Jonathan Posner's Blog
November 25, 2025
The Thursday Book Club – Nov 25
The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 20th November 2025 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining hosts Jonathan Posner and Cathy Dodd were Keith Rossiter and Julian Holland. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
We reviewed For All Your Endevours by David Sharp.
Available on Amazon.
Our discussion was Book Reviews. Are they good or bad for authors? Do we want more?
The second hour featured an interview with author Julian Holland.
Julian told us about his lifelong passion for railways, and his many books on the subject.
Cathy also played some great music!
Listen to the show in full here:
https://jonathanposnerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/TBC-Show-28-20-11-25.mp3The next show is at 2pm on the 18th December 2025.
NEWS
Tony Aston’s new novel was published on Saturday 15th November. Hanukkah to Hell is a hard-hitting WWII novel which brings together an Austrian Jewish family caught up in the annexation of the country by Germany, a rising SS officer who becomes Commandant of Mauthausen concentration camp in Linz, Austria, and the US 11th Armoured Division who come over on D-Day then fight their way across occupied Europe – before being the first Allied group to arrive at, and liberate, the camp.
Available on Amazon.
Kate Rigby’s The House at the End
is an eerie short story, now available on Audible, narrated by Pete McGiffen. It’s also available in electronic format. Two party members, Peter and Nick, are canvassing for the upcoming by-election. Peter, the older and less physically fit, takes on the quieter end of Priory Road, with its old Victorian houses. But as Peter advances up the road, the atmosphere becomes more unworldly and unsettling.
What awaits Peter at the end house?
Available as an eBook or Audiobook on Amazon.
Kate’s other news is that she’s had three poems accepted for the winter edition of Jawbone Journal – a Dorset collective.
Rosa’s Cookery Club for Men, the third in The Happy Wanderers series by Sarah Scally, came out on 5th November.
Rosa Roberts, an expert cook with years of experience, has returned to quiet Simonton to care for her poorly mother. She’s secretive about her life in France and in no hurry to return. When she takes on a new project – teaching men to cook at the community hall – she soon looks forward to the weekly lessons. And to seeing one student in particular.
Maurice Longley, newly retired and recently widowed, feels adrift without his old routines and businesses to run. When Mike, his meddling neighbour, signs him up for a new cookery club in town, a long-forgotten dream flickers back to life.
As they connect and form friendships, the future looks brighter for everyone. Until an unexpected visitor arrives and all plans are thrown up in the air.
Rosa’s Cookery Club for Men is a heartwarming novel of unexpected friendships, second chances and finding your way… one recipe at a time.
It is the third novel in The Happy Wanderers series. Both of Sarah’s previous books have been longlisted for the Comedy Women in Print prize 2025, in the self-published category.
Available on Amazon.
Sandbox in Teignmouth, South Devon, is holding an author reader’s evening in front of an audience of book buyers. This is on the 29th November at 6:30pm. No need to get tickets – just turn up.
It’s a rare month here on The Thursday Book Club when we don’t have a new release from Helena Dixon to talk about!
This month, it’s the 22nd Kitty Underhay mystery – Murder at Midwinter Farm…
A frosty country lane, snow-dusted Devon hills as far as the eye can see… and a local farmer vanished without trace. Can Kitty Underhay solve this chilling mystery?
Devon, 1937. Kitty Underhay is enjoying a crisp winter morning walk with her best friend, Alice, and Alice’s fiancé, Robert, who have recently bought the mysterious Midwinter Farm. The previous owner vanished one night, his dinner still on the table and the front door left wide open. But as work is carried out on the farm, a body is found in the grounds. How was the man murdered—and who is responsible?
Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey or Verity Bright will adore this totally charming murder mystery. The perfect treat for cozy crime fans!
Available on Amazon
Last month we mentioned that Lin Treadgold is holding a launch event for her new novel The Trail to Freedom, on 27th November at the Exeter Library, from 4pm to 6pm.
Lin says she is hoping to have a singer and some WWII songs to invoke the atmosphere of the book.
There’s more information on Lin’s website – https://lintreadgold.co.uk/.
Lin’s book is on Amazon.
AA Abbott tells us that her latest psychological thriller set in Bristol, Lies Between Friends, was published in October. Here’s the blurb:
She can’t trust her husband. She can’t trust her friends. Can she trust herself?
Gail puts up with her toxic marriage. She accepts it’s the price of giving her kids a perfect childhood. Then her controlling husband is exposed as a fraudster, and her life falls apart.
A desperate Gail flounders to keep her family together. But she puts her faith in the wrong friends, and finds herself alone on a remote island with a killer. Can she escape, or will she never see her children again?
If you like simmering secrets, puzzling murder mysteries and resourceful women turning their lives around, you’ll love AA Abbott’s tense psychological thriller.
Available on Amazon.
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October 18, 2025
The Thursday Book Club – Oct 25
The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 16th October 2025 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining hosts Jonathan Posnwr and Cathy Dodd were Bob Fairbrother and Jason Mann. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
We reviewed Orbital by Samantha Harvey.
Available on Amazon.
Our discussion was What makes an author achieve longevity?
The second hour featured a n interview with author Elizabeth Ducie.
Bob Fairbrother introduced us to the new South Devon Book Festival, coming on 22nd November 2025.
Cathy also played some great music!
Listen to the show in full here:
https://jonathanposnerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/TBC-Show-27-16-10-25.mp3The next show is at 2pm on the 20th November 2025.
NEWS
A few months ago, Jonathan interviewed Ruth Foster when she launched her book,
A Perfect Year. Ruth has told us that the book has been shortlisted for the national Comedy Women In Print Prize. Naturally, Phonic FM was ahead of the curve, as we scooped the first radio interview on the book! It’s a fun read that makes a perfect seasonal gift.
The book is available on Amazon,
Ruth’s website.
Call of the Sandpiper is Kathryn Haydon’s latest romance, published by Blue Poppy. It’s set in rugged, beautiful North Devon. It’s available on Amazon or can be ordered from the Waterstones online.
Readers say: it is “romantic to the core, emotionally resonant – this romance had me rooting for Sam and Poppy all the way through.” And “A real page turner. I couldn’t put it down!”
F. H. Petford’s new Falmouth-set historical crime thriller is called A Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Solving a Murder. It’s billed as ‘Cozy crime meets historical fiction’, and ‘a brand-new quirky and gripping paranormal murder mystery’. It features Alma Timperley, who can run a hotel, solve a mystery and… talk to ghosts. Inspired by the surge in spiritualism that occurred during WW1, it begins when Alma inherits the Timperley Spiritualist Hotel, where guests are offered an extraordinary service – the chance to speak to the dead….
It was published by Hodder & Stoughton on October 2nd and is available on Amazon.
Ali Simpson’s second novel in her murder mystery series – ‘The Markham Twins Investigate’ – is a deliciously twisted tale set in 1930s Torquay. It’s called Death By Misdirection and is out at the end of October.
Here’s the outline: ‘A mysterious telephone call. A cast iron alibi. A family secret. A brutal murder. Could a meek and mild insurance salesman really be such a heinous killer?’ For more information go to Ali’s website.
