Murder mystery and short story set in NORTHUMBERLAND

25th August 2020

Murder mystery and a short story set in Northumberland.

These last few months during Lockdown have been incredibly tough on booksellers. They have had to find ways of being really creative to ride the storm, as it were, to get people ordering books to keep them ticking over in business; and now to entice people back into actual bookshops.

Forum Books in Corbridge, Northumberland has deservedly had many accolades (one of the winners in 2017 of the HarperCollins Indie Development Fund 2017 / Book seller James was named Independent Bookseller of the Year by publishing house Vintage 2018) and they are a truly fabulous and enthusiastic set up! They have also always had a special relationship with author Ann Cleeves who has now written a wonderful short story called Frozen. And it’s specifically written with Forum Books in mind! This is sent out free when you order a copy of Ann’s latest murder mystery The Darkest Evening. (see details at the end: How to order direct from Forum Books).

Ann says: “Forum Books in the small Northumberland town of Corbridge has supported me since they set up shop many years ago.  A couple of years ago, they changed premises and moved into an empty chapel in the heart of the town. When the builders were renovating the building, they discovered an enormous baptismal font just below the pulpit; the pulpit is still there and used as a stage for events. Now, I’m a crime writer, so when Helen, the shop’s owner showed me the coffin sized hole in the floor, I was already imagining a body.The germ of an idea for a Vera short story developed and the result is Frozen”.  (you can read the full article in The Bookseller here)

I can confirm that Frozen is an excellent short story and it is wonderful to see the people who work in the bookshop featured in the story. And indeed, just like The Darkest Evening, the setting is Winter and as it opens, Vera is trudging along Hadrian’s Wall and then has the urge to drop down to Corbridge and visit Forum Books, where renovations are taking place. It was once a former Methodist Chapel, the pulpit is still present, above which are the worlds “Read on…“. In the excavation below the pulpit, there is a wooden lid, a ring and a rope – the search is now on for a rumoured baptismal font. Everyone is peering into the depths of the foundations and it becomes apparent there is a skeleton nestled into the damp earth, with fragments of clothing…

Tempted? Order your copy of The Darkest Evening (details at the end: How to order direct from Forum Books) and get your own copy of Frozen.

Photo: Forum Books

Review of The Darkest Evening murder mystery set in Northumberland:

This is no. 9 in the Vera Stanhope series and will beautifully transport you to wild Northumberland, just a few days before Christmas. Vera is driving her old Land Rover through heavily snowed upon roads when she comes across a car run off the road. A small child is still in its car seat in the back but there is no sign of the care giver. Vera, immediately honing her detective nose, surmises it must be a woman because the driver’s seat is pulled close up to the steering wheel so it mis be someone on the small side. She takes the child to the nearest house, which turns out to be Brockburn, where a dinner party is in full swing. The inhabitants of the grand but crumbling estate happen to be Vera’s relatives but they are the posh side of the family.

There is a moment of discombobulation as both parties take in the situation. The first step is to find the owner of the car, and it transpires it is registered to an older woman, who could not possibly be the parent of the child. The mystery grows until the body of a young woman is discovered, not far from the house. The young woman has history, the house has history and so do the occupants….

The author is excellent at creating a setting, against which she weaves a well-penned murder mystery. You can wonderfully imagine curmudgeonly and scruffy Vera, as she spots the clues with acuity, her hat pulled firmly down on her head. There is also the very popular TV series to complement the books, so there is no excuse not to visit Northumberland in some shape or form – and in person you will be bowled over by the beautiful county.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

Consider signing up for the Webinar chat, #AtHomeWith The 4 Indies, with the author herself being interviewed by Victoria Watson MORE DETAILS HERE (not forgetting the signed Independent Bookshop Exclusive editions for the first 200 registrants delivered to your door! All on line tickets include a copy of Frozen). Sep 6, 2020 04:00 PM (UK time).

HOW TO ORDER DIRECT FROM FORUM BOOKS:

Ann Cleeves’ short story is called “Frost” and it is centred around Forum Books in Corbridge, featuring characters from the store and it is sent out with pre-orders of Ann’s new novel: THE DARKEST EVENING – You can order Ann’s book and enjoy a little more local colour by clicking on this link

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