Come along to the delightful Mirrie Dancer Bakery and Café in St Annes for a lunchtime meet-and-greet.

Hosted by author Linda Hampton, I’ll be chatting about all things writing and answering all your questions about Murder by the Book, the first in my new cosy crime series, plus anything else you’d like to throw at me!

It’s completely free and the coffee and cakes are terrific, so I hope to see you there.

The paperback edition of Murder by the Book hits the streets today!

Published by HarperCollins division One More Chapter, it’s the first in a new cosy crime series that I’ve spent the past year creating, and I’m thrilled to bring it to readers in 2026.

The ebook and audiobook editions are released on January 23, but the physical copies reach bookstores and Amazon on Thursday, January 29, and I’m delighted to say the five-star reviews have been pouring in!

Don’t miss your copy – you can pre-order now, along with the second instalment, A Game of Murder, which publishes in paperback on March 12.

The new Bill Kemp novel Thin Ice gets its first public airing as the hardback, ebook and audiobook go live. Welcome to a world of pain and freezing challenges, Bill!

Continuing the celebrations to mark the centenary of Blackpool’s worldwide bestselling thriller writer Desmond Bagley, join us for a special author event at the town’s Central Library, where Bagley first developed his love of books and reading.

David Brawn, estates publisher at HarperCollins, who publish all Bagley’s books, will be hosting this special ‘in conversation’ event with me, Michael Davies. And if you don’t know what my connection is to Desmond Bagley, well, you haven’t been paying attention, have you?!

There’ll be tea, coffee and possibly even biscuits on offer at this free event, staged by the wonderful team at the library, and it would be wonderful to get as many people there as possible to celebrate the life and legacy of this superb author.

Desmond Bagley (pictured) was one of the world’s best-loved thriller writers from the 1960s to the 1980s and wrote 17 novels before his early death at the age of 59 in 1983.

To mark the centenary of his birth, a blue plaque is to be unveiled on the house in Blackpool where he grew up, developing his love of books at the nearby Central Library.

Come and join us for this very special occasion, which will be followed by a celebration event at the library from 2.30pm (see separate event listing). It’s free and there’s no need to book. Just come along and pay tribute to the man dubbed by his contemporaries ‘the best’.