Author Panel: Another Time, Another Place

A chance to hear from a group of successful authors about their latest novels from an eclectic range of genres including wartime sagas, historical fiction, crime, and speculative thrillers.

Authors on this panel, with the title of their latest novel, are:

Kirsten Hesketh writing as Kirsty Dougal – ‘The Poppy Factory’

Louise Fein – ‘The Book of Forbidden Words’

Simon McCleave – ‘The Liverpool Killings’

Eve Smith – ‘The Cure’

The Panel will take place in our main auditorium – moderator to be confirmed

About the Authors:

Kirsten Hesketh writing as Kirsty Dougal

Kirsten Hesketh writes wartime sagas as Kirsty Dougal for Penguin and as Poppy Cooper for Hodder, including The Poppy Girls, Wartime on Sanctuary Lane and The Post Office Girls – as well as contemporary fiction under her own name. She loves writing about ordinary people living through extraordinary times, drawing inspiration from the family stories she grew up with: her father being blown off his bicycle by a bomb blast on his way to sit his exams, her uncle’s memories of joining the VE Day celebrations on The Mall in London.

Before becoming an author, Kirsten ran her own qualitative research consultancy. Over the past 30 years, she has interviewed the Great British public on everything from Rolos to razors, developing a lifelong fascination with the stories people tell about their lives.

Alongside her writing, Kirsten is currently studying for a PhD at Oxford Brookes University, researching how women’s stories of the world wars live on in family memories, literature and popular culture. She is also a keen amateur archaeologist and spends many weekends getting muddy on local digs.

Married with a son and daughter, Kirsten lives in Oxfordshire, enjoys walking, and is a staunch supporter of Wycombe Wanderers – especially when they are winning!

Louise Fein

Louise writes historical fiction, focussed around unheard voices or from unusual perspectives. Her novels have variously won and been shortlisted for literary awards, international best sellers, and translated into multiple foreign languages. Louise holds an MA in Creative Writing from St Mary’s University. Equally passionate about historical research and writing, she loves to look for themes which have resonance with today’s world.

Simon McCleave

Simon McCleave is a multimillion-selling crime novelist who lives in North Wales with his wife and children. His debut novel, The Snowdonia Killings, was a #1 Amazon Bestseller and sold over 400,000 copies. The subsequent books in the DI Ruth Hunter series have all been bestsellers and have collectively sold over 3 million copies.

In 2025 McCleave launched a brand-new series Marshal of Snowdonia featuring Frank Marshal, a retired police officer and now ranger in Snowdonia National Park. The books, which are also bestsellers, are now in audio from Simon & Schuster.

Before writing novels, Simon worked in film and television at the BBC, Channel 4 and in LA. He was a scriptwriter on some of the UK’s best-loved series including Eastenders, Silent Witness, Teachers, Midsomer Murders and The Bill. He wrote over 40 scripts for the iconic series, widely regarded as having redefined the police procedural on British television.

Eve Smith

Eve Smith writes speculative thrillers about the things that scare her. Her novels have been reviewed in New Scientist, The Guardian and The Times. Her fourth book, The Cure, was a Times best new thriller pick which explores the lethal consequences of a cure for ageing. Eve’s previous job took her to research projects across the globe which fuelled her passion for wild creatures, radical science and far-flung places.

www.evesmithauthor.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evesmithauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EveSmithAuthor/

Tickets for this Author Panel are £10.00, including booking fee.

5.30pm to 6.15pm – followed by time for book sales and signings.

SPECIAL OFFER – Book a ticket for all three Author Panels for £20.00, including booking fee

The three Author Panels in this offer are:

4pm – 4.45pm LOCAL HEROES – Local Authors

5.30pm – 6.15pm ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE –  historical, dystopian, elsewhere

7pm- 7.45pm CRIME AND THRILLERS

(please book your tickets for all three events in one transaction to benefit from this offer).

Author Panel: Crime & Thrillers

An exciting group of Authors will be on stage to talk about their latest Thriller!

Moderating this event is Devon-based crime writer Lucy Martin.

