It’s almost four years since I first ‘met’ the fabulous G. D. Wright and you’ll find a post here when we stayed in together. It has been my pleasure to meet Gaz in real life since, as not only his writing has gone from strength to strength, but he’s a smashing man as well as brilliant author. That early book has been revised and rebranded as After the Storm. You’ll find my review of After the Storm here.

Since then, life has been a real roller coaster for Gaz and many of you will know that he is currently in hospital, having been extremely ill for several weeks. Consequently, he has been unable to promote his brand new thriller Into the Fire which is out today and I wanted to support both the wonderful man and the wonderful book by sharing this spotlight.

I have actually chosen Into the Fire as one of my featured books for The People’s Friend magazine June Bookshelf and my mini-review will be in next week’s issue out on 11th June.

I can tell you that Into the Fire is the typical G. D. Wright blend of breath-taking plot, thrilling events and deep, deep emotion and humanity so that there really is something for every reader between its pages.

Into the Fire is published by Harper Collins imprint Avon today, 5th June 2025, and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

Into the Fire

HE RUNS INTO THE FLAMES A HERO.

Steve thought he had left his troubled past behind. Living a quiet life with his wife and children, everything changes the night he rescues a baby from a burning house, becoming an unexpected national hero.

HE EMERGES FROM THE ASHES A SUSPECT.

But as the spotlight shines brighter, so does the scrutiny, and a shocking accusation is made – that Steve is the man responsible for an unsolved murder in Beachbrook years prior.

BUT WHICH ONE IS HE REALLY?

As his world unravels, public opinion is firmly divided. Steve pleads his innocence, but DS Sue Willmott is determined to get to the bottom of what really happened all those years ago.

After all, even heroes hide secrets of their own.

****

You can get your copy of Into The Fire here and I really recommend you do!

About G. D. Wright

Gary Wright joined Kent Police at the age of 18 and worked in a variety of uniformed roles. At the age of 29, and completely out of the blue, he suffered two cardiac arrests that led to the diagnosis of a life limiting and incurable disease of the heart. Following the implant of an internal defibrillator in his heart, he was unable to continue policing and retired at the age of 30.

He bought a coffee shop in Ramsgate Harbour, and spent years looking out over the sea and dreaming up stories. He now writes full time, committing those very stories to paper.

After the Storm was Gary’s 2024 debut and is now followed by Into the Fire.

For further information, visit Gary’s website, follow him on X @GDWrightWrites, or find him on Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook.

I love the sound of the latest book in Alice Fitzpatrick’s Meredith Island Mystery series and am so disappointed that life has culled most of my reading time so that I haven’t been able to review.

However, Alice has kindly agreed to stay in in with me and chat about it so let’s find out more:

Staying in with Alice Fitzpatrick 

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Alice and thank you for staying in with me. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought A Dark Death, the second book in my Meredith Island Mysteries, set on a small Welsh island.  This book continues the crime-solving adventures of historical novelist Kate Galway and her hedonistic artist friend Siobhan Fitzgerald whom we first met in Secrets in the Water. 

A Welsh setting! My Welsh husband needs to read these I think… so are the books murder mysteries?

Not only do we get to join them in another murder investigation, but we explore a passion of mine—archaeology. 

A huge fan of Time Team, I promised myself I’d include an archaeological dig in one of my books, and here it is.  Luckily, my chiropractor’s first career was archaeologist, so I could run any questions by him as he worked on my back. While his career change may seem unusual, as he reminds me, it’s all about the bones.

That’s one way of putting it! Actually, I love archaeology too. So much so that Dr H once bought me a day’s dig as a Christmas present! I think A Dark Death is sounding more and more like a book I will have to fit in.

 What can we expect from an evening with A Dark Death?

 We can expect tea, traditional Welsh cakes, and murder.  Two murders, in fact. 

Now you’re talking my language. Tea and Welsh cakes and a book. There’s nothing better. Tell me more.

