Category Archives: crime writing

crime writer, crime writing, Edinburgh, fiction, Joffe Books, Novels, police procedural

Murder in Edinburgh by Val Penny #MURDERINEDINBURGH

June 28, 2026 Melanie 1 Comment

Val Penny is my guest today, along with her novel, Murder in Edinburgh, featuring DI Hunter Wilson.

Blurb

A woman’s body is found in a shallow grave on the edge of an exclusive Edinburgh golf course. The victim bears the signs of a brutal struggle: blows to the body, marks around her throat, knees scraped raw as she fought to escape.

But there is no name. No phone. No one reported missing.

Detective Hunter Wilson is summoned from his regular darts night to take the call. Two decades on the force, he’s seen plenty. But this one gets under his skin from the start.

Edinburgh

Buy Links

PAPERBACK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/EDINBURGH-absolutely-gripping-Detective-Mysteries/dp/1805736477

KINDLE – https://www.amazon.co.uk/EDINBURGH-absolutely-gripping-Detective-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0GX34K8HF

Excerpt

Shit! He jumped. A mirror on the cupboard door gave him a fright! He thought it was a burglar dodging against him. Jamie didn’t like to fight. Violence wasn’t his game. He felt all hot and sweaty. He stood still for a moment, holding his chest while his heartbeat returned to normal. Then he looked around. Two doors to the left, two doors to the right, and in front of him, a staircase and a door. He opened the first door on the left and slipped into the room. He was pleased; this was the room with the French windows. Jamie unlocked them, just in case he needed an escape route. As Pop always said, you couldn’t be too careful.

He kept the torch on low beam and swept the light around the room. He started at the mantelpiece and shoved the silver and ornaments into his Asda bag. Shocking having to pay 5p for a plastic bag now. Daylight robbery. As opposed to nighttime robbery.

Moving over to the desk, he found a thick roll of cash. Lucky. And a cheque book. Did anybody still use these? Very old-fashioned. He stuck it in his pocket anyway. Bingo! Boxes: jewellery boxes; watch boxes. Nice. Lots of gold – bracelets, necklaces, and rings with big sparkly stones. The watches were impressive: a Rolex, and this one – a Breitling Transocean thingy. Well over £20k. Sweet.

Jamie was clearing the contents of the boxes into his pockets and congratulating himself on his haul when he heard a creak. He stopped to listen. Shit! The front door. Lucky it needed oil, really. Who was it? Piss.

Jamie heaved his stash into his pockets and his bag and shoved the cash down his trousers. Didn’t even have time to examine the goodies.

***

Sir Peter Myerscough came back early. He came back alone. That day, he had had to brief the First Minister on the action taken to contain the suspected terrorist threat in Broughty Ferry, then he had taken his parliamentary researcher for dinner. It did not take long to get through the three courses and coffee at the New Club. He had tipped off the staff to keep the meal coming.

He was both saddened and furious that the girl was leaving because she was lovely. He would have been proud to have her as a daughter; he would have been prouder still to have her on his arm. What eye candy! He was disappointed he had never got into her pants. It was such a pity she had never been up for it with him.

Her leaving now was bloody inconvenient because her salary was cheap, while she was efficient and easy on the eye. She was also damn good at her job. This was a most unusual combination, and Sir Peter had no doubt that his assistant would be all but impossible to replace on those terms.

Edinburgh

About the Author

Val Penny’s crime novels, form the bestselling series of DI Wilson Series set in Edinburgh.

She is an American author living in SW Scotland with her husband and their cat.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B07C4725TK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Authorvalpenny/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerieepenny/

Bluesky: https://www.bsky.app/profile/valpennyauthor/

Website: https://www.valpenny.com

crime writer, crime writing, Crime/Mystery, Frances Lloyd, General, Joffe Books, Novels

The Coat of Arms Killer by Frances Lloyd

March 12, 2025 Melanie 4 Comments

I’m back with another review! This one is for The Coat of Arms Killer by Frances Lloyd.

Blurb

A killer is stalking the illustrious Fitzwarren family. And any of the clan could be next . . .

Lord Hugo may be heir to the Fitzwarren millions. But everyone knows who rules the roost in his noble old family. His formidable mother, Lady Beatrice. It’s been that way since her husband met his watery end. In a boating accident, poor thing.

Now, on the eve of her seventieth birthday, Lord Hugo plans to give his mama a gift she’ll never forget: a portrait of her dear, departed husband.

