Hello Detectives! Today is the 25th of December – Christmas Day, and the day on which the plots of both Mistletoe and Murder and Death Sets Sail are resolved!

I’m currently on holiday, spending Christmas with the family members who are part of my bubble. It’s very hard not to be able to be with the rest of my family, but I feel lucky and grateful to be able to rest and to be with people who are so special to me.

I know 2020 has been an extremely hard year for us all. No matter what else has been going on in your life, you’ve also had to deal with a pandemic – it’s exhausting and frightening and sad. I’ve said this a lot this year, but please be kind to yourselves right now, because you really need it!

Whatever you celebrate, I hope you’re taking time to rest and enjoy small wonderful things right now. I am currently getting a lot of joy from our puppy, Howl. He is seven months old and sweeter than ever – here he is looking hopeful and festive under the Christmas tree.

I’ll be back in January for what – I hope very much! – will be a more positive year. Once Upon a Crime will be published in August, and you can pre-order it now. Look out for announcements about its colour and finished cover! I’ll be working hard on the first book in my Ministry of Unladylike Activity series, which will publish in 2022 – and I’ll hopefully be able to tell you more about its plot and characters. And finally, I’ve heard that the beautiful sprayed-edge editions of the Murder Most Unladylike books will be rolled out a bit quicker than planned! At the moment, the first three books in the series, as well as the last two, have sprayed edges – and it’s looking like the rest of the series will get the same treatment by the end of 2021.

I won’t be able to even plan any in-person events until my family and I have all had the vaccine, and I feel confident that a crowded space wouldn’t put any of you in jeopardy. I love meeting you, and I know how wonderful it is to be able to talk to an author you love, but it’s simply not worth the risk of anyone getting seriously ill! If you want to order signed copies of my books, please visit Round Table bookshop – I’ll be sending out orders from my home into 2021, for anyone who wants them!

Again, take care of yourselves and others during the holidays. Remember that no feeling is final, that everything changes eventually and that it’s all right to take comfort in fiction when reality feels like too much. And I’ll see you all in 2021!