An archaeology professor and his students have arrived to excavate the remains of a medieval monk’s cell.  To everyone’s surprise, they uncover evidence of a possible Roman temple.  Also on the island is a psychic investigator who holds a séance in an abandoned nineteenth-century manor house.

The theme of science versus faith takes centre stage as the professor desperately wants to believe he has made the discovery of a lifetime, despite some dubious evidence, and the island minister suffers a traumatic experience at the séance.

Kate is struggling with the consequences of a past decision, and if that isn’t enough, when people she cares for becomes murder suspects, she must track down the real killer—or killers.

Wow. That sounds fabulous.

I promise you an evening of sexual intrigue, ghosts, a naked body, a high-speed chase, and strangely enough, knitting.  We’ll have to take care not to spill our tea!

We most certainly will. 

I’m not sure how you van follow the tea and Welsh cakes but what else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I would love for there to be a real Roman temple on the island, so I’ve brought along my trowel in the hope that we can unearth some Roman artefacts.  However Kate doesn’t share my enthusiasm.  Hers is a community that values its privacy.  If the existence of this temple proves to be true, the island will be overrun with government officials, historical organizations, and tourists who will expect a gift shop with souvenir keyrings, mugs, and tea towels. 

I’ve also brought my Ouija board.  The psychic investigator uses a similar device to become possessed by the original owner of the manor house, who shocks his listeners by revealing a dark secret linked to the ancestor of a current islander. If we can contact the departed owner ourselves, perhaps if we can learn the truth and put everyone’s mind at ease.

I’m not certain the Ouija board is going to put my mind at ease Alice! I think I might just stick to the tea and Welsh cakes.

Thank you so much for staying in with me to chat about A Dark Death. It sounds fabulous. Now, you set up the board and pour me another cuppa and I’ll give readers a few more details about A Dark Death.

A Dark Death

 

Kate Galway is looking forward to a quiet summer working on her latest novel at her home on Meredith Island. For a place hardly anyone has heard of, her sleepy Welsh island is attracting a lot of visitors, including a conman posing as a psychic and group of archaeology students who believe they’ve unearthed evidence of a Roman temple.

Part-way through the dig, however, the students make an even more startling discovery: a body ritualistically laid out in their trench.

While intrigued by the murder, amateur sleuth Kate decides to leave this investigation to the professionals. However, when she learns that both the island mechanic and her university friend’s son are prime suspects, she and hedonistic artist Siobhan Fitzgerald feel they have no choice but to get involved.

Published by Stonehouse on 1st June in the UK A Dark Death is available for purchase here. You can also purchase A Dark Deaths directly from Stonehouse Publishing as well as from Indigo and Barnes & Noble.

About Alice Fitzpatrick

Alice Fitzpatrick has contributed short stories to literary magazines and anthologies and has recently retired from teaching in order to devote herself to writing full-time. She is a fearless champion of singing, cats, all things Welsh, and the Oxford comma.  Her summers spent with her Welsh family in Pembrokeshire inspired the creation of the Meredith Island Mysteries which include Secrets in the Water and A Dark Death.  The traditional mystery appeals to her keen interest in psychology as she is intrigued by what makes seemingly ordinary people commit murder. Alice lives in Toronto but dreams of a cottage on the Welsh coast.

For further information about Alice, visit her website, find her on Facebook or follow Alice on Bluesky and Instagram.

My grateful thanks to Georgia Hester for sending me a surprise copy of The Spa Break by Hannah Doyle. There’s nothing I need more right now so it’s my pleasure to share my review of The Spa Break today. 

Published by HQ on 22nd May 2025, The Spa Break is available for purchase through the links here. 

The Spa Break

A week-long spa break is just what Jess needs. She’s going to be there with her best friends, Stella and Em. And the spa is so high-end it has an ethos about cleansing the mind and soul.

