October Newsletter

Hi All,

I’m delighted to be writing to you again, and even happier that a temporary glitch with my website has been sorted. My apologies if any of you have been trying to contact me over the last few days. Thank goodness, all is now back to normal. 

Last month, Gary and I took a little time off for our honeymoon in the New Forest. Blissful! It’s an area I have often driven through, but never spent time in before, and it was wonderful. The scenery and wildlife are spectacular and the hotel was pretty good too. The only mistake we made was not taking the dogs. It is a very dog friendly environment. Pippin and Tinker will definitely come with us the next time we visit. 

On the book front, Book 10 in the Geldard series, Killing on the Norfolk Broads, was published on 22 September, to some lovely reviews. I’m going to quote a couple:

“I read some 140+ detective books a year and Heather is my favourite along with LJ Ross. The interaction of the characters' working and private lives is perfection. Thank you Heather.”

“ Heather Peck's tenth mystery is arguably her best yet…What makes the book shine is its beating heart: the team. Their loyalty, grit and easy camaraderie make them a joy to spend time with. At the centre is Geldard, wonderfully human and instantly relatable. An outsider who has finally found a home, he's impatient with paperwork and politics, yet hardworking, perceptive and, above all, willing to listen. His personal struggles add another layer, handled with real sensitivity and never overplayed.”

I have also been making real progress with Book No 13. But what about 11 and 12 I hear you cry? The good news is that Book No 11 is scheduled for publication on 20 January 2027 - so not too long to wait. For those of you who have already read No 10 - and if not why not? - I have included a sneak peak into No 11 below. 

Finally, I had a lovely evening at the Old School Bookshop in Old Buckenham, Norfolk, being interviewed alongside fellow writer Elspeth Latimer. I met a few of you there, which was a total delight. Thanks for coming along and introducing yourselves, and thanks too to Lucie and all her team. Future events for your diaries are a library talk at 1630 on Saturday November 7 at Martham Library, and the Scratby Christmas Fair on 5 December.

See you next month if not before.

Heather

SNEAK PEAK INTO GELDARD NO 11

That was one confused family! It was the early hours of a rainy Norfolk morning in autumn 2021. One minute they had been in secure accommodation. Cramped certainly, but secure and familiar. Suddenly, they were decanted into a whole new environment: cold, windy, friendless. As usual, Mama took the lead. Looking round, she was quick to spot a simple refuge. A narrow belt of trees offered some cover from spying eyes and at least some respite from the wind. A fallen tree provided shelter, and three of them huddled together in its lee while the male surveyed the land around them.

The parents took stock. They’d eaten that morning, so for the moment they all had full bellies. But the place in which they found themselves was no good as a long-term home. There was no water, and the harvested arable fields offered little in the form of prey. They sniffed the wind, scented water and carrion, and led their family towards hope.

There was no one to see the four stealthy, silent shapes slip along the hedgerow towards the distant Broad.

copyright: Heather Peck