Calling all short story writers in Cornwall: there’s a call out for short stories for a new anthology, to be called Cornwall Salt & Stone. It will be published by Hermitage Press, now the home of Cornwall Writers. Cornwall Salt & Stone will be a short story anthology that seeks to capture the raw essence of Cornwall – its weathered coastlines, tight-knit communities, quiet storms, and enduring beauty. The title evokes contrast: the shifting, fluid nature of life (salt), and the hard, unmoving truths we carry (stone). Stories may be contemporary, historical, speculative, or surreal, but all must be rooted in the atmosphere of Cornwall and its emotional terrain. Submissions close on 31st December 2025.
They’re looking for fiction that explores what it means to endure: people shaped by isolation, erosion, tradition, change, or the power of place. Whether set by windswept harbours or within crumbling granite walls, these stories should feel grounded in Cornwall’s spirit, even when the setting isn’t literal – tales of people enduring, transforming, or confronting the forces that shape them. Interpret the theme broadly, but all submissions should feel emotionally or atmospherically grounded in Cornwall.
It’s open to writers over 18 born in Cornwall or currently living/working in Cornwall.
The work must be original and unpublished elsewhere.
For more info and how to submit see here.
Georgia Hill’s next book in her Lullbury Bay series of contemporary romances is now out.
New Beginnings at the Little Christmas Inn tells the story of Livvy’s struggles to launch a gastropub in the Dorset seaside town of Lullbury Bay. It features a cast of eccentric locals who have slightly different ideas about what makes the perfect pub! Full of Christmas tinsly cheer and romance, it’s the perfect book to curl up with. Available on Amazon.
Author Helena Dixon has a new book out. Called Murder Most British, it’s a totally addictive cozy historical English murder mystery (The Secret Detective Agency Book 3).
Here’s the blurb:
Big Ben chiming in the distance, chilly walks along the river Thames, cocktails at the Ritz… and a government secretary dead? Only Jane Treen can solve the case! It’s set in London in 1941. Miss Jane Treen is faced with another mysterious disappearance within her Secret Detective Agency’s team. Tabitha Moore, a government typist, was on her way to meet Jane with vital information about some secret codes. But she didn’t turn up for work and has seemingly vanished without trace. Then Jane and her colleague, handsome codebreaker Arthur Cilento, receive a call: a body has been found, and it matches Tabitha’s description… Available on Amazon.
Lin Treadgold is holding a launch event for her new novel The Trail to Freedom. This is on 27 November at the Exeter Library, from 4pm to about 6pm. Lin says she is hoping to have a singer and some WWII songs to invoke the atmosphere of the book.
There’s more information on Lin’s website – https://lintreadgold.co.uk/.
Annabelle Gregory is launching her new memoir, The Art of Becoming, in Modbury on the 14th November. The Art of Becoming is an extraordinary and memorable journey through a gritty, glamorous and gloriously unpredictable life.
From her beginnings as a model working with legendary directors Cy Endfield and Dick Lester, to navigating the shadowy nightclub scene of Soho where her husband’s path crossed with the notorious Kray twins, Annabelle’s life has been anything but ordinary. Whether she’s crashing a flame-painted hearse into a post box or appearing in five different television adverts during a single commercial break, her stories pulse with the energy of someone who has truly lived.
Hardback copies will be available via the Winter & Drew website after the launch, and the paperback later on Amazon.
Martin Kiszko is fondly known as the ‘UK’s green poet.’ His one man-show, based on his first two books Green Poems for a Blue Planet and Verse for the Earth, illustrated by four-time Oscar winner Nick Park, has been performed from Los Angeles to China, Dubai to India, and from the Edinburgh Fringe to the Royal Albert Hall. In 2024 he launched his debut novel The Great Riverbank Robbery. Booking is now open for the launch of Martin’s seventh book (and fifth collection of poetry) of seventy-two poems – HEARTCHERY.
He will be joined by pianist Colin Smith and will be interviewed by one of Bristol’s ‘Young Heroes’ 2025′ – Aliese Chydzhan. The evening promises to be entertaining and fun, and includes performance, music, readings, interview, Q&A, and signing. It’s on Thursday 6th November at St. Mary’s Church, Stoke Bishop, Bristol. Doors open 7.00 pm – with free drinks on arrival. Tickets are free.
Martin’s website is here.
BOOK FREE TICKETS HERE
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September 21, 2025
The Thursday Book Club – Sept 25
The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 18th September 2025 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining host Cathy Dodd were Alison Huntingford and Jason Mann. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
We reviewed The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe.
Available on Amazon.
Our discussion was a revisit to a perennial topic – Are you a plotter or a pantser?
The second hour featured a discussion on: What makes a literature festival a success?
Cathy also played some great music!
Listen to the show in full here:
https://jonathanposnerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TBC-Show-25-18-09-25.mp3The next show is at 2pm on the 16th October 2025.
NEWS
David Sharp’s new book, One of the Few, is set in idyllic Jersey. This captivating novel proves murder can occur in the most picturesque of places, committed by those least likely. Here’s the blurb: With another mysterious cold case on their radar, DI David Lancaster and DS Marie Viday travel to the island of Jersey in the English Channel, to investigate the death of Peter Urbawicz, a retired World War II spitfire pilot, whose death twenty years prior was recorded by the island police as ‘accidental’.
With his daughter, Lady Stottard, adamant that her father died in suspicious circumstances, can these two detectives investigate without ruffling any feathers? Can they pick apart the facts and route out the clues to prove his death was not an accident, when said facts and clues have lain buried for twenty years?
When their enquiries trigger a visit from British Counter Terrorism operatives, the case becomes even more complicated, and they are left wondering how an IRA terrorist, a French boatyard owner, and an ex-East German STASI officer fit into their case.
David will be doing a Meet the Author talk on Thursday October 2nd at the Ivybridge Bookshop.
Publication date is 30th September. Pre-Order on Amazon.
Kathy Morgan’s book Death on the Village Green is published in paperback and e-book tomorrow, Friday 19th September, and is available on Amazon. The second in the Yvonne Parker Mystery series, the audiobook will be available on Audible soon too.
Georgia Hill’s new book, Magpie, came out this week, inspired by the Bideford Witches. This is a dual timeline novel, set in both the 1660s and contemporary Devon. A twisty tale of secrets and witchcraft, it’s perfect for fans of Weyward!. Here’s the blurb:
When Beth Loveday retreats to a shadowed corner of the Devon coast, she hopes to rebuild her life in peace. But the old timbered shop she buys—Tenpenny House—has other plans. Strange objects are hidden in the walls. There’s a book of forgotten remedies. And dreams that feel like memories.
In 1660, Susanna Loveday walks the same worn floors. Apprentice to a healer, she’s swept into a deadly game of suspicion and power when whispers of witchcraft begin to spread. As danger closes in, a single choice will echo through time.
Linked by blood and bound by secrets, Beth and Susanna are caught in a web that spans centuries. The truth lies buried—but Tenpenny House remembers everything… Available on Amazon.
Emily Higgins is pleased to announce that she is now 36,000 words into her debut novel. She’s longed to write a book for a while and finally stopped procrastinating long enough to start! She’s just had feedback for her first chapter from her lovely BETA readers and it’s been invaluable. If anyone wants to keep up to date with her writing journey, she’s keen for you to follow her on Facebook. She says she also updates her website regularly.
