Cathie Dunn writes...

Welcome to the brand-new Ocelot Press Book of the Month ! Each month, we will focus on one particular Ocelot Press publication.  This month it is Sue Barnard ’s romantic intrigue The Unkindest Cut of All , the action of which takes place over one week in March, during an amateur dramatic society’s production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Here’s the blurb: BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH… Brian Wilmer is God’s gift to amateur dramatics – and he knows it.  So when the Castlemarsh Players take the ambitious decision to stage Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, there is only one man who can play the title role – even though Brian’s posturing “prima donna” attitude has, over the years, won him few friends and many foes. Rehearsals progress apace, and the production draws ever closer.  But when another member of the cast has to drop out due to illness, local journalist Sarah Carmichael (a stalwart of the Players’ backstage crew) suddenly finds herself called upon to step into the breach a...

I'm over the moon!  After nearly ten years in the field, Dark Deceit has become a paid #1 bestseller in the Literary Medieval Criticism Amazon UK charts. I'm so thrilled about it. The idea of Dark Deceit was conceived at a small train station in south Wales, on my way to work at a local university. As I did medieval reenactment in those days, I thought to add my experiences to a novel, and Dark Deceit – a medieval romantic adventure – was born!  It's set in one of my favourite historical period, called The Anarchy by chroniclers. The name describes the period following the death of King Henry I of England in 1135 and the ascension of Henry II to the throne in 1154. The king's designated heir to the throne, his daughter, Matilda, young widow of the Holy Roman Emperor, did not leave her home in Normandy in a hurry to claim her inheritance.  This left her cousin Stephen of Blois to claim the title, as the nearest legitimate male in the royal line, and the support of man...

Today, I'm excited to take part in a fabulous cover reveal for The Mystery of Montague House , the first in a brand-new mystery series by Emma Davies .  Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources ! Here's the gorgeous cover! What do you think? I'll be looking into this, as I love a good mystery. And what’s even better? It features a Basset hound called Hamish!  The Mystery of Montague House When Summer meets Wynter... With enough rooms to fill a Cluedo board several times over, Montague House has often been the subject of rumour and gossip. Tales of strange goings on, an owner who disappeared one day and was never seen again, not to mention the treasure that rumour has it lies at its heart... But now the present owner has died and the house is to be sold. It looks as if the opportunity has come to finally settle the stories once and for all. Clodagh Wynter doesn’t believe in ghostly goings on and tall tales of secrets. She has her feet very firmly on the ground and, tasked ...

Today, I'm delighted to share my review for A Bachelor's Pledge , a fast-paced romantic Regency adventure by Penny Hampson , as part of a publication day push with Rachel's Random Resources . A Bachelor's Pledge is a romance with a strong dose of adventure. Right from the beginning, you're thrown into the story when Phil, on an assignment with an informer – in a brothel! – helps a young lady who looks very much out of place, and in clear distress. Avoiding the heavies, they manage to flee, and he takes her to his town house where his housekeeper looks after her. But on hearing that he would sort out a place to stay for her, Sophia is on the run again, this time to her longtime friend who secures her a place as a companion to the wife of a retired Admiral. Little does she know that, months later, her path would cross Phil's again in the bustling port town of Falmouth. But it's not only Phil who's there – the woman running the brothel has also turned up. ...

Today, I’m featuring Rhen Garland ’s new novel,  Death in the Sound , the second instalment in her Versipellis Mystery Series . Thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the details. Death in the Sound; The Versipellis Mystery Series Book Two. The year is 1900, responding to a desperate plea from an old friend, Elliott, Giselle, and Thorne, accompanied by Veronique the Labrador, travel from England to New Zealand to unravel a new and complex mystery. For his daughter’s twenty first birthday, Millionaire philanthropist Octavius Damant orchestrates a weekend party aboard the Taniwha, a luxurious paddle steamer moored in the primordial and isolated landscape of Milford Sound.  Several high society guests are invited to their remote home for the celebrations; Sir Wesley Eade, society lawyer and his beautiful but icy mistress Lady Leonora Carlton-Cayce, Dona Carla Riva, a flamboyant Brazilian dancer, and Carolyn Nolloth, O.D’s estranged sister-in-law who ha...

