Busted! Sisters caught peddling crime in Kingswood

On another sunny day in Hull, the sisters-in-crime headed for WH Smith, Prospect Centre, because everyone knows the old adage “Today Hull, tomorrow the world”. Having cleaned up there, the duo headed out to Kingswood where the law finally caught up with them.

What were the dodgy goods being snapped up during this little crime spree? All available on Amazon or currently on special offer in WHS Kingswood.
The East Yorkshire crime trilogy by Penny Grubb
Like False Money
The Jawbone Gang
The Doll Makers

And Danuta Reah’s dark psychological tale set in Sheffield, Not Safe

The cop always collars the crime writer.

The final day of the Yorkshire book signing tour was incident-packed, but before we came close to having collars felt, to the shoplifting incident or to the electronic capture of the missing books, we found we were still in a mystery race with the book distributors.

The race is who gets to the store first: us or the books? The mystery is why they seem so keen for us to win.

It's been touch and go with half a dozen of the venues, but we've now started to hit the individual shops' best-seller lists, which makes the bumpy ride worthwhile both for us and for the store managers who have pulled out all the stops to make the events successful. Especially Adam in Hull, Prospect Centre. We'd sold out of Like False Money and had a customer wanting a set of all three books. Adam's gizmo told him there were another two copies in the shop and, despite it being the busiest day of the year - not helped by a serious shoplifting incident - he hunted them down. They were in the crime section, not in the shoplifters' pockets.

The other final Saturday pre-Christmas venue was WHS, Kingswood, tucked cosily into the Kingswood retail park. It's the smallest of the shops I've been to. Would it attract in the buyers of crime fiction? For the first 30 seconds, I wasn't sure, then Seaside Radio arrived in the person of broadcaster, Paula Coomber, and a steady stream of shoppers followed, most of them happy to stop and chat and many to buy books. Before our allotted time was up, there were just four books left - and no Like False Moneys. This time, there were none lurking in hidden corners, but Agent raced off and scrounged a few from another branch.

Frustrating though it is to have no books left when there are still readers wanting to buy them, it's an amazing feeling to see an empty table where there had been a stack of books.

In all, that's eight venues since publication mid November and we ended where we started, back in WHS Prospect Centre, Hull. It wasn't in the original plan to return to any of the venues, but we were delighted the books were selling well enough that they wanted us back. But maybe those shoplifters took advantage, knowing the law would be diverted because the cop always collars the crime writer.

Scarborough Rocks!

An inauspicious start to Scarborough book signing day.

After previous experiences with loose wheels, what would go wrong today? It was a clear run through, a sunny day, beautiful sea views on the way. If we hadn't known the way and had used the SatNav, that might have unnerved us, because it can't cope with the new road into Scarborough and degenerates into hysterics as the little arrow tracks across fields and the voice rattles out, "Turn right - do a u-turn - keep left". Last chance for a big glitch on the journey would have been to find the multi-storey full, but it wasn't.

And on to WH Smith, Westborough where the Manager, Russell, had the signs and the books all waiting for us. It was all going far too smoothly. The obvious trap now would be to score a duck on the book sales front and indeed the first few minutes went by without a taker. But then things picked up and we estimate we sold a book every two minutes and for the first time ever we sold out!!

Big thanks to everyone who helped to make it such a success.

Yay! Scarborough Rocks!

Crime comes to Harrogate: WHS Victoria Shopping Centre 10 December

The Yorkshire based crime series featuring PI Annie Raymond is now out in paperback.  I will be in WHSmith, Victoria Shopping Centre, Harrogate signing books on 10 December from 12 to 2.  Do call in and say hello.

WHS are doing a special deal – get the first three books for £15.

Books in danger on way to Monks Cross

The Doll Makers : The Jawbone Gang : Like False Money

When author and agent arrived for the book signing at WH Smith, Monks Cross, York, it should have been to a heap of books ready-delivered from the distributors. The hitch that had delayed the arrival of the stock is covered in a previous blog.

