My debut cosy crime MURDER AT THE SEAVIEW HOTEL launches on August 5, 2021 and is published by Headline in ebook, hardback and audiobook (the paperback is coming out in November). It’s set in the seaside town of Scarborough on the Yorkshire coast and is about a group of twelve Elvis impersonators, called Twelvis. When a Twelvis member is murdered with his blue suede shoes stolen, Helen Dexter, landlady of the Seaview Hotel, is on the case to solve the crime, with the help of her rescue greyhound, Suki. The book is the first in a series of three signed up by Headline, all set at the Seaview Hotel starring Helen Dexter and Suki.
It’s the first time I’ve had a crime novel published, but not the first time I’ve written crime. I’ve been successful with short stories in the past which have included murder and mystery, death and deceit, fakers and fraud. Those stories have won competitions or been placed in anthologies. However, it’s not my first time as a novelist. I’ve already written six historical sagas which are published by Headline and there’s another two sagas in the pipeline. These historical books are set in a coalmining village in the northeast, in 1919. It’s the same village as the one I grew up in. I was always aware of its coalmining past and it’s been illuminating researching the place I thought I knew/ The sagas are dark and gritty and they all star young women whom I chuck everything and the kitchen sink at. Oh, those poor girls! My debut saga even includes a murder, and there are villains and ne’er-do-wells in all of my books, a dark streak runs through them all. So why have I started writing cosy crimes?
Well, I haven’t switched to cosy crimes at the expense of my sagas. I’m writing both genres alternately, using my real name for both. I haven’t chosen a pseudonym as some authors do. I’m proud of my name, it makes me unique, one thing I can call my own. I first pitched the idea of the cosy crime to my agent, Caroline Sheldon of Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency in the first lockdown of 2020. I had so much time on my hands then, with nothing else to do after I’d turned in the saga I was writing for Headline months ahead of schedule. My agent loved the crime synopsis I’d sent her and encouraged me to write a couple of chapters to ensure I could successfully turn my hand to a new genre after writing sagas for a few years. The sample chapters went down a storm with my agent, who encouraged me to write the full novel.
As the book is about twelve Elvis impersonators, I based each chapter on the title of an Elvis song. And each morning, when I sat down to write, the first thing I did was listen to that chapter’s song online. It got me in the right mood for writing, it set the right tone for the book which is frothy and fast moving, uplifting and fun, albeit with a murder involved. There are red herrings galore, jokes a-plenty, lots of fantastic characters and a very strong storyline. I chose to set the story in Scarborough, my favourite place in the world, my happy place, the town where I spent many happy holidays as a I child, the town where I was married over ten years ago.
Writing about Scarborough and Elvis, listening to his upbeat music daily was the perfect way to help me through the first lockdown. I couldn’t wait to begin writing each day, transporting myself in my head to the seaside and into my story with Helen and her friends, her dog, and twelve Elvis impersonators. I’ve even created a playlist so you can sing along as you read the book.
I hope that enjoy reading Murder at the Seaview Hotel as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Murder at the Seaview Hotel by Glenda Young is published by Headline on August 5 in ebook, hardback and audiobook. It is released in paperback in November 2021.
In the charming Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough, a murder is nothing to sing about... After the death of her husband Tom, Helen Dexter is contemplating her future as the now-sole proprietor of the Seaview hotel. There's an offer from a hotel chain developer to consider, but also a booking from a group of twelve Elvis impersonators, a singing troupe called Twelvis. Tom loved Elvis and for Helen this is a sign that she should stay. But the series of mysterious events which follow, suggests that the developer is not going to give up easily. Then, shortly after Twelvis arrive, one of the group disappears. His body is found floating in a lake, with his blue suede shoes missing. Could the two be connected? With the reputation of the Seaview on the line, Helen isn't going to wait for the murderer to strike again. With her trusty greyhound Suki by her side, she decides to find out more about her guests and who wanted to make sure this Elvis never sang again.
The Playlist is at Spotify and YouTube.
A teaser video for the book can be watched below.
Find out more about Glenda Young on her website.Follow her on Twitter @flaming_nora. You can also find her on Facebook.
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