Author, editor, attempter of this thing called life. Social anxiety warrior. Re-Connections, a collection of short stories, published with Ocelot Press, 15/10/2025.
I’m delighted to be part of the blog tour, organised by Lynsey Adams of Reading Between the Lines, for An Imposter in Shetland, a mystery by Marsali Taylor.
About the Book
When an internet lifestyle influencer arrives on Shetland to document her ‘perfect’ holiday, the locals are somewhat sceptical.
Joining a boat trip to the remote islands of St Kilda with sailing sleuth Cass Lynch and her partner DI Gavin Macrae, the young woman seems more concerned with her phone than the scenery.
But when it’s time to leave, there’s no sign of her. Despite mounting a desperate search, she’s seemingly vanished without trace – from a small island in the middle of the sea.
As a puzzling investigation gathers pace, there are more questions than answers – and uncovering the truth will reveal dark and long-hidden secrets…
Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland’s scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland’s distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women’s suffrage in Shetland. She’s also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.
I found this novel to be extremely well-written. In particular, I admire Marsali’s ability to include local vocabulary without in any way spoiling my enjoyment, even though I began reading with no prior knowledge. I was especially enamoured with the word sit-ootery.
In addition to a sample of the dialect, I learned about living in Shetland, the geography of the area, and sailing. I wasn’t surprised to read that Marsali is a keen sailor, as her descriptions radiate the joy of sailing as well as the details of keeping a yacht heading in the right direction.
How does a person simply disappear? Naturally, I can’t reveal the answer to that question, but I can reveal that the ending is exciting and believable. Highly recommended.
Do follow my substack posts. I’m currently writing about my upifting novel, Cultivating a Fuji and the issues it addresses.
The answer is that I’ve been posting on Substack every week since 1st January. You’re welcome to subscribe to my free posts there.
Today I’m back on the blog to tell you about a brand new anthology called The Ring. Each of the ten short stories meets up with an ancient ring at some point on its journey from 44 BCE to the present day.
This post is part of the blog tour organised by the lovely Lynsey Adams of Reading Between the Lines.
Blurb
Forged over 2000 years ago, when Rome was still a republic, a simple gold ring was inscribed with the name and symbol of Fortuna, capricious goddess of fate. From the seven hills of Ancient Rome, to the streets of modern day New York, the ring passes from hand to hand, through the centuries, shaping destinies and unveiling secrets.
A Roman patrician gambles his future on its luck. A crusading knight takes it from the finger of a slain foe. A child is gifted it by a soldier in the Thirty Years War and trusts it to keep her father safe. A jeweller takes it to America in the Gilded Age seeking a new life. Each tale is a moment in time, a new wearer, and a twist of fate—sometimes fortune smiles, but all too often the ring brings ill luck.
In these stories, history seems driven by the will of chance. Those who possess the ring seek to shape their own destinies, but it is always Fortuna herself who has the final say.
With contributions from Alistair Forrest, Fiona Forsyth, Jacquie Rogers, Alistair Tosh, Graham Brack, Eleanor Swift-Hook, Mark Turnbull, Maggie Richell-Davies, Robert Bordas and Val Penny this is a spellbinding anthology of interconnected short stories, where luck is never what it seems.
My Review
I don’t have much to add. I enjoyed all ten stories, which are well-written and gripping. I liked the way they’re all bound together by a ring inscribed with the name Fortuna, a ring that seems to bring good or bad luck. I highly recommend this anthology.
I received a free copy of this book for the Reading Between the Lines blog tour in return for a blog post and an honest review.
At The Reading Agency, we believe in the proven power of reading to deliver social and personal change. Yet we know that too many adults and children struggle to develop reading habits. With national data showing a decline in reading engagement, too many people are missing out on the transformative benefits of reading to improve our happiness, our health, and to thrive. This is where our work begins.
For over 20 years, we have partnered with public libraries to run initiatives like the Summer Reading Challenge for children and Reading Ahead for adults. These programmes encourage reading for pleasure, helping to build confidence, develop literacy skills, and foster lifelong reading habits. Research shows that those who participate read more frequently, gain confidence, and feel more positive about books. By expanding access to reading beyond the classroom or workplace, we help people unlock new opportunities and experiences through books.