Monks Cross has its own car-park, but the shopping centre covers a vast acreage - 100, 200, I'm not sure. The fact there were no spaces near WH Smith was a good omen for a book signing. However, the books had to make it unscathed from car to shop and the borrowed sack barrow now had three reliable wheels and one that had lost its sprocket, pin, or whatever the thing is that keeps the wheel on the axle (as related in previous blog).

Loss of the wheel was not an option whilst the barrow was loaded. It turned out that it took the length of three author steps for the wheel to work its way to the dangerously-close end of the axle. So with the agent manoeuvring the barrow, the author fell into a rhythm of three steps, skip and a sideways kick. A kind of grotesque parody of Strictly.

By this means, the books were delivered in pristine condition. Store manager Tom matched the special 3-book deal in other branches and we sold the first full set of three before the books were properly stacked on the table. Again, the time flew by in conversation with all the people who approached (or were strong-armed to) the table. One of those who came along was York author, Joan Emery, whose pen has been stilled for a few years by a bout of ill-health. She's back at her keyboard now, so watch out for her name popping up on the shelves again.

There's something that happens when I sign crime novels in a branch of WHS - the law takes a keen interest.

We slipped under the radar in Coney Street, but they caught up with us here. 'Mayhem across the York area...? Out of control sack barrow...? Not us, officer. Clear case of mistaken identity. We're just quietly signing and selling books.' A pleasingly high number again. Thank you to Tom and Matthew in the store and hoping that all new readers enjoy their purchases.

Book signing where the wheel came off

It would never have happened to Annie Raymond, the PI heroine of the 3 books out in paperback, being signed in York on Saturday 27 November. Wheels, both real and virtual, escaped their moorings in an attempt to upend one or both of the book signings.

WH Smith, Coney Street, to start with: we met some great people, both readers and writers. The store manager, Chris, gave us a special 3-book offer, and we ended up selling more books than ever, and certainly more than we'd hoped for given the mini disasters related below. The one regret was inadequate time to explore the store itself, which is an Aladdin's cave over two floors. However, we'll be back in the New Year.

It was the metaphorical wheel that fell off before the real one. We were alerted in a phone call a few days before the event. Stock glitch. The posters were up, customers were asking for the books, the press had shown an interest, author and agent had committed the (not so simple) itinerary to memory, but no books had been delivered and none would arrive in time.

Thank heavens for private events and that the agent was holding some stock, but it meant he had to arrive with both the author and the books. The author is self-propelling, but he had to borrow a sack barrow to transport the books. The distance between car-park and WH Smith, Coney Street, York, is short (ish) but plays out the varieties of the historical town. Steep hills, narrow gaps, cobbles, twists and turns. The loaded barrow raced along with a penetrating rattle that cleared a path through the crowds. It was the return journey, empty, bouncing back over the cobbles, steps and twists of York's streets that one of the wheels flew off.

Interlude: busy intersection; escaped wheel; author wrestling to keep 3-legged barrow in control whilst agent risked life and limb dodging traffic to rescue the fourth wheel before it was squashed. Happy ending with thankfulness for the general good-nature and tolerance of the British motorist, content to be entertained by the antics rather than annoyed at the obstruction.

And thus on to Monks Cross having a barrow with only 3 reliable wheels to transport a stack of books that must not be damaged. The question that loomed large was how close will we be able to park. The answer turned out to be 'not very'. But happy with a good event in Coney Street and unaware of the law awaiting us at Monks Cross, we set off... to be continued in next blog.

The long arm of the law tackles author crime in Hull

Signing books in WH Smith, Prospect Centre, Hull is a dodgy business, especially when someone tips off the authorities that it is crime from cover to cover.

Annie Raymond, PI heroine of the three paperbacks just out, would have anticipated this and made provision. For the author, no such option. With store manager, Adam, having done a great 3-book deal, the books flew off the table and I signed with ever greater care. It's a strange phenomenon that once you sign your own name again and again, you start first to forget how to spell it and then to have doubts over what it actually is.

