Welcome to my monthly newsletter for 31 March 2024

Isn’t this spectacular? I was in Zagreb again this month and whilst my visit didn’t quite coincide with their Festival of Light, they were have a run through at the theatre when I was inside watching the ballet. When I came out the building looked like this! Fabulous!

Where have I been?

Well, Croatia for a start. We hadn’t seen our boy since Christmas so we nipped over for a cheeky weekend. It’s the first time since he’s been there that we’ve gone out of the capital. We took a trip out to Plitvice National Park to see the lakes. It was breathtakingly beautiful but I was glad it was early in the season. I imagine it gets hugely busy in the summer.

I also spent some time in Lincoln which is one of my favourite cities. It was a flying visit but I had time to wander up Steep Hill very early in the morning and enjoy the solitude.

Final destination was London where I was wedding dress hunting with my three daughters – not for me, I hasten to add but for my eldest girl. It was such good fun and tears were shed. We also saw Operation Mincemeat. If you happen to be in London then I thoroughly recommend the show. It was excellent.

Book News!

Well, last month I promised you news and, as good as my word, here are not just one but two hot-off-the-press book covers for you. This is a proper sneak preview of A Borrowed Path because as I type this no one has seen this cover yet but you. I’m delighted with them both and am now really looking forward to getting my hands on the actual books. Table for Five, the next Izzy Bromley title will hit book shelves on 25th June which isn’t far away. A Borrowed Path is currently slated for the end of September but until the book goes up for pre-order I can’t confirm that. As soon as I know though I’ll let you know and share the book description with you too. In a nutshell, though, it’s a book about four generations of women from the same family living under one roof. Can you imagine the drama?! More about that next month.

My 2024 book covers.

Writing wise I’m up and running with my 2025 book A Question of Loyalty. The section I’m writing at the moment is set in 1981 so I’m immersed in all things eighties which is very nostalgic for me. I was fourteen in 1981 and just learning who I was. My character is twenty-one so her experience of life is different but I’m still trawling my memory for useful snippets to add texture and colour (and when that fails me there’s always Google!)

What have I read?

I’ve been a bit literary in my reading in March so my recommendations reflect that.

This month’s book recommentations.

In Memoriam by Alice Winn is a beautifully written debut novel about a group of young men thrust into the clutches of World War I before their time. Although too young to enlist, they do so to please others or because they feel it’s their duty. They are then forced to deal with the horrors of war before they have even finished growing up. It’s a very moving and surprisingly pacy read.

The Hunter by Tana French is a sequel to her previous book The Searcher but it can be read in isolation. Set in a rural community in western Ireland, it’s the story of a scam and how it affects a small town. When the conman is found dead on the nearby mountain tensions build, accusations fly and loyalties are tested. There are some great characters and the dialogue is fabulous.

The Wren The Wren by Anne Enright is another Irish novel (I can’t seem to get enough recently.) This one is about the relationship between mothers and daughters and each of their expectations. Nell, the daughter, is keen to escape and build her own life but can’t get away from the shadows of a past she doesn’t really understand. Her mother Carmel has kept much hidden but when Nell leaves home it brings old wounds to the surface. And there’s a domineering poet – what more does a book need!

Finally, and in a lighter vein, The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey is a coming of age novel set in Yorkshire in 1981 (which is quite handy for my current WIP I realise as I type this!) The Yorkshire Ripper has the north of England terrified and so Miv and best friend Sharon decide to try and solve the murders themselves, focusing on anyone who seems suspicious to them from their immediate acquaintances. The girls manage to uncover no end of secrets and as a result learn far more about growing up than they could ever have expected.

And that’s everything for this month. If you enjoy my newsletter please consider sharing it with your friends. You could mention my books too! It’s hard to get the word out into the world, and word of mouth recommendations are absolutely the best kind.

Don’t forget that there are lots of book recommendations in my marvellous Facebook Book Café where the suggestions are always of the ‘you must read this’ variety and the coffee is always hot. If you’re more interested in visuals then hop over to my Instagram account. I’ll be in Italy in April so if that’s your thing then you might like to look at my pictures.

In the meantime, have a great month and happy reading.