Joanne Burn. Agent: Ella Diamond Kahn. A lover of words, food and the wild outdoors, Joanne lives in the Peak District where she coaches creativity, and blogs about the joys and challenges of writing at www.notawritersgroup.com.
The Woman in the Wallpaper (2025) Lora Jones "Immediately swept away into the tumultuous world of revolutionary France, I was captivated from the opening pages by the three young women whose lives are thrown into turmoil by events both personal and political. Skilfully written, we are gifted a platter of intriguing, unpredictable characters and an expertly-plotted narrative that delights and amuses despite the darkly unsettling mystery that urges the story on at a pace."
The Nightingale's Castle (2024) Sonia Velton "Dark, unsettling and so skilfully written, The Nightingale's Castle is a novel that takes the reader by the hand and leads them to the wintry side of the human soul. Tinged with a creeping horror from the opening pages, it reads like the finest fairy tale. I loved it, and admired it greatly."
The Library Thief (2024) Kuchenga Shenjé "Powerful, sagacious and warm, The Library Thief is both a gripping, multi-layered mystery and a gorgeously absorbing novel that demanded I return to its pages whenever I had the audacity to set it down. Without a doubt, Shenje's wholly original debut has bestseller written all over it."
Eliza Mace (2024) (Eliza Mace Mysteries, book 1) Sarah Burton and Jem Poster "An atmospheric novel of intrigue, with likeable characters and a captivating setting that immerses the reader in the Victorian era. A thoroughly enjoyable mystery."
The Illusions (2023) Liz Hyder "Hyder is a wonderfully accomplished storyteller. The Illusions is a magical tale of innovation, darkness and delight. A book to disappear into - I devoured it greedily."
Laura Shepperson "A feminist retelling that subverts the most enduring myth of them all - that women are to blame for the violence exacted upon them and are the cause of their own suffering. Laura Shepperson does not flinch in her reimagining of Phaedra's story. Wholly original, The Heroines eschews romance, and does not seek to mollify the male reader. Instead, the author holds steadfast in her unpicking of the age-old misogynistic narrative that women are weak, conniving and duplicitous. Chapter after chapter she posits: This is how it is, can you deny it? A welcome reimagining that left me all at once satisfied and furious."
The Dance Tree (2022) Kiran Millwood Hargrave "The Dance Tree hums with intrigue, grief and rebellion, oozes tenderness and love. Fierce as Lisbet's bees, delicious as honey. A raw, intoxicating novel."
The Leviathan (2022) Rosie Andrews "Chilling and beguiling, The Leviathan is a novel to be devoured greedily. Vivid and original, I was utterly captivated from the first page until the last."
The Key in the Lock (2022) Beth Underdown "A beautifully dark, eerie tale of haunted hearts and brooding secrets. Expertly plotted and exquisitely written, The Key in the Lock is the perfect gothic novel."
