Monthly Archives: December 2025

crime writer, Crime/Mystery, Helen Forbes, Novels, Reading Between the Lines

Queen of Grime by Helen Forbes #QUEENOFGRIME

1 Comment

Today at Celtic Connexions, I’m featuring Helen Forbes and her novel, Queen of Grime.

Queen

 

Blurb

The Queen of Grime is about to pay. Big time. 

Erin Flett is used to clearing up the sad debris of forgotten lives and tragic deaths. A crime and trauma scene cleaner from a deprived Edinburgh housing estate, she’s made a good life for herself and her daughter. But a secret from the past is about to catch up with her.

Ten years ago, Erin told a desperate lie with serious consequences. Now, someone else knows, and they’re determined to make Erin and her loved ones pay.

Following a terrifying late-night attack, the tension mounts until Erin doesn’t know who she can trust. As she struggles to keep her family safe, little does she realise just how close the danger is…

Queen of Grime is the first in a new series introducing Erin Flett, crime and trauma scene cleaner, and a rich cast of characters, set against the backdrop of the city of Edinburgh. With an occasional undertone of dark humour, it is a tale of family lies and family ties, friendships, secrets and loss.

Queen

Book Links 

Paperback – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-Grime-1-Helen-Forbes/dp/1916888348

Kindle – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-Grime-Helen-Forbes-ebook/dp/B0BMJG3F65

Excerpt

What inspired me?

In an earlier novel, Deception, I had a supporting character who ran a crime and trauma scene cleaning business called Queen of Grime. My agent persuaded me that it was too good a concept to waste in that novel and that it deserved a story of its own. I thought it was an intriguing idea and there was a definite gap in the market with no other Scottish novels on this theme.

Excerpt

The fine hairs on the back of her neck are damp with droplets of sweat that glitter in the light of the lamp. He wants to taste them. The thought shivers through him, and he clamps his lips to stop himself from groaning. He can feel the ache across her tensed shoulders, the cramping of the muscles in her upper arms, the deep weariness in her bones as she bends and scrapes, scrubs and wipes. He’s watched long enough to know every inch of her body, as if she’s wearing sheer lace instead of a white hazmat suit.
She sits back on her heels, her eyes scanning the room. Job done. She stands and begins to peel off the protective suit, and his breath catches in his throat. She rubs at the base of her spine and his fingertips itch to slip beneath her clothing, feel the soft, moist skin, trickle down towards sweet oblivion.
No. He banishes the temptation. She’s not worthy of him, with her faded blonde hair, the roots neglected and dark. Her cellulite, her scruffy vest and cheap leggings, and the lazy shadow of hair in her armpits. She’s worth nothing. And she’s missed a bit.
As if alerted by his stifled laughter, she looks up at the wall in front of her.
‘Left,’ he whispers, his breath steaming against the window. ‘Up a little.’
And she finds it. A quick spray, a wipe, and the last smear of blood is gone.
The moon is bright, the grass frosted under his feet as he skirts the gravel path. At the gate, a fragment of blue and white police tape shimmers and shifts in the breeze.

About the Author

Queen
Helen Forbes is an author of Scottish crime fiction. She lives in her home-town of Inverness, in the Scottish Highlands. Helen began by writing contemporary and historical fiction, with no intention of turning to crime. It was a chance remark at a writing group about one of her short stories that led to her debut police procedural novel, In the Shadow of the Hill, set in Inverness and South Harris, featuring Detective Sergeant Joe Galbraith. Madness Lies is book 2 in the DS Joe Galbraith series, set in Inverness and North Uist.

Helen has had two standalone crime thrillers published by Scolpaig Press. Unravelling, set in Inverness, was published in July 2021. Deception, set in Edinburgh, was published in January 2022.

Spoils of the Dead, a novella, was published in November 2022, and Queen of Grime, the first in a new series, was released in December 2022.

Helen would be delighted to hear from readers. Please contact her and join her mailing list on her website www.helenforbes.co.uk to get her author news and a free copy of the novella, Spoils of the Dead.

You can follow Helen at these links:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063754800058

 Website – https://www.helenforbes.co.uk/

 Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Helen-Forbes/author/B00MNTNHQU

General

Murder at the Folly by Jane Adams

2 Comments

Today at Celtic Connexions, I’m reviewing Murder at the Folly by Jane Adams.

folly

Blurb

A crumbling old manor house with its own sinister folly.

A cast full of suspects with secrets to hide. And a killer waiting in the wings . . .

Retirement suits actress Rina Martin just fine. Until she’s tempted back for one last hurrah, reprising her role as sharp-witted TV sleuth Lydia Marchant.

But Rina’s return to the spotlight soon turns deadly!

