Finding Secrets - a romantic mystery

I'm delighted to announce that my second novel, Finding Secrets is out now as an ebook and a paperback.

I love old houses. The creaking of the wood, the hand crafted details in the architectural design, the walls that remember the laughter and tears of people who have lived there before. And if there’s modern heating and a power shower too, then so much the better!

Finding Secrets is the story of a modern girl who loves a touch of the old and quirky. Alex Hart is firmly grounded in the reality of managing a historic home open to the public, and yet, is easily swept up in the romance of tracking down the history of an old locket, entries from a mysterious diary, and uncovering the truth of her own origins.

This book was a joy to write because it enabled me to combine all manner of odd socks – The London Blitz, an Elizabethan House, a jewel that may be from Imperial Russia – and an intelligent and plucky heroine (not to mention a few handsome candidates for romantic leading man!).

The idea for the book sprung out of an image that I couldn’t get out of my head – of a young girl crawling from the wreckage of a bombed out building and catching snowflakes on her tongue. From there, the map of the book twists and turns, and if I sat down to write it again, trying to find my way, I’m not sure I could do it. That’s another one of the joys of writing – sometimes the final creation surprises even the writer!

In any case, in Finding Secrets I tried to write a book that I – and hopefully others too – would want to read. A book that combines romance, humour, mystery, and ultimately, a character that I hope you’ll want to root for. I’m excited (and a little nervous) to hear what readers think of it, and I’ve learned that I can’t please everyone. But if you’re an ‘old-house’-loving romantic, I really hope you’ll like it.