The laughter, gourmet food and cocktails are what every twenty-something needs. And then there’s the beautiful man she spots in the pool on the first day. A perfect addition to her week.

Until Jess finds out that he’s someone from her past. Someone she really should have recognized. Someone she should not find attractive. And that’s when things start getting a little confusing…

My Review of The Spa Break

Jess is meeting old friends Stella and Em for a week’s break celebrating the soft launch of a brand new, upmarket spa. 

If you’re looking for Dickensian style literary fiction, The Spa Break is probably not for you. If, however, you want a simply fabulous read that is laugh aloud funny and brilliant entertainment, then The Spa Break is simply perfect. I loved it.

Firstly, the setting is glorious. An upmarket spa hotel in Northumberland with gorgeous surroundings, sumptuous food and activities to suit every preference is just wonderful. Hannah Doyle had me wanting to pack my bags immediately because she described her setting so effectively. 

The three friends, Jessica, Emerald and Stella, have an enviable friendship and the dynamics between them lead to some hilarious moments. Each is very different from the other two so that their personalities balance beautifully. It is, however, Jess whom we get to know most intimately as the narrative is told through her first person voice. I thought the way she developed over the course of the story illustrated beautifully how making the most of life and being true to ourselves is a key to happiness. It’s impossible not to love her from the very beginning of The Spa Break.  

Indeed, whilst it is a funny romcom, The Spa Break is also filled with themes that resonate with the reader. Friendship, employment, loyalty, trust, family and self-worth are all explored with an authoritative lightness of touch this super narrative.

I absolutely adored the plot. Basically it is a ‘will they, won’t they’ story of the developing attraction between Jess and Stella’s younger brother Luke. The sexual chemistry and tension between them is brilliantly depicted as it isn’t explicit, but rather is built up through sometimes humorous, sometimes intense and sometimes emotionally vulnerable situations. This means that it feels authentic and convincing. The story races along and feels wonderfully escapist, hugely enjoyable and extremely entertaining. 

I finished The Spa Break feeling happy, uplifted and as if I’d had my own break from the cares of life. It’s such a funny, appealing and engaging story that I thought it was terrific. Don’t miss this one.

About Hannah Doyle

Former Hearst magazine celebrity journalist Hannah Doyle is the bestselling author of The Pick Up, The A To Z Of Us, The Year Of Saying Yes and Just My Type. The  Spa Break is her fifth novel.

For further information, find Hannah on Instagram, Twitter/X @byhannahdoyle and Facebook.

When Steve Aylett got in touch about his latest book, I knew it was one I simply had to feature on Linda’s Book Bag. I’m so disappointed not to have time to fit in a read yet, but, as many of you know, there’s just too much going on in my life at the moment. However, Steve kindly agreed to stay in with me instead so let’s find out more:

Staying in with Steve Aylett

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Steve and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought my new book The Book Lovers, which is a sort-of-steampunk satire about intellectual love and revolution. I think it’s the best thing I’ve done, and even normal people can read it!

I hope abnormal ones can too! What can we expect from an evening in with The Book Lovers?

It’s a very rich philosophical caper with a Pythonesque humour to it, as well as being a love story of the mind. There’s a lot about the very intense, sometimes physical effects a book or notion can have on a person. 

Interesting. Tell me more.

Many of the characters are synaesthetic, which means they experience ideas as colourful shapes, bursting geometries and flavours. These characters pass books around covertly like contraband. They value ideas and the real power of words. 

This sounds a bit like me at my U3A book group, Steve!

And it’s set in a world where books are very nearly illegal, leaving certain people with a thirst they can barely explain in public. These people recognise each other and work together like a kind of underground, while casually firing epigrams around like bullets. But we see how it’s a very human, juicy desire, this hunger for a connection of ideas. We see that someone can literally be in love with someone’s head and what goes on inside it. It’s an intensity I don’t often see expressed. I think it’s beautiful.