Rina’s seen plenty of drama over the years. But nothing like the chaos she finds on location at Septon Hall. Her costar, the decidedly sour Grace Sweeting, gets a poison pen letter — in what looks like a tasteless prank. Until . . .

Phil Perry, the show’s charming leading man, is found dead! Plunged in his neck is a glinting brooch, last seen on Grace’s stylish coat.

Suddenly, everyone’s ready to point the finger at Grace. Only Rina has her doubts.

Just because Grace is playing a murderess on TV that doesn’t make her one in real life. But if Grace didn’t do it, then who?

It’s up to Rina to pin down the truth, before the devious killer strikes again!

If you love Agatha Christie, Jeanne M. Dams, Glenda Young, Stella Cameron, M.C. Beaton and Frances Evesham, prepare to be hooked by this enchanting, character-driven mystery!

folly

Book Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243581145-murder-at-the-folly

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

My Review

This is the first book in the Rina Martin series of cozy mysteries.

Rina is an amateur sleuth and a retired actress from TV’s Lydia Marchant series.

Much like Miss Marple and other amateur sleuths, trouble seems to find Rina. Or she attracts it.

When the author of the Lydia Marchant novels is found dead on the ground below the folly, Rina takes it in stride and vows to catch the miscreant behind the heinous crime.

It was fast-paced with lots of lovable characters. Even though it’s not the first book in the series, there’s enough information that you’re not lost trying to figure out who’s who.

I’ll definitely look for more books by this author.

About the Author

folly

Jane Adams is the author of more than thirty published crime novels. The first, The Greenway, was nominated for both the Authors’ Club award and the CWA John Creasey for best debut novel.

Jane is constantly amazed at where life has taken her. Writing had never been on her ‘possible careers’ list, but she says once stories take root in your brain, they just have to be told – and she feels very fortunate that people want to read them.

In addition to writing, Jane teaches creative writing, read and mentor for The Literary Consultancy, and is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow and FRSA.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/janeadamsauthor/
Website https://janeadamsauthor.com/

folly

#Excerpt, Hetty Waite, Novels

Evolve by Hetty Waite #EVOLVE

2 Comments

Today at Celtic Connexions,  I’m welcoming Hetty Waite and her novel, Evolve.

Evolve

Blurb

Having survived the attack led by her sister, Cara is ready to move on.

A new city means a fresh start and a chance for her and Brown to live together, as equals.

However, the perfect façade of the Amex community hides dark secrets. With a nightly curfew and a mysterious scientist in charge, Cara is convinced all is not as it seems.

As her doubts grow, so do the arguments with Brown. And with Myla still alive and looking for revenge, it’s not only the danger from inside the city walls that threaten to tear her world apart – forever.

Ultimately, she will need to make a choice: protect her family at all costs, or save herself.

Evolve

Excerpt

Inspiration behind The Chromosome Trilogy
I’ve always been fascinated by the way societies function — and how fragile that balance can be when something unexpected shifts it. The idea for the trilogy came from a single, unsettling thought: what if a virus only affected men? I wanted to explore not just how that might change the world, but what it would reveal about power, identity, and the ways we connect to one another in times of crisis.
I wrote Mutate, book one of The Chromosome Trilogy, during the Covid lockdown, so the atmosphere of uncertainty and helplessness we all felt at that time definitely crept into the story. I wanted to capture that sense of powerlessness, and the dystopian setting gave me space to imagine a world where people are divided not by choice, but by their genetics.
At its heart, though, the trilogy is a love story. That thread was really important for me to carry through into Evolve, the second book. I also wanted to do something a bit different this time, which is why I moved the story to a new city. It puts the characters out of their comfort zone and opens up space for new faces — some of whom definitely aren’t what they seem. I loved writing Evolve because, with the main characters already established, I could focus more on their growth and relationships as the world around them becomes increasingly dangerous.
Extract 1:
The book’s Prologue:
The Wilders were everywhere.
Surrounded, their best hope was a quick and brutal counter-attack. With a bit of luck, they could take out a few of them and scare the rest off.
A plump baby might make a tasty morsel, but it wasn’t worth losing your life over.
“This is horribly familiar,” Brown said, slowly reaching around to his rucksack.
“At least this time we’re prepared,” Cara answered, hand already on her weapon.
The biggest of the Wilders gestured to the others, snarling at the prey in its path. Fingers twitching, it signalled silent orders, tugging the bone in its ear and swiping a hand across its face.
Its meaning was clear: kill them quickly.
With hair a ragged haze of fuzz wafting in the breeze, Brown couldn’t tell if this was an X or a Y. Prominent eyes bulged, a hungry look driving the slow licking of its lips. It approached warily, flanked by the small army now encircling them, like coiled vipers poised to strike.
It doesn’t matter, Brown thought. We’ve overcome so much worse. These creatures will not be the ones to take us out – the real danger is far more frightening, far more deadly than a pack of feral kids.
“Yep. We’ll finish them off without too much effort, I reckon,” he said.
Both waited patiently for the charge, ready to fight off any threat to their sleeping child.
It was one small sound that changed everything.
Click.
The unmistakeable sound of a gun’s safety mechanism being switched off.
It took only seconds, no more than a few, before the Wilders had melted into the air, disappearing as stealthily as they had surrounded them.
“Hello, Sis.”
Brown’s heart dropped; he hit the ground, knees giving out.
That voice. The one he heard in his nightmares, especially since the Amex attack.
She’d found them.

