Some psychologists say that a large proportion of the UK’s population find January the most depressing month of the year. It makes sense. All the December celebrations are over and it’s cold, wet and dreary – at least it has been where I live, in the West Country! For writers, though, it’s a great month to hunker down and get on with what are probably the most time-consuming elements of producing a new novel – editing, rewriting, double-checking everything and preparing for publication. It’s also a good time, when the evenings are long and dark, to ferret out some amazing novels by great writers you may not have come across before. I’ve been doing both, and I’m happy to say that Thicker than Water, the 4th novel in the DI Crow series, is now well into the pre-publication stage, and if all goes well should be on the shelves by the end of March 2025, published by Malago Press. The first three novels have now been republished under the Malago imprint and the links on the ‘Books’ page are all updated. In addition, paperback copies will soon be available at Paper Tales, a new bookstore within the Sparks development in Bristol’s Broadmead.
I’ve also spent some time compiling a shiny new Crow’s Nest newsletter, where I will be delving deeper into Crow’s world, and into crime fiction in general. I will also be sharing my crime/thriller discoveries and the binge-worthy books that have got my pulse racing.
You can sign up to the Crow’s Nest newsletter at the end of this post, and as a thank you, the welcome email includes a link to a preview chapter of Thicker than Water. I hope you enjoy it!
Some exciting things will be happening over the next few months, and I’ll keep everyone updated here, and in the newsletter. For now, January is over, and spring will soon be on the way!
H J Reed, Author 