We at The Thursday Book Club wish Emily all the best with her writing and look forward to hearing more about her book in future.
Peter Hall’s latest novel The Accidental Realmshifter was published on Amazon on 27th August. It’s available on Amazon in eBook, paperback, hardcover and audiobook (in the US). It’s a complex time-travel thriller set in Barnstaple, and follows an autistic computer programmer on an emotional and spiritual journey to save humanity from slavery under a future AI dictator. The logline is: “The Accidental Realmshifter—where Quantum Leap meets Doctor Strange, and neurodiversity becomes a superpower.”
Jenny Leggott has flagged the Looe Festival of Words. This is a free celebration for readers, writers and anyone who loves words. Workshops, crafts, walks, storytelling, a Book Fair, and more! It’s on from October 1st to the 5th. There’s more info on Facebook, and booking is via the Looe & Polpero website.
Jonathan Posner has a ‘Meet the Author’ event coming up on September 25th at the Ivybridge Bookshop. He’ll be introducing and reading from his Tudor adventure The Lawyer’s Legacy, and there will be signed copies available. It’s at 5:30pm, and it’s FREE, so do please come along.
More info on the event at ivybridgebookshop.com.
The Lawyer’s Legacy is available on Amazon.
Jack Stainton (from Sidmouth)’s latest psychological thriller – Her Perfect Husband is described as a totally addictive psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist. It is set in the heat of southern Spain. A tense, unsettling psychological thriller that explores how easily the mind bends under pressure—and how far people will go to keep their secrets buried. Available on Amazon.
Kit Fielding’s third novel – Under Vixens Mere – is being launched/released on September 30th and is available to pre-order now from Inkspot Publishing, Amazon, and the usual outlets. The novel is set mainly at a canal marina and embraces secrets, love and more, plus murder and retribution. It is sprinkled with dark humour and touched with magic realism. Kit likes to think that there’s something in this book for everyone!
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August 23, 2025
The Thursday Book Club – August 25
The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 21st August 2025 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining host Jonathan Posner were Cathie Hartigan and Keith Rossiter. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
The second hour was presented by Cathy Dodd.
We reviewed The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods.
‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’
On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…
For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.
But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.
Listen to the show (below) to find out what we thought of the book.
Available on Amazon.
Our discussion was:
Let’s talk AI again – as the tech develops, where does this go for authors?
The second hour was presented by Cathy Dodd, with a discussion on: What constitutes a good summer read? Are there any particular genres that are worthy of the accolade of a good summer read? Is there such a thing or is this a subtle way of getting people to buy books?
Cathy also played some great music!
Listen to both parts of the show in full here:
https://jonathanposnerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TBC-Show-24-21-08-25.mp3The next show is at 2pm on the 18th September 2025.
NEWS
Tracey and Mark Norman had a book out with The History Press on the 21st August. It’s called Devon’s Forgotten Witches 1860-1910. Witchcraft and witches throughout history have long captured the imagination, yet hidden away in archives are records of long forgotten cases. Many of these are tragic, some are unusual – perhaps even inexplicable – but all are fascinating in their own right. Devon’s Forgotten Witches 1860–1910 takes a deep dive through these records, bringing to the surface accusations of witchcraft in the county that have languished, unacknowledged, in the British Newspaper Archive for decades. These are the stories of ordinary people whose lives were touched in some way by witchcraft. The book is available from Waterstones, the usual online places (i.e. Amazon) and any good bookshop. Alternatively, you can get a copy signed by Tracey and Mark via The Folklore Podcast website.
Helena Dixon’s new murder mystery Murder in Paris, comes out on August 26th. It’s the 21st Kitty Underhay mystery.
Paris, 1937. Kitty Underhay, with a croissant in hand and her handsome husband Matt by her side, is soaking up the delightfully Parisian charms of the French capital. Kitty is full of joie de vivre, but the afternoon takes a very sour turn when she stumbles across the body of a beautiful young woman, murdered in broad daylight. With a murderer in their midst, can the duo find the killer before it’s adieu for both of them? Or will this Parisian sojourn be their last?
Available on Amazon.
Cathie Hartigan will be signing her recently published novel, The Luthier’s Promise, in the RAMM shop on Saturday 13th September from 11 o’clock.
Set in 1595, Will, the lutemaker of the title, promises to bring the wayward Tudor ‘rock star’, John Dowland, safely home from Italy, but when love delays them, it is not only Will’s promise that is in jeopardy, but also their lives.
The Luthier’s Promise is available on Kindle and in paperback on Amazon.
Lin Treadgold writes historical and contemporary romantic fiction. Her new novel, The Trail to Freedom will be released in November. It’s set in World War II, and tells of Ellie and Harold, and how their relationship is damaged by the war.
Silent Truths, Spoken Lies was Miranda Ramphul’s debut novel, which came out at the end of August, 2024. It is a compelling, fast paced psychological novel about family relationships, human weaknesses and ultimate strength, full of twists and turns.
To mark the upcoming anniversary of its publication, it will be available on Amazon for the discounted price of £1.99 from Friday 22nd August.
Kate Rigby reminds us of her novel Far Cry From The Turquoise Room. Told from both daughter and father’s perspectives, this is a coming-of-age, riches-to-rags tale of loss, resilience, and self-discovery, set just before the millennium. It is also about the passage of childhood into puberty. Leila is the eight-year-old daughter of Hassan Nassiri, a wealthy Iranian property owner, and younger sister to the adored Fayruz, her father’s favourite daughter. But a holiday narrowboat tragedy has far-reaching consequences for the surviving family. Hassan withdraws into reclusive grief, when he’s not escaping into work, or high jinks with his men friends at his second home in Hampstead, leaving Leila to fend for herself in a lonely world of nannies, chess and stargazing. Leila eventually runs away from home and joins a family of travellers in Sussex, and so follows a tale of adventure, danger and romance – and further anguish for her surviving family. But how will she fare at such a young age and will her family ever find her?
Available on Amazon.
Jonathan Posner has a ‘Meet the Author’ event coming up on September 25th at the Ivybridge Bookshop. He’ll be introducing and reading from his Tudor adventure The Lawyer’s Legacy, and there will be signed copies available. It’s at 5:30pm, and it’s FREE, so do please come along.
More info on the event at ivybridgebookshop.com.
The Lawyer’s Legacy is available on Amazon.
On that subject, there are also talks by authors we’ve featured on The Thursday Book Club, all at 5:30pm.
Go to ivybridgebookshop.com for more details, or register at in**@iv***************.com.
Calling all budding (and seasoned) novelists! Entries are open for the Exeter Novel Prize, now organised by Word Kitchen. There’s a £1,000 first prize, and entries will be judged by noted London literary agent, Hellie Ogden. Go to https://www.wordkitchen.org.uk/exeter-novel-prize for more information on how to enter. Good luck!
A new adult novel came out at the end of July by children’s author Amy Sparkes. It’s called The Players – Act 1: All the World’s a Stage.
How far would you go to save what you truly love?
England, 1715. When society doesn’t understand you, and your family is out of the picture, a strolling theatre company could be your perfect home…
Ambitious lead actor Thomas is determined to reach Drury Lane and prove to his father that he is not a failure.
