New crime novel with a menopausal twist

Many crime novels feature younger female protagonists. So The Menopause Exchange’s newsletter editor, Victoria Goldman, decided to give her latest crime novel an additional twist. 

Madeleine Batten, the main character of Little Secrets, is experiencing several menopausal symptoms while she’s attempting to solve a 20-year-old murder-mystery at The Panbrook Prison Hotel.

“I wanted Madeleine to be believable and seem very real,” Victoria Goldman told That's Books and Entertainment.

“She’s in her early 50s, and around three-quarters of women will be experiencing some menopausal symptoms at this time of life. 

"Madeleine is a hard-working hotel manager and an organised perfectionist, attempting to juggle a hectic workload and the needs of her soon-to-be-married daughter, as many women do when they’re in their 40s and 50s. 

"Added into the mix is the hotel’s 10th anniversary weekend, a true-crime controversy that’s divided the media for the past 20 years, and an array of hotel guests to please (and suspect of murder and mayhem). Little Secrets is ultimately a crime novel, so obviously nothing goes to plan…”

Little Secrets is a compelling, atmospheric locked-room mystery set in a former prison that's been converted into a luxury hotel. In 1999, a prison nurse at HMP Panbrook was accused of the murders of five prisoners. But was she innocent – or was she guilty? To discover the truth, we need to head back to the past… Little Secrets is ideal for fans of Sarah Pearse, Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware and Claire Douglas.

‘A rollercoaster ride you will not forget! Ingenious and intriguing from start to finish.’ – Janice Hallett, award-winning British author of several mystery novels including The Appeal.

Victoria Goldman has been editing The Menopause Exchange newsletter since its launch. She is an experienced health journalist and editor, including Freelance Health Editor for Bupa, and copyedits and proofreads fiction and non-fiction books for UK publishers and authors. 

She has a Biomedical Science BSc. and an MSc. in Science Communication, with specialist expertise in writing evidence-based health information for companies, charities, magazines and websites. She has written two other crime novels, The Redeemer and The Associate, which was the Editor’s Choice Winner of Best Indie Novel of 2023 in the Crime Fiction Lover Awards.

You can buy the book here https://amzn.to/3Ko9F3B

Learn about The Menopause Exchange here: http://www.menopause-exchange.co.uk. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter/X (@MenopauseExch).

We feel this book will be a fantastic Christmas gift for any mystery lover, male or female.

Author uses fiction to promote real life concern over cruise ship crimes

Bringing Un-prosecuted Crimes aboard Cruise Ships to Light-In her mystery adventure series, author http://ArleenAlleman.com uses fiction to address this serious issue.

As ABC News’s 20/20 illustrated in the piece “Cruise Ship Confidential” on the January 20th episode, cruise ship safety is a growing concern. We are quickly approaching the date set by President Obama that will change the nature of luxury cruising immensely by mandating that cruise personnel must report serious crimes to the FBI and the Coast Guard, among other stipulations; however, whether or not American law will have any bearing on international cruise lines with no intention of entering American ports has yet to be seen, it is reported by the media.

In her Darcy Farthing mystery adventure series, author Arleen Alleman uses fiction to treat this series issue, bringing the unprosecuted crimes at sea to light through dynamic stories centred around her pragmatic protagonist, Darcy Farthing, and her adventures aboard the Sea Nymph. In the first novel, Currents Deep and Deadly, Darcy overhears a discussion of a murder for hire plot and members of the crew begin to die under circumstances that are nothing less than suspicious.

After confronting a vicious killer in the first novel, Darcy believes that all of the madness aboard cruise ships is behind her; however, nothing could be further from the truth. In Currents of Vengeance, Darcy and company return to the Sea Nymph to conduct a Government Accountability Office/FBI Congressional investigation of unprosecuted crimes on cruise ships.

Their investigation hopes to bring ruthless Las Vegas casino owner, Paul Denezza, to justice after eluding prosecution for the violence on the previous cruise. In the second novel, Darcy will come face to face with even more madness.

While Alleman’s stories are both fictional, they both highlight the very real possibility of a ruthless killer eluding prosecution under the current laws. Currents Deep and Deadly and Currents of Vengeance not only entertain their readers, but they also call attention to the oft-overlooked issue of crimes at sea, making a serious case for significant change.

The Darcy Farthing Mystery Adventure Series
Alleman’s series centres around Darcy Farthing, a pragmatic woman in her forties, who readers were first introduced to in Currents Deep and Deadly. After coming face to face with a vicious murderer in the first novel, she wrote a book about the madness she confronted, which completely changed her life, both personally and financially. The third instalment in this page-turning series, Current Assets, is slated for release in Autumn of 2012. To watch the book trailers, visit www.arleenalleman.com/trailer.htm.

FACTFILE:
Arleen Alleman spent 21 years as an analyst for the US Government Accountability Office. After retiring from the GAO, Alleman and her husband became avid cruisers, which inspired her to write stories set on cruise ships. In her two six-week cruises around Cape Horn; the first was spent writing her book and the second was spent doing book signings and promoting her books. For more about Arleen Alleman, visit her website www.ArleenAlleman.com or follow her on Twitter @AAllemanWrites.

A Very Peculiar Talent

When Tessie runs away from home she doesn’t want her mother to find her, but disappearing is easier than she had thought possible. Just what is her peculiar talent? An intriguing mystery which will keep you guessing.

Seventeen-year old Tessie runs away to London, away from home and an abusive step-father. She wants to go missing because she has taken all the money she could find.

On the train, she meets what turns out to be her saviour, a young man whose sister is in need of domestic help.

As she and his family become intertwined, the unlikely Tessie finds herself with two suitors. She marries, but a series of tragedies ensure that she once again disappears. Inspector Wilson and DC Sloane investigate, until a dead body turns up. Can this be Tessie’s final disappearance?

Action, intrigue and character drive the plot to a surprising conclusion.

An extract from A Very Peculiar Talent by Charlotte A Hutt is available to read at www.authorsonline.co.uk

Imprint: Bright Pen

Published: 5 December 2011

ISBN: 0755213939

RRP: £9.99 paperback, £3.95 ebook

Available from the That's Books Amazon book shop on this site.