Guests gather at the Fitzwarrens’ decadent ancestral pile, waiting with bated breath for a glimpse of the painting. Detective Jack Dawes is among them, his wife Corrie on his arm. A cord is pulled. The curtain falls . . . and Lady B lets out a blood-curdling scream.

It’s not the likeness that has her spooked. It’s the dagger, plunged deep in her husband’s chest. Scrawled beneath, in blood-red paint, there’s a single word. Killer.

Is it a spiteful prank . . . or something more?

Detective Jack’s determined to find out. But he’s got his work cut out — with the frosty Fitzwarrens seeking to shut him down at every turn and Lord Hugo himself mysteriously missing.

Lord Hugo’s family are certain he’ll turn up in his own time. But Jack knows the clock is ticking to solve this baffling case.

Before something worse than paint is spilled . . .

This entertaining and absorbing mystery is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, J.R. Ellis, Faith Martin, Catherine Moloney and P.F. Ford.

Frances Lloyd

My Review

Lord Hugo is obsessed with keeping the Fitzwarren line intact for generations to come. The lengths this has gone to bring out the worst in some people.

There are secrets, lies, and murder. When the police come to investigate, they circle the wagons and refuse to talk. Or speak but with their spin on events.

Corrie, DI Jack Dawes’s wife, hears bits of gossip and passes the information on to her husband, although not always in a timely manner.

I didn’t particularly like the majority of the Fitzwarren family, but I did like the characters of the police and Jack’s wife.

The book wrapped up the loose ends nicely, and what a twist at the end.

Book Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/224032818-the-coat-of-arms-killer-a-brand-new-enthralling-murder-mystery-with-a-tw

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/coatofarms-zbt

About the Author

Frances Lloyd

Frances Lloyd was born in Essex but spent a nomadic childhood being carted between RAF stations until mercifully, she was allowed a crack at a proper education in Cheltenham, studying English and Classics. As an adult, she became something of a wandering minstrel with no physical or spiritual roots apart from a strong work ethic.

Frances has always been a writer. The job that paid the mortgage was in government communications. She also worked as a freelance journalist and photographer but her ambition was always to write crime novels.

She now lives in Northumberland – “Vera” territory – and writes full time. She has published ten DI Dawes murder mysteries.

Married three times but now a widow, Frances’ hobbies are reading, wine tasting and cooking.

Author Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/franlloydmysteries/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flloyd.writes

#amreading, crime writer, crime writing, Crime/Mystery, Crime/Thriller, Edinburgh, Novels, Scotland, Val Penny

DI Hunter Wilson is back in Hunter’s Blood by Val Penny #HUNTERSBLOOD

July 12, 2023 Melanie 2 Comments

I’m happy to announce the forthcoming book in the DI Hunter Wilson Crime Series written by Val Penny.

DI Hunter Wilson

BLURB

DI Hunter Wilson never has just one problem to solve. Three elderly women he knows have died in mysterious circumstances. Hunter appears to be the only link. A little girl goes missing on a cold winter’s night. When his team discovers cocaine hidden at the farm where she was living, the search becomes even more urgent. Why did the women die? And what did the child witness? Hunter must find the answers to these questions to ensure his family and his city are safe.

MY REVIEW

DI Hunter Wilson

First off, let me say how much I love Val’s writing. Her setting of Edinburgh comes to life through her words. Her characters are believable, likeable, and some are just downright nasty.

In this 4th book of the series, DI Hunter Wilson and his team are tasked with solving the murders of three elderly women, one of which is his aunt.

I read this book a few years ago when Darkstroke released it, but I had forgotten how gripping it was until I read it again, now published by SpellBound Books Ltd. It was like settling in with an old friend. The characters and their foibles immediately found their way back into the forefront of my memory, and they, the crimes, and the setting kept me glued to the virtual pages until I reached the end.

BUY LINK(S) HUNTER’S BLOOD

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

DI Hunter Wilson

Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store. Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd. Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Author Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/valerie.penny.739

Author Twitter Page @valeriepenny

Author Instagram Page https://www.instagram.com/valerieepenny/

WEBSITE LINKS

Website – https://www.valpenny.com

Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Val-Penny/e/B07C4725TK

crime writer, crime writing, Crime/Mystery, Marsali Taylor, Novels, Scotland

Death in a Shetland Lane by Marsali Taylor #DEATHINASHETLANDLANE

May 8, 2023 Melanie 1 Comment

Today, I welcome Marsali Taylor to Celtic Connexions and the latest installment of her Shetland Sailing Mysteries, Death in a Shetland Lane.

