Tag: Val Penny

Categories
Books Interviews

A Fighting Chance

I’m thrilled to be part of the blog tour for the new book by friend and prolific author, Val Penny. I have an interview to share with you. But first, some information.

By the way, the blog tour is organised by Reading Between the Lines.

About the Author

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.

Links to Val Penny

About the Book

In the second Jane Renwick Thriller by Val Penny, drug cartels collide as crime boss Connor O’Grady returns to Scotland to protect his turf from rival Peggy Cheney, newly released from prison.

DS Jane Renwick and DC Brian Harris are sent to Stirling, where Jane discovers two tragic deaths—a young man and a girl—raising suspicions of a single killer.

O’Grady denies involvement, but can a drug lord be trusted?
Set in Stirling and Gartcosh, this tense police procedural thrusts Jane into the heart of a deadly turf war.

Links to Buy

Paperback | Ebook

An Interview with Val Penny

Welcome back to my blog, Val, and thank you for agreeing to answer my questions.

Firstly, congratulations on your latest release, A Fighting Chance. This is the second book in a series. As a writer, what would you say are the advantages of a series as opposed to a stand-alone novel? What are the disadvantages?

Thanks for hosting me Miriam. Yes, A Fighting Chance is the second book in my series of Jane Renwick Thrillers. I am excited to share it with readers.

I suppose the main advantage of writing a series is that I know my characters and know what to expect of them and how they will react in any given situation. The biggest disadvantage is probably the flip side of that; the characters become too predictable for my readers therefore it is my job as the author to invent new stories and circumstances that challenge the characters, the readers and me.

The central character in this series is Jane Renwick. What can you tell us about her?

Jane Renwick was originally a character in my series of DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thrillers, and I liked her so much that I gave her a series of books of her own. The big difference between the settings in the two series is that the Hunter stories are based in Edinburgh, however Jane has joined the Major Incident Team based in Gartcosh and her stories will take place all over Scotland. A Fighting Chance is set in and around Stirling in the Central belt of Scotland. (The narrow part of the country between Edinburgh and Glasgow.)

Stirling Castle

Jane likes to keep fit, running and jogging daily. In that she and I are nothing alike!

Although Jane grew up in care, she is now happily married to her wife, Rachael. Nevertheless, A Fighting Chance shows them having disagreements and some jealousy creeps in too. I like to show my readers rounded characters in my books.

In your other crime series, the main character is a man, Hunter Wilson. In what ways does Jane’s gender make a difference to the stories?

I don’t think Jane’s gender affects the type of cases I put to her because, like Hunter, she is a police detective. I also hope the stories are no less exciting for my readers. However, her gender can cause her problems when suspects choose to disrespect her. But her sharp tongue and physical fitness put an end to any misconceptions they may have about dealing with a woman.

However, it is not only Jane’s gender but also her sexuality which causes her issues in my books. And it is not just suspects and villains that give her grief, but some of her colleagues too. Although police forces tend to be male dominated and thus banter and misogyny can be apparent, Jane never tolerates this and deals with it swiftly both personally at the time and through the proper channels.

What’s your secret to being so prolific?

I enjoy telling stories. I always have and writing books and short stories is how I do that now.

What do you enjoy about marketing? What do you not enjoy about marketing?

Marketing is a continual duty. So many books are published every hour that if I do not tell readers about my books, how will they know they are there? So, I market daily through social media, blog tours and by appearing personally at author/reader events. I enjoy the interaction this brings.

Unfortunately, marketing takes up what could otherwise be writing time, and that is a source of irritation to me.

Lastly, which song or piece of music would you choose as the theme tune for the film of A Fighting Chance?

I would have to choose “All I Want Is A Fighting Chance” the song by Millie Jackson. After all, that’s what the victims in the book needed, A Fighting Chance.

The perfect choice.

Thank you for inviting me to your blog today and I do hope your readers enjoy my new book.

A pleasure, as always.

Categories
Books Reviews

Hunter’s Rules by Val Penny

Welcome all. Today I want to tell you about a new book, published just five days ago. In fact, this post is part of the blog tour.

Hunter’s Rules

A bloody scene brings Hunter and Meera’s romantic plans to an abrupt end. 

A young woman attacked in a hotel lift has life changing injuries. Her wounds match those inflicted on two women who were murdered.