The Book Lovers sounds brilliant. How has it been received?

Grant Morrison said it was “a box of fabulous surrealist eclairs” and Robin Ince says “Every sentence is a wonderland, every phrase a treat.” I like to compress as many ideas as possible into a story, a sort of multi-coloured rush, so it can be re-read and come across differently each time.

You must be very pleased with those comments. I love a book that operates on many levels, Steve. I really am going to have to find time to read The Book Lovers. Thank you so much for sending me a copy.

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I’ve also brought along my battered copy of my favourite book in the world, The Horse’s Mouth by Joyce Cary. It’s all seen through the eyes of a painter, so it’s a visually rich book – you see these glowing paint-thick visions of London as the narrator shambles about. He’s a scamp who does anything to get paints and a surface to paint on, so he steals and rips people off – you might not like him in real life but he’s a great character for adventures. The book is funny and wise and amazing, while being real. I love it.

I think art and literature are often perfect bedfellows – creatives painting with words and artistic media. And that sounds like another book I need to add to my towering TBR. 

Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about The Book Lovers Steve. I love the sound of it and will give Linda’s Book Bag readers a few more details:

The Book Lovers

The kidnap of a rebellious heiress leads Inspector Nightjar into a steampunk underworld of brain love, greed and revolution.

Can the Raven Method uncover the big Truth? What powers Thousand Tower City? Why are books telling unfamiliar stories? How cosy is anarchy?

Published in December 2024, The Book Lovers is available online and from all good booksellers like Blackwells and Waterstones.

About Steve Aylett

Steve Aylett is the author of LINT, Heart of the Original and Fain the Sorcerer. He lives in the Highlands of Scotland.

For further information, visit Steve’s website, or find him on Bluesky.

My enormous thanks to Robert Bryndza for sending me a surprise copy of his latest Erika Foster novel Chasing Shadows. I’m delighted to share my review of Chasing Shadows today.

It’s far too long since I reviewed one of Robert’s books, but you’ll find my thoughts on Devil’s Way here. 

Chasing Shadows is published by Raven Street on 5th June and is available for purchase here. 

Chasing Shadows

In a deadly game of cat and mouse, Detective Erika Foster confronts her greatest nemesis-where the lines of justice blur and secrets unravel. A collapsed ceiling. A dead body. What starts as a routine 999 call takes an unexpected twist when Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster arrives on the scene and discovers the body of a woman in an empty flat, with all DNA evidence scrubbed away. 

When forensics find cocaine residue coating every surface of the ceiling, Erika calls in the drug dogs, who lead her to a mysterious parcel locker on the outside wall of the property. Chasing down the locker’s owner leads Erika back where she never expected to be – staring into the eyes of Jerome Goodman, the drug dealer who murdered her husband, Mark, ten years ago. She arrests him on the spot, but there’s just one problem. His passport and his solicitor say his name is Kieron Bagshaw, and his record is squeaky clean. 

With top brass demanding she take leave to deal with her PTSD and even her closest colleagues questioning her sanity, Erika decides to use the time off to do some digging of her own. Trawling for clues through old newspapers, encrypted messages, and secret underground passageways, Erika makes a series of shocking discoveries that move Mark’s murder from cold case to active investigation, all while flying under the Met’s radar. 

The revelations will push Erika to the brink, forcing her to confront the trauma of her past and the truth about what happened the day Mark died – and who among her friends was involved from the shadows.

My Review of Chasing Shadows

With a Robert Bryndza Erika Foster thriller, the reader knows that it will be an engrossing and fast paced read, but the opening of Chasing Shadows is a real triumph. Not only is it dramatic, it answers questions about what happened to Erika’s husband some ten years previously. That said, this story can be enjoyed as a stand alone narrative too.