Death

BLURB

Days before the final Shetland fire festival, in broad daylight, a glamorous young singer tumbles down a flight of steps. Though it seems a tragic accident, sailing sleuth Cass Lynch, a witness at the scene, thought it looked like Chloe sleepwalked to her death. But young women don’t slumber while laughing and strolling with friends. Could it be that someone’s cast a spell from the Book of the Black Arts, recently stolen from a Yell graveyard?A web of tensions between the victim and those who knew her confirm that something more deadly than black magic is at work. But proving what, or who, could be lethal – and until the mystery is solved, innocent people will remain in terrible danger…

HOW TO BUY

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Shetland-Lane-Sailing-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BNDHKVRF/>

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

death

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland’s scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist guide who is fascinated by history and has published plays in Shetland’s distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women’s suffrage in Shetland. She’s also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht and an active member of her local drama group.

FOLLOW MARSALI

Author Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/MarsaliTaylorAuthor/
Website – https://www.marsalitaylor.co.uk
Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marsali-Taylor/e/B0034PACI8/

#amreading, #Audible, #audiobook, crime writer, crime writing, Crime/Mystery, darkstroke, Edinburgh, Novels, Val Penny

Hunter’s Chase by Val Penny #HUNTERSCHASE

July 7, 2021 Melanie 4 Comments

Hunter’s Chase Audible Tour

Hunter’s Chase, book 1 in the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series, written by Val Penny is now available as an audiobook through Audible.

BLURB

Hunter by name – Hunter by nature: DI Hunter Wilson will not rest until Edinburgh is safe.

Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson knows there is a new supply of cocaine flooding his city, and he needs to find the source, but his attention is transferred to murder when a corpse is discovered in the grounds of a golf course.

Shortly after the post-mortem, Hunter witnesses a second murder, but that is not the end of the slaughter. With a young woman’s life also hanging in the balance, the last thing Hunter needs is a new man on his team: Detective Constable Tim Myerscough, the son of his nemesis, the former Chief Constable Sir Peter Myerscough.

Hunter’s perseverance and patience are put to the test time after time in this first novel in The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series.

Val Penny

MY REVIEW

Well plotted and fast-paced. I loved this book! al Penny wrote a fantastic debut novel. I can’t wait to read more DI Hunter Wilson stories.

This is my first time listening to an audiobook, so I’m glad it was one I was familiar with. I loved the narrator. Give me a man with a Scottish accent and I’m automatically in swoon mode. If there was a downside to the book, I found the breaks between chapters a wee bit too long. As I said, it was my first time with an audiobook so perhaps that’s the industry standard. Also, in one of the later chapters (I’m sorry I didn’t make note of it at the time), the narrator started a sentence and then started it over again.

I can’t wait for the rest of the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series to be available in audio format.

AUDIBLE BUY LINK

Hunter’s Chase Audible

ABOUT VAL PENNY

Val Penny

Val Penny’s other crime novels, Hunter’s Chase Hunter’s Revenge, Hunter’s Force Hunter’s Blood, and Hunter’s Secret form the bestselling series The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries. They are set in Edinburgh, Scotland, published by darkstroke. Her first non-fiction book Let’s Get Published is also available now and she has most recently contributed her short story, Cats and Dogs to a charity anthology, Dark Scotland.

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland with her husband and their cat.

You can connect with Val at the following links:

Website: www.valpenny.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Authorvalpenny

Facebook: www.facebook.com/valerie.penny.739

Friends of Hunter Wilson & The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries: www.facebook.com/groups/296295777444303

Val’s Book Bundle: https://www.facebook.com/groups/167248300537409

Twitter: https://twitter.com/valeriepenny

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17300087.Val_Penny

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Val-Penny/e/B07C4725TK

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/val-penny

Val Penny

#amreading, #amwriting, Children's author, Children's Chapter Book, children's picture book, Chris Longmuir, contemporary romance, cosy mystery, cozy crime, crime writer, crime writing, Crime/Thriller, Novels, Read a Book Day, time-travel, Wendy H. Jones, YA fiction, Young Adult

Hooray for Read a Book Day! #amreading #amwriting

September 6, 2020 Melanie 7 Comments

Hooray for Read a Book Day!

Hooray for Read a Book day! Here in North America, it’s our Labour Day weekend, so we can extend our “bookish” holiday into another full day of reading enjoyment.