Fierce Caroline has a traumatic past and is determined to protect the company which saved her.
Kind-hearted Annie just wants to look after her found family.
So, when their heartbroken manager Robert is injured and decides to fold the struggling company, the players are resolved to change his mind, whatever the cost. Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against them. They’ve lost their stage, they still haven’t got a skull for Hamlet, and flamboyant ex-member Piero is hunting them down, with a spot of revenge on his mind…
Is it time for the final bow?
Available on Amazon.
Keith and Jonathan will be presenting a writers’ workshop at the Dartmouth Book Festival. The workshop is called ‘Creating Great Characters‘.
It’s on the 19th September at 2pm in the Flavel Studio, Dartmouth.
Book via the Flavel Centre website, or use this link.
Thomas R Weaver has a new book out this month that ties in with our discussion on AI. It’s called Artificial Wisdom.
Who would you trust with the future?
The year is 2050. In the teeth of a climate catastrophe, the world is left with a drastic solution: one global leader to steer it through the coming apocalypse.
The final two candidates are ex-US President Lockwood, and Solomon, the world’s first political artificial intelligence.
As whispers of a global conspiracy emerge, investigative journalist Marcus Tully finds himself at the centre of it – when Solomon’s creator turns up murdered.
Overnight, one investigation becomes two, and it’s not just the result of the election that’s at stake but the future of the species. Suddenly humanity must make an impossible choice – between salvation, or freedom.
Available on Amazon.
Richard Frost’s new self-improvement book Loving Yourself came out in July. Available on Amazon.
There’s a launch event on Thursday 18th September at Exeter Cathedral 6:15 – 7:15pm. Details and to reserve your place, at richardfrostauthor.com.
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July 20, 2025
The Thursday Book Club – July 25
The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 17th July 2025 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining host Jonathan Posner were Angie Wooldridge and Jason Mann. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
The second hour was presented by Cathy Dodd.
We reviewed A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge.
When a creature dies, its spirit can go looking for somewhere to hide.
Some people have space inside them, perfect for hiding.
Makepeace, a courageous girl with a mysterious past, defends herself nightly from the ghosts which try to possess her. Then a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard for a moment.
And now there’s a ghost inside her.
The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, but it may be her only defence in a time of dark suspicion and fear. As the English Civil War erupts, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession – or death.
Available on Amazon.
The second hour was again presented by Cathy Dodd, with a discussion on What makes a good or bad author reading?
Cathy also played some great music!
Listen to both parts of the show in full here:
https://jonathanposnerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TBC-Show-23-17-07-25.mp3The next show is at 2pm on the 21st August 2025.
NEWS
Carryl Church tells us that her second novel with Joffe Books came out in June. It’s called Secrets at the Ambrose Café and is set in Exeter in 1925. Della Wilde has set aside her dream of moving to Paris to study at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu, choosing instead to support her family torn apart by war. By night, she works at the prestigious Ambrose Café, serving the city’s elite – and feels utterly invisible.
Until a chance encounter with rebellious Alice Winters, the daughter of a powerful MP, upends Della’s world. Available on Amazon.
Georgia Hill has a new historical romance out. Very much rooted in Devon, The Sea Glass Necklace is inspired by the finding of the Seaton Down Hoard, a huge collection of Roman coins. It’s a dual timeline narrative, telling the stories of Juno in contemporary Devon and Flavia in Roman Britain – and their search for new beginnings. Here’s the overview: Two women seek a new beginning. For one, it will end in tragedy. Available on Amazon and other platforms.
Ebberley Finch’s new book is called The Seaside Sisterhood, and should be a perfect summer holiday read. Set on the coast in Cornwall, it’s an enjoyable tale of love, friendship, sisterhood and new beginnings. Available on Amazon.
Lizzie Khalil’s story of growing up in Devonport Plymouth is called Devonport Maid. It charts the true-life story of Lizzie, an unwanted, tiny, black baby girl who is unceremoniously abandoned at birth by her delinquent teenage mother, leaving her in a predominantly white town. It’s the story of her fight to come to terms with her lot. After surviving years of relentless bullying and racial abuse, and a DNA test had revealed the shocking and earth-shattering truth about her “deliberately hidden beginnings” Lizzie makes herself the master of her own destiny, deciding she had one of two choices: either sink or swim. Available on Amazon.
Mary Georgina de Grey has recently been featured on Amber Daulton’s blog, Sexy Stories with Heart. It’s an in depth interview with her main character in Then The Earth Moved, Isla Bruni. Here’s the blurb for the book: Talented designer Isla Bruni is keen to widen her experience before setting up her own interiors business, so she accepts an exchange with a top studio located in an Italian hilltop town. She doesn’t trust Italian men – after all, hasn’t she had a good reason? But irresistible, sexy entrepreneur Edmondo Benedetti turns her carefully ordered life upside down. How can she realize her ambitions without sacrificing love? Only when she’s thrust into danger does she begin to understand what is important. The past is the past – yet if secrets buried there resurface, could they destroy her future?
The book is available on Amazon.
The blog is here.
Cirencester Author Heidi Sinton released her debut YA Sci-fi Novel Less Than on July 1st. Evie Lawson is an anomaly. Fifteen years old and nearly powerless in a world shaped by four extraordinary abilities known as Docers, she’s ostracised and labelled a ‘Less Than’ – a class pushed to the margins of society. Segregated to a special school for those deemed unworthy of a proper education, Evie and her tight-knit group of friends must navigate growing up in a world built to keep them down. When one of their own dares to rise above their station, they discover that true strength goes beyond what you can do. This YA Science-Fiction book is perfect for fans of emotional, character-driven stories. It explores the limits of friendship, the cost of ambition, and the strength it takes to rise above. It’s available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and Kindle unlimited.
Following on with a similar theme, Stoat Books in Plymouth have published Robert Garnham’s novel The Neon Yak. Robert is a Paignton-based comedy performance poet and writer, active all over the UK. The Neon Yak is a deeply introspective novel that explores the challenges of growing up different. Set in the heart of 1980s suburbia, it follows Daniel Cooper, a boy caught between his true self and the expectations imposed upon him. As he navigates school bullies, family tensions, and the constant backdrop of motorways and distant city lights, Daniel finds refuge in books, music, and his vivid imagination. Amidst his struggle with societal norms and self-discovery, a voice from within—embodied by the captivating and enigmatic Tina—urges him to embrace his authentic identity. Available on Amazon.
Elizabeth Keysian has just got a new book out with Dragonblade Publishing, for those readers who fancy Regency romances with a little bit of spice. It’s called The Lyon Rampant, and is set partly in London and partly on Dartmoor. It’s the start of an ambitious series based on the fictional Lyon’s Den, an exclusive gentleman’s gaming club run by an extremely unconventional matchmaker. Available on Amazon.
Carey Jane Rowland is a local poet who has recently self-published two collections of modern poetry and prose. Both books are now available on Amazon. Letters of Love is a heartfelt collection of love poems that explore connection, vulnerability, and the beauty of emotional expression. Available on Amazon.
