Festive Special - and an anniversary announcement!
Secrets (and shiny golden roundels) are revealed!
Dear friends,
Welcome to the festive edition of my newsletter. December is here in all its sugar-sprinkled, pine-needle-scented, gingerbread-flavoured glory. This is always my favourite edition to write each year, by the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree - and more so than ever this year, as I’ve got some exciting news to share which I hope will be a delightful festive treat for fans of Sophie and Lil and the Sinclair’s Mysteries series!
Believe it or not, next year marks the 10th anniversary of the publication of my debut — The Clockwork Sparrow, the first mystery starring detectives Sophie Taylor and Lil Rose and the rest of the Sinclair’s gang. To celebrate, I am thrilled that Farshore are publishing a special anniversary edition of the book, complete with an even shinier cover with an added golden roundel, and a new introduction written by me! You might be lucky enough to find copies of the new edition in a bookshop near you already (I was excited to find a stack of them in all their glory in Hatchard’s just last week) but it will be widely available from the beginning of next year.
And that’s not all! I’ve been asked for this SO many times and I am absolutely delighted to share that to celebrate the 10th anniversary, Secrets on the Shore is finally coming into print! If you’re a fan of the series, you might already know that this is the mysterious ‘missing’ adventure which fits in between the end of the last Sinclair’s Mysteries book, The Midnight Peacock, and just before the first Taylor & Rose Secret Agents book, Peril in Paris. In it, we follow Sophie and Lil as they go undercover on their first case for the Secret Service Bureau, and try to unravel a sinister spy plot. It’s been available for a while as an e-book novella, but in spite of many, many requests, it’s never been in print… until now!
Secrets in the Shore will be published in a new paperback edition in February 2025: not only will this include the novella itself, it will also include short story ‘The Mystery of the Purloined Pearls’ which was originally published in the anthology Mystery & Mayhem — and is the only story from the Sinclair’s ‘world’ written in the first person. This is a mystery which takes place behind the scenes at the theatre, and is told completely from Lil’s point of view. Also in this ‘compendium of detective delights’ you’ll find a letter from me, and case notes from the secret files of Taylor & Rose Detectives including lots of information about the historical background to the series, such as the real-life Edwardian detectives and secret agents that inspired it. And it goes without saying that it comes with a cover and illustrations by wonderful series illustrator Karl James Mountford! I really hope that you’ll enjoy it, especially if you’ve been waiting for this for a while.
If you’d like to preorder a copy you can do so now via Waterstones; Bookshop.org; Amazon.
OR what is even better, you can preorder a signed and dedicated copy via one of my very favourite indies, the wonderful ebb & flo in Chorley. ( Lovely Diane at ebb & flo took me on some of my very first school events when The Clockwork Sparrow was first published, including a trip to my old primary school, so it’s lovely to be working together on the anniversary!) Place your order here.
You can also read the full story about the new releases in The Bookseller here.
I’m so looking forward to celebrating next year - stay tuned for news of events and other activities to celebrate the tenth birthday of Taylor & Rose Detectives!
‘I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers…’ (and Novembers, and Decembers…)
I’ve had such a lovely autumn celebrating my latest book, an abridged version of Anne of Green Gables for Nosy Crow’s Illustrated Classics series, gorgeously illustrated by Isabelle Follath — and as far as I’m concerned, Green Gables season is continuing into the Christmas period.
It’s such a beautiful book, perfect for festive gifting - and of course features the iconic Christmas scene where Matthew gives Anne a dress of dreams with puffed sleeves.
It’s been great to see it popping up in lots of different gift guides and Christmas recommendation lists. Last week was also LM Montgomery’s 150th birthday and to celebrate, BookTrust are currently running a great giveaway: check it out here for a chance to win a copy of Anne of Green Gables and a selection of other beautiful books from the Nosy Crow Illustrated Classics list.
If you fancy giving someone a copy of Anne for Christmas, you can order one from Waterstones, Bookshop.org or Amazon: at the time of writing, a few signed copies should still be available at some London bookshops after my recent bookshop tour, including Daunts Marylebone, Hatchards, Waterstones Piccadilly, Foyles Charing Cross Road, the Battersea Bookshop, Pickled Pepper and Dulwich Books (but do check with the shop first before travelling). You may also like to look in your local independent bookshop, as some indies may have copies of the editions with special bookplates, signed by both me and Isabelle.
Signed bookplates for Christmas gifts
I thought I’d experiment with a new way of offering signed and dedicated bookplates for this holiday season so - if you’re planning to give someone Anne or any of my books this Christmas (in which case, thank you!!) and would like to request a signed bookplate, you can now request one directly on my website here.
