Sam Blake is a pseudonym for Vanessa Fox O'Loughlin, who is originally from St. Albans in Hertfordshire but has lived at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland for (almost) more years than she lived in the UK. She has been writing fiction since 1999 when her husband went sailing across the Atlantic for 8 weeks and she had an idea for a book.
Vanessa is also the founder of The Inkwell Group publishing consultancy and the Irish national writing resources website Writing.ie. She is Ireland's leading literary scout who has assisted many award winning and bestselling authors to publication.
Vanessa is also the founder of The Inkwell Group publishing consultancy and the Irish national writing resources website Writing.ie. She is Ireland's leading literary scout who has assisted many award winning and bestselling authors to publication.
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult Fiction
New and upcoming books
Series
Raven's Hill School
Something Terrible Happened Last Night (2023)
Something's About to Blow Up (2024)
Something Terrible Happened Last Night (2023)
Something's About to Blow Up (2024)
Novels
Keep Your Eyes on Me (2020)
The Dark Room (2021)
High Pressure (2021)
Remember My Name (2022)
The Mystery of Four (2023)
Three Little Birds (2024)
The Killing Sense (2025)
The Dark Room (2021)
High Pressure (2021)
Remember My Name (2022)
The Mystery of Four (2023)
Three Little Birds (2024)
The Killing Sense (2025)
Sam Blake recommends

It Should Have Been You (2025)
Andrea Mara
"The queen of the neighbourhood thriller, Mara's multi layered, utterly believable characters grab you from the first page - she gets right under their skin to reveal the darkness and intrigue of ordinary lives as they unravel. Riveting, twisty and revealing, I couldn't put it down."

There Came A-Tapping (2025)
Andrea Carter
"Authentic, original, hauntingly atmospheric, and in parts just plain terrifying,There Came A-Tapping will keep you up all night! A brilliantly woven thriller, I couldn't put it down."

Burn After Reading (2025)
Catherine Ryan Howard
"Claustrophobic and menacing, Burn After Reading is a taut thriller that makes for breathless reading as Ryan Howard masterfully takes us from the picture postcard Sanctuary into an ever-tightening knot of scorching hot lies. From the first page to the last satisfying twist, don't pick this book up if you have an early start the next morning!"
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