When Hunter is identified as a suspect in the case, he must establish his innocence to lead his team and solve this bloodcurdling crime.

Is the same person responsible for all three crimes?
Will the girl in the lift finally identify who is targeting these young women ?

Hunter will stop at nothing until he catches the unhinged killer.

Hunter’s Rules is available from Amazon US, Amazon UK and elsewhere.

My Review

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.

You can find Val at the following places:

Categories
Books That's Not Me

That’s Not Me: Val Penny

Next up (on my special birthday, as it happens) in the series That’s Not Me! is Val Penny, author of crime fiction set in Scotland.

That’s Not Me! examines how much of our fiction is autobiographical and why some authors try to insist there’s no link between their fictional characters and themselves. Over to you, Val.

Thank you for inviting me to your blog today. Let me tell your readers about my novels and my main character, DI Hunter Wilson.

I write crime fiction set in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. In every one of my books somebody is murdered. Now many tutors of writing advise their students to ‘write what you know’. I have only followed this advice to a certain extent. I have certainly never committed a murder, nor been involved in investigating such a crime. However, I do know Edinburgh well.

I decided to write crime fiction because that is the genre I most enjoy reading. I was also a lawyer for many years, a lifetime ago and met many of the types of people I write about.

When I was choosing where to set my books, I considered creating an imaginary Scottish town, much like Peter Robinson who created the fictional English town of Eastvale in the Yorkshire Dales. However, when I thought about it, Edinburgh is a small city (about 600,000 people) and it is a place many people know about through travel documentaries or have visited on vacation. It has a wide variety of types of housing, universities, a prison a beach and hills so why not base my stories here.

To tell my stories I needed a character that I and my readers could depend upon. Enter, DI Hunter Wilson.

I wanted a name that reflected the policeman’s job, fighting crime. One day when my husband and I were going to my mother’s house in Edinburgh, we passed a lawyer’s office. The name on the facia was Wilson Hunter. Perfect! However, my husband thought that I better not use that name, in case the lawyer objected, and so Hunter Wilson was born.

Although not consciously based on anybody in particular, when I drew up the biography for Hunter Wilson, I realised that his character reflected one of my uncles. He is an intelligent, hardworking man who is respected by his colleagues and has a wide circle of friends with whom he shares hobbies and interests and has deep love for his family.

Hunter, like my uncle, is loyal and determined. He is not pushy but does not shy away from difficult decisions, but perseveres with his work until he reaches a successful conclusion. Like my uncle, Hunter was denied promotion by a boss with whom he clashed. However, unlike my uncle, who has been married for over fifty years, Hunter is divorced. He also drinks strong coffee, my uncle is definitely a tea-jenny!

Hunter and his team are faced with many unpleasant characters and difficult situations in my novels. I am often asked if these are based on real events. The answer is a resounding, sometimes.

Authors are terrible thieves and grab ideas or characters from all sorts of places; a couple overheard in a coffee shop, a man talking in the phone in a train, or an event reported in a newspaper or on television. I have notebooks everywhere to jot down ideas or phrases as they come to me. Indeed, as I live in the very wet West of Scotland, one of the best presents I ever got was a waterproof notebook! You will often see me using this at bus-stops or in train stations during a sudden downpour.

Although my stories and characters are not autobiographical, there is definitely a lot of me and my life-experience in my novels and I hope that readers enjoy that and their visits with me to Edinburgh too.

Thank you again for inviting me to your blog today and allowing me to share some secrets about DI Hunter Wilson with your readers.

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.

Contact Details

Val’s Books

To take part in this series, see the page That’s Not Me.

You don’t have to be an author to write a guest post. You might be a reader with views on the topic…

Categories
Books Reviews

Hunter’s Blood Blog Tour

I’m delighted to be able to participate in the blog tour for Hunter’s Blood, the 4th in a series of crime novels set in Edinburgh by friend and author, Val Penny.

The blog tour is organised by the fabulous Lynsey Adams of Reading Between the Lines.

About the Book

DI Hunter Wilson never has just one problem to solve.

Three elderly women he knows have died in mysterious circumstances. Hunter appears to be the only link.

A little girl goes missing on a cold winter’s night. When his team discovers cocaine hidden at the farm where she was living, the search becomes even more urgent. 

Why did the women die? And what did the child witness?

Hunter must find the answers to these questions to ensure his family and his city are safe.

You can find Hunter’s Blood on Amazon.

