Where is the year going? June already and worse, midsummer will soon be here and I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer yet when we haven't really said hello! As I write this the temperature seems more like winter than summer, on a day which has brought rain from beginning to end but, as with everything, there is always something to be grateful for – I'm very late this year, but yesterday I planted up all my pots which are now getting a lovely soaking to settle them in. I'm really looking forward to seeing them massed with colour and by the time they are, they may well in a different garden altogether! It's been a year marked by change, and I'm moving to a lovely new house soon where I can put down new roots. Two of my three children still live with me, and aged 20 and 21 they are also both very creative people. One is a digital artist and the other a seamstress who runs her own business. Our new house will provide us all with separate spaces to work in and lovely spaces to come together as well. It will be a wonderful place to grow.

So, it's been a very busy year too, and with four books being released, it's meant I've been very quiet on social media and haven't been in touch nearly as much as I should have. But, I've had some wonderful comments from readers like you who are loving my new series of cozy mysteries and these have given me all the incentive I needed to keep going.

So without further ado, here's the first bit of news: 

It's the cover reveal for

Death on the Menu!

Don't you just love those colours! 

I'm delighted to reveal the cover for the third book in my Adam and Eve series of mysteries which is published on the 22nd September but, as always you can preorder a copy now. Some of the eagle-eyed among you may have already noticed that it snuck up on Amazon a week or so ago, but the official cover release wasn't until today, so I haven't been able to shout about it yet. And I'm very excited about this one! Most of the action takes place in one of my very favourite haunts – Attingham House, which is owned by the National Trust. I walk in the grounds there several times a week, and I can't say too much for fear of spoiling the story, but I had great fun creeping round it in the dark - all in my mind of course! Here's the official blurb:

Francesca Eve is catering a sombre funeral supper, but the last thing she expects is another murder on the menu…

When elderly millionaire and eccentric entrepreneur Clarence Lightman dies, his nearest and dearest gather one final time at Justice House, Clarence’s beautiful home in rural Shropshire, for the reading of his will. But the day ends in uproar when Clarence’s will reveals that his fortune can only be inherited by solving a series of complex clues, whether that’s one of Clarence’s disagreeable children, his devoted housekeeper, or Francesca herself…

Francesca knows she should stick to the kitchen and stay out of this macabre game, but she is unwillingly drawn into the mystery when she finds Clarence’s son, shoved into the larder, with blood pooling from a deadly thwack to the head. Somebody is clearly not playing fair, and Francesca feels sure that they won’t stop until all of the competition has been eliminated.

Francesca must find the murderer, and protect herself and her fellow innocent guests. But trapped in the game until the riddles are solved, she can’t trust anyone. If she can solve the clues, could they lead her to this ruthless killer? And can she find them before they strike again? Fran must use all her wits, not only to hunt down the truth, but just to stay alive…

And Here's Book Two!

Book two in the series is OUT NOW! 

In fact, it was published on the 27th May and with deadlines calling I've only just realised I never let you know! But if you missed it, here's your chance to grab a copy now.

Francesca Eve, caterer extraordinaire, has come to Claremont House to work for the cream of society. A full breakfast spread? Simple. A glorious picnic lunch? Easy as pie. But a dead body for dinner was definitely not on the menu…

No sooner has Francesca Eve turned up for a jam-packed weekend of gourmet catering at a posh country house than she realises how challenging this event is set to be. Not only are the hosts wealthy – and demanding – beyond her wildest dreams, but each of the guests is more difficult than the last. But she never expected the host to turn up dead…

Suspicion falls on everyone in the house – could there be a murderer in their midst? Is the incredibly glamorous, and now extremely rich, widow really as upset as she’s making out? What secret is the housekeeper hiding? Whose money troubles are now forgotten? As the only person without a motive, Fran’s intimate knowledge of the house party puts her in the prime position to help the police.

As rumours swirl and guests’ pasts come to light, someone else is found dead. But when the police arrest their chief suspect, Fran becomes convinced they have the wrong person – the evidence is almost too neat to be true. So she decides to strike out alone, in the country house where the killer is still staying… Someone has killed twice to keep their secret safe. Will Fran be able to unmask them, or will this weekend turn out to be her deadliest job ever?

And also Book One!

To celebrate the release of book two and preorders for book three of the series, my lovely publishers have made book one available for only 99p or 99c in the US. So if you're a reader of my romantic fiction books and haven't yet dipped your toe in the world of mysteries, now could be the perfect time to start the series if you'd like to. But you'll have to hurry as it's on a kindle countdown deal and is only available at that special price for another day!

Caterer extraordinaire Francesca Eve is prepared for anything. Missing canapés? No problem. Burnt brownies? A piece of cake… But a dead body? Now that’s a recipe for disaster.

In the manor house of her pretty little Shropshire village, Francesca is nervous aboutcatering her first ever murder mystery party. But it’s clear from the clink of champagne flutes that the evening is a roaring success. Until the murder suddenly stops being a game, when beautiful young teacher Becky drops dead in the dining room, and the coroner rules poisoning. Which of the guests has a deadly way with mushrooms? And why?

The local police are fixated on Francesca’s canapés, but her cooking never killed a soul, and she realises she must do some sleuthing of her own to save her reputation. From the woman having an affair, to the guest hiding her true identity, everyone in the party has a secret – and it turns out that Becky knew them all. But which secret was dangerous enough to kill for?

When Francesca’s prime suspect, the light-fingered heiress, is found murdered with another case of death by overdose, it becomes clear that a deranged killer is going off-script. And anyone who was involved in the game is in their sights, even Francesca. Can she unmask the murderer before it’s too late, or has she cooked her last supper?

Huge thanks if you made it this far!

Book four in the Adam and Eve series will be published in December so I'll be bringing news of that in another newsletter. It also brings me to the end of my current contract but I'm already speaking to my publisher about what comes next, so watch this space. We're discussing all sorts of possibilities, including more romantic fiction, so if you've been missing these, I hope to have good news for you soon! 

As always, a huge thank you for continuing to share my writing

journey with me. I hope you all have a wonderful summer, take care.  

So until next time, love, and my very best wishes,

Emma xx