I’m just back from a 13 day trip to the U.K. with my mom and sister that included a visit to Ann Cleeves’ home of Whitly Bay, and later a tour of the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Words can’t express how amazing the trip was.
It all started last April 2023, when my mother won an auction to have tea with Ann Cleeves at Malice Domestic. Ann is most well-known for her Vera series (or watch the Vera series), but also Shetland (or watch Shetland)
Ann is a very busy author and asked if my mother would enjoy having tea in England since her schedule was packed for a time. That was a no-brainer. My mother lived in England for 3-years and it was some of the happiest years of her life.
Ann then suggested we come in March 2024 during Bay Tales, the annual book festival held in Whitley Bay. Except for the idea of March in Northern England sounded wet and cold, that too was a no-brainer.
We arrived in Whitley Bay (after plane, train, and automobile rides) on a Thursday, and Friday morning we met Ann and another author, Lori Rader Day for coffee at the Rustic Cup. Then Ann and Lori gave us a tour of the town, with Lori pointing out all the Vera locations. Our tour also included a bookstore, The Bound.
That evening we headed to a pub for Noir at the Bar, with several UK mystery authors along with Lori (who is America) doing readings from their books. Then Saturday was Bay Tales, a day-long event with author interviews and panels, including one with Val McDermid, a Scottish mystery writer.
We were introduced to authors we’d never heard of. While many of their books are available in the U.S. through Amazon, many don’t have a U.S. publisher (for distribution in the U.S.) so they’re not well-known here.
There were many more books that I wanted to buy, but I was limited to how much I could fit in my suitcase.
Here are the books I bought:
?Unsolved, by Heather Critchlow, a mystery with a true crime podcaster
?The Mysterious Mrs. Hood by Kim Donovan (this was in my Bay Tales book bag), a true Victorian mystery of scandal, arson, murder and betrayal. I found this on Amazon, but it can’t be purchased.
?The Chemical Detective, by Fiona Erksine, about a scientist and explosive expert who is framed for murder. She said it included spicy bits, so I was sure to get this one ?
?Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin, about a chef teaching at a cooking school who ends up being accused of murder. I choose this one because it has a quirky, funny tone, ala Janet Evanovich. Call me weird, but I like a little humor in my murder.
? Past Lying by Val McDermid. Admittedly, I haven’t read any of her books, but she was at the event and I thought I’d give it a try. This is a Karen Pirie book that starts at the beginning of Covid lockdown. Most authors I know aren’t writing about covid, so this will be interesting.
I ended up buying a few more books during our trip, including:
? Scottish Myths and Legends. I picked this book up in a tourist shop. I love folklore and fairy tales and what better place to find them than in Scotland (or anywhere in the UK)! Our tour guide told us a story about the son of a clan chieftain who fell in love with a fairy. Their parents disapproved but allowed for a one-year commitment through handfasting, and after a year, they had to separate. I’m in search of this story.
?The Recovery Agent, by Janet Evanovich, which I picked up at the Newark airport on the way home. Adventure with quirky characters is my jam.
Of course, there’s still the challenge of reading them all!