The plot is an absolute belter. Ripples from Erika’s past permeate the story and the pace is breath-taking. I had no idea if Erika and her team would be able to resolve the case – or the other tendrils of crime that snake into the story. The title couldn’t be more appropriate as Erika is chasing shadowy memories of the past, people whose identities seem to dissipate and reform like smoke and she discovers murky half-truths and lies. I found the whole of Chasing Shadows exciting, engaging and absorbing. 

Settings are akin to characters. There’s a truly evocative sense of place with a visual element that enabled me to visualise where the action occurs. There’s a filmic quality that means Chasing Shadows would make a superb television series. 

The characters themselves are so well drawn. Erika is the star of the series, but other recurring personalities ensure even more interest and depth. I even loved George, Erika’s cat. But it is Erika’s grief over her husband’s death that adds such texture to who she is. All the human emotions are illustrated by her. Alongside that grief is rage, guilt, determination and self-doubt, making Erika such an intriguing and memorable individual. 

The themes present in the story feel authentic and actually rather disturbing. Of course there’s crime and murder, by the very nature of the genre, but the exploration of identity, organised crime, the exploitation of foreign workers, and the presentation of layers of corruption hidden in plain sight in society feel realistic and unsettling. Chasing Shadows is a book that made me think. 

I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed Chasing Shadows, not least because the author displays a humanity and sensitivity towards his characters. He may expose the dark underbelly of crime and corruption, but he tempers it with people of integrity so that in the bleakest of times there is always hope. Chasing Shadows is jam packed with action, entertainment and, perhaps surprisingly for a police procedural crime thriller, quite a lot of emotion. I thought it was brilliant. 

About Robert Bryndza

Robert Bryndza is the author of the multi-million selling Detective Erika Foster and Private Investigator Kate Marshall series, as well as a bestselling stand alone crime novel. Before he turned to crime, Robert wrote a series of romantic comedy novels. He has sold over 7 million copies of his books and is published in 30 countries.

For further information, visit his website or find Robert on Facebook and Instagram. 

I have absolutely no idea which lovely publicist sent me a copy of By Your Side by Ruth Jones, but my enormous thanks to them for doing so. It’s my pleasure to share my review of By Your Side today. 

By Your Side is published by Bantam and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

By Your Side

Because second chances come when you least expect them . . .

Linda Standish has been a friend to the friendless for the past thirty-three years, in her role at the council’s Unclaimed Heirs Unit. And now she’s looking forward to the joys of an early retirement.

But before she hangs up her lanyard, Linda takes on one last case – that of Levi Norman – a Welshman who made his home on a remote Scottish island for the five years before he died. Linda must visit Storrich to track down Levi’s remaining relatives . . .

What brought Levi here? And who did he leave behind? Obliged to travel (by hearse!) with her arch nemesis, and helped (and hindered…) by the local residents, Linda searches for clues to a life now lost. And in the process unexpectedly makes new friends, and discovers things about herself she never knew.

Bursting with all the heart and humour that has made Ruth’s name as a screenwriter and author, By Your Side is a joyful celebration of friendship, love and community.

My Review of By Your Side

Council worker Linda has a final case to solve before she retires.

What a completely wonderful book. I adored By Your Side because Ruth Jones balances humour and sadness so effectively that the story hits right to the very heart of who we are. I could not have been more delighted to find that I share the same first name as the main protagonist.

Linda is a fabulous creation. She is a blend of vulnerability and confidence; overweight, opinionated (make sure you read the bonus material of her pet hates), witty and determined to do a good job in honouring those who die without known family. Her relationship with her son Struan is glorious and although I’m not remotely maternal, so good is Ruth Jones’s ability to convey human feelings, that I experienced every emotion with Linda as Struan tries to rebuild his marriage and moves away from her. 

I adored Brodie and Fergus Murray too because they help reveal Linda’s full personality. Brodie’s initial appearance in oil stained clothing epitomises the fact that we shouldn’t judge by appearances and it was quite glorious to have a middle aged, slightly weather-beaten hero. I loved the maturity and pragmatism of the way Brodie and Linda develop their relationship, but equally I adored their physicality too. By Your Side is proof positive that middle aged folk still have life in them! 

