If you're in Basingstoke next Friday (24th), I'll be at Only Murders in the Library, Basingstoke Discovery Centre talking about historical fiction with the fab Jim Kelly and @matthewsweet.bsky.social . Tickets at shop.hants.gov.uk/products/his... @hobeckbooks.bsky.social @hantsconnect.bsky.social

This 👇👇👇is happening tomorrow at @omnibustheatre.bsky.social in Clapham. @claphambookfest.bsky.social has a great line-up this year. Oyinkan Braithwaite discusses her new book, Joanne Harris talks about the prequel to 'Chocolat' and Time Tate and Gavin Esler dissect the Spycatcher affair.

Greetings, all! I'm back up and running after having my account closed down for a while (at my behest) after a hack. Glad to be back.

Given that I haven't posted for a while, here's what I saw on Saturday night at @operahollandpark.bsky.social A wonderful La Traviata, with the sublime Alison Langer as Violetta.

Please note, my account has been compromised and someone pretending to be me has been sending posts asking for people's data or offering them a fake prize. This is not me! I have reported the issue. Thanks to those of you @philippaeast.bsky.social @ohmz.bsky.social and others, who let me know.

It's been fabulous working as a history consultant with @stpaulsopera.bsky.social on L'Elisir d'Amore, the final performance of which was on Saturday night. Tremendous, life affirming production. Plus you can read my Rehearsal Diaries on the SPO website www.stpaulsopera.org/rehearsal-di...

Super time at Bread & Roses Theatre, Clapham last Sunday for The Big Read II with fab friends and fellow crime writers @heidiamsinckwriter.bsky.social @jennieensor.bsky.social Ivy Ngeow @jonrichter.bsky.social @alicemcastle.bsky.social @annecoates.bsky.social @tonywhite.bsky.social

Tonight this 👇👇👇if you happen to be in St Albans, why not join us at the Mad Squirrel tap next the Abbey.

On a summer night, a full performance of Milton's epic poem at St Paul's, Covent Garden by the tremendously talented William Spaulding of the Royal Ballet And Opera Tickets at actorschurch.org/whatson/para... @poetrysociety.bsky.social @rsliterature.bsky.social @ucllibraries.bsky.social

Interested in literature and history? Why not join me on the Clapham Literary Walk as part of Wandsworth Arts Fringe on 14th June. Tickets at payhip.com/b/NpAj8 £10, £7 concessions - all proceeds to the Clapham Book Festival.

On a chilly but dry Friday night to @operahollandpark.bsky.social to see the fabulous Itch, with excellent company, Paul, Tim, Ruth and Andrew.

Back at @sadlerswells.bsky.social on Tuesday for the fabulous trio of talent from Jerez - Mercedes Ruiz, Santiago Lara and David Lagos - not to mention Jose Maldonado and the palmista twins. Superb. Viva Jerez!

Tremendous performance at @sadlerswells.bsky.social last night. Manuel Linan and company in 'Muerta de Amor'. Stupendous!

Interested in literature and history? Why not join me on the Clapham Literary Walk as part of Wandsworth Arts Fringe on 14th June. Tickets at payhip.com/b/NpAj8 £10, £7 concessions - all proceeds to the Clapham Book Festival.

Prepping for the book launch/insight event at St Pauls on Wednesday... some of the documents are over a hundred years old, so scanning with great care. @stpaulsopera.bsky.social @hobeckbooks.bsky.social @rcnlibraries.bsky.social

@hobeckbooks.bsky.social @juliewriter.bsky.social A Death in the Afternoon is a great read. www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2GSI...

Thank you @louiseblackwick.com @zeamee1.bsky.social @amandagreenauthor.bsky.social @scachetti-jess.bsky.social for spreading the word! Much appreciated from a fellow author.

Such a lovely review 'Wow, what an interesting and exciting historical crime thriller.' @hobeckbooks.bsky.social

In #HistficMay why not try a slice of mystery and a whodunnit with your historical fiction? @hobeckbooks.bsky.social has plenty, not just mine. See Mark Wightman and Rob Gittins.

My #FrontPageFridays guest is Julie Anderson @juliewriter.bsky.social with her brand-new historical mystery, A Death in the Afternoon, published by @hobeckbooks.bsky.social #booksky #crimefiction #historicalfiction www.rachelsargeant.co.uk/blog/front-p...

How did a road in Clapham become the name of a character in a globally best-selling book series? Which Nobel Laureate honed his trade in Clapham? Learn the answers and more on the Clapham Literary Walk, Sat 14th June. #WelcometoWandsworth #WAF2025 All proceeds to @claphambookfest.bsky.social

'Another triumph from a wonderful author.' Yep, we'll take that! Thanks, Donna. Thank you for joining the blog tour and for reviewing today #review #blogtour #book @juliewriter.bsky.social

In case you're worried that you don't know where your story is leading you...

Day 2 of the @hobeckbooks.bsky.social blog tour (and publishing day) for #ADeathInTheAfternoon bk 2 in @juliewriter.bsky.social Clapham Trilogy. There are already some great reviews to check out and more to follow for this excellent historical noir peterturnsthepage.wordpress.com/2025/04/29/a...

