What a fantastic evening @waterstonesKDY with great thanks to James and all who attended for the fascinating discussion and exacting questions. The perfect event.

Prompted to check up on reader reviews for ‘The Wicked Of The Earth’ & delighted to find current ratings of: Goodreads 4.06 (4.29 for special launch edition) Amazon 4.2 Waterstones 4.67 Screenshots below. Please do review books - for an author, all reader feedback is invaluable.

Thanks to @BBCLN for this coverage of the 375th anniversary of the Newcastle witch trial executions. Very glad to say that a wider event programme is now in full swing, focused on education and fundraising / Remembering the Accused Witches of Newcastle. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Setting up @litandphil for today’s sold-out event Remembering the accused witches of Newcastle’.

Approaching Autumn in the North East, a mellow morning on The Ness, to which Oystercatchers have returned. Also near is the 375th anniversary of the Newcastle Witch Trial Executions and a busy run of book events, beginning with a much anticipated evening @WstoneDurhamUni 7pm Wednesday.

Fantastic Thursday evening in conversation with @angharadhampshirewriter at @thegrovebookshop in Ilkley. Compelling audience questions / discussion around morality, individual responsibility and the deep relevance of historical fiction. Thanks to all.

Delighted to have so many NE events to look forward to around the 375th anniversary of the Newcastle witch trial executions. Catch me Aug. 20th @WstoneDurhamUni & 27th @WaterstonesMorp - or leading a great panel discussion @litandphil Saturday Aug. 23rd, as well as @TheWord_UK Sept. 16th.

So, travels done, Max is liking being home.

So, the big ‘Wicked’ tour, a generally north to south affair. embarks upon its final chapter…

wonderful evening in Stow thanks to @WedaleBookshop - Max was amazing through great discussion with @11mwc and lots of questions from the crowd in a packed church. Now an early start for #IndieBookshopWeek day 7 @theedinburghbookshop & @BookNook_Sarah

Day 6 #IndieBookshopWeek, the most anticipated of all. A pair of signings @BookendsCarl & @waterstonescarlisle then an evening with the amazing @WedaleBookshop - poignant as Stow was the last place of ‘work’ for witch-pricker Kincaid prior to the Northumberland & Durham hunt.

Start of #IndieBookshopWeek day 3 in Cheltenham, a town remarkably well-served for books @rossiter_books @HatchardsCheltenham & @cheltenham_waterstones, (where it was great to meet the brilliant @ravencrimereads), all looked over by this faintly menacing pair…

Early start for #IndieBookshopWeek, first in Leeds @littlebookshops then @beverleybooks - both a special pleasure. Do support your local #IndieBookshop this week. Bookselling is hard, indie booksellers so much more than retailers.

Events coming thick and fast during # IndieBookshopWeek - a cracker in prospect next Wednesday in Dudley @Saturday_Books_ saturdaybooks.co.uk

Phenomenal demand, I hear, for what is probably my most-anticipated event so far (@wedalebooks is the very best of bookshops and Gordy a marvel). Such a privilege to be in conversation with @11mwc in Stow a week Thursday. Book one of the last places while you can.

London and adjacent people - Wednesday, 6.30pm @paradesendbooks Ham, a rare, intimate London evening to talk about ‘Wicked’, witch trials, corruption, misogyny and a surprising amount of female agency. paradesendbooks.co.uk/event/an-eve...

#IndieBookshopWeek is coming up, 14th-21st June. Do support your local independent bookshop. It’s a tough industry and indies do an amazing job for writers, readers and local communities. It’s also a combined marathon and sprint for ‘Wicked’: 30 bookshops in a week, can’t wait.

Home for a decent while makes for a happy Max. #Berwick

Love for ‘Wicked’ across Lincolnshire: wonderful signing and meeting readers in Lincoln @lark_books_ @LindumBooks the very best of talks and audiences @Therabbits21 and amazing engagement (and sales) from customers @waterstonesgy Thanks to all, I’ll be back with Max.

A small, and fascinating, historical diversion between book signings and events…

Lovely day visiting bookshops along the Thames west of London. Thanks to all, but particularly to the wonderful booksellers @waterstonesbracknell and @theweybridgebookshop for the face-out and recommendation card displays.

Two of the very best small bookshops in the country sit near one another in Suffolk: Andrew’s vibrant, eclectic @dial_lane_books in Ipswich being just 11 miles from William’s wonderful, perfectly-curated @Stillwaterbooksfelixstowe in beautiful Felixstowe. Signed copies in each.

Brilliant Sunday @inkandquill.bsky.social with a wonderful, engaged, knowledgeable crowd. Lovely properly to meet among them Sarah from @angusbookfest and Judith Langlands-Scott. Looking forward to returning this November.

Thanks again to Dean @heronandwillow and the many Jedburgh folk who attended a fantastic q&a last night. Great discussions, insightful, challenging questions, ‘Wicked’ sold out. Max will be there next time, it’s a promise.

A true peak among so many book tour highlights was to meet Alastair and Chloe @booksonthehill.bsky.social - not only the loveliest of people running a magnificent book shop, but also responsible for BOTH Press, committed to adult dyslexia-friendly titles, now expanding to some fantastic names.

Cimitière des Innocents Paris, April 4th 1653, a sparse crowd trickles away from the graveside of an English exile. The word ‘meurtre’ slips into the damp air. One of their number, a woman quick in her movements, approaches a stationary carriage. ‘Tell me then, about this James Archer.’