However, it is Levi who is the total triumph. Loyal, a wonderful father, resourceful and grief-stricken, he restores the reader’s faith in humanity and yet breaks their heart at the same time. A few of his actions are almost unconscionable and yet they are completely understandable and create a bond of understanding between him and the reader. He is the catalyst for the fabulous plot and provides a sensitive glimpse into how we never truly know other people – even those closest to us.

The plot of By Your Side is sheer perfection. Its depth and quality lie in the fact that not everything is resolved as the reader might want, but instead it is realistic and all the more emotional as a result. The story feels authentic, moving and touching.

I thought the setting of Storrich was glorious. There’s a witty irony that Linda travels to a remote Scottish island to discover the intimate details of Levi’s life and to experience her own renewed chance of happiness, because the further she travels, the more she comes home. It is, in fact, the people who create a sense of place, community and atmosphere, every bit as much as this fabulous Scottish island. 

With themes of family, truth, belonging and deep, abiding, love, By Your Side is utterly wonderful. A story of mistakes and second chances, it’s moving, enchanting and packed with wit and humanity. I absolutely loved it and cannot recommend it highly enough. It’s one of my top reads this year.

About Ruth Jones

Ruth Jones MBE is well known for her television work, most notably BBC One’s multi-award-winning Gavin and Stacey, co-written with James Corden, in which she played Nessa Jenkins. The 2019 and 2024 Christmas specials of this well-loved show garnered viewing figures of 18 million and 21 million respectively. Ruth also created and co-wrote several series of Stella for Sky TV, for which she was BAFTA nominated. Other TV work includes Hattie, Nighty Night and Saxondale. In 2024 Ruth played Mother Superior in Sister Act the Musical at London’s Dominion Theatre. Her latest acting role is Elena Ravenscroft in Harlan Coben’s Run Away for Netflix.

Ruth’s novels have sold over a million copies. Never Greener was a Sunday Times bestseller for fifteen weeks, three weeks at number one, as well as WHSmith Fiction Book of the Year 2018, a nominated Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards, and a Zoe Ball Book Club pick. Her second novel, Us Three, and her third novel, Love Untold, were also instant Sunday Times bestsellers. Love Untold was a Waterstones Paperback of the Year, as well as a Richard & Judy Book Club pick.

For further information, find Ruth on Instagram. 

My enormous thanks to Aoifke at Penguin Random House for sending me a surprise copy of Love At First Sight by Laura Jane Williams. It’s my absolute pleasure to share my review today.

I have previously reviewed Laura Jane Williams’s Enemies to Lovers here.

Published by Penguin on 19th June 2025, Love At First Sight is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

Love At First Sight

She’s found the one. He’s just not the one for her.

Jessie doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Until one sunny Saturday in London, a fire alarm in Whole Foods throws her into a stranger’s arms. Cal is charming and funny: their chemistry is instant.

Quick-fire flirting turns into the most romantic day of Jessie’s life. But that evening they’re forced apart before swapping numbers. Jessie is devastated – has she just lost the one?

After weeks of searching, Cal turns up on her doorstop holding two dozen red roses. It feels like fate.

The only thing is, they’re not for her…

My Review of Love At First Sight

Jessie meets Cal, the man of her dreams.

Oh yes! This is what romantic fiction is all about. Love At First Sight is brilliant and I thoroughly, thoroughly, enjoyed it because it is written with wit, warmth and realism.

Of course there’s all the expected elements of romantic fiction, with gorgeous men like Cal and Leo and a path to true love that doesn’t run smoothly, so that Love At First Sight is huge fun, highly entertaining and wonderfully escapist. If it’s read on this level alone, it is a perfectly diverting narrative.