I’ll then post you a free signed and dedicated bookplate to stick in your book!
You’ll need to provide proof of purchase, and unfortunately this is only available to send to UK addresses at the moment because of the postage cost - but hopefully it will be a nice easy way to make your festive gift extra special. Where available, I’ll throw in something extra too like a postcard or bookmark to go with the book.
Please be sure to complete the form by the end of the day on Sunday 15th December in order to ensure you’ll receive the bookplate in time for Christmas.
Holiday Gift Guide
I always love recommending a few books to give as gifts in my December newsletter. Here are my picks to help you in your festive shopping this year:
Picture Books: One of our favourite new picture books this year has been the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-winning The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage. At Home in a Book by Lauren O’Hara would make an absolutely glorious gift for picture book or literature enthusiast regardless of age; whilst Dim Sum Palace by X Fang is a quirkier choice that will particularly delight fans of a dumpling feast (in other words, me). Mr Santa by Jarvis or Letters from the North Pole by Annie Atkins both make lovely festive options to add to your Christmas book collection. For young readers who love ballet or are seeing one this Christmas, I have to also mention A Dancer’s Dream written by me and illustrated by Lizzy Stewart, telling the story of the first ever performance of ‘The Nutcracker’.
Early readers: The Izzy the Inventor series by Zanna Davidson and Elissa Elwick has been a hit in our house, blending an accessible chapter book with lots of real science facts, and even some experiments to try yourself. Beti and the Little Round House written by Atinuke and illustrated by Emily Hughes is a lovely book which put me very much in mind of Milly-Molly-Mandy. You can’t go wrong with the latest Adventuremice book, The Ghostly Galleon, which my daughter will be finding under the tree on Christmas morning. And of course, for this age group I hope you’ll check out my Little Gems titles, including the latest addition — Lottie the Little Wonder, illustrated by Ella Okstad, which tells the story of a real-life sporting superstar.
Older readers: I’ve enjoyed reading some fun new middle grade this autumn, including the delightfully magical Witchspark by Dominique Valente; a hugely entertaining spin on the classic country house murder mystery Murder! By Narwhal by Alex T Smith; and the first in a new fantasy series with a pleasingly cosy vibe, Chronicles of Whetherwhy by Anna James. For fans of historical fiction, Birdie by JP Rose is one I expect to see popping up on book prize lists next year. And if you’re stuck, then how about Winter Magic, an anthology of frosty, magical wintery short stories by the likes of Piers Torday, Abi Elphinstone, Emma Carroll and… me!
Teens and young adults: Somehow I’ve not read as much YA as usual this year - I’m not quite sure why - so for now I’ll just have to offer another hearty recommendation for I Shall Never Fall In Love, one of my favourites of the year - Heartstopper meets Bridgerton, in perfect graphic novel form, and a real treat for fans of Jane Austen.
Adults: I’ve just read (and loved) Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin, so I was pleased to spot these new editions of her books, which would make a lovely gift. For fans of historical fiction, I’ve enjoyed The Burial Plot by Elizabeth MacNeal and The Secrets of Blythswood Square by Sara Sheridan; or for historical fantasy, The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden and The Cautious Travellers Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks. For historical fantasy with a gothic twist, I’ve galloped through several novels by Silvia Moreno-Garcia this year - I’ve just finished The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. A feel-good contemporary read that I think lots of people would enjoy is Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal. Finally, I must recommend Orbital by Samantha Harvey, which has just scooped The Booker. And for something that feels very classically gifty, I’ve got my eye on this from Faber: Sylvia Plath’s Tomato Soup Cake: A Compendium of Classic Authors Favourite Recipes
Don't forget to check out my Bookshop.org.uk page for lots more book suggestions, or take a look at this list of all the books I've recommended previously in this newsletter.
Finally, if you’re looking to make charitable donations this Christmas, here are some book-adjacent good causes: We Need Books is raising money for a library in Athens with a big mission to help support refugee and migrant children; BookTrust and the National Literacy Trust are both running Christmas fundraising campaigns; the Women’s Prize for Fiction is currently fundraising via a Big Give Christmas Challenge; while a little closer to home, my local literature festival, Lancaster Litfest is currently raising money to support a free children’s festival in 2025.
That’s all for now! I hope you’ve enjoyed this special Christmas edition. I’ll be back in the New Year when I’ll be kicking off the celebrations for Taylor & Rose’s 10th anniversary.
Until then, you can follow what I’m up to on Instagram, or find out more on my website katherinewoodfine.co.uk — and of course, you can always contact me here.
Thanks for reading - and wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Katherine x