Our partnership with public libraries is at the heart of our mission. Through our collaboration with them, we increase access to books and literacy support, ensuring that reading is a source of enjoyment, not frustration. As democratic access points to reading and knowledge, our work with libraries not only helps bridge educational gaps for children but also supports adults in developing their literacy skills, boosting employability, and enhancing mental well-being.
This anthology resonates with our mission. Just as the gold ring in these stories is passed down and shared through generations, so too should the joy of reading. The support of all the authors who have contributed to this helps us to reach and connect with even more people across our communities.
From all of us at The Reading Agency – to all of you reading these stories – thank you for being part of this important effort. Together, we can make reading a lifelong habit for all with libraries at the heart.
As each year begins, we say we hope this year will be better. But what about doing something to make it better, instead of relying completely on luck?
I’m a writer, so what I can do is write. With that in mind, I’ve started posting on Substack under the title Miriam’s World Is Not Yours, and last night I typed my very first post:
Tiredness almost overcame me as I wrote the post – I enjoyed an active day yesterday, the first sunny day after a few rainy ones – but I was determined to finish it on the first of January. I hope it makes sense, and I hope you’ll subscribe to discover, along with me, where the themes will lead me.
What are you doing for 2025? I don’t mean to point a finger, but only to spur you on.
I was a little wary of being part of a tour for Christmas stories, but I needn’t have been. See my review below.
But first, what’s in the book?
Blurb
Step into a world where twinkling lights and holiday cheer are accompanied by Christmas puddings and a dash of intrigue. A Right Cozy Christmas Crime brings together thirteen festive mysteries where annual traditions are intertwined with shadowy secrets. From a historic Scottish Castle hiding a chilling truth, to the bustling streets of Lagos filled with more than just Christmas shoppers, each tale sparkles with holiday warmth while unravelling a deliciously puzzling mystery. It’s time to put your feet up, sip hot cocoa and join our detectives as they ensure justice is served. Perfect for lovers of cozy mysteries with a holiday twist.
This anthology, which has been compiled by Wendy H. Jones, can be bought here.
A Right Cozy Christmas Crime features 13 short stories written by:
I’ve never reviewed a Christmas book before. I also haven’t read many. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrice Potter come to mind. But still I worried there might be things I didn’t understand.
I needn’t have worried. The stories were mostly about the run-up to Christmas, about getting the crime wrapped up and put away before the festivities were due to begin.
The book contains plenty of variety in various aspects: location, timeline, characters and plot. I enjoyed all the stories, some more than others.
I’m delighted to be part of the blog tour for The Queen of Cups Murders by GB Williams. But…
I began to read this book and decided I didn’t want to read any more of it, and I want to stress that my decision to stop reading had nothing to do with the quality of the book, which is well-written, well-researched and has an interesting plot.
And yet the more I read the less I wanted to read it. It’s simply too much like the true horrific stories that I’ve heard and read over the past thirteen-and-a-half months since 7th October 2023. I only need to turn on the TV or radio to hear more stories from that dreadful day, or from the time since then, and I don’t want to add to those when reading fiction.
Unlike my latest novels, which fit into the cosy crime genre, this novel includes all the gory details. I have read and enjoyed similar stories in the past, but this is not the right time for me.
So instead of a review, there’s an excerpt for you to read, after this:
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
GB Williams specialises in complex, fast-paced crime novels. Her works include the recently expanded Locked Trilogy, The Elaine Blake Novels and the stand alone, The Chair. GB was shortlisted for the 2014 CWA Margery Allingham Short Story Competition with the story Last Shakes, now available in Last Cut Casebook. GB is a member of the Crime Writers Association, Crime Cymru, and part of the organising team for Gŵyl CRIME CYMRU Festival, as well as working as a writer and freelance structural editor.
BLURB
He’s determined to draw a better future. But his morning reading didn’t warn him about the muddy ditch of corpses…
South Wales. Detective Sergeant Madoc Palmer struggles to fit in. Committed to his job, the tarot reader hopes his transfer away from a sabotaging superior is a fresh start. Though he downplays his psychic ability as good instincts, the ploy is tested when two murders trigger strange visions.