For an author, there is no better place to sit and sign books than WH Smith, Prospect Centre, Hull. It's a busy hub, an amazing store and fascinating just to watch the crowds come and go.

Store manager, Adam, runs a bustling book shop in trying economic times, for which he deserves a medal. He is also well known as a supporter of local authors, whose books sell well from his shelves. Sales at this signing broke previous records, which is exactly the result we were all looking for.

Beverley Guardian photographer breaches space-time continuum

As the author of the Annie Raymond PI series, first 3 books just out in paperback, I find myself falling more and more into investigator mode and questioning the motives of people I meet. Are they telling me the truth? Does what they say add up? Are there any signs of a hidden agenda?

But why would I suspect a photographer from the Beverley Guardian?

She came early to the signing on Saturday 19 Nov, before we'd started really, and took some pics of me with store manager, Philip, who runs one of only a handful of the 'books only' WH Smith stores in the country. He also runs a conventional WHS just up the road. He's a busy man.

We chatted with the photographer, who happened to mention the rest of her itinerary for the day. Her next but one assignment was in Out Newton (for those who don't know the area, that's a long way on twisty country lanes) and she was due to arrive ten minutes after leaving us. Surely she would be very late for that appointment and would get successively later as the day wore on, arriving at the final garden party just before midnight.

Was her relaxed demeanour just consummate professionalism or was something else going on? Did I hear a very distinctive noise in the background a moment after she left? I don't know for sure, but what I do know is that when I arrived, I spotted an old-fashioned police box at the corner of Toll Gavel. It wasn't there when I left!

Local author, Linda Acaster, dropped in, also with far too much to do but no time-machine to help out. We agreed that the world would be a better place if people could take more time out to sit back and contemplate the world around them. We couldn't enlarge upon the theme, however, as we both had other places we had to rush off to.

The signing went well. But maybe it's the Beverley Guardian that has the real answer...

Yorkshire based crime series out in paperback 3 Dec: WHSmith, Scarborough

There are lots of reasons to come to Scarborough at any time of year and here’s another.  The international award winning crime series featuring PI Annie Raymond is now out in paperback.  WHS are doing a special three-book deal.

I will be in WHS Westborough, Scarborough signing books from 12 to 2 on Saturday 3 December.  Do call in and say hello.

Time for crime in York: 26 Nov WHS

Yorkshire-based private detective, Annie Raymond, is out and about in paperback and in York.  Saturday 26 November. WHS are doing special deals on the trilogy at £15 the set of three.  Books include the international award winner, the Doll Makers.

I’ll be signing books in WHS Coney Street from 12:00 to 2:00

And in WHS Monks Cross from 2.30 to 4.30

Do call in and say hello if you’re in the area.

Book signing 19 Nov: WHS Books, Beverley – Annie books out in paperback

WHS Books, Toll Gavel, Beverley is one of just a handful of dedicated book shops in the WHS chain.  I’ll be there from 9.30 to 11.30 on Saturday 19 November hoping to draw in the crime lovers.  Last time I was here, we were joined by a local MP and a set of local authors.  I haven’t canvassed parliament, but I’m hoping to catch up with the local author circuit.

And so on to Slaithewaite... via Durker Roods

The Durker Roods Hotel stands back from the road in Meltham and looks busy despite a lack of any useful signage to bring people in. We managed to miss it first go, having been minutely directed from just 200 yards up the road. However, it was worth finding. With several hours between our Ladykiller event in Meltham and one in Slaithewaite at the library, we stopped off at the Durker Roods to relax for a while in the way that writers relax best and to have a bite to eat.

And so on to Slaithewaite... I left the homicidal SatNav in its box and followed Ladykillers Zoe Sharp and Lesley Horton on the winding route to Slaithewaite library. Given Lesley's reading in Meltham about how insurance fraud accidents are staged, I was wary pulling out behind her at junctions, but we arrived intact.

