I’m working with author Serena Patel and the team at Farshore Books to create The Very Merry Murder Club, which will be hitting shelves on the 28th October this year. There’s just ONE MONTH TO GO until the second book in my new series, The Body in the Blitz, is published! I would've loved this a year ago, but my reading taste has changed and found most of these stories quite cringe and cheesy. What’s more, Harry Woodgate, picture book creator of Timidoffers illustrations of such interest and definition.

XD It was great how some of the mysteries were solved within a heartbeat while others took a tad longer.They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. And although it has clearly been thought through, and a key aim of the anthology, it all feels natural and not forced. It's absolutely a joy to see the wealth of diverse talent we currently have working in middle grade fiction showcased like this. I loved the illustrations, there style was just so much fun, though I just wish there were more of them and not just one per story.

I have even talked the head into a little revamp of the library so that we can display them properly!There’s some sinister mysteries and thrillers which are enjoyable but some of the stories are just bonkers with ludicrous writing and characters, whilst others try to pack far too much in into essentially a short story.

L. Norry, Elle McNicoll, Dominique Valente, Joanna Williams, Maisie Chan, Nizrana Farook, Patrice Lawrence, Roopa Farooki, Serena Patel and Sharna Jackson. There was just the right amount of choice to suit everyone without being overwhelming and I received comments from parents and staff about the quality of books offered compared to previous sales which have always been based around current crazes and well known celebrity authors. With the story about the dancing, I wasn’t sure how I felt about them taking the trophy/swapping it. You guys are such a force for good and I am a passionate supporter of Indie booksellers, so I'm so happy this worked out well (I'd love to know how many books were sold if you have it to hand - it felt like quite a lot!This experience has been fantastic primarily for the children, the school and also for me (professionally). I think this book is a powerful read from this perspective, even if some of the stories feel like they should be longer or were a little less engaging than others. The picture pages, the top secret file covers for each story even the little footprints and magnifying glasses help make the book look great.

There's something here for every one, a brilliant range of stories in different styles with different kinds of representation, and so, so many mysteries to solve! The murder itself is not gory or particularly brutal, and will therefore be well received by all but the most sensitive of readers.The diversity rep was brilliant but the storytelling just fell flat for me in the majority of the stories. Grateful a book like this exists for young readers because the diversity is great and there is something for everyone to enjoy. Nuala and May are on their way to London, to do important work for the Ministry … but what and who will they find when they get there?