As his abilities take an inexplicable leap forward, Palmer navigates the tricky task of guiding the sharp-eyed, evidence-following Detective Inspector Ruth Atkins to the identity of the decayed remains. With his suspicious new DI watching every move, the newcomer fears any slip of the tongue could get him laughed off the force.
Can he reveal his truth without destroying his life or letting a killer slip from their grasp?
Excerpt
From chapter 2, introducing Ruth Atkins and some of her situation.
“Ruth!”
Ruth Atkins had barely stepped through the door, her jacket only half off, and DCI Geraint Evans was already bellowing at her. Mind, being a big man, bellowing was his default. She just didn’t know why he was bellowing at her this time.
“Did I actually do it?” she asked.
Geraint frowned, his caterpillar eyebrows meeting in the middle. Those brows were her barometer to his mood.
“Do what?” he asked.
Good question. Oh, for heaven’s sake. I’m a Detective Inspector. Time to stop being a wuss and get a grip. “Whatever you’re shouting at me for, sir?” Her chin rose as she shrugged her leather jacket back on. He couldn’t know what was going on in her head.
“Sir?” The grey caterpillars stretched up towards Geraint’s thick thatch of salt-and-pepper hair, heavy on the salt. “Guilty conscience, Ruth?”
“No.” Maybe. “Sorry for being late?”
“It’s barely one-minute-past, even I’m not that tight.” His scrutiny sent a billion bugs squirming under her skin. The way he stepped closer could intimidate; his ex-prop-forward frame easily overshadowed her. Luckily, she’d known him long enough to be immune. Mostly. Though she’d known him so long the danger was he’d read her like a book. He thrust a buff file towards her. “Get up to the new housing development at Heolgerrig.”
Oh no. A new case was the last thing she needed today.
“Take Jackson,” he added.
“Sorry, Geraint, can’t.”
Geraint reared. His surprise surprised Ruth.
The door behind her opened but she wouldn’t let that, or her boss’s affront, stop her explanation. “Jackson’s due in court later,” she said. “Witness for the prosecution.”
Geraint grunted, then turned his attention to the new entrant as Ruth checked the scant detail in the file. A robbery. Pallets of valuable goods taken, easy-to-fence items. What had been left behind was a whole lot more worrying.
“Ah, good. You’re here at last,” Geraint said to the newcomer.
Ruth focused on the file.
“Everyone,” Geraint called. “This is Detective Sergeant Madoc Palmer. Madoc, this is everyone.” A murmur of welcome rumbled around the room. “Welcome to the Major Crime Investigation Team. Now go with DI Ruth Atkins, here.”
…I also know little of life in Israel, other than what we see on the news, which I have tried to forget as the real world is a different one to the world this story inhabits. That’s what fiction is for, taking us away from the real world.
I actually wrote this novel more than a year ago, its publication having been delayed for several reasons. But even before the seventh of October 2023, and going back long before independence in 1948, Israel has been plagued by conflict and wars, by enemies who will agree to nothing less than its complete destruction. It has always known terrorist attacks of various sorts.
By the way, despite all that, I believe Israeli cities are among the safest in the world, especially for women.
Not one of my novels set in Israel – Neither Here Nor There (not currently available), Style and the Solitary and Loyalty and the Learner – mention wars or attacks, other than Asaf saying of Israel’s problems in Loyalty and the Learner, “One of those is the security situation.”
Why?
There are plenty of novels set in Israel that highlight the security situation and explain it much better than I ever could. I wanted to portray ordinary life here, to show the beautiful and the not so beautiful but without the wars. Does that make the world of my novels fictional?
I don’t think so. The reality is that Israelis live in two parallel worlds simultaneously. We work in offices or building sites or fields. We go shopping in markets and supermarkets and smaller shops. We exercise in the gym or by walking, runnning, cycling, dancing. We love to spend time with our families.
The other world is more frightening. We hear about it on the news and hope it won’t come any closer to us, but of course it does, even if it’s only when we run for shelter. No, it’s never only that, because we all know people who’ve been affected much more, who’ve lost family members and had their worlds changed forever in a single moment.
In normal times, but not during the past year, it’s possible to spend whole days, maybe even a week or two, without thinking about wars or attacks. Unless, of course, you’re in the army, or have a child in the army, or find yourself under attack…
Really, it’s often possible to forget you’re in the Middle East for a while. And so, I suggest the world of my novels is not as fictional as you might think.