Attending this panel, with the title of the latest novel they will be discussing, are:

TM Logan – The Weekend

A.A. Chaudhuri – ‘The House Swap’

Sarah Clarke – ‘Someone in the Water’ and, writing as Liane Child – ‘Someone Just Followed You’

Simon Toyne – ‘Dead Water’

The Panel will take place in our main auditorium – moderator to be confirmed

About the Authors:

TM Logan

TM Logan’s thrillers have sold more than three million copies in the UK and are translated into 24 other languages. Seven of his novels have been Sunday Times bestsellers and two of them – THE HOLIDAY and THE CATCH – have been adapted for television. A former national newspaper journalist, Tim now writes novels full-time, and lives in Nottinghamshire with his family. His tenth and latest book is THE WEEKEND, published in the UK in 2026.

A.A. Chaudhuri

A.A. Chaudhuri is a former City lawyer. She lives in Surrey with her family.

THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION were published by Lume Books in July and December 2019. Both books have hit the bestsellers lists in the UK, Australia and Canada, with bestseller tags in Australia and Canada. They were also published as audio books by Isis Audio in January and March 2021, read by David Thorpe. They were re-published as THE LAWYER and THE PARTNER by Lume Books, a Joffe Books company in October 2024 and February 2025 respectively.

In February 2021, Alex signed a two-book contract for two standalone psychological thrillers with HERA BOOKS, the first entitled SHE’S MINE was published in August 2021 in e-book and paperback. THE LOYAL FRIEND was published by Hera Books in June 2022 in paperback and e-book and on 26th June in audio with Saga Egmont.

In June 2022 Alex signed with Hera Books for three more psychological thrillers. The first of these – THE FINAL PARTY – was published in e-book and paperback in May 2023, and in audio by Isis Audio in February 2024, and achieved bestseller tags in the UK, Australia and Canada, as well as being featured in Woman’s Own and Bella magazines. Italian and Spanish rights for THE FINAL PARTY have recently been sold to Newton Compton Editori, with publication in both territories set for some time in 2026.

Alex’s fourth psychological thriller- UNDER HER ROOF – was published on 13th June 2024 in e-book and paperback by Hera Books and in audio by Isis Audio, and was featured in Woman’s Weekly, Woman and That’s Life magazines.

Alex’s fifth psychological thriller – THE SCHOOL GATES – was published on 5th June 2025 in e-book and paperback by Hera Books and in audio by DK Books.

In February 2026, Alex signed with JOFFE BOOKS for three psychological thrillers. The first of these – THE HOUSE SWAP – will be published in September 2026.

She’s Mine was made the LJ Ross Book Club April book of the month in 2022 and was listed in various bloggers’ top reads of 2021, as well as achieving numerous bestseller tags in the UK, Australia and Canada in June 2023.  It has reached No. 2 on Top Paid Crime and Thrillers behind CL Taylor and two spots ahead of Richard Osman on the Apple Books charts. It has also reached No. 4 on Top Books (paid) on Apple Books, ahead of Colleen Hoover.

The Loyal Friend was also listed in various bloggers’ top reads for 2022, achieved bestseller tags in the UK, Australia and Canada and is now available to buy in US stores, published with Canelo US in June 2023.

Alex has been on panels at Capital Crime 2022 and Newcastle Noir 2022, and The Dark Side of Brighton in February 2023, Crimefest 2023 and Capital Crime 2023. She also hosted an on-line masterclass on Psychological Thrillers at Bloody Scotland 2023.

Alex hosted an author dinner at Harrogate 2023 and appeared on the Psycho Thrillers panel at Harrogate 2024 with T.M. Logan, C.M. Ewan, Abigail Dean and Luca Veste. She also appeared at Bloody Scotland 2024 alongside B.A. Paris, C.M. Ewan and Tariq Ashkanani, and hosted an author dinner at Harrogate 2025.  She also appeared at Chiltern Kills 2025 on the Deadly Women panel, chaired by TM Payne.

Besides being an avid reader, she enjoys fitness, films, anything Italian and a good margarita!

Website: A.A. CHAUDHURI – Amazon Bestselling Thriller Writer (aachaudhuri.com)

Facebook: A.A. Chaudhuri | Facebook

Instagram: A.A. Chaudhuri (Author) (@a.a.chaudhuri) • Instagram photos and videos

Sarah Clarke/Liane Child

Sarah Clarke is a best-selling author of psychological thrillers. She writes both as Sarah Clarke and under the pseudonym Liane Child. Sarah’s debut novel A MOTHER NEVER LIES published in August 2021 and stayed on the Kindle best seller list for over six weeks. Sarah has since published five further novels under her own name, including two destination thrillers, THE SKI TRIP and SOMEONE IN THE WATER. Sarah’s first book as Liane Child – THE TRADWIFE’S SECRET – published in May 2025. Leading a new wave of ‘trad lit,’ the book has been translated into 10 languages and optioned for screen. SOMEONE JUST FOLLOWED YOU, a second Liane Child social media thriller, is coming in September 2026, and Sarah’s seventh book under her own name – HER DEADLY HUSBAND – will publish in January 2027. Sarah lives in London with her husband, dog, and two children (whenever she can lure them back from university).