Lovely publication day flowers from a dear friend. So thankful.

Congratulations, Julie! Available from all the usual places, folks! Such as: www.amazon.com/Death-Aftern... @juliewriter.bsky.social #crimefiction #crimeseries #historicalcrime #indiepub #publication

📖 HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY to Julie Anderson @juliewriter.bsky.social with ‘A Death in the Afternoon’! #crimewriter #mystery #booksky

Great review, thanks for this one go to Debbie Young! 'This was a thorough delight to read.' debbiesreadingroom.wordpress.com/2025/04/28/a... @debbieyoung.bsky.social #review @juliewriter.bsky.social

What a fantastic review to kick-start the blog tour for A Death in the Afternoon by Julie Anderson! Thank you so much to Bobs and Books! Love this: 'From the first few pages I got totally absorbed into this world ... I am itching for Book 3'. www.bobsandbooks.com/post/blog-to... #review #book

A Death in the Afternoon is a murder mystery, a whodunit, packed with nasty criminals, an intriguing plot and a gutsy protagonist... A thoroughly enjoyable read.' @hobeckbooks.bsky.social Thank you, Mairead!

So... this begins tomorrow. Can't wait to see what folk think about this!

🚨NEW: The FBI has arrested Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan for allegedly interfering in immigration enforcement. No information has been provided since the arrest and Kash Patel deleted his statement announcing the arrest. REPOST to demand justice and due process for Judge Dugan!

Second to the Riverside Book shop for @heidiamsinckwriter.bsky.social wonderful book launch for Jensen 4. @muswellpress.bsky.social Sarah acted as MC, actor, Leo read a thrilling chapter and a good time was had by all.

Had a very full evening yesterday. First, a lovely exhibition at the @rcn.org.uk on nursing in prisons. The Prison Medical Service was established long before the NHS, but some of its practices were dubious - force feeding suffragists for example. It's on until December if you're in Cavendish Sq.

I went to a most interesting discussion last week at St-Martin-in-the-field with @fergalkeane.bsky.social Here's my review of it for Time and Leisure Magazine. timeandleisure.co.uk/things-to-do...

Are others seeing threats that 'people' will resort to vigilantism (a polite description)? First the man on Newsnight saying 'do something or the public will', then the plumber saying 'or things will get ugly'. There was mob violence in S'port last summer, is this prep and justification for more?

For Nat. Crime Reading Month join the crime writers for a free Sunday afternoon of crime and mystery @heidiamsinckwriter.bsky.social @alicemcastle.bsky.social @annecoates.bsky.social @victoriadowd.bsky.social @jonrichter.bsky.social @tonywhite.bsky.social RSVP app.lineupnow.com/event/nation...

Following the news about Meta's mass theft of writers' work to train AI, we're joining the #DoTheWriteThing day of action today - Make a noise on social media - Write to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy - Tell Meta they don't have the right to use your books writersguild.org.uk/do-the-write...

Today is the day of protest against the theft of our work by GenLib and Meta. I can't be at the physical protest, but will be posting online. Please repost and share. @societyofauthors.bsky.social

Today's images for 'A Death in the Afternoon' are a brace of police stations, Cavendish Road (with cells attached) and Union Grove. I remember the former as a working police station. @hobeckbooks.bsky.social @claphambooks.bsky.social

This week's three images for 'A Death in the Afternoon' are photos of housing in Clapham. These were built in the 1930s and 40s and one is a pre-fab - the 100,000th pre-fab in the UK was built in Clapham in 1947. Houses like them appear in the book. @hobeckbooks.bsky.social

The fightback is starting www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...

Walked past another south London women's hospital this morning, the General Lying-In Hospital, York Road. Opened 1767, closed 1971. @hobeckbooks.bsky.social

The Crime Writers' Association 'Hot Off the Presses' for April includes 'A Death in the Afternoon' (@hobeckbooks.bsky.social). It's in some very good company. Available for pre-order now from www.hobeck.net/product-page... or Mr Besos' emporium.

The annual 'blooming magnolia' pics. To lift the spirit!

Looking good!!

This morning the postman delivered these 👇👇👇wonderful proof copies of 'A Death in the Afternoon'. 😁Out on 29th April and available for pre-order now from @hobeckbooks.bsky.social www.hobeck.net/product-page... or Amazon www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Aftern...

This week's images to inspire the cover of my new book are prints of Clapham I found online and an LU postcard. I'm afraid I don't know who to credit for the prints, but they are redolent of the style of the early LNER posters, with stylised forms and restricted pallet. @hobeckbooks.bsky.social

For anyone interested in the South London Hospital for Women & Children, this 'anniversary' Fb post is by one of the women who occupied it fighting against its closure in 1985. tinyurl.com/jyfk8kcm

My new book hasn't even been published yet, but Amazon are sending me the ad! It's out on 29th April and can also be bought from @hobeckbooks.bsky.social at www.hobeck.net/product-page... or in any good book shop.