Just a quick one, with some updates and a final live appearance for 2024…
Dogs Go Fo(u)rth
A few weeks ago I began work on the fourth Dog Sitter Detective book. I haven’t bothered to give it a working title – I’ve learnt my lesson too many times from the previous books 😂
I posted that 👆 image on Nov 2, following my first day’s work on the book. As I did, it also occurred to me that this will be my tenth novel. Not bad, considering that between 2001 and 2017 I wrote a grand total of two 😂
Anyway, it’s going well: twelve days later I passed 10,000 words.
Dogs Go… Third?
Meanwhile The Dog Sitter Detective Plays Dead, the third in the series, will be published on Jan 23:
Gwinny Tuffel is on location in the misty Yorkshire Dales filming a small part in Draculania, a gender-swapped remake of Bram Stoker's classic tale, when life begins to imitate art a little too closely. One of the cast members is found dead inside a locked trailer, with a stake through their heart.
With a prima donna in the starring role, filming is already facing delays, while Gwinny is being run ragged by Lily, the Jack Russell terrier she's looking after for a friend in hospital. Against the backdrop of Hendale Hall with its own vampire legend, a flesh-and-blood killer has struck. Will Gwinny be able to find the murderer before the production or any further victims are cut?
As always, I encourage you to pre-order the book from your local bookstore wherever possible. Pre-ordering really helps show booksellers, and the publisher, how much interest there is in the book; and doing so at your local store helps support their business and your community.
If, however, that’s not possible, then you can of course order it online at all the usual places. More information and links:
Newcastle Noir
Next week I’m appearing at Newcastle Noir (this year celebrating its 10th anniversary) on the Classic Sleuths and Cosy Crimes panel, Thursday 5 December at 5pm with fellow authors Fiona Veitch Smith and Tom Mead.
Close readers of the Dog Sitter Detective books will know I’ve long been a fan of Fiona’s Poppy Denby Investigates series (which is having a facelift courtesy of new editions published by Embla Books, and they look great), and Tom’s Joseph Spector books are some of the most mind-bending locked-room mysteries I’ve read.
Add to that the special place Newcastle Noir has in my heart – it was the first ever festival I attended specifically as a crime writer – and I’m really looking forward to it.
More information and tickets:
Near and Farsley
Finally, some pics from ‘Crime Day’ at the Farsley Literature Festival: my panel with Josie Lloyd and JM Hall, plus hanging out with Elly Griffiths, Lisa Holdsworth, and Saima Mir:
Check out that stage backdrop! How fancy 😂
It was a great day, lots of fun, and I hope to be back in Farsley again soon.
Your Optimistic Eyes Seem Like Paradise
Which social media platform will eventually win the ongoing battle for supremacy? Who knows? For the moment, you can find me on most of them – simply search for my username @antonyjohnston, or check the Contact & Follow page of my site for links to the most popular networks: https://antonyjohnston.com/contact/