It Hasn’t Stopped Raining Since You Left is a moving collection of poetry delving into heartbreak, loss, and longing. Available on Amazon
Here is the South Hams Literary Festival line-up on Saturday 4th October – with interviews by our very own Cathy Dodd:
Spaces are limited on all events, but the good news is that tickets are free! They must be bookked in advance on Eventbrite.
Other Festivals also mentioned on the show:
Appledore Book Festival – 12-21 September. Tickets from July 26th. More Info.
Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival – 17-21 September. More Info.
North Cornwall Book Festival 25-28 Septenber. More Info.
International Agatha Christie Festival – 13-21 September. More Info.
The post The Thursday Book Club – July 25 appeared first on Jonathan Posner.
June 23, 2025
The Thursday Book Club – June 25
The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 19th June 2025 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining host Jonathan Posner were Angie Wooldridge and Cathie Hartigan. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
We reviewed The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to The Wastelands by Sarah Brooks.
A woman on the platform with a borrowed name.
A disgraced naturalist determined to discover miracles.
A child with a dangerous secret.
Welcome aboard The Great Trans-Siberian Express.
It is the 19th Century and the world is awash with marvels. But there is nothing so marvellous and terrible as the Wastelands: a vast terrain that lies between Russia and China.
Nothing touches this deadly wilderness except the Great Trans-Siberian Express: an impenetrable train built to carry precious cargo across continents, but which now also transports anyone willing to cross the irresistible Wastelands.
The train is never short of travellers. After all, the train is completely safe.
Except . . . something happened on the last journey. No can remember exactly what, not even Weiwei, the famous ‘child of the train’ who was born on the Express.
The Trans-Siberia Company insist everything has been fixed. But the old rules are changing at a remarkable speed, and as secrets and stories of this curious cast of characters begin to unravel, something uncontrollable appears to be breaking in . . .
This month the second hour, was given over to a new presenter called Cathy Dodd. So do give her your support and keep listening after The Thursday Book Club finishes!
Listen to both parts of the show in full here:
https://jonathanposnerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TBC-Show-22-19-06-25.mp3The next show is at 2pm on the 17th July 2025.
NEWS
Jonathan met author Jill McRae-Spencer at a recent South Hams Author day in Ivybridge. Jill told him about her book What Kathleen Did:
It is 1929 and 18-year-old Kathleen, from a middle-class London family, travels to Devon with her friend Alice. There she meets Jim Wilcox, a tenant farmer with traditional views on marriage, and Robert Neville, heir to Alston Manor.
Kathleen, representing the modern woman, wants more than just marriage – a sentiment reflecting post-war societal changes where women outnumbered men by nearly two million.
Seduced by Jim, Kathleen becomes pregnant, forcing her to marry him and become a farmer’s wife – a life far from her dreams. She is haunted by thoughts of a different future with Robert, who symbolises a happier alternative. As World War II begins, new opportunities arise for for Kathleen, but her path to freedom comes at a significant personal cost.
Available on Amazon.
Karen Hedges, Sidmouth’s amateur astronomer and volunteer at the Norman Lockyer Observatory, says she held a successful book launch at Exeter Central Library, supported by Winstone’s Bookshop, Sidmouth, who sold nearly 20 copies of Karen’s new Stargazing for All at the launch. The book is available from Waterstones, Amazon, and available to order from all good bookshops.
South Gloucestershire based author Ali Bacon has been busy launching her latest historical novel The Absent Heart in Bristol and points north. The Absent Heart is inspired by the letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, and tells the story of Frances Sitwell, Stevenson’s muse and companion to his close friend. The men in her life dominated the literary history of the period, but Ali has unpicked this Victorian love-triangle and gives the intelligent and famously beautiful Sitwell her rightful place. The book is published by Linen Press who this month are also reissuing Ali’s previous historical novel In The Blink of an Eye (inspired by the life of an early Scottish photographer) with a new cover.
Available on Amazon.
The next free Writing at the Edge Webinar is on Thursday 3rd July. It will be Jonathan being interviewed by one of our regular guests on The Thursday Book Club, Jason Mann. The topic is Doing the Business. How to navigate the tricky waters of the publishing industry. Traditional, Self-publishing or something in-between, Hybrid. Which option is best for you? Tune in on the Writing at the Edge YouTube channel at 8pm on Thursday 3rd July.
Here’s the ticket link to book your FREE place.
Also, if you go to the Writing at the Edge YouTube channel, there’s a wealth of other webinars on writing topics.
Kate Rigby tells us she has an eBook up on pre-order. It’s The Little Guide To Pet Peeves – from an Autist’s Perspective, which is coming out June 28th. This was first written as a series of blogs before and during lockdown, and Kate has expanded it in several areas – she says it is a growing and evolving project. Following her unfashionably late ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) and ADHD diagnosis in her sixties, she now realises how pertinent some of this was to the strong dislikes and aversions she and her fellow autists experience. Available to pre-order on Amazon.
Lexie Day tells us that the Chipping Sodbury Book Fair is on 19th July, 10am to 4pm and is in a good cause – raising money for children’s charities. It’s at the Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, and has authors, crafts, a secondhand book sale and more for the whole family! Entry is free. Browse through a wide selection of books from various genres, meet authors, and maybe even discover your new favorite read. Whether you’re a bookworm or just looking for a good read, this event is perfect for all book lovers. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of literature! Book your entry here.
Jonathan mentioned that as part of the South Hams Literary Festival, there was a Writers’ Day on Saturday. There was a drop-in session for writers to get advice, help and inspiration from other writers. It was a great day, with lots of local authors and readers looking for help and advice, which we were all happy to give!
Poole based author Flora McGowan has just re-published a new version of her first novel Material Witness which is part of the Carrie and Keith Mystery series. Set during the summer of 2012 on the English south coast, this light-hearted ghost story follows Carrie as she discovers a passion for internet hopping, and develops an addiction for vintage clothes. Her interest is piqued by a Victorian mourning cloak, and deciding to delve into the background of its former owner, she adds a wedding dress to her collection. However, she feels cheated when the promised photograph of the original bride is missing from the parcel, and she sets out to track down what she sees as her property.
Each Carrie and Keith Mystery book can be read as a standalone story. Material Witness is currently available as an ebook on special offer from Amazon for 77p. There is also a paperback version, and for the first time there is an audio version from Apple books. It’s a ghost story with a mystery!
Becca Rogers’ debut children’s novel, The Girl with Gills, is released by Zephyr books on July 3rd. This is an original, middle grade fantasy debut awash with adventure. A determined heroine and a sinister villain clash to reveal river lore in a watery world of fantastical creatures and colossal challenges.
In a time and place which might be now, people with gills, outcast larkers, live in secret communities.
They have houseboats along the river. Concealing their gills from land lubbers, they scour the mudbanks, trade their finds and live off their wits. Thirteen-year-old Effra has been supporting her brother, Fleet, alone since their beloved grandfather died six months ago.
When merciless Rivermun, a larker gone bad, threatens Fleet, Effra’s quest begins. Rivermun asks for the impossible – he wants to overpower Mother River, to possess the river serpent’s pearl and for age-old debts to be settled. Effra must bargain with the imposing Mother River, dive into the underwater parts of the city, venture deep into the Rat Queen’s lair and confront the terrible river serpent to save not only Fleet, but everything the larkers stand for. Luckily, she is not alone. She befriends a sentient sewer rat and a landlubber girl called Bow, who will help her in her quest.
