Wow! What a weekend. It’s hard to pick out my highlights as the whole visit to Wigtown was just amazing. From meeting and being interviewed by one of my favourite crime writers @lynnejmcewanwriter to seeing THE SILENT TWIN on shelves around town, and sampling the glorious soup and cake at @readinglasses17 .
I also loved the pop-up bar and visited more than once!
The vibe in Wigtown was beautiful, a huge shout out to @associationwigtownbooksellers and @oldbankbooks and all the wonderful authors. It was an honour to be amongst you.
We stepped into @wellreadbookswigtown at just the right moment on Saturday as the pink fizz was being poured and I enjoyed my chat with Marsali Taylor. This morning we adopted a gentler pace after a busy weekend and enjoyed a wee read on the green before heading home . Now looking ahead to the book festival and my next Wigtown fix in the autumn …
#wigtownspringweekend #authorevents #bestweekend
Wow… it’s hard to find words for what happened yesterday. It was PUBLICATION DAY 🎉 for THE SILENT TWIN and if that wasn’t exciting enough I had the best time at my first ever book launch!
It was a whirlwind of an evening. I turned up to see a table of my books beautifully displayed which took my breath away. Thanks @atkinsonprycebookshop for showcasing my novel and helping me to to bring it out into the world.
I was so nervous as friends old and new, family and strangers alike began to arrive. The stage was set and we had actual microphones- very professional and exciting 🤩
I was interviewed by my lovely agent, Jenny and as soon as we started talking the nerves melted away and I just felt so privileged to be up there chatting about my book, my writing process and my new author career.
I loved reading from the novel, sharing Eve’s and Finn’s voices, and answering insightful and interesting questions from the audience.
Afterwards I embossed and signed books which was very special. Thanks @bldundas my trusty helper who did a great job with that embosser!
Before I knew it, it was over and I left with the adrenaline still zinging, truly feeling the love, and headed home to PJs, and a wee glass of wine to toast the book🍷
Thanks to everyone who made tonight so special for me 🥰
Happy Publication Day @jenlcrow ! This is Jen's first book as a thriller writer, and The Silent Twin is already getting five star reviews from early readers: 'I honestly loved this book so much … Highly recommend to fans of character-driven psychological thrillers' Reader review⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Evocative, compulsive, beautifully written – a real page-turner' Sophie Hannah
EVERY FAMILY HAS SECRETS. SOME ARE DEADLY.
Eve returns to the windswept Scottish island of her childhood, drawn back to her mother’s secluded artistic retreat by unsettling news – a local boy connected to the family has gone missing.
But the island feels different. Her sister won’t speak, her brother is on edge, and the retreat’s once-thriving group of artists and misfits are quietly packing up and leaving.
As a fierce storm rages across the island, Eve must confront whatever it is her family are hiding – and the darkness that may be lurking far closer than she ever imagined. @hqstories_uk
I’m on a roll with 5 ⭐️ books this week. I’ve been reading more than usual as I heal from surgery and this my third Scottish-set, 5 star read in a row!
I was excited about this one having met @annacaig at Wigtown spring Book Weekend. It was everything I’d hoped for. I was totally mesmerised by Elspet Balfour’s story. The backdrop of court intrigue and the threat and dread created by James VI’s obsessions with hunting and executing witches made for a suspenseful setting, and the women Elspet finds herself among were brilliantly drawn. I loved them all!
This book is rich in historical detail, and filled with gorgeous language. Elspet, Anna and Kitty will stay with me for a long time .
Another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me this week. I am a huge fan of this author and was super excited to read her first standalone as @evamacraewriter
A DEATH IN GLASGOW did not disappoint. It’s a gritty thriller threaded with hope and humour. I loved the character of May Mackay, a response officer. She’s feisty, tenacious and incredibly resilient. I’ve read a lot this week as I recover from my surgery and it’s was brilliant to have such a complex, compelling world to dive into. I finished this in less than 24 hours.