However, it’s a whole lot more too. Other than seven year old Henry who is a wonderful and consistent lynchpin to enable much of the action, every character develops throughout, so that these feel like real people and not mere works of fiction. I loved the way their reactions and interactions with Henry help the reader understand them, making him a kind of moral touchstone. I confess that I really don’t like children in real life, never mind in fiction, but here Henry feels perfect.

Jessie herself is so well drawn. We have very little about her physical attributes so that there’s no superficiality, but far more about her feelings, emotions and reactions, making her fully rounded and relatable. Her insecurities, her relationships and her hopes and dreams engage the reader completely. She’s the kind of character that you think about long after the book is read, wondering how she’s getting on.

I thought the themes in the story were explored with sensitivity and accuracy. Self-deception, over-diffidence, trust, the nature of family and marriage as well as loyalty and consistency are just a few aspects. As a result, Love At First Sight is incredibly interesting as well as a fabulous read. There’s also wise guidance for those who do have young children in their lives through Jessie’s interaction with Henry.

Love At First Sight is the perfect summer read. Romantic certainly, but so much more besides. It deserves a wide audience – particularly one that normally denigrates romantic fiction – because it has depth and emotion far beyond what those readers might expect. I loved it.

About Laura Jane Williams

Laura Jane Williams (she/her) is known as the queen of the meet-cute. As well as the author of rom-coms, she is also the author of three works of non-fiction.
The rights to Laura’s international bestseller Our Stop have been sold for television, and her books have been translated into languages all over the world. She loves romance, being a parent, and lifting very heavy weights.

Find out more about Laura Jane Williams on her website, and find her on Instagram.

Having been a very late reader because no-one actually realised I couldn’t see the words on the page, children’s fiction feels especially important to me as an adult. Consequently, it’s my pleasure today to share details of a festival especially for children – Barnes Children’s Literature Festival.

Here are the details:

On Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 June 2025, the UK’s largest children’s literature festival, Barnes Children’s Literature Festival returns to London for its 11^th year with more than 100 inspiring events, workshops and performances for young book fans and their families, taking place on beautiful Barnes Green in SW13.

Headline authors at the 2025 festival will include David Walliams, Cressida Cowell, Stephen Mangan, Adam Kay, Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler, Janice Hallett, M.G. Leonard and MC Grammar.

Children can get involved in an endless number of exciting interactive activities including creative writing, comedy, art and craft, puppetry, live music, film, debating, clay-making workshops, yoga and more. There will also be Manga illustration masterclasses, skateboard drawing (where every child designs their own skateboard to take home), LEGO making, chess, pop up performances and even circus acts.

Highlights of the 2025 Barnes Children’s Literature Festival include:

·       Multi-million selling author and comedian David Walliams who will be delving into what inspires his stories and best-loved characters like the infamous Gangsta Granny, bringing his hilarious new book about The World’s Worst Superheroes to Barnes, starring the bravest, strongest and silliest superheroes the world has ever seen!

·       Award winning author and illustrator, Cressida Cowell, the creator of the How to Train Your Dragon series and DreamWorks film phenomenon, for the launch of How to Train Your Dragon School, her first novel in the Dragon world for ten years! Unmissable!

·       The funniest author-illustrator, brother-sister duo Anita and Stephen Mangan will join the festival for fun and games, draw-alongs and silly sibling stories. The bestselling creators of The Fart that Changed the World are back with a hilarious new adventure, The Fart that Saved the Universe. Giggles guaranteed!

·       Legendary author and illustrator Axel Scheffler returns drawing his most famous characters, including everyone’s favourite The Gruffalo, and some new delightful characters from his new book Welcome.

·       Drop the mic! Award-winning teacher, Sky Kids superstar and viral book-rapping sensation MC Grammar will introduce his brand-new series, The Adventures of Rap Kid, with jam-packed with jokes, tunes, wicked rhymes, a rap battle, and the greatest dance-off of all time!