Slaithewaite has a lovely little library with an air of busyness; a place that people use. Great to be there at this time of uncertainty for libraries. And this event was full. And again it was a very enjoyable event to take part in; a welcoming crowd, a lively Q&A and a welcome Yorkshire cuppa.

Ladykillers bring murder and mayhem to Meltham

The first task for me was to meet up with fellow Ladykillers, Zoe Sharp and Lesley Horton, prior to our joint event in Meltham. And that was easier said than done. Our SatNav works to the millimetre anywhere south of the Humber estuary, but doesn't like Yorkshire at all.

Everything was going well as far as Huddersfield town centre where the road layout must have changed. Having been directed into an oddly curved side street, I felt a reluctance to follow the instruction to 'turn left' up and over the brow of a hill. I listen to my instincts. I'm a writer. And what a good thing. A moment later, two lanes of cars poured over the brow showing clearly this was a one way street - and a busy one - in the other direction. I turned back and took a random main road until the little arrow (and my nerves) had settled down enough to take me on a safe route through the town.

My next moment of distrust was when I found myself heading "for 2 miles" up Halifax Road because I was fairly sure it ought to be Huddersfield Road, but still it seemed roughly the right direction so I sailed along up a hill to a big roundabout where I was to "take the 5th exit" which proved to be back the way I'd come so I thought perhaps there would be an immediate left turn that had necessitated doing a full loop of the roundabout. Not a bit of it. I was urged to go back down Halifax Road "for 2 miles". I was in a SatNav loop.

I stopped and reprogrammed it with a more generic Meltham address which took me back down Halifax Road, across to Huddersfield Road and on up to Meltham where it stopped me a mile or so short of my destination. From there it took only three phone calls to Zoe, two enquiries from passers-by and a posse sent out to search for me and I'd arrived.

The Carlisle Institute is an imposing building with high-ceilinged rooms, in demand for all types of events.
For our event there had been a ticket mix up, the message had gone out that tickets were sold out before they were, which kept the numbers below capacity. But that didn't matter. It was a lively event with a well-engaged audience who kept the question and answer session going well beyond the appointed time.

I was given a wonderful cup of tea in a usefully sized mug. For someone who has just spent a week at a conference in Slovenia desperate for a Yorkshire cuppa that was a real treat. In fairness, I should add that lack of 'proper' tea was the only downside to Slovenian catering which was otherwise outstanding.

And so on to Slaithewaite...

Local authors caught red-handed peddling crime in Hull city centre

Following a tip off, Humberside police raided WH Smith, Prospect Centre, Hull, this afternoon to find two local authors openly urging the populace to take to crime. 

[photo by Linda Acaster]

Although a pair of handcuffs was flourished, both officers steadfastly refused to adhere to stereotype, opening with a single "hello" and not the traditional trio.

Author, Penny Grubb, with the evidence of the Jawbone Gang, the Doll Makers, and Like False Money out in plain view, had a go with “It’s a fair cop”, but the wily officers were not going to be outwitted so easily and no one said, “You’re nicked”. 

Penny was signing books with Sylvia Broady (the Yearning Heart) on a red hot summer day in Hull.  Afterwards, people wandered down to Vanillaon Ferensway for post-signing eats and drinks where Les Pooley provided sumptuous fare.

If the authors were hoping for a wholesale confiscation of books (via the tills), they found the boys in blue dodging a strip search of their wallets, being not so easily led as politicians into mass crime purchase.

A couple of other local authors called in: Linda Acaster, novelist and writing coach and Robert Jaggs-Fowler, physician-poet.  Also on hand was fabulously talented local broadcaster, John Butcher, whose Windy Old Weather CDs are now available from his website where you can try before you buy.

Thanks to Adam and his team at WH Smith, who did the business with some great scene setting, and thanks also to all those who came along.

