HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And a new year begins. I don’t know about yours, but my 2023 was interesting… When we are presented with something unimaginable, we often revert to pretending that it isn’t happening. I know that’s what I did. When faced with losing everything, I ignored it and just got on with things. It’s fair to say the last half of my year has passed in somewhat of a blur. It has been difficult in many ways, but we’ve made it through as a family. I already know that 2024 will not be without its challenges; it’s likely Dan will have to have two more operations, but we’re choosing not to dwell on that and for him to get stronger.

The good thing about my lousy year is that I managed to keep writing, I suppose to keep my mind occupied with other things… things I can control. This means that there are now four books all completed, and as I type this, I have also just started a fifth. Quite when they will appear is out of my hands, but I hope at least three will appear in 2024.

Amongst them, we have two new Coco stories, the thirteenth Hugo book and the first in the new ‘Les Enquêteurs’ series, and I’m excited to share them with you. More details to follow, but what can I tell you without spoilers? I think ‘Hotel Beaupain’ is one of the most shocking Hugo stories yet and certainly one of the most different. It’s all a bit back to front with flashbacks and a killer who hands himself in the middle of the story! It took me a lot of time trying to make the story work, unlike the Coco stories, which seem to write themselves!

Speaking of Coco, her new mysteries are as fun and chaotic as ever. In ‘Cité de la Haine’, she finds herself on the wrong end of a ricin attack! And making their first appearance in the fifth Coco book, ‘Quatre Pièces’ we finally get to meet the principal team of ‘Les Enquêteurs,’ before they have their own spinoff ‘Josef’ where we are reunited with Josef Levy, a young man we first met in ‘Hugo & Josef.’ This new story is set principally in Israel over two time periods. I can’t wait to share these new adventures with you!

As we head into 2024, my next three books are already planned, and I hope life doesn’t derail me too much with what is to come. In the meantime, I send you love and wish you all a happy, healthy and peaceful new year.

Thank you all for your support this year when I needed it the most. I am really grateful.

Gx