Becca’s book launch is on the evening of Friday 4th July at Waterstones on Exeter High street. Visit the Waterstones Exeter website events page for (free) tickets and further details, or pre-order on Amazon.
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May 18, 2025
The Thursday Book Club – May 25
The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 15th May 2025 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining host Jonathan Posner were Angie Wooldridge and Keith Rossiter. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
We reviewed Washington Black by Esi Edugyan.
When two English brothers take the helm of a Barbados sugar plantation, Washington Black – an eleven-year-old field slave – finds himself selected as personal servant to one of them. The eccentric Christopher ”Titch” Wilde is a naturalist, explorer, scientist, inventor and abolitionist, whose single-minded pursuit of the perfect aerial machine mystifies all around him.Titch”s idealistic plans are soon shattered and Washington finds himself in mortal danger. They escape together, but then Titch disappears and Washington must make his way alone, following the promise of freedom further than he ever dreamed possible.Inspired by a true story, Washington Black is an extraordinary tale of a world destroyed and made whole again.
This month I again carried on for the second hour, playing some old favourite tunes from 1984. So if you love these, keep listening after The Thursday Book Club finishes!
Listen to both parts of the show in full here:
https://jonathanposnerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/TBC-Show-21-15-05-25.mp3The next show is at 2pm on the 19th June 2025.
The interview was with Pippa Marriott of Word Kitchen.
Word Kitchen’s next event:
June 10th – Summer Stories – Word Kitchen’s Prose Night at the Exeter Phoenix
NEWS
Diana K. Robinson’s book, Don’t Blame Me is about a brave woman’s struggles living with a man with no conscience—a man she once loved but then despises. Dion, the antagonist, is a sociopathic, narcissistic alcoholic who can charm the socks off anyone he wants to, and gets away with it just once too often – that is, until the web of lies finally catches up with him. Diana says, “Many women find themselves trapped in marriages they think they can’t escape from. This book not only offers the reader inspiration, but Elizabeth’s life is a roller coaster of events, some unbelievable, others heartbreaking and some frustrating. It’s an incredible tale of persistence and endurance through a very difficult life, and the crazy decisions she makes. Don’t Blame Me is available on Amazon as an ebook, Paperback, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited.
Helen Baggott is an author and speaker from Dorset who has just released Memories from the Future.
This is the first in a new series of books exploring the history of Exmoor. Helen usually writes non-fiction books about genealogy and postcards sent before the First World War, but Memories from the Future is a genealogical novel that weaves a plot around people who were in the region in 1911. Whilst all the encounters are fiction, the stories are based on newspaper archives. In the book, a character called Arthur gathers the local stories, which are then discovered more than a hundred years later. The book is
available from Amazon for £7.99 and is published by Stourcastle Books. It is illustrated with black and white images of postcards from the era.
Caro Ayre’s second book in the Detective Inspector Gavin McKay mystery series is out on the 22nd May. The first book was The Mallaig Link, where Gavin’s old enemy becomes his boss. This new one, The Perfect Alibi, is the sequel, and sees DI Mckay taking on two cases – a potential suicide and the kidnap of five-year-old twins, while trying to find a balance between his work and personal life. If you like police procedurals you should enjoy this not too cosy crime novel! Pre-order on Amazon.
An author who we’ve featured before has a new book out. Ebberley Finch, whose novel Lock, Stock and Harold we reviewed last month, has her next novel out on May 20th. It’s called The Seaside Sisterhood. Here’s the blurb: Betrayed by her husband, Kate is determined to rebuild her life and her confidence. Packing up her shattered life and her two children, she abandons London for the Cornish coast. Is her move the first step towards a new and fulfilling future, or a reckless dream destined to fail?
Half a world away in Bangkok, Lawana is swept off her feet by a handsome and charismatic lover. As she follows a man she barely knows into an uncertain future, will she discover the dream life he promised?
In pursuit of security and happiness, both women find themselves caught in a tangled web of love and deception. Unexpected twists change not only their lives, but the lives of those they love. Two women, one husband. What could possibly go wrong? You can pre-order on Amazon.
The Shout, Celia Ann Merrill’s new book of poetry, came out on April 23rd. With many light-hearted poems and some more poignant, it illustrates and celebrates the sights, sounds, emotions and experiences that have been enjoyed in the inspiring and beautiful environment of Appledore. It raises funds for the Appledore RNLI. Available on Amazon.
Brett Orchard’s book, Patriot came out on 20th April. Partly set in Colyton, it tells the story of Rebecca – an ex-spy who’s pulled back into the world of espionage. It’s perfect for fans of fast-paced espionage thrillers and political intrigue. This gripping novel will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Available on Amazon.
The ND Lovers Club: How Neurodivergent Women Lust, Like, and Love by Bontle Senne and Sara-Louise Ackrill was published in February. The book aims to break down the barriers of shame and stereotypes to show that neurodivergent women don’t just deserve love—they excel at it. This unapologetically feminist manifesto-meets-self-help book dives into the messy, magical world of dating, sex, and relationships as experienced by neurodivergent women. With wit, wisdom, and plenty of f-bombs, Senne and Ackrill explore how ADHD, autism, and other neurodivergent identities shape how women approach intimacy. It’s available on Amazon.
As part of the South Hams Literary Festival, there’s a Writers’ Day on Saturday 14th June, from 10:30 to 3:30 at the Unit 8 Gym in Ivybridge. Ther’s a drop-in session for writers to get advice, help and inspiration from other writers. There’ll also be guest speakers, a networking lunch, and lots more! Free entry. Free parking. Refreshments available. All welcome. Whatever level of writing you’re at, there will be something of interest to you. Just drop in. No need to book.
Alice Hunter tells us that her 5th novel publishes 22nd May. It’s called The Perfect Psychopath and draws on her own experience working in a prison. She says that she thoroughly enjoyed writing some twisted characters! Go to Amazon to pre-order this gripping, new, edge-of-your-seat crime thriller from the bestselling author of the smash-hit novel The Serial Killer’s Wife, which is now a major TV series.
Mark Norman’s 7th book Hallowed Ground: The Folklore of Churches and Churchyards is coming out in the UK on 17th June, and can be pre-ordered on Amazon. It’s already out in the States. He tells us he has two more titles (one with Harper Collins for the National Trust and one with The History Press) out later this year.
Jenny Scott’s new illustrated children’s book came out on 3rd May. Jenny is the author of the Sammy Rambles and Molly Manila books. This book is called Dasher and Digger the Dogs and Friends, and is part of the 43-book series called Bumper and Friends. Dasher is the quietest dog on the farm and Digger is the loudest. It is their job to round up the sheep and they are very good at it. But when Digger loses his voice on the day of the National Sheepdog Trials, Dasher needs to take his place. Will anyone notice that the dogs have changed places and can Dasher overcome her shyness to take part in the competition? Available from Amazon.
