A Moment With… Paul Gitsham
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Paul Gitsham and the blog tour for his book, Deadly Truths.
How do you solve a murder when you’re shut out of the investigation?
Young detectives, Robinson Ellington Foxe and Amy Kennard, don’t want to work at Coventry’s Moat Lane police station. Neither do their colleagues want them there. But it’s the last chance for two officers for whom doing the right thing has cost them their futures.
Despite a murder on their patch, they are lumbered with investigating a series of high-profile burglaries. But when a thief is killed in the house of an influential businessman, Foxe and Kennard are convinced it is linked to their cases and want in.
The official investigation is a whitewash, but Robbie and Amy keep investigating anyway. As they uncover a web of deceit and corruption, reaching to the very top of the force, their own difficult histories are weaponised against them, and they find themselves fighting for their careers and their lives.
To talk about starting a new series, it’s over to you, Paul.
The pleasures of a new sandbox to play in.
In 2023, I decided to put my long-running DCI Warren Jones detective series on hiatus (I say hiatus – I haven’t finished him off!). But when one door closes, another opens. Enter Foxe and Kennard in Deadly Truths, the first in a brand-new series.
It’s not that I’ve run out ideas for Warren, far from it, but as many writers will tell you, it’s not the lack of ideas it’s the lack of time to write them. Furthermore, some of those ideas just won’t work within an established series.
Therefore, I decided it was time for a reinvention. Rather than more of the same with different characters, I saw this as an opportunity to rewrite the rules and restart from scratch.
The thing about an established series is that its strengths can also be weaknesses. Building a world that will become familiar to readers and author alike is a wonderful experience. So many successful writers have beloved characters that hook the readers as much as the intricate plots and thrilling action scenes. Warren certainly has his fans.
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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: An Unusual Commute
Welcome to Fiction Friday, our weekly flash fiction challenge.
Here’s how it works:
Set a timer for five minutes and start writing
Keep going for as long as you can once the timer goes off
No editing allowed—raw writing only
When you’re finished, feel free to share in the comments (but there’s no pressure)
Today’s prompt: An Unusual Commute.
Every morning, you take the same train at 7:42 AM. Same seat. Same routine. One day, you notice a passenger across from you is reading a book with your name on the spine as the author—but you’ve never written a book. The cover shows a publication date from three years ago and your face is on the back.
by Novel Kicks Book Club: The Alchemist’s Secret By Clare Marchant
Hello everyone. Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Book Club.
I can’t believe I am saying this, but June is here and we are almost halfway through 2026. With the weather not being able to make up its mind here in the UK, I am hoping the book club title this month will be one you’ll enjoy. It’s an historical fiction novel by an author I love.
The Alchemist’s Secret by Clare Marchant.
So, how does our book club work?
Whether you’ve already read the book or will be starting it this month, all are welcome. The added bonus of our book club is that you don’t have to leave the comfort of your sofa/garden/terrace/bed to take part. I’ve added a question below to start the discussion.
I’ll see you in the comments.
About The Alchemist’s Secret –
Now: When Paige returns to her ancestral family home, Woodham Hall, she’s nursing an unbearable heartbreak. The man she’d thought she loved has told her the most terrible lie, one she feels she’ll never recover from. The only thing that seems to be able to hold her interest is the story of a poisoning that once supposedly happened in the house – depicted in brutal detail in a painting by an unknown artist…
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Resolution
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room and the Plot Challenge.
Over the next few weeks, we will be focusing on plotting a piece of fiction, one task at a time.
These will potentially help you master plot structure by writing all major plot points, then analysing how each element builds toward a cohesive story.
Task 6: Resolution –
With this task, it’s about showing the aftermath after completing the climax exercise from last week. This is your chance to answer lingering questions. This is also the place to reveal what your protagonist has learned or how they’ve changed.
Things to consider whilst completing this…
- What is the new normal?
- What has your protagonist gained or lost?
- What have they learned?
- What does the future hold?
This closing section is showing your character’s life after the climax. This doesn’t have to be long but it should feel earned. The reader should see how the protagonist is different now.
by Book Review & Giveaway: The Fatal Farandole By Ana T. Drew
It makes me so happy to be welcoming Ana T. Drew to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, The Fatal Farandole.
The Fatal Farandole is a cozy mystery full of plot twists and small-town secrets. It’s perfect for fans of character-driven crime novels with emotional depth.
A beloved Provençal festival.
A murderous conspiracy.
A bullfighter who knows too much.
When two local chefs are killed within a week, shockwaves ripple through the region’s tight-knit culinary world.
Suspicion lands squarely on baker Julie Cavallo.
As whispers turn to accusations, her eccentric family closes ranks, and her loyal friends rally to her side.
But Julie’s running out of time. Her pastry shop is at risk. Her love life is unraveling. The gendarmes are tracking her every move. Julie can’t afford to wait for the official investigation to uncover the truth.
Her instincts go into overdrive. Dots connect. Patterns appear…
Can Julie make it through this case, when asking the right questions has already gotten others killed?
*****
Julie has a lot in her life that she loves – her own Pastry business, a relationship with the handsome Gabriel and a great support system around her in the form of Grandmother, Rose, sister, Flo and colleague, Eric. However, when two fellow chefs are murdered within a week of each other, Julie soon becomes a suspect. Can Julie and the other members of FERJ find out what’s going on before someone else gets hurt?
The premise for this book sounded right up my street – a murder case/puzzle to solve, and a strong female lead. I jumped at the chance to take part in the blog tour for The Final Farandole. I couldn’t wait to get started.
This book starts out strong and puts the reader right into the thick of the action. The stakes are high from page one. Julie, the lead character, is immediately in a life-or-death situation. Not only this, but her Grandmother’s dog, Lady, is also with her. This meant that it didn’t take me long to completely get invested as I just kept saying ‘one more chapter.’
by Book Club