How to run a successful book party that sells out of books

Using the model of 29 November 2010 and the Doll Makers, here are three key points:

1 Avoid a day when there is a Tube strike

2 Avoid a day when the city is brought to a halt by snow

3 Avoid a venue where the lift breaks down after the invitations have gone out

All in all, it wasn’t surprising the turnout was lower than expected, but enough people made it for a good time to be had by all. The members’ area at ALCS is a great venue and worth fighting through adversity to see.

Jason from Camden Lock Books struggled in (and up) and with sales on the night and some advance sales from people who hadn’t made the party, left without any books at all which is as it should be.

Two attendees, author Jan Jones and wild life photographer Sandbyte, took photos and blogged the event. Thank you to them.

Chances are we’ll be back for the next launch around June next year. The venue is too good not to take a risk with the lift. We’ll avoid tube-strike Mondays. And if it snows heavily enough in June in central London to bring the city to a standstill, the world will be facing larger problems than disruption to a book party so we’re not worrying about that.

A busy book launch (with unexpected sheep)

A very busy book launch for the Doll Makers on Saturday. The livestock in cars element was unplanned. Not everyone in the crowd bought the Doll Makers but enough did that the shop was left with only three copies after an hour. Huge thanks to those who came and I hope you find the book worth it. And huge thanks too to the team in the shop for their efforts and also for being a good book shop in these difficult times.

I had to fight my way into the shop at 11. I’d love to say it was through a crowd of people waiting for me to sign copies of the Doll Makers, but of course it wasn’t. It was just the usual Beverley book-buying public out in force.

What a change from a previous book-signing where the first question I fielded was ‘Which way to the maps section?’ This time, the first question was ‘Would you sign this to my wife?’ Music to any author’s ears.

Not only was the local book-buying public out in force, but also the local authors. The picture shows (left to right) Karen Wolfe, writer of comic fantasy, creator of Granny Beamish; Valerie Wood, award-winning author of historical romance who regularly keeps the big names off the best-seller top spots in the local charts; another Valerie – Stuart Aken’s wife. Stuart, a prolific and award-winning writer was behind the camera. His credits include TV and radio as well as his award-winning short stories and more recent foray into novels. Gemma Noon peeping round from the back, creator of the Literary Project, basking in her first publishing deal. Penny Grubb, with her best signing pen, author of the award-winning crime novel, the Doll Makers, and Avril Field-Taylor, crime writer and creator of Georgia the singing detective.

Post signing, we went to the pub to relax and chat. Those with further to travel left after a King’s Head Hotel lunch. Others returned with Penny to Lilac Tree. The general eating, drinking and merriment went on into the evening. The first of the livestock-in-cars stories was told to a small contingent as they made their way back to the farm. The full (fraught) tale will have to be told elsewhere, but it was interesting that it should be told at all, given that the recipients arrived back just in time to hear of another (completely independent) case of a sheep travelling in a family car. The driver this time was stopped by a motorway policeman. All the papers were in order and the driver was allowed to proceed, albeit after the sheep had been buckled into a seat belt. But the part that will always stick from this story is the policeman’s opening gambit. ‘Madam, are you aware there’s a sheep in your car?’

The odds against two independent sheep-in-car stories at a book signing for a crime novel with no livestock angle, have to be pretty high, so I take this as a good sign. The next time a good thing happens to me, I will be able say ‘I knew that would happen. That’s sheep in cars for you.’

Big thank yous to Danny and Gabi for their superb hospitality; also to Jennifer and Suzanne for mouth-wateringly delicious cakes.

It was great to see everyone. Thanks for coming.

Which way to the maps section?

Was the first question I was asked at my book signing today. The second was about where they kept the newspapers. The answer to that one is in the shop across the road, because Beverley WH Smith is one of just half a dozen in the country where they have a dedicated book shop. It was an experiment some years ago, that was successful enough to keep the shops going but not apparently successful enough to open more.

