-year-old child claiming to be the reincarnation of a man who was murdered on the island five years ago. Accompanied by her fanatical would-be psychic mother and a documentary crew, she stayed for a while and left, only to return twenty years later as a bipolar, young writer saddled with guilt about her mother and determined to uncover the mystery that has haunted her for so many years. Johnstone handles the dual timeline very smoothly and, while the sheer number of characters can be difficult to keep tabs on, she succeeds in spinning a rich and darkly atmospheric story with many dizzying twists that will have you turning the pages until the satisfying ending. The language is as lush and atmospheric as the setting, transporting you to the wild and rocky places of the Outer Hebrides. A beautifully written book!

This gripping psychological thriller by Vancouver-based writer, Robyn Harding, hooked me right from the start when a homeless woman, living in her car rescues another woman trying to commit suicide by drowning. This immediately sets up an unexpected connection between down-on-her-luck, Lee an ex-restauranteur who lost everything during Covid except the car she's living in, and Hazel who's trying to escape her abusive and wealthy lawyer husband. At first Hazel is upset at being saved, but finally confesses to Lee that she's trapped in a marriage with a dominant and abusive man who has her locked into a Total Power Exchange. She's a desperate woman who sees suicide as her only way escape this powerful and dangerous man. Hazel goes home and returns the next day with food and money and a proposition that Lee may be able to help her escape her situation. Things get seriously twisted from that point as the friendship intensifies, new characters emerge and the plan becomes more complicated until Lee questions whether she should have ever become involved. Harding does a nice job of keeping up the pace and throwing in plenty of unpredictable twists, which build towards a gripping conclusion. This great read that also shows that homelessness can arise from circumstances beyond a person's control and even the most talented and driven people can lose everything A highly suspenseful novel about friendships, secrets, betrayal and redemption. STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFO ABOUT BOUCHERCON 2024 and other events