Instagram – @sarahclarkewriter  Website – sarahclarkeauthor.com

Simon Toyne

Bio coming shortly.

https://www.simontoyne.net

Tickets for this Author Panel are £10.00, including booking fee.

7.00pm to 7.45pm – followed by time for book sales and signings.

SPECIAL OFFER – Book a ticket for all three Author Panels for £20.00, including booking fee

The three Author Panels in this offer are:

4pm – 4.45pm LOCAL HEROES – Local Authors

5.30pm – 6.15pm ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE –  historical, dystopian, elsewhere

7pm- 7.45pm CRIME AND THRILLERS

(please book your tickets for all three events in one transaction to benefit from this offer).

Author Panel - Local Heroes

Local Authors

An opportunity to hear from a panel of successful authors, all based in Devon or Cornwall, who will be speaking about the following books:

Eva Glyn – ‘The Dubrovnik Book Club’ and ‘The Croation Island Library’

Stephanie Austin – ‘A Dartmoor Christmas Card Murder’

Jonathan Posner – ‘The Broken Sword’

Felice Hardy - 'The Tennis Champion who Escaped the Nazis'

The Panel will take place in our main auditorium and will be moderated by Cathy Dodd.

About the Authors:

Eva Glyn

Eva Glyn’s novels are inspired by the places she loves to travel to and her fascination with local culture and history.

In 2019 a holiday changed her writing life when a tour guide shared his heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting story of growing up in Mostar during the war in the 1990s. This became The Olive Grove and since then she has written a further six novels for Harper Collins imprint One More Chapter, including The Dubrovnik Book Club, and two Second World War dual timelines set in Croatia.

Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in the South West of England and, as well as travel enjoys walking, wine and indulging her passion for history.

Stephanie Austin

Stephanie Austin is the author of the best-selling Devon Mystery Series, published by Allison and Busby, a series of contemporary crime novels set in the Dartmoor town of Ashburton and featuring reluctant amateur sleuth and antique shop owner, Juno Browne.

Stephanie lives in Devon and had a varied career as a teacher, artist and antiques trader before becoming a writer, and has a long history as an actor and director in amateur theatre. When not writing she likes to garden and cook.

The latest book in the series, ‘How to get Murdered in Devon’, is now out in paperback.   ‘A Dartmoor Christmas Card Murder’ comes out in November.

Jonathan Posner

Jonathan has been an avid reader of fiction ever since he was old enough to own a torch. As a schoolboy he virtually lived in Narnia, and as he got older, he got into historical fiction – particularly Phillipa Gregory, Susan Kay, C J Sansom and the Flashman Papers.

He loves creative writing, and has written the book and lyrics for three full-scale Musicals, all of which have been performed by community or professional casts. In 2015 he upcycled the plot of one of the Musicals into The Witchfinder’s Well, a full-length Elizabethan action and adventure novel. Since then, he has written and published a further six novels and two books of short stories/articles. His latest book, The Assassin’s Revenge, is due out in 2027.

Jonathan is a member of the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Felice Hardy

Felice has been a travel writer for most of her career, touring the world for a variety of newspapers and lifestyle magazines. She lives in Somerset with her writer husband and a small black dog. Her three children all live in Devon. Her recent book, The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis, was published by AdLib in the UK and USA. It was also translated into Czech. Her book featured on a 45-minute episode of BBC World Service’s Lives Less Ordinary during the Wimbledon tournament this year

Tickets for this Author Panel are £10.00, including booking fee.

4.00pm to 4.45pm – followed by time for book sales and signings.

Please note: Victoria Dowd is no longer appearing at this event, as previously advertised.

SPECIAL OFFER – Book a ticket for all three Author Panels for £20.00, including booking fee

The three Author Panels in this offer are:

4pm – 4.45pm LOCAL HEROES – Local Authors

5.30pm – 6.15pm ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE –  historical, dystopian, elsewhere

7pm- 7.45pm CRIME AND THRILLERS

(please book your tickets for all three events in one transaction to benefit from this offer).