About the Author

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.

You can find Val Penny on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, on her website and her Amazon Author Page.

My Review

This is a great series. Like all the other novels in the series, this one is easy to read, and even I sped through it. Val Penny has some great ideas and weaves them together into a believable and exciting story, while introducing new characters and bringing back familiar ones. I had no idea ‘who done it’ until the very end, and yet the resolution fitted the plot perfectly.

By the way, Val Penny has appeared on this blog several times and I’m sure she’ll be back soon. She has also been kind enough to host me on her blog.

Categories
Books Social anxiety

Social Anxiety in Hunter’s Rules

I’m delighted to welcome friend and author, Val Penny to tell us about social anxiety in her Edinburgh Crime Novels and in particular the brand new Hunter’s Rules.

In the real world, many people consciously restrict their contact with others due to the social anxiety they suffer, and I try to illustrate this in my series of Edinburgh Crime Novels through the character of Frankie Hope.

 Frankie is now a young man, but as a child he was bullied by his mother and insulted by his father. This has left him cautious of interaction in the wider world. He fears being thought of negatively so, in Hunter’s Rules, the most recent book in my crime fiction series, he waits in two long lines during a prison visit to his uncle, Ian. Otherwise, he would have had to return empty-handed and get scolded by Ian. That is not an option for Frankie.

Frankie also finds it difficult to initiate conversations with strangers. They cause him a great deal of embarrassment. However, he works in the family business, a car showroom where new customers are always unknown to him, so rather than approach them, he will usually leave his more ebullient cousin, Jamie, to make the first approach.

Social anxiety also usually holds a fear for those who suffer from it that they may humiliate themselves in some way or do or say something out of place. They worry about drawing attention to themselves and getting a negative reaction. Frankie is no different.

During his adolescence, he suffered from severe acne and, although he dated the prettiest and nicest girl at his high school, he did not have the confidence to understand why she might like him. The girl had to make the first move; Frankie certainly would not do so.

The only people Frankie is really relaxed around are those he knows best, his twin daughters, Kylie-Ann and Dannii-Ann, his fiancée Donna and his cousin Jamie. They live together in the house Frankie inherited from his parents and I doubt Frankie will ever move – the anxiety would be too great.

Set in Edinburgh, the beautiful capital city of Scotland, Hunter’s Rules revolves largely around Frankie, Jamie and their loved ones. There is no doubt that they are impatient for DI Hunter Wilson and his team to solve the case that has touched them so deeply.

Thank you for explaining that, Val. Here’s some more information about Hunter’s Rules, which launches on 1st January, 2022.

About Hunter’s Rules

A bloody scene brings Hunter and Meera’s romantic plans to an abrupt end.

A young woman was attacked in a hotel lift. She has life changing injuries, but she is alive. Hunter notes that her wounds are like those inflicted on two women who previously died.  

Can Meera keep the injured woman alive long enough for her to identify her assailant? Is the same person responsible for all three crimes? When Hunter is identified as a suspect in the crime, can he establish his innocence and lead his team to solve the crime and keep Edinburgh safe?

Hunter’s Chase
Hunter’s Revenge
Hunter’s Force
Hunter’s Blood
Hunter’s Secret
Hunter’s Rules

Let’s Get Published
Dark Scotland
The First Cut

Author BIO

This is the sixth book in The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series of novels. Val Penny’s other crime novels, Hunter’s Chase Hunter’s Revenge, Hunter’s Force Hunter’s Blood and Hunter’s Secret form the rest of this bestselling series set in Edinburgh, Scotland, published by darkstroke.

You can also start at the beginning of The Jane Renwick Thrillers with The First Cut.

 Her first non-fiction book Let’s Get Published is also available now and she has most recently contributed her short story, Cats and Dogs to a charity anthology, Dark Scotland.

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland with her husband and their cat.

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon
Bookbub

Categories
Books Reviews

The First Cut

As soon as I saw this title, I thought of this song:

and I couldn’t help singing it as I read the novel.

Beautiful as it is, I’m not here to talk about the song or Rod Stewart, but about the novel, The First Cut by Val Penny, published by Darkstroke Books and officially launched today. Like all Val’s novels, it’s crime fiction and this is the first of a new series. Jane Renwick has appeared in previous novels, but she now has her own series and we discover her roots.