Thoroughly recommend, although it has made me a wee bit feart of train stations …
I can’t explain how much I love this book! It was right up my street — beautiful locations I know well like Loch Awe and Ben Cruachan, and a perfect blend of creepy Scottish folklore and criminal investigation. I LOVED The Bone Mother by @suzyaspleybooks .
I was already sold on Martha Strangeways, and Crow Moon was one of my top reads of 2025, and this second foray into her world didn’t disappoint.
The suspense builds beautifully and the creepy, remote settings keep you feeling a constant sense of delicious dread.
I can’t recommend this enough! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me.
I was also lucky enough to attend the launch event at Waterstones and hear Suzy speak with humour and passion about the story and her characters. Brilliant!
It’s been a weird week … amazing, what with all the excitement of the Wigtown Spring Book Weekend and the cover reveal for my new book THE PSYCHOLOGIST.
But also I had a planned (but sooner than expected) ear surgery on Tuesday. Everything went well, and I was extremely well cared for. It was a long wait in the day surgery unit beforehand and I read almost three quarters of THE SHETLAND SEA MURDERS while I waited for my turn as I was third on the surgery list.
I got home same day, and have spent the last couple of days on the sofa with THE ONLY ONE LEFT which was on this month’s tbr as my next book club read. Seeing the incredible visuals for the cover reveal for my new book helped to boost my mood too!
Pain levels are reasonable and I’m beginning to get out and about and now getting ready to start THE BONE MOTHER by @suzyaspleybooks which is one of my top most anticipated books this year— I loved CROW MOON and can’t wait to dive into this!
#readingtherapy #tbr #booksgetmethrough
COVER REVEAL!!!
Wow! Everyone involved did such a good job on this cover. I’m obsessed.
THE PSYCHOLOGIST is out on 27th August. You can find the links to preorder in my bio and it’s also available to request on netgalley.
#psychologicalthriller #coverrevealtoday #thepsychologist
Warning: romantic moment alert!
Whilst in Wigtown for the Spring Book Weekend (massive success by @associationwigtownbooksellers ) we took the opportunity to revisit a beloved old haunt and had a beautiful walk along the coast.
It’s been years since we first did this walk, that occasion etched in memory by the moment he suggested we climb over a fence to take pictures against the glorious backdrop of Solway Firth, only to get down on one knee and ask THAT question.
All these years later, I’m forever glad I said yes.
Returning to Cruggleton and Rigg Bay is always special and this visit was no different, as we were in town to celebrate all things bookish and give my debut psych thriller a wee outing!
#specialplace #bythesea #solwayfirth
Such a great event and a book I’m super excited to read. I loved seeing @annacaig in conversation with @glasgowgallerina talking about THE WISE WITCH OF ORKNEY and it was fun bumping into Anna at the pop up bar for a wee follow up chat!
Any exploration of the hardships faced and the strengths displayed by women through history is right up my street and I can’t wait to dive in (I actually already did — I was 2 chapters in as the event started and was only dragged out of the story by the brilliant discussion between these two authors)
Another triumph for Wigtown Spring Book Weekend @associationwigtownbooksellers
No filters, no enhancements. The gardens at Galloway House estate are truly this beautiful, this vivid.
The photos don’t even do it justice. The woods were a swathe of purple, carpeted in bluebells and the air was scented with wild garlic. The birdsong was just incredible.
We walked over 8km and it was a great space to unwind and just be in nature.
#natureescape #walkinnature #authorescape
I absolutely loved The Witch and The Wolf. It was much anticipated for me, since reading The Bell Witches, and it didn’t disappoint.
The Ending Writes Itself is totally living up to the hype for me. I loved seeing @evelynclarkewrites in Portabello last week and I’m really into the book.
Next up… Riley Sager. I haven’t read any before so this is my first. Also first book I’ve ever read as part of a book club so that’s exciting…