Book Links

KINDLE – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Evolve-Chromosome-Trilogy-Book-2-ebook/dp/B0FSD813JK

PAPERBACK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0FWB7XCZG

About the Author

Evolve

Hetty Waite lives in Derbyshire with her husband, daughter, and cavapoo.

A former teacher, she spent many years sharing her love of stories with teenagers in the classroom before turning her own ideas into fiction. It was during the pandemic, while on maternity leave, that she finally found the time to write her first novel.

After initially self-publishing, a chance meeting with a director from Spellbound Books Ltd at a writers’ school changed everything. Impressed by her debut, they offered Hetty a three-book deal for her Young Adult dystopian series, The Chromosome Trilogy. The first instalment, Mutate, was re-released in 2024, followed by Evolve in October 2025.

When she’s not writing, Hetty tutors English, marks exam papers, and enjoys life in Derbyshire with her family and their lively cavapoo.

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

 AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Hetty-Waite/author/B0BP7RSGRM

 WEBSITE – https://hettywaite.co.uk

 FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086494572838

INSTAGRAM – https://www.instagram.com/hettywaite

 X – @HettyWaite

#review, contemporary romance, contemporary women's fiction, Gwen Kirkwood, Novels, romance

A Scottish Love Story by Gwen Kirkwood #REVIEW

4 Comments

Today on Celtic Connexions, I’m reviewing A Scottish Love Story by Gwen Kirkwood.

Love Story

Blurb

She came to Scotland for a fresh start — but found a love she never expected.

When Roxanne Carr accepts a job as a companion to elderly Amynta Baxter, she hopes the beautiful Highlands of Scotland will offer peace after the heartbreak of losing her father and her family farm. But her arrival doesn’t go as planned. Her first meeting with Amynta’s son, Ciaran, is anything but welcoming.

Ciaran Baxter is a dedicated dairy farmer with no time for complications — especially not a spirited young woman who disrupts his routine and challenges his guarded heart.

But as winter sets in and Christmas approaches, Ciaran begins to see a different side to Roxie: capable, kind and as passionate about the farm as he is.

Soon their relationship turns from wary allies to something deeper. But when Roxie is called back to Derbyshire to save her brother’s failing farm, she must choose between the family who cast her aside and the man who makes her believe in second chances.

This heartwarming romance is perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Nadine Dorries, Rachael Lucas, Natalie Fergie, Anne Douglas and Emma Blair.

buy links

My Review

I should preface my review with his statement. She had me at Scotland!

This was an enjoyable read, and the author knows her stuff when it comes to farming.

I thought the couple fell in love too quickly. Yes, love at first sight does happen. The only friction between them was at the beginning of the book.

I loved Roxanne (Roxie) and Ciaran’s mother, Amy. They were believable and down-to-earth folk. I’ll look for more books by Gwen Kirkwood, because she’s an excellent author.

Who is Gwen Kirkwood?

Love Story
Author Gwen Kirkwood at her Mouswald home with Criffel in the background.

All my life has been connected to farming, first in Yorkshire and then in Scotland, so authentic farming details help colour my writing in most of my thirty published books. The family sagas feature two, and sometimes three, generations, with changing times, clothes and customs, transport, communication, or lack of it, with life’s joys and problems, plus love of course. We all need some love in our lives despite the ups and downs. They have believable characters and settings. A few are shorter romances. The sagas are available as audio books as well as in print, and all are now available as e-books.
I was born on a Yorkshire farm and went to school there. After attending agricultural college and a short spell working for the Ministry of Agriculture in England, I have spent most of my adult life on a Scottish dairy farm with my late husband, who was a well known breeder and judge of Clydesdale horses. We have three children and now another generation to keep me up to date with changing times and customs.
I enjoy gardening, local history, cookery, and of course reading, as well as my writing.
You can follow Gwen on Facebook at this link:

https://www.facebook.com/gwen.kirkwood.7