Read this summer's hottest destination thriller now!

"Absorbing and twisting tale with one hell of an ending... I loved it!"

"Wow! What a story. Intriguing from the beginning."

"Fantastic. A gripping read I couldn't put down."

The Talented Mr Ripley meets Lucy Foley... follow influencer Lauren to Italy where her dream book deal turns into a nightmare.

It's so lovely to meet you!

I'm a bestselling mystery and thriller author of The Athenian Murders, The Saturn House Killings, Cold Secrets, Seven Bodies, and A Story Worth Killing For (Bloodhound Books). I'm based in the most wonderful Elgin in Moray. 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 destination thriller!

Sunrise on a luxury yacht is a dream come true… being framed for murder is not.

Influencer and aspiring writer Lauren arrives in Italy with a lucrative book deal to explore the wealthy and glamorous women who flock to the country each summer.

Among them is Alicia Goldsmith, a powerful businesswoman and recent widow, the perfect subject for Lauren's book. But she soon notices bruises on Alicia's wrists, and someone watching and filming her every move.

When Lauren overhears a heated conversation between Alicia and handsome course co-ordinator Zane, under pressure from her publisher, she accepts an invitation to attend a private party with people she barely knows.

But the celebration takes a deadly turn. Lauren finds herself in the middle of a gruesome scene holding a blood-soaked knife. Someone has orchestrated the perfect massacre – and framed her.

Now, stranded on the sun-drenched Amalfi Coast, trapped in a world of wealth and deceit, Lauren must uncover the truth. Because someone on that yacht is willing to kill to keep their story buried.

A Story Worth Killing For is a fast-paced destination thriller packed with dark humour and shocking twists, perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Alice Feeney.

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.

I also write short stories for wonderful magazines that champion fiction!

In Exilio: my latest sun-drenched mystery featured in My Weekly on 8th August '26.

Pop to the shops or click here to read!

My blog.

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

Find me on Instagram!

Doing my fair share of touching the stubble plains with rosy hue with my hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind.

#autumnwalk #moray #dufftown #autumninscotland #benaigan

Favourite time of year 🍂

#autumn #autumnwalk #craigellachie #speyside

My stationery fetish reaches new heights as the envelopes for the first Perplex Post arrive! If the idea of receiving one of these through the post accompanied by a short mystery story every month appeals, then I'd love to send you a letter. Just see the link in my bio.

I'm keeping costs as reasonable as possible, with the annual (six letters) costing £15. I just love writing short mysteries and care very much about preserving the genre, that's all.

#shortstory #lettersubscription #shortstorysubscription #crimewriter #mysterystories

Introducing some sleuths who are set to feature in The Perplex Post...

#sleuthing #agathachristie #poirot

I have three favourites about whom I've been writing for a while! They will all be popping up over the next year 🕵‍♀️

#murdermystery #sleuths

Some of you may have met Robert Begg and the Pine Needles before in Cold Secrets. The gang will be popping up again in December's festive issue in The Botanist's Missing Lady Slipper.

#crimefiction #shortstory

Dr. Lex Mildruey is a reluctantly famous archaeologist. She's The Perplex Post's first ever sleuth! In October, see how she solves The Case of the Broken Amphora.

#famoussleuths #murdermysterybooks

My newest crime-fighting duo, imperfectly matched aristocratic Esther Shardsley, who has turned her family's small Scottish estate into a hotel, and Jessie Hare, a rather glam journalist from London, will first feature in My Weekly magazine in November. The pair will also have a turn in The Perplex Post!

#murdermysteries

If you'd like to be sent a copy (a short mystery story in the post every other month) just visit the link in my bio. It's £15 for the whole year, £9 for 3 issues, and £4.50 for one (post and packaging inc.).

Fields. Limestone. Pubs.

#cotswolds #weekendaway #charlbury #sunnyweekend

August! A truly fabulous one:

1) Gym and brunches with pals.
2) Developed a deeply maternal protective instinct for baby gulls.
3) Athena the Cat back in her grasslands.
4) I have my coffee and writing mornings on the garden wall back.
5) Honesty boxes galore.
6) A wonderful book event!
7) Beach saunas and swims. Survived the jellyfish.
8) Cool beverages in the sun (this is really Scotland).
9) Might make some plum jam.
10) A new short mystery story fixation/project.
11) Jotting, plotting, swotting.

#lifelately #beachsauna #authorlife #moray #bookshop

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}

I think "womags" might save fiction

My latest blog post about women's magazines, respecting fiction in tough times, and why we might be wise not to overlook short stories in 2026.

Aug 71 min read

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

Mar 102 min read