Helena Dixon is appearing at Bristol Crime Fest which starts today and runs to Sunday 18th May, with a host of other fabulous authors. Also book 20 in her bestselling Miss Underhay series, Murder at the English Manor set near Bovey Tracey, is out on May 23rd. Find on Amazon.
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April 21, 2025
The Thursday Book Club – April 25
The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 17th April 2025 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining host Jonathan Posner were Cathie Hartigan and Jason Mann. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
We reviewed Lock, Stock and Harold by Ebberley Finch.
Many thanks also to Cejay Leslie for their comment on the book: “I’m reading it at present and finding it very enjoyable.- well drawn characters and a lovely written style.”
This month I again carried on for the second hour, playing some old favourite tunes from 1983. So if you love these, keep listening after The Thursday Book Club finishes!
Listen to both parts of the show in full here:
https://jonathanposnerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-04-17-Thu-1400-edit.mp3The next show is at 2pm on the 15th May 2025.
NEWS
The Green Dragon Bookshop in Crewkerne has a Meet the Authors event on April 23rd between 1 – 2pm. Meet Rachel McLean and Millie Ravensworth, behind The Lyme Regis Women’s Swimming Club. Free event and all welcome. Rachel has written over 25 crime novels and is best known for her Dorset Crime series, as well as 7 dystopian thrillers. Book 1 in the series won the Kindle Storyteller Award in 2021.
Lucy V. Hay has a new non-fiction book out on April 22nd, co-written with indie film producer Clive Frayne called Don’t Screw Up Your Story which covers the foundations of writing craft – concept, characters and plot. They’ve a combined 40 years working in screenwriting and publishing between them, so there’s bound to be some tips that resonate with writers! Available on Amazon.
On the same subject, The Paper Lantern Writers have a book out on 1st May aimed at helping writers of historical fiction. It’s called Crafting Stories From the Past, and it’s a How-To Guide for Writing in that genre. So if you’re a writer looking for help and advice on things like ‘authenticity versus accuracy’ and ‘how to manage the paradox of time-travel’, or even, ‘How to represent horses through history’, then this is for you. Available on Amazon from 1st May..
The Paper Lantern Writers has also won 1st place in the Chanticleer Awards for Short Story Collections, with their anthology, Beneath a Midwinter Moon. This, their 2024 anthology, Destiny Comes Due, and their award-winning 2022 anthology, Unlocked, are all available on Amazon.
Mark Blackburn has a few bits of news: his prize-winning short story If You Go Down to the Woods has just been included in the Longtimber Tales anthology. His piece ‘Punk Is Dead, Long Live the New Romantic’ is in the current biannual Friends on the Shelf, and he and Pen Farthing will be discussing their books Operation Ark and Final Approach at the Sturminster Newton Literary Festival, which runs from 6th-15th June.
Helena Dixon, a regular news contributor, tells us that The Seaside Murders is available to pre-order now. Out April 30th, it features black-market gangs operating on the Kent coast in 1941, a mysterious body on the beach – and The Secret Detectives on the case again! It’s available on Amazon in audio, ebook and paperback.
Jack Stainton tells us he has just published his latest psychological thriller trilogy as a boxset. The Boss’s Wife, Dead Ever After and Truth Lies Beneath, together form the Two’s Company trilogy. Pitched as compelling psychological thrillers with great characters and stunning twists, they are perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Mark Edwards, Shari Lapena and John Marrs. Available on Amazon.
Poole based writer Flora McGowan has a short story ‘The Home With the Hole’ included in a new anthology Detectives, Sleuths and Nosy Neighbors -Dying for an Answer, which was published on 7 April 2025 in paperback. The hardback, ebook and audiobook are to follow. Her contribution is about a woman who buys her very first home and, on moving in, discovers something she had not noticed before, that she is not sure what to do about. Not to worry, she has two friends who are only too happy to help investigate. Flora is the writer of the Carrie and Keith Mysteries series. and previously had a short story (The Lady of the House) in the Amazon best seller, The Little Shop of Murders charity anthology. Available on Amazon.
Richard Collis’s second novel, Wolf Mother, is recently released – the follow up to his popular 2022 novel The Pool. Available on Amazon.
The post The Thursday Book Club – April 25 appeared first on Jonathan Posner.
March 22, 2025
The Thursday Book Club – March 25
The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 20th March 2025 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining host Jonathan Posner were Su Bristow and Richard Handy Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
We reviewed The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna.
This month I again carried on for the second hour, playing some old favourite tunes from 1982. So if you love these, keep listening after The Thursday Book Club finishes! (Apologies that the final part of the show finishes a bit abruptly!)
Listen to the show in full here:
https://jonathanposnerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TBC-Show-19-20-03-25.mp3
The next show is at 2pm on the 17th April 2025.
We’ll be reviewing Lock, Stock and Harold by Ebberley Finch.
NEWS
Last month we mentioned a new book, and this month it came out (20th March). It’s called Hopes and Expectations, which continues the heartfelt tales of Eastwood Minster, a community where love and loss, joy and laughter, and hope overcoming adversity bind lives together. It’s a contemporary story bringing relatable characters and touching moments that celebrate the beauty and messiness of life. A brand-new publication from Chronos Publishing, it’s the third novel in the Eastwood Story series by Devon-based author, Richard Frost MBE. You can order on Amazon.
Ali Simpson’s first book in a new series of murder mysteries called Murder under the Rock is due out at the end of April. It’s set in 1930s Torquay – and features Kitty & Nora Markham as private investigators. Inspired by a famous local true life historic crime, book 2 Death by Misdirection will be out later in the year. If you want to meet Ali in person and get a signed copy (and a complimentary hot drink in their café!) you’ll find her in Waterstones Torquay on 7th June.
Angela Joyce’s debut novel The Rydle Year will be launched on 26th March at Ocean Studios, Plymouth. A nostalgic tale set in 70s Plymouth. Now available on Amazon. Email Angela if you want to come to the launch, which is 5:30 to 7:30pm on 26th March at the Ocean Studios, Plymouth: ajoyce.novels25@gmail.com.
Talking of 70s nostalgia, The Barmouth Affairs is available on Amazon. Set in Barmouth, Wales in the mid 70s, this family saga is by Devizes-based author Vanessa M. Tanner, and features two women’s search for love and happiness after their husbands are unfaithful. Buy on Amazon.
There’s a cozy mystery with added catitude coming! The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon comes out on Thursday March 27th and is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie. Pre-order on Amazon.
Here’s an advanced ‘heads-up’. Lin Treadgold’s new book, The Trail to Freedom is coming out later this year but she doesn’t have a date yet. Keep us informed, Lin, once you have a date.
Jonathan’s new book The River of Fire is now available on Amazon.
POETRY TEIGNMOUTH’s next event features the fabulous Raymond Antrobus MBE FRSL. He is a British poet, educator and writer, who has been performing poetry since 2007. In March 2019, he won the Ted Hughes Award for new work in poetry. In May 2019, Antrobus became the first poet to win the Rathbones Folio Prize for his collection The Perseverance, praised by chair of the judges as “an immensely moving book of poetry which uses his deaf experience, bereavement and Jamaican-British heritage to consider the ways we all communicate with each other.” Antrobus was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2020. The event is at Pavilions Teignmouth at 8pm on Saturday 29th March. Tickets are available from the Pavilions website, or you can go direct to the booking form on poetryteignmouth.com/events.