Loyalty and the Learner is published through Ocelot Press and can be purchased via Amazon and other online stores.
Before I begin this update, I must tell you that today is publication day for Loyalty and the Learner, my second Jerusalem Murder Mystery.
You can find the ebook on Amazon and the paperbook on Amazon and on several other online bookshops.
Back to the crow…
I’m ashamed to say that I’m still reading The Way the Crow Flies, which I blogged about on 21st July. My excuse is that it’s 720 pages long, I’ve been extraordinarily busy and I read slowly.
In the previous post, I was stopped by something I quoted from page 187. This time, I was stopped by this on page 632 (I have advanced):
Why do grown-ups insist on childhood “innocence”? It’s a static quality, but children are in flux, they grow, they change. The grown-ups want them to carry that precious thing they believe they too once had. And the children do carry it, because they are very strong. The problem is, they know. And they will do anything to protect the grown-ups from knowledge. The child knows that the grown-up values innocence, and the child assumes that this is because the grown-up is innocent and therefore must be protected from the truth. And if the ignorant grown-up is innocent, then the knowing child must be guilty.
Wow. Thank you for that, Ann-Marie MacDonald. It explains a lot.
I’m back at last and ready to fill in some of the spaces since my last post, six weeks ago, if not earlier.
The first event hasn’t happened yet, but it will happen in just five days. Loyalty and the Learner will be published on 9th September.
Hints on the contents of Loyalty and the Learner.
Loyalty and the Learner is the second in the series of Jerusalem murder mysteries. The first was Style and the Solitary.
In Style and the Solitary, the murder took place in an office. This time, it takes place in an apartment. Next time, … that’s a secret for now. Nathalie, Asaf and a few other characters are back, and there are several new ones, some friendly and others not so much.
You don’t have to have read Style and the Solitary to understand Loyalty and the Learner. Just click on the link for the ebook, which can be pre-ordered now. The paperback will be available from various online bookshops.
Here’s another project I’ve been involved in and haven’t had a chance to announce:
WE ARE THE BULLIES is a collection of stories written from the point of view of a bully. I have one story in it, called Owning Your Space, and I also edited the collection. For me, it was interesting to put myself in a position I’ve never been in.
The book is available from various sites. I suggest searching for ‘we are the bullies miriam drori’.
What I did on holiday
In the middle of July, I attended a fun-filled and exhausting five-day festival of Israeli folk dancing in the Czech Republic.
Then I spent three weeks in the UK, visiting friends and family and attending an action-filled writers’ summer school known as Swanwick.
We were once with the same publisher.
I recently joined a fascinating tour of the new National Library in Jerusalem, but I could never write a post about it as good as this one.
Monday marked a year since I lost my husband. This is what I wrote on Facebook:
“Today is the second of September, exactly a year since the sudden, although expected, death of my husband, David, after 45 wonderful years of marriage. I feel as if I had exactly five weeks to grieve before that event was superseded by one that changed the lives of everyone in Israel and has repercussions for the whole world. I’m coping with my loss, smiling at the memories, and am aware that people all around me are suffering much more.”
We’re planning to hold an exhibition of David’s art shortly.
The familiar characters are back in Hunter’s Rules, the sixth in the series of DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thrillers by Val Penny. I loved spending time with them again, albeit not a lot of time as I whipped through another page turner from this prolific author.
I also enjoyed meeting new characters, especially Eileen, who remains strong and positive, despite having suffered horrific injuries. Naturally, not all the characters are nice, and some turn out to be thoroughly bad. Will Hunter see to it that they get their just deserts?
Like all the other books in this series, the setting is Edinburgh, and I was happy to be introduced to new parts of this varied and colourful city.
Topics in the novel include drugs, blackmail, prison life, science, medicine and relationships. But a clue to the main theme is on the cover: “FOLLOW HUNTER’S RULES AND THE EYES HAVE IT…” I’ll say no more.
I received a free copy of this book for the Reading Between the Lines blog tour in return for an honest review.
Val Penny: BIO
Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store.
Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd.
Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.
Miriam Drori, Author 