book-review

Getting excited!

Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective is about to descend upon us, and we are in a slight whirl of event bookings, launch fever, and pre-publication nerves.

It’s an exciting time, but listen up, emerging authors: nobody tells you how nerve-wracking it is to have your book released, so I’m warning you now. And it doesn’t diminish with age or repetition. Well, maybe a little. For your first book, you think your world is about to change, and it kinda does, but then it settles down again. Unless you’re Helen Garner or Sally Rooney.

Anyway, I’m off again, like an old steeplechaser out of the gate, but this time alongside my co-author, Sharmini Kumar, for whom this is a first novel so she gets to have all the thrills, and I get to enjoy it.

I’ll post our upcoming events as I have details, but here are a few:

The Melbourne launch is on 3 April at Readings State Library but it’s well and truly booked out, so you can relax about that.

The night after, we’re on a panel at Sisters in Crime, with the lovely Alison Goodman, whose latest Regency rip-roarer is The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin. 8pm, 4 April, Rising Sun Hotel South Melbourne. Bookings here.

On 7 April, we’re in Sydney for a launch event at Better Read Than Dead in Newtown, in conversation with the darling Pamela Hart. 6.30 pm: details and bookings here.

On 16 April, we’ll be at Collins Booksellers in Moonee Ponds, in conversation about all things Austen and crime. Bookings here.

On 30 April, we’ll be in Geelong for the legendary Books in Bars session at the Waurn Ponds Hotel with Dymocks Geelong. Details and bookings here.

I’ll post more Miss B events here very soon.

In the meantime, I’ve just emerged from running my first writers’ retreat at the gorgeous Continental House in Hepburn Springