PJ SKINNER | Mystery, Crime and Adventure Author

Mystery, Adventure and Intrigue from PJ Skinner

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Mortal Vintage is a hit!

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Mortal Vintage, book five in the Seacastle Mysteries, has been out for two months now and it is a roaring success. It has 166 ratings on Amazon already with an average review of 4.6 stars and ranks high among cozy/cosy myteries in all stores. You can buy it in paperback form direct from me or go to Amazon to buy the ebook or to read on Kindle Unlimited.

So what’s the background to the witchy theme? Well, I have always been fascinatedby the existence of ancient covens of witches in Britain. In 1542, witchcraft wasmade a criminal offence. An increasing number of witches were hunted down andkilled in the mid-17th century especially between 1645 and 1647. By the time thewave of killings was over, very few witches had escaped. The southeast of Englandheld one of the few remaining covens, the New Forest Coven, so I thought it wouldbe interesting to invent an offshoot of this group for the purposes of this book.

In Mortal Vintage, you’ll get to know more about Grace and Max Wong and theirbackground. Grace has been an enigma up to now so I hope you’ll enjoy getting toknow her better. You’ll be glad to know the normal cast of quirky characters are allon the trail of the murderer. Can Tanya and George work together without tantrums? Will DI Antrim turn up again.

Read on to find out.

Deadly Return is Flying

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My new cozy mystery series has really taken off. Deadly Return has been in the top 100 of Cozy Mystery Crafts and Hobbies books in the USA, Canada, UK and Australia (where it has been as high as #5). I have sold 500 copies and people have read a further 186 copies on Kindle Unlimited. It has 93 ratings in the UK at an average of 4.4 stars. The second book in the series, Eternal Forest, has had rave reviews from the Beta Readers, and is out on the 31st of August. I am now writing the third book in the series, Fatal Tribute, which will be ready at the end of October.

All three books are set in a small seaside town on the south coast of England and feature an amateur female sleuth, Tanya Bowe, and her friends. Ex-investigative journalist, Tanya has recently been divorced by her police inspector husband and has had to endure the ignomy of being moved into a small terraced house from her modern villa. She also has to find a way of paying her bills and fights to turn her vintage antique shop from a hobby into a business. She meets a slightly battered ex-army man who does house clearances, and they form a partnership which becomes a will-they-won’t-they thread throughout the books. The mysteries have plenty of twists and turns and feature modern themes with Agatha Christie type plots featuring red herrings and multiple motives for murder.

In Deadly Return, Tanya is reunited with Mel Conrad, an old school friend who turns up after her mysterious disappearance years before and briefly becomes one of Tanya’s circle. Unfortunately, Mel is found dead at the foot of the stairs in the former family home. The police think it is and accident, but Tanya is convinced something more sinister is behind Mel’s death. She sets out to find the truth helped by her friends and stepson Mouse.

In the next book, Eternal Forest, an eco-warrior creates waves in Seacastle when he tried to set up a Marine Protection Area offshore in Seacastle to protect the kelp forests and sea life. He is also a charasmatic womaniser and leaves a trail of broken hearts in his wake. Tanya and her friends have their work cut out when he is found dead on a friend’s fishing boat and all signs point to murder.

The third book, Fatal Tribute, will feature a murder at a Talent competition.

There is no sex, violence or bad language in the books although mild peril, depression, divorce and real emotional hardship is featured. Murder mysteries are not for the faint hearted, so please check your triggers before reading.