Jane’s unfortunate early years are related so poignantly that the reader can’t help being drawn in and touched by the story. On top of that, there’s a dangerous killer at loose, and the police are working hard to find out who the killer is, but sometimes they’re misled.

There are stages in the process of writing a novel:

  • Formulate ideas.
  • Plot the story.
  • Write the first draft.
  • Write more drafts.
  • Edit.

Each of those stages contains various steps. Clearly, the author put a lot of laborious work into most of them. That’s what made the novel so easy and quick to read. And enjoyable, too. There must have been a lot of thought about how much information to reveal and when to reveal it. The hints at facts unknown to the police make this story a thrilling one to read, as the reader watches the police following the wrong paths.

There’s a lot involved in editing, too, and unfortunately it feels as if, for this novel, that stage was rushed. In particular, I was bothered by one sentence I didn’t understand. I’m not sure whether that was because of a typo, but I didn’t follow why it caused Jane to burst out crying and then decide she had to explain her tears by relating part of her childhood. Very possibly, I’m to blame for that. Also, there were places where I didn’t understand the use of italics, first/third person, tense and repetition.

But I want to stress that most of the novel is excellent, and probably other readers wouldn’t notice these small things. So do read it; it is what it promises: “fast-paced, gripping police procedural…set in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland.”

About the Book

Sometimes it’s hard to escape a brutal past. That’s the case for DS Jane Renwick, who learns via DNA a serial killer could be a family member.

This gripping police procedural is set in Edinburgh and Glasgow. A vicious killer is on the loose and victims include an academic and members of Edinburgh’s high society. But Jane is banished to the side-lines of the case and forced to look on impotently when the hunt for the killer ramps up, because the Murder Investigation Team believes the killer is related to her.

Has someone from Jane’s estranged birth family returned to haunt her? Could one of her relatives be involved? Where will the killer strike next?

This exciting novel is the first in Val Penny’s new series of Scottish thrillers.

About the Author

This is the first in the new series of novels, The Jane Renwick Thrillers. Val Penny’s other crime novels, Hunter’s Chase Hunter’s Revenge, Hunter’s Force Hunter’s Blood and Hunter’s Secret form the bestselling series The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries. They are set in Edinburgh, Scotland, published by darkstroke Her first non-fiction book Let’s Get Published is also available now and she has most recently contributed her short story, Cats and Dogs to a charity anthology, Dark Scotland.

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland with her husband and their cat.

Author Links

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon / Bookbub

Links to Val Penny’s Books

Hunter’s Chase / Hunter’s Revenge / Hunter’s Force / Hunter’s Blood / Hunter’s Secret / Let’s Get Published / Dark Scotland / The First Cut

Categories
Books The Power of Belief

The Power of Belief: Val Penny

Here to start this new series is friend and fellow author: Val Penny. Welcome back to the blog, Val. Where are you taking this theme?

Val Penny, author of The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries

I had always wanted to write a novel, and indeed had written a story for my little sister when we were both small children. I still have that book.

However, as I grew up and started work, I spent my time writing opinions and documents to the extent that any ideas of writing fiction had to be put to one side. Interestingly, though, life does not travel in a straight line and after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I took early retirement.

I was lucky, the disease was diagnosed early, my husband was able to attend every chemotherapy appointment with me and a local charity provided drivers to take me to each of my daily radiotherapy appointments. However, the treatment left me exhausted and unable to undertake any of my interests or hobbies. Also, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but day-time television programmes leave a lot to be desired! I was tired, but not too tired to complain.

My husband bought me lots of novels and I read voraciously. Then I started a blog to allow me to review the books I read: www.bookreviewstoday.com but even that didn’t hold my interest.

Eventually, my husband said to me, “If you know so much about what makes a good book, why don’t you write one?”

I doubted that I had the talent or the energy to complete a novel, but my husband encouraged me. He believed in me. He still does and he made me believe in myself. When I sent off my manuscript to two different publishers and was accepted by both, his belief and mine seemed justified.

Without my husband setting me the challenge and having the belief in me to write a book, I never would have done it. Now I have five published novels and a nonfiction book under my belt. If you enjoy crime fiction, read The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries published by darkstroke.

  • Four Edinburgh Crime Mysteries by Val Penny
  • Hunter's Secret and Val Penny
  • Let's Get Published by Val Penny

Ah, where would we be without our other halves!