Yes, it's raining awards for my novels!  Love Lost in Time  has received an award with a wonderful 5* review from The Coffee Pot Book Club , and  A Highland Captive has won the  Chill with a Book Readers’ Award .  Love Lost in Time has also received a lovely new 4* review from Reedsy Discovery. Some really nice comments. 😍 Have a read! Love Lost in Time: "From the richness of Charlemagne's court and the regret of a daughter, as she stands over her mother's grave, to the realisation of an enemy and a skeleton under the kitchen floor, Love Lost in Time: A Tale of Love, Death and Redemption by Cathie Dunn is the unforgettable story that traverses two very different times ." I'm so thrilled! She goes on to say: "Dunn has penned a very bold and ambitious book , and yet, she has s crumptiously balanced the two eras and made both periods utterly compelling ." This made my year. Many thanks! Find the full review here ...

I'm so thrilled to share that I brought Dark Deceit across to Ocelot Press . “Layered with authentic detail that will delight any historian, Dark Deceit is a well-written tale of romance, intrigue and dastardly machinations.” ~ 5* review, Suzanne Rogers, author   The novel began life at a small train station in south Wales where I lived at the time. In early 2012, it was published through  Crooked Cat  where it stayed until late 2019.  The sequel is as yet unfinished (I know – and I apologise for the continuing delay), but I hope to get it done (yesss!) by the summer. This coming summer, 2020, to be precise. Watch this space! “Ms Dunn brings the era to life.” ~ 5* review, Sue Barnard, author But in the meantime, if you haven't yet read Dark Deceit , maybe I can entice you to do so. Find the blurb and a teaser below!  A blend of murder mystery and romance, Dark Deceit takes you to medieval England and Normandy. The time was called the...

Today, I want to introduce you to Lucienne Boyce , and her Dan Foster Mysteries. I'm currently reading (and enjoying) the latest instalment, Death Makes No Disctinction , and my review will follow in a few days’ time. My thanks goes to the author, and to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources . In the meantime, have a look at this intriguing series. Death Makes No Distinction: A Dan Foster Mystery Two women at opposite ends of the social scale, both brutally murdered. Principal Officer Dan Foster of the Bow Street Runners is surprised when his old rival John Townsend requests his help to investigate the murder of Louise Parmeter, a beautiful writer who once shared the bed of the Prince of Wales. Her jewellery is missing, savagely torn from her body. Her memoirs, which threaten to expose the indiscretions of the great and the good, are also missing.  Frustrated by the chief magistrate’s demand that he drop the investigation into the death of the unknown beggar ...

I'm so thrilled to celebrate my new release today: Love Lost in Time ! I'm out of bubbly, but a nice G&T with blueberries will suffice! Later, of course...  A dual-timeline mystery, Love Lost in Time takes you to sunny Carcassonne, in the south-west of France.  For the historical part of the story, I chose the late 8th century – a time when the Franks under Charlemagne expanded and solidified their presence in Septimania (today's Languedoc-Roussillon) on the Mediterranean Coast. The locals were a mix of Visigoths, Merovingians and descendants of the Romans. After decades of upheaval, the Franks brought some stability into the region, and fortifications like Carcassonne helped to beat back any Saracen incursions.  But not all dangers came from the enemies. Some lay much closer to home... A tale of love, death and redemption… AD 2018 Languedoc, south-west France Madeleine Winters discovers ancient female bones under her kitchen floor. How did t...

I have exciting news: Love Lost in Time is finally available on pre-order from Amazon through Ocelot Press !  It’ll be released on 28th November 2019 , my 11th wedding anniversary. Thrilled to bits! Based partly on a true story, Love Lost in Time is a dual-timeline mystery set in the late 8th century and the present day, right here in the Languedoc in south-west France. The ’true story’ part is the bit where my present-day character, Maddie, finds several old bones under her kitchen floor. This happened to my former neighbours in a small Minervois village – they even showed me some remnants of bones and parts of a cranium. Needless to say, it inspired a plot, and Love Lost in Time is the result! Sadly, no paranormal activity was observed by the neighbours, even though our houses stood on the grounds of an ancient Merovingian graveyard. I love graveyards, so I didn’t mind. So any paranormal activity is entirely down to my imagination.  The ’historic’ part of...