Great thanks to @BorderReaders Stephen Tomlin for masterful readings and control of the evening, to @littlefeltonbookfestival for organising such a lovely festival and to all of the wonderful, engaged, challenging (in a good way) attendees.

“The herring is the King, or even Emperor, of fishes.” Paul Neukrantz ‘De Harengo’ 1654 It may only make for a single sentence in the finished book, but I do love the diversions and hidden depths involved in background research.

Terrific NW tour all round, but is anywhere more ubiquitously generous than Lancashire? Thanks to @WstonesPreston @watetstonesbpl @CarnBooks @waterstoneslancaster @WaterstonesLPL @waterstoneswn1 @WstonesBburn @waterstonesbury - such a warm welcome for ‘Wicked’.

Magic happened yesterday. Two large stacks of books, in two entirely separate locations, rapidly disappeared. Thanks to @waterstonesburystedmunds and @bodiesinthebookshop for inviting me to such fabulous events and helping ‘Wicked’ to reach so very many new readers.

The first such exceptional bookseller recommendation comes from John @undertheleavesbooks - @sfletcherauthor ‘Witch Light’, formerly ‘Corrag’, a poetic meditation of a book which has challenged and broadened my understanding of the possibilities of witch-hunt literature.

Tiny bookshops, behemoths, legends, Max and I are seeing them all as ‘Wicked’ reaches booksellers nationwide. One joy is to discover places with beautifully curated stock, offering wonderful surprises. Recent highlights would have to include @marlowbookshop @drakethebookshop and @WaterstonesBYR

A delightful trip to Inverness, Elgin, Nairn and Forres. Signed copies of ‘Wicked’ going rapidly but particular thanks for fascinating, really helpful conversations with the great booksellers @thenairnbookshop @yeadonsofelgin @undertheleavesbooks

A truly great evening with a fully engaged crowd @waterstonesnewc talking with @angharadhampshirewriter about misogyny, morality and the problem with ‘good’ in times of rigid ideology. Thanks to all who came and asked so many insightful questions.

I’m coming home, Newcastle, for this evening’s double-hander event with the brilliant @angharadhampshire @waterstonesncl - but lovely earlier to see ‘Wicked’ and ‘The Mare stocked together in @Foyles and @waterstonesgowerstreet

Lovely book post to which to return home. Thanks to @KateFosterauthor and @panmacmillan for this advance look at ‘The Mourning Necklace’. I have a double-header q&a event booked alongside Kate @bookhouse_broughtyferry on June 27th, which looks set to be an absolutely top evening.

Great @worldbookdayuk.bsky.social offer from @northodoxpress.bsky.social and the chance to pick up some great books for 25% less. www.northodox.co.uk/product-page...

Wonderful day yesterday signing stacks of books and meeting booksellers @StillwaterFelix @NorwichStones @JarroldBooks @lowerstones @waterstonesipswich @dial_lane_books Summer return to Norfolk and Suffolk packed with talks and events to look forward to.

The face of a dog expressing ‘What? Not another train. I suppose you’ll expect me to look shmooshy in bookshops as well…’

Busy, exciting week coming up, from a plethora of signings across East and West Anglia, a return trip to @crimegoodyork in beautiful York and a much-anticipated, sold-out q&a event in Dunbar with the brilliant @naomikelsey_ @night_owl_bookshop

One burly Curlew lumbers about The Ness. A good morning. First draft of ‘Jerusalem Staggers’ done (long, long way to go, but uplifting).

Ten days to go and last few spaces available for what is going to be such an exciting event in Dunbar, as we discuss witch trials, misogyny, greed, corruption and courage. nightowlbooks.co.uk/products/the...

A Puritan Valentine, “If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were loved by wife, then thee. If ever wife was happy in a man, Compare with me, ye women, if you can.” ‘To My Dear and Loving Husband’ Anne Bradstreet, 1650

historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-... “Highly recommended, The Wicked of the Earth is a superb debut novel…praiseworthy for its heart, characterisation, understanding of the human condition in a particular time and place…the novelist’s fine writing and its great page-turning quality.”

The haphazard revolution. 7th February 1649, the House of Commons resolves to abolish the monarchy. Beset by enemies without and faction within, the new republic tacks reactively, losing support from all sides, increasing its dependence upon a merchant - military alliance.

Less than a week until this very special event @edinburghbookshop.bsky.social - come join a great evening. www.edinburghbookshop.com/events-1/a-d...

This coming Tuesday 4th February, I’m delighted to be combining a research trip to Civil War Colchester @ColMuseums @VisitColchester with signing copies of ‘Wicked’ @waterstonescolchester @RedLionBooks

Wonderful day visiting @ToppingsEly @waterstonesburystedmunds (there are two!) and @bodiesinthebookshop in Cambridge, as ‘Wicked’ expands across Anglia. Very much looking forward to returning for events in the Spring.

‘Four days of hard riding through a flat, half-submerged landscape. Four days together of driving into the cutting north wind, across the very bleakest and coldest part of the whole worn-out country.’ A trip visiting Fen bookshops today, hopefully in greater comfort than poor, beset James Archer.

The best writing decision I ever made was to enrol with @cbcreative.bsky.social and this is another superb list of new novels by its alumni.