It's so lovely to meet you!

I'm a bestselling mystery thriller author of The Athenian Murders, The Saturn House Killings and Cold Secrets. Seven Bodies, my new mystery thriller, is coming out in January 2026 with Bloodhound Books. I'm currently based in Canada, however, I call the wonderful Elgin in Moray home. When I'm not spinning my next novel's twists and turns, I can usually be found hiking, cooking, and talking about Classical and Renaissance art to anyone who will listen.

New mystery thriller release coming in January 2026!

An exclusive retreat. An isolated hotel. A storm that changes everything.

The Tornivan Hotel in the remote Scottish Highlands is Jules’s last shot at success. When a wealthy investor and his wife arrive for a weekend stay, it feels like the chance she’s been waiting for.

But as a blizzard arrives, the hotel’s guests and staff find themselves snowed in with no way out, and they all have secrets of their own. When one of them disappears without a trace, panic spreads through the corridors.

Desperate to protect her reputation and save her dream, Jules makes a decision that could change everything. Because in this hotel, danger isn’t out in the storm… it’s already inside.

Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie, Seven Bodies is a gripping, claustrophobic mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Order now!

My books...

The Athenian Murders

Detectives in Greece solve a string of murders inspired by ancient myths.

The Saturn House Killings

Sequel to The Athenian Murders... the mystery of a body found on the beach of an exclusive island resort tests the Hellenic Police team.

Cold Secrets

(standalone)

Bar owner Robert Begg is puzzled when a mysterious visitor claims he is the key to solving a decades' old murder case in the Scottish village of Findrussie.

Seven Bodies

(standalone)

As a blizzard arrives at a remote hotel, its staff and guests are plunged into panic when one of them goes missing.

Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie.

Black Yellow Spooky Moody Dark Forest Thriller Novel Book Cover (800 x 800 px).jpg

Would you like a free mystery short story?

The Visit: A Short Story

Download The Visit now! (epub)

Download The Visit now! (PDF)

Ahead of the release of my new mystery thriller, Seven Bodies, I'm offering a free spooky mystery set in the Scottish Highlands. It's for free, no catches, no snags... just for the pure love of mystery!

I also write a blog.

To become an advance reader and receive little freebies...

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And so we move into March. The past month has been a strange hybrid of busy and quiet.

1 - 2: It's still effin' freezing in Quebec. Here is what you wear when it's -20 something. Lately, the sun has come out, which is lovely.

3-4: Every Tuesday and Wednesday, I go to ballet. I really recommend reigniting a childhood passion; this is better for my brain than anything I've ever done before. Stretching at any available moment to regain teenage flexibility is a must.

5: On 3rd March, the audiobook for Seven Bodies releases!! It's narrated by the fabulous Julia Eve - please have a listen.

6: A new cover for Cold Secrets - I absolutely love it.

7: I read Hernan Koch's The Dinner, which I bought from Sweet Pickle Books in New York's Lower East Side. It was excellent... I detested every character and enjoyed every second.

8: Lots of walking next to frozen bodies of water for us.

9: Morning coffees in bed, writing, planning.

10: A selfie after a day's writing sprint. My eyes look wonky, as they should after all that screen squinting.

11: How writing sprints are often thwarted.

#authorlife #lifelately #writerlife #crimewriter #writingbooks

The audiobook for Seven Bodies is available to order now, narrated by the very wonderful and talented Julia Eve! I've been overwhelmed by the feedback to this mystery thriller:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Literally a 3am page-turner. I told myself 'one more chapter' at least five times and suddenly it was the middle of the night."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Umm excuse me while I go and find my head... I can't stop thinking about it... loved everything about this book and more."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"...a twisty, gripping thriller, where you're never certain what you know."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"What a total mind game this book was..."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"...you can't help but fly through, it's addictive and immersive, the author draws you right in and holds your attention until the end."

I really hope you enjoy 😍 I've been getting into audiobooks lately on my walks and I'm currently listening to In The Woods by Tana French, which I also recommend!

#murdermystery #thrillerbook #murdermysterybooks #audiobook

One of the best bits about writing novels is seeing the cover for your book! Cold Secrets was originally published in 2024 and, after being so well received and selling far better than I'd ever expected, it deserves a gorgeous new cover. I'm so pleased with this design by the very talented Pascale Hutton. It reminds me of the vintage Agatha Christies and other golden age crime novels 🕵‍♀️🥰

Link is in the bio if you'd like a copy.

#bookcoverreveal #murdermysterybook #bookcover
#crimeauthor

I've been lucky enough to have lived a lot of life lately...

1-3: the first photo encapsulates my general mood during my book events recently! Speaking to local readers was honestly the most brilliant and affirming experience. This is why books (and gorgeous bookshops like @beinnbooks) are awesome, in my opinion: they open conversations, turn strangers into friends, and build community. I'm unbelievably grateful to everyone (friends and new friends) who came out to get a book signed and have a good old blether.

4-5: I've FINALLY broken the back of a new book idea which has been stubbornly rigid for a while. I'm very excited about this one.

6-8: friends!!! Seeing my friends was absolutely everything. Being abroad temporarily, I've missed them.

9-10: for about 20 years, I have been obsessed with ancient Greek pottery. So, of course I popped into The British Museum to stare at them intensely like a mad old cat. I've always liked the white ground lekythoi, which were funerary pots. I think they're so delicate and hit that stange space between grief and commemoration perfectly.

11. Apparently, there are pelicans in St James' Park now.

#lifelately #bookevent #authorlife #crimewriter

I'm so grateful to everyone who has read my new book, Seven Bodies. Thank you for reviewing and enjoying it 🥰
It's always terrifying when you release a book into the world, and it's words like this that keep me going! Here's a selection of my favourites! @bloodhound.books
#mysterythrillerbooks #whodunnitbooks #murdermysterybooks #crimefiction #murdermysterybook

A wondrous few days in New York. A black tie NYE looking over the best skyline in the world, awesome friends, much laughter, many a cocktail, sensational food, two broadway shows (Hadestown and Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York are simply must-sees, in my humble and excitable opinion), a slice of pizza on the go, my first taste of a Fish called Fluke ("no no... we intended to order this"), a bookshop dedicated to crime and mystery in Tribeca almost next to our hotel (The Mysterious Bookshop), another on the Lower East Side also selling pickles, walking and smiling... no, beaming (!), views galore... yes, I'm trying to work out a way to live there one day.

Oh! And my book is out on the 6th... please do give it a read.
#newyork #lifelately #authorlife #imwalkinghere

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All covered up

Cold Secrets has a gorgeous rebrand in the vein of Golden Age mysteries. New cover for Cold Secrets , V. J. Randle By the end of 2026, I will have published four books with a publisher (Bloodhound Books). The benefits of signing with a publisher (as opposed to self-publishing) are much-debated in book spaces, however, the agreement works well for me: yes, they take a cut of royalties, but all costs (actors/production for audiobooks, covers, editing etc., marketing etc.) are

21 hours ago2 min read

Eating the rich (with extra relish)

Why we love to hate the criminally elite...

6 days ago5 min read

Conversations, coffee and crime

Over the last couple of weeks, I was lucky enough to do some book events in Scotland, where my latest mystery thriller, Seven Bodies , is set. Here I am, absolutely buzzing whilst chatting to the most wonderful local readers! I had never done an author event before and the nerves were tremendous: would anyone actually turn up? What if lots of people turned up and declared that a) they had already read my book and b) they hated it? What if I discovered that I was, actually, ve

Feb 32 min read

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