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February 22, 2025
The Thursday Book Club – Feb 25
The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 20th February 2025 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining host Jonathan Posner was Su Bristow. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
We reviewed Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin.
We had an interview with Ebberley Finch, author of Lock, Stock and Harold. The interview was also videoed, so you can watch it by clicking on the thumbnail below.
Our discussion was on: Trad publishing vs Self-Publishing
Which works better for different authors?
What does this mean for readers?
This month I carried on for the second hour, playing some old favourite tunes from the 1980s. So if you love these, keep listening after The Thursday Book Club finishes!
Listen to the show in full here:
The next show is at 2pm on the 20th March 2025.
We’ll be reviewing The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna.
NEWS
Angela Wooldridge’s new collection of sci-fi and fantasy short stories, is out TODAY (20-02-25). It’s called Welcome to the Merewoods. Meet Skye as, with the dubious help of her familiar, Poggitt, she does her best to convince Granny that she has the makings of a good witch. Up in space an unexpected ally is on hand to foil a bunch of invading aliens. A forest god wakes up several hundred years late to discover that neither humans nor squirrels turned out as planned. How do you adjust to a ghost for a housemate? And what do the tea leaves have in store..?
The book is available from Amazon in e-book and paperback.
Paula Harmon asks us to give a shout out for an event taking place in Blandford Forum on 8th March – it’s a standalone event being run by Blandford Literary Festival. It’s called Fighter, Adventurer, Visionary – and it’s a way to celebrate International Women’s Day in Blandford Forum.
Key speakers are:
i. Kate Adie (journalist and war correspondent) and Juliet Campbell, one of the UK’s first female ambassadors.
ii. Also talks and workshops by Finola Brennan, May Ellis, Nicki Greenham, Felice Hardy, Paula Harmon, Alice May, Melanie Ann Vance.
iii. Interviews are by Harry Bucknall and Nat Wood Fox.
There are free refreshments, bookshop and information stands.
Paula says: “If you just wish to sit back and listen – that’s fine, but there will be a chance for attendees to celebrate who has inspired and supported them. This is not just for women – everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy a day of networking, listening and meeting the friendly Blandford Lit Fest team.
Here are the details: The event is taking place on Saturday 8th March 2025 from 9am-6.30pm at the Woodhouse Gardens Pavilion. Tickets are available for the morning or the afternoon or all day. EARLY BIRD TICKETS (£12 for half a day or £20 for a whole day) are available until 21st February 2025 when prices will go up to £15 for a half day or £25 for a whole day).
More info and book tickets at:
https://blandfordliteraryfestival.co.uk/international-womens-day-2025-a-celebration.
Festivals, Fears and Fatalities is the new (Book 2) Jane Austen Tearoom Mysteries by Suzy Bussell.
A bustling festival, a shocking murder… and a tearoom owner bound to the past—literally.
Sidmouth’s Folk Festival is the highlight of the summer, and the owner of the town’s Jane Austen-themed tearoom, Trinity Bishop, is ready for a week of lively music, busy crowds, and endless cups of tea. But when the festival’s director is found dead, the festive atmosphere turns uneasy, and Trinity once again finds herself tangled in a murder investigation.
With DI Cormac O’Malley determined to keep her out of police business, and festival-goers whispering rumours of jealousy, rivalry, and revenge, Trinity has more than enough on her plate. But her biggest challenge? The spirits attached to the enchanted ring on her finger, who are growing restless for her help in moving on to the afterlife.
Balancing the demands of the living and the dead, Trinity must uncover the truth before the festival ends in disaster. But with so many secrets hiding beneath the surface, can she solve the case in time—or will the next fatality be much too close to home?
All in all – A charming and witty cozy mystery perfect for fans of tea, ghosts, and small-town secrets. Available on Amazon.
Here’s more info from Paula Harmon: The ebook of Book One in her Margaret Demeray series The Wrong Sort to Die comes out on TODAY (20-02-25) on Amazon at 99p.
London 1910. Men are dying. All Dr Margaret Demeray – pathologist, investigator, target – wants is justice – but all she gets is danger. Fighting for respect in a man’s world, she is approached by a stranger called Fox to help find out what’s killed a pauper. Tempted by a desire for justice, Margaret tells him what she knows but shortly afterwards, her friend disappears, a second body is found in suspicious circumstances and Fox says he believes she has the key to work things out before anyone else dies – including Margaret herself. Who can she trust? And how come the closer she gets to Fox, the more danger she faces? Available on Amazon.
Murder on the Cornish Coast by Helena Dixon is set in St Mawes, and is released TODAY. This is book 19 in the Miss Underhay mystery series.
Here’s what it’s all about:
Cornwall, 1937. Kitty Underhay has been called to investigate some fishy goings-on in the beautiful coastal village of St Mawes. The body of Lady Cordelia Hedges’ beloved father was found floating in the sea, and shortly afterwards Cordelia herself was almost killed…
Determined to piece together the puzzle, Kitty spends her first evening in the Cornish bay at one of Cordelia’s lavish parties. But she’s not just soaking up the idyllic surroundings with her husband Matt, she’s at the party to get to know those closest to their host. The sleuthing duo quickly realise they’re in unchartered waters and this could be their toughest case yet.
Later that evening, a scream wakes Kitty in the middle of the night: Lady Cordelia is sitting bolt upright in bed, swearing someone has been in her room. As Bertie the dog retrieves a knife from behind the curtain, Kitty’s list of suspects grows: could the murderer be Cordelia’s suspicious stepsister, her spoiled future mother-in-law, or someone even closer to home…?
Then a house guest eats a poisoned chocolate from a box addressed to Cordelia and dies. This latest tragedy helps Kitty to make progress in her investigations at last. But is Kitty floundering? Will she be able to solve this case before someone else gets hurt, or will Kitty herself end up in a watery grave? Available on Amazon.
Five authors will be reading from their work at the Ivybridge Brewing Company FREE event on Thursday March 6th, 6.30pm – 9pm, organised by the South Hams Authors’ Network. It’s at the Ivybridge Brewing Company in their new taproom. Don’t think you need a ticket – just come along on March 6th.
The authors are:
Paul Tobin, author of poetry collection All Yesterday’s Tomorrows
John McKennna, author of Return to Xanthos
Paul Alexander, author of The Lacunist
Tony Rea, author of the Gus Beaumont Aviation WW2 thrillers
Richard Frost, author of Living the Difference.
Richard Frost has a new book coming out on March 20th called Hopes and Expectations, which continues the heartfelt tales of Eastwood Minster, a community where love and loss, joy and laughter, and hope overcoming adversity bind lives together. This third Eastwood Story brings relatable characters and touching moments that celebrate the beauty and messiness of life. You can pre-order on Amazon.
Finally, it’s World Book Day on March 6th – so if you are a parent of school age kids, make sure they’re taking part!
For the writers among you, the next FREE Writing at the Edge webinar is on March 6th. Overcoming Writer’s Block covers strategies for breaking through creative barriers and maintaining a consistent writing practice.
Register for your FREE place here.
The post The Thursday Book Club – Feb 25 appeared first on Jonathan Posner.