·       Expert model makers Aardman Animations, known for Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run will be sharing how to form their famous Aardman characters in hands-on workshops.

·       BAFTA-award winning The Brothers McLeod, known for their Disney and Nickelodeon shorts and their animation work with Netflix, Disney XD, Channel 4 and BBC will introduce the wacky world of Knight Sir Louis with an entertaining and fun-packed event which includes drawing, comics and lots and lots of laughs.

·       RAMZEE will host an interactive cartoon drawing workshop, sharing his experiences as a Marvel cartoonist, storyteller and how coming to the UK as a refugee inspired his book series, The Cheat Book.

Tickets are now on sale and this year’s Festival will be launched by award-winning and bestselling Australian author Andy Griffiths at Richmond Theatre as part of his UK tour – the ultimate Festival kick-off event!

Festival director, Amanda Brettargh said “In eleven years we’ve grown from a conversation at the school gate to become the UK’s largest dedicated children’s book festival. As well as celebrating all our favourite authors and illustrators, we’re always pushing the boundaries of traditional literature festivals to create more space for the family-friendliest fun. It’s what keeps us going – and growing! Because every year we discover all these brilliant new books, or we’ll see an event that has gone down a storm somewhere else, and we’ll think ‘oh they’re just going to love that!’ It’s the best job in the world!”

For full details on the 2025 Barnes Children’s Literature Festival as well as ticket details, please visit the website.

BARNES CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL

SATURDAY 21^ST & SUNDAY 22^ND JUNE 2025

WWW.BARNESKIDSLITFEST.ORG

Regular visitors to Linda’s Book Bag know how much I like being part of a book’s early journey, and so it’s my pleasure to help share details of the brand new Kiara Fox thriller, Black Gold, by Rob Starr.

My thanks to Maddy Dunne-Kirby at Midas PR for inviting me to participate.

Let’s find out all about Black Gold:

Black Gold

After the sudden death of her husband, fraud investigator Kiara Fox is thrown into a high-stakes case that pulls her halfway across the world.

In South Africa, oil tankers are mysteriously arriving at port with far less cargo than when they left – leaving the insurance company boss Tyrone haemorrhaging money. Despite her grief, Kiara can’t turn down the opportunity to help him work out what is happening as she knows this case could secure her family’s future.

At the heart of the problem is Adesco Oil, a family-run empire. CEO Gavin Adriaanse wants to transform the company into an eco-friendly powerhouse, but his brother Tony will stop at nothing to protect the family’s wealth. Tensions are rising, especially with the launch of Neptune, a revolutionary new oil rig poised to change the industry forever.

But when Kiara arrives, the case becomes far more dangerous than she ever anticipated. As she digs deeper, she uncovers a web of corporate deceit, betrayal, and espionage – both within Tyrone’s insurance company and Adesco Oil. With powerful enemies lurking in every shadow, Kiara realises that someone is willing to kill to keep the truth buried. The closer she gets to the heart of the conspiracy, the more deadly the game becomes.

In a race against time, Kiara must navigate a world where profit meets power and uncovering the truth could cost her everything.

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Sounds exciting doesn’t it? Published by a on 10th July 2025, Black Gold is available for pre-order here.

About Rob Starr

Rob Starr is an author, chairman of the charity Starr Trust and CEO. He has co-written two full-length musicals and written two plays, all of which have been staged.

In 2013, Rob wrote a book about his English Channel swim in 2012 called From Starr to Starrfish and in 2022 he released his first fiction novel, What the Tide Brings Back. The First Widow, published in 2024, was the first book in the new Kiara Fox series.

Apart from writing, Rob’s passion is open water swimming. He also loves a challenge and, in 2022, completed the 52-52 challenge, which consists of 52 Olympic Triathlons in 52 consecutive weeks. Rob lives in Brighton with his wife and their three children.

For further information about Rob, follow him on Twitter/X @author_starr, visit his website or find Rob on Instagram and Facebook.