Despite this inauspicious start, most of the people I talked to today were interested in me and my book. One chap was very taken by the cover image. It shows scaffolding against a stormy sky from a low angle so it isn’t possible to see what is on the platform. He wasn’t so much interested in the tiny trickle of blood seeping between the wooden planks, but had queries on the tensile strength of the safety mesh, noting it to be an unusual kind. We talked all around the building trade and the conservation of old buildings. Another couple questioned me closely on exactly where in Holderness the book was set. As luck would have it, Annie travels several times through the particular village they were interested in.

One woman arrived to see me because she’d seen the book advertised and thought I might be a relative. Her nephew is a keen genealogist and indeed we might be related. There was no way to know or even guess what the relationship might be, but I was glad to meet her.

Being sandwiched between Gervais Phinn and Joe Longthorn and trying to peddle a book that was more expensive than theirs did nothing to boost sales and I didn’t sell out of books at this event, but I guess they can’t all be sell-outs, and I sold more than I expected to.

Rare first editions available

By a very creative stretch of the imagination, I have discovered two sources of rare first editions. First is La Scala Studios in East Yorkshire and the second is Camden Lock Books each of whom have a few copies left of the first edition of Like False Money which is now being reprinted as it sold out in under a fortnight. I’m amazed, gobsmacked and extremely pleased. I haven’t even done all my planned signings yet. It’s not stretching the imagination to say that the first edition is now a rare find, it’s the implication behind it that these are therefore valuable books that I have to come clean about. They might be valuable books one day. I hope so. But it would be stretching the imagination to breaking point to recommend them as good investments. At present I can recommend them simply as a good read. And the second edition is on its way.
I know Camden Lock Books takes telephone orders, (020) 7253 0666. I’m not sure about online selling. La Scala might need an e-mail, but they’re planning to set up online sales for the 2nd edition.

Great scones!

Burton Pidsea village hall hosted my Holderness launch of Like False Money. And a great job they did. The hall was beautifully set out. They’d even put flowers on the table where I sat to do my talk.

Almost 50 people came and enjoyed the hospitality of the village hall committee who served tea, coffee, homemade cakes and wine. Thanks to Caroline for organising that side of it.

The event sponsor, Jenny from JD Ryan, was unable to come along at the last minute so we didn’t get to see her products. However, her leaflets flew off the table, especially to the horsey contingent, but as a fair few had flown at the recent pony club conference, we ran out, so will be asking for more.

At the end of the afternoon, the raffle tickets were picked out of the hat by local best-selling author and ex Burton Pidsea resident, Valerie Wood. My original plan had been for this task to be shared between two best-selling authors, but the second of them, Danuta Reah, had to cancel at the last minute with flu. However, the audience was not short of authors, as the Hornsea Writers had turned out in force.

La Scala Studios supplied the books and gave a huge discount to those at the launch. They also gave out leaflets for the short story competition they are running. Terry Bearpark of the local Gazette took some photos and promised a write-up in next week’s paper.

Thank you to everyone who came along.

Superwoman hosts book launch in Hull

Like False Money rose from the runway at a small privately hosted launch party in Cottingham, hosted by Janet Blackman (co-editor of Social History, until lately Chair of the UN Association policy committee, national union consultant for AUT, full time volunteer worker for ... the list goes on and on and ends up with makes own chutney!)


Eighteen people enjoyed Janet’s hospitality and I hope also enjoyed listening to me talk about where the book had come from. I included a few tasters of what might come out if a publisher takes up any of my university books.


As a thank you, I gave Janet an original work by local artist, Gabi Dziok, that I’d bought from the Art Box on Newland Ave in Hull. Great shop. I hope the recession doesn’t get it. Hull needs more shops like that. The world needs more shops like that.

School friends Teresa and Ev made it over from Wakefield and Harrogate which was a wonderful surprise. We heard news on the upcoming singer/songwriter, Vicky Robson-Capps. And Suzanne had already read the book – my first (ever) proper reader! I just loved it that the balcony scene had made her toes tingle. It made mine tingle to write it.

Gabi’s sister, Vava, took the photos, and we sold out of books which is one measure of success at an event like this. Thanks to everyone for making it a great night.