About Val Penny

Val Penny’s crime novels, Hunter’s Chase, Hunter’s Revenge, Hunter’s Force, Hunter’s Blood and Hunter’s Secret form the bestselling series The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries. They are set in Edinburgh, Scotland, published by darkstroke Her first non-fiction book Let’s Get Published is also available now and she has most recently contributed her short story, Cats and Dogs to a charity anthology, Dark Scotland.

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland with her husband and two cats.

Val’s Links

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub.

Hunter’s Chase, Hunter’s Revenge, Hunter’s Force, Hunter’s Blood, Hunter’s Secret, Let’s Get Published, Dark Scotland.

***

Next Friday, look out for an amazing story of belief by Paula R C Readman.

To post in this series, you don’t have to be an author and the post doesn’t have to be about writing. Tell us about belief making things happen, whether true or fictional, personal or not.

If you want to take part, let me know via Contact above, or through social media.

Categories
Blogging Books Holidays Rhymes SIM Talks with Miriam

Two Months – Where did they Go?

Photo by David Drori

AlmondasJourneyThe last post on this blog was two months ago. Time for a catchup.

November was NaNoWriMo, that month of the year when an ever growing number of people around the world try to write a novel in a month. Those who despise it haven’t got it, I think. The result is only a first draft. It’s not for anyone else to read and definitely not for publication. I didn’t manage to “win” this year, but I had a great time creating thirty-something thousand words that will form a basis for a new novel… when I can find time to work on it.

In Cambodia
Photo by David Drori

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.

.

.

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Then we went away, to Vietnam and Cambodia, two countries I never expected to visit, given what I heard about them all through my childhood and beyond. The trip was wonderful.

..

 

.

.

What’s happening now? Well, I’ve been featured on a few blogs:

Many thanks to Social Anx, Jess B. Moore, Val Penny and Lizzie Chantree for those.

I’m editing another novel. (Someone else’s novel.)

I’m still working on a novel of mine that I thought I’d finished.

And I’m making plans for 2019. One of those is for a new feature on this blog, called SIM Talks. Watch this space for more about that.

I hope you’re all enjoying life as much as I am and wish you all the best for

2019

Remember my New Year rhyme? Here it is again:

Three Years a Year

I pity the people with only one year,
Who end it all merry, never shedding a tear.
They have to say so many things in one go,
To one year goodbye, to another hello.

They try to reflect on the year that has passed,
While also looking forward to the one that is fast
Approaching… nearly… almost… it’s here!
Resolutions transferred from yesteryear.

In Israel, you see, we celebrate three
And each, in its character, is solitary.
Different, special and unique,
They make us happy, thankful and… meek?

Rosh Hashana is one of those.
With all its rules, it keeps us on our toes,
Requesting forgiveness for our sins.
That’s “our” for humanity; not just kins.

Then we join with the world and celebrate, too,
Although some disagree and think it’s taboo.
Sylvester, it’s called, I used to know why.
It matters not when I’m feeling high.

What, you may ask, is number three?
It’s the one that marks the year of the tree.
Goes under the name of Tu B’Shvat.
We plant more trees, sing songs. That’s that?

Well no, we give presents of nuts and fruit,
And we eat same with much relish to boot.
So whatever New Year is appropriate for you,
I hope it is happy and fulfilling, too!

 

Categories
Books Everyday life Israel Rhymes

Look What They’ve Done

Today, instead of Letters from Elsewhere, here’s a post about me, to catch up with some of the things I’ve done since… whenever.

The other day, I wrote two new verses to an old song. They’re inspired by a strange phenomenon: rain.

Look what they’ve done to my June, Ma

Look what they’ve done to my June, Ma.
Look what they’ve done to my June.
Well it’s the only thing they could do half right,
And it’s turning out all wrong, Ma.
Look what they’ve done to my June.

Look what they’ve done to my sun, Ma.
Look what they’ve done to my sun.
Well, they took some clouds and made them black
And covered up the sun, Ma.
Look what they’ve done to my sun.

Yes, it’s been raining heavily in various parts of the country, but not so heavily in Jerusalem. There has been flooding. One of the most afflicted towns was Sderot. You’d think they’ve had enough to contend with without the weather joining in.

It never rains in June in Israel. Don’t they know that?

If you don’t know the original song, I’m sure you can find it on Youtube. “Look what they’ve done to my song.”

