Dead Man's Folly

Last night I watched David Suchet as ITV's Hercules Poirot, in Dead Man's Folly, filmed at Agatha Christie's holiday home Greenway, near Dartmouth, a place I was lucky enough to visit soon after it was opened to the public in 2009.

Agatha Christie's Greenway

Owned by the National Trust, Greenway is in a stunning location approximately 3 miles up river from Dartmouth. To add to the sense of 'stepping back in time' you can reach the property by steam train on the Dartmouth Steam Railway or by paddle-steamer on the Kingswear Castle.

Sadly, the series currently being shown on ITV, the thirteenth, is to be Hercules Poirot's final outing. So it seems fitting that this episode was filmed at the house which once belonged to Agatha Christie herself. Although she never actually wrote here - she would often visit having recently completed a novel - she entertained her guests by reading an extract from her latest book.

Dead Man's Folly was filmed in June this year and, amazingly, the house and its grounds remained open to the public throughout. Visitors were more than happy to alter or curtail their tours to accommodate the filming schedule. And why not? It must have been a wonderful sight to see the house and garden inhabited by residents dressed in 1930s costume - like a window into the past.

In the story, Zoe Wanamaker plays the mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver who has written a 'Murder Hunt' for the summer fete (treasure hunts having been deemed to be too old-hat). At one point, she tells Poirot that she was greatly relieved to be at 'Nasse House', as it has enabled her to get out of an Author Talk. "I have an idea, I write a book," she says to Poirot. "That takes care of the first minute. So what am I supposed to say for the next 59?"

Ha! If only it were that easy! Ms Christie's little joke, perhaps? Or maybe not...  She was one of the world's most prolific writers, after all.

October - news - October - news - October - news

Please allow me to announce news of the paperback edition 

and e-book of my mystery novel 

Blood-Tied!

The paperback is OUT ON MONDAY...

The e-book is available to download NOW!

A desperate crime, kept secret for 60 years... but time has a way of exposing the truth…

Esme Quentin is devastated when her sister Elizabeth is beaten unconscious, miles from her home. Two days later Esme discovers that Elizabeth has a secret past.

Desperate for answers which the comatose Elizabeth cannot give, Esme enlists the help of her friend Lucy to discover the truth, unaware of the dangerous path she is treading.

Together they uncover a trail of unresolved bitterness, blackmail and dubious inheritance and, as the truth emerges, Esme exposes evidence of a harrowing and pitiful crime.

Realising too late the menace she has unwittingly unleashed, Esme is caught up in a terrifying ordeal. One that will not only test her courage and her sanity, but force her to confront her perception of birth and family.

You can read an extract on my website or on Amazon.

Wannabe part 2...

Jane Wenham-Jones

The second part of the pilot of Jane Wenham-Jones's excellent idea for a TV show based upon her book Wannabe a Writer?, is now available to view.



Delphine Lever, the brave novice writer acting as guinea-pig for the pilot, goes to meet best selling author, Katie Fforde, who has lots of advice to give.





Katie explains to Delphine the importance of starting the story in the right place and reads an extract from her own very first novel, Living Dangerously, to demonstrate how to draw the reader in.

The clip is full of useful and practical information, particularly for those writers who are just beginning on their literary journey.


After their meeting, Delphine went home and, taking Katie's advice, re-worked her writing piece. You can read the 'before' and 'after' versions here and see how she has incorporated what she has learned.


Go to Wannabe a Writer TV Show now to watch the clip and add your comments.

Many people have expressed their enthusiasm for the concept and their hope that one day soon we will see it as a fully fledged TV show on their screens. And I'm one of them!

Looking around me

It's far too easy when I'm in 'the writing zone' to be so focused on the keyboard or the notepad that I become disconnected from my surroundings. Keen to complete a task or on a roll I don't want to curtail,  I can get to the end of a day realising that I've barely lifted my head, let alone looked out of the window. 

It's not uncommon for anyone, not just writers, to become switched off from where we are, even if where we love where we live.

Every now and again it's good to take a stroll and try to see familiar views and vistas through new eyes.

If you've read my profile you'll know that I live next door to a 13th century church. I see it every day... well, apart from the days when I realise I haven't lifted my head or looked out if the window...obviously!

So I took my own advice and wandered around the churchyard looking closely at little details of this beautiful historic building and snapping photographs. Here are just a few...

The view of the church from over the garden wall

A tantalizing peek inside!

The old west window

The wooden shingles on the tower were blown off once when it was hit by lightening.

Ah well, back to the writing...

Curse of the creative brain

Visiting friends showed us some stunning ceramic pieces they'd bought but which the artist had wanted to give away (they insisted on buying them!), having deemed them 'rejects'.

Lack of confidence in the work we produce is not limited to ceramic artists. We writers also find our inner gremlins pouring scorn on what we've written. But as Helen Yendall's article 'Bad Rubbish, Good Riddance' in August's edition of Writing Magazine reminds us, even the most experienced writers have  gremlins. She suggests one way of dealing with them is to give them a silly name!

When mine starts muttering (I haven't thought of a name for him, yet!) I reach for my copy of Elizabeth George's book, 'Write Away' ('one novelist's approach to fiction and the writing life'). At the start of each chapter Ms George quotes from her journals, aptly illustrating that self-doubt is not merely the lot of novice authors. 

'What am I doing pretending to be a writer?' she despairs on one occasion, and on another confesses to feelings of inadequacy after reading 'The Constant Gardener' and marvelling at John le Carre's genius.

My favourite entry, though, is the one she wrote after receiving an outstanding review for one of her novels.  Several reviewers had apparently remarked that although they can't wait to read her next book, they're a little scared in case she hasn't maintained the quality of the last one. 'Gee,' she writes. 'They should be on this end of things!'

For wannabe writers everywhere

The ever resourceful Jane Wenham-Jones, author of Wannabe a Writer? and Wannabe a Writer We've Heard Of, has come up with an ingenious idea for a TV programme which will be of great interest to inspiring writers.

Along with journalist and TV producer Stephen Arkell, she has made a pilot episode of a 'How-to' television show in which novice writer Delphine Lever is taken to meet top literary agent Carole Blake for her comments on Delphine's writing.

In the second half of the programme, Delphine receives valuable advice from best selling author Katie Fforde.

Jane plans to pitch the idea to TV companies this autumn and would welcome viewers' comments.

To see the pilot episode go to http://wannabeawritertvshow.com/ where you can leave feedback and, if you are feeling brave, apply to be considered for future programmes.

The burden of proof...

Or rather the burden of proofs... plural.

This week the new book cover design for the paperback and ebook of Blood-Tied pinged into my inbox for my comments. Exciting times! I was happy to agree with everyone at SilverWood Books that the designer has managed to capture the essence of the story in the strong and intriguing design.

I look forward to posting an image of the cover here as soon as everything is finalised - watch this space!

Meanwhile, the interior proofs (the book's text) are being carefully scrutinised for errors.

The Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP) defines proofreading as "the quality check and tidy up" before an author's work goes to print. But this goes way beyond merely checking spelling, punctuation and grammar.

And if you're thinking: anyone can be a proofreader, right? It's only about spotting a few typos, isn't it? Then I suggest you try the society's 'Self Test' and see how you get on. Click here to have a go.

You never know, you might find you've discovered a new career... or not...

Good luck!