What’s your preferred medium for reading? Are you a fan of ebooks or do you prefer print, either paperback or hardcover?

And then there are genres? Which do you like to read? Crime? Thrillers? Horror? Romance? Historical? Or a blend of all of the above.

I’m lucky in that being an author, I’ve met authors from other countries around the world – England, Scotland, Australia, France, the US, and back here at home in Canada.

I write in a number of genres, but my favourite is romance. You can see my books here. To find out more about any particular title, click on the cover and you’ll be taken to the book’s page where you’ll be provided with the description and buy links should you be so inclined to purchase.

possibly a title or two you might be interested in?

My brand “where fact and fiction meet” stems from the fact I take real events and spin fictional stories around them, changing place and characters’ names to protect the ‘guilty.’ 😉

Now before you think this blog post is all about me, I’m going to introduce you to two authors you might not have heard of before.

I’ll start with Chris Longmuir. Chris and I first met virtually in early 2001 when she contacted me asking permission to use a photograph. We met in person later that same year and see each other as often as possible.

Another is Wendy H. Jones. I’ve not known Wendy as long, but she Chris and I make up the Princesses of Pandemonium. While their books are crime – gritty, humourous or historical – we have a great time when we get together.

Here we are outside the Old Town Jail in Stirling, Scotland.

And inside one of the cells.

I hope you enjoy Read a Book day, and maybe even discover some new-to-you authors.

National Book Lovers Day

Think this girl will get through that stack of books today?

crime writer, crime writing, Crime/Mystery, Crime/Thriller, Lissa Pelzer, Novels

No More Birthdays by Lissa Pelzer #excerpt #giveaway

August 31, 2016 Melanie Leave a comment

No More Birthdays

by

Lissa Pelzer

birthdays

Genre: Crime

Release Date: Aug 2015

Series: Carol Ann Baker #1

Runaway teenager, Lilly Lessard has some secrets. For a start, that’s not her real name and she wants to keep quiet about her real age too. Bumping into ex-hitman Bobby at a small town film festival isn’t the coincidence it seems either. She’s tracked him here. He owes her money and she’s desperate enough to come looking for it.

And she’s not the only one who has followed him here. Detective Davis is after him too. She’s been after him in Miami for years, but never quite managed to get a hold on him. Maybe this weekend she’ll get lucky.

But the closer Lilly gets to Bobby and his money, the closer Davis gets to them both. One by one, their secrets are coming out. And Lilly’s about to find out, the worst secrets are the ones you keep from yourself.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

EXTRACT

‘There’s no money,’ Cassandra said dryly. ‘Don’t be a dumbass. Don’t get in that car. It’s not safe.’

Lilly watched the end of the girl’s cigarette burn as she took a hit. Cassandra had always liked the fact that Bobby was a dangerous man. But she hadn’t seen him that night when he got back in the room after killing The Judge. His face had blanched and his false teeth had hung half out of his mouth. Killing The Judge hadn’t been easy for Bobby, not like when he drove past that phone box down in Florida and shot three times into some guy’s back. Bobby had lost his appetite for murder. He wouldn’t try to kill her, not unless it was absolutely necessary.

‘I have to take the risk,’ Lilly said. ‘I’ve got nothing. I’ve got to try. And if Bobby doesn’t give me the money, I’m as good as dead anyway.’

ABOUT LISSA PELZER

birthdays

Lissa Pelzer is a British crime writer living in Germany.

Her previous published work includes romance fiction under a pseudonym. No More Birthdays is her first work under her own name.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLissaPelzer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LissaPelzer

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14589741.Lissa_Pelzer

LinkedIn: https://de.linkedin.com/in/lissa-pelzer-51838a34

Website: https://lissapelzer.wordpress.com

GIVEAWAY

An ecopy of the book

a Rafflecopter giveaway

crime writer, crime writing, General, Hammett Prize, Michael J McCann

2015 North American Hammett Prize nominees announced

January 31, 2016 Melanie 4 Comments

Canadian author Michael J. McCann is one of the nominees for the 2015 North American Hammett Prize for literary excellence in crime writing by a Canadian or US author. McCann has been nominated for his latest novel, Sorrow Lake, which is set in eastern Ontario and is the first book in a new series featuring Ellie March and Kevin Walker of the Ontario Provincial Police. McCann is also the author of the Donaghue and Stainer Crime Novel series set in Maryland.