I’ve appeared on a few other blogs:

Author

Topic

My Post
C.J. Sutton

Fear

A Fear of People
Carrie-Ann Schless

Diary Entry

Noname’s Diary

Megan Mayfair

Espresso Tales

Coffee with Miriam Drori
Val Penny

My Writing Story

If you’d told me I was going to be a writer

.
I’ve hosted two authors on the social anxiety blog: Jo Fenton and Val Penny.

I hosted characters on this blog in Letters from Elsewhere:

Character

From

By
Tina

The Brotherhood

Jo Fenton
DI Hunter Wilson

Hunter’s Chase, Hunter’s Revenge

Val Penny

Joseph Flynn

Heart of Stone

John Jackson
Anne

The Road to Newgate

Kate Braithwaite
Harriet

Harriet of Hare Street

Angela Rigley

.
And I was delighted to receive this from a grateful customer.

Me with Chasing the Case

Yes, I was the editor for this lovely novel: Chasing the Case by Joan Livingston.

And I have lots of new and exciting ideas for my writing. If I stop sleeping, I might be able to put them into practice. Who needs sleep, anyway?

Happy reading! See you next Friday for another Letter from Elsewhere!

Categories
Books Letters from Elsewhere

Letters from Elsewhere: Hunter

Letters from Elsewhere

Welcome readers and welcome to my guest today. He’s called DI Hunter Wilson and that sounds to me a fitting name for a detective. Hunter has come all the way from Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and he’s told me how much he loves his city and is devoted to solving its crimes. I’ll always remember visiting Edinburgh many years ago and being shown a group of shiny, new, stationary police cars by a tour guide who told us that showed there was no crime in Edinburgh!

Hunter has brought a letter to his daughter, Alison, who lives in Shetland. In it Hunter tells Alison about the death of his friend and his determination to get revenge for this evil act.

Dear Alison,

I hope you are well and that your job is going well. I hope you will manage to visit me in August so that we can go to some events at The Edinburgh International Festival. I have been thinking about you and your brother, Cameron so much because yesterday, I was reminded very clearly how important friends and family are to us all.

I was called to the scene of a murder with that young DC Tim Myerscough. You know what a diverse city Edinburgh is and we had to drive from Fettes in the North passing pretty part known as Dean Village and the high residential tenements in Comely Bank to get to the Gilmerton in the South-East. The area of Gilmerton we had to go to has wide streets and the homes are mostly the four in a block flats that the Edinburgh Council built to rent out. Many of these were sold off in Margaret Thatcher’s era.

Edinburgh is such a beautiful city, with its castle, the palace and the grand St. Giles Cathedral where the tourists join the great and the good to worship. Here the children can swim in an Olympic sized pool, learn in art galleries and museums of International standards, follow the national rugby team and cheer on either of the city’s football teams. It breaks my heart when I witness an evil act. 

You know when I am twittering like this, I am trying to avoid telling you something awful. And that is exactly the case here. 

When Tim and I got to the flat in Gilmerton, I went over to look at the body. Imagine how awful it was to see the corpse of my friend, George Reinbold. He died alone and was clearly scared about something. Alison, I was so shocked! He was such a polite, thoughtful man. Who on earth would want to kill him?

That is what I will find out. Whoever did this must face the full force of the law.
Dad

Hunter is the hero of Hunter’s Chase, by Val Penny and published by Crooked Cat Books, and Hunter’s Revenge, which will be published by Crooked Cat Books in September.

About Hunter’s Chase

Hunter'sChaseCover (Val Penny)Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson knows there is a new supply of cocaine flooding his city, and he needs to find the source, but his attention is transferred to murder when a corpse is discovered in the grounds of a golf course.

Shortly after the post-mortem, Hunter witnesses a second murder, but that is not the end of the slaughter. With a young woman’s life also hanging in the balance, the last thing Hunter needs is a new man on his team: Detective Constable Tim Myerscough, the son of his nemesis, the former Chief Constable Sir Peter Myerscough.

Hunter’s perseverance and patience are put to the test time after time in this first novel in The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series.

You can buy Hunter’s Chase on Amazon.

About Val Penny

Val PennyVal Penny 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 two cats. She has a Law degree from Edinburgh University and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, lawyer, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer. However she has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballet dancer or owning a candy store. Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories and novels.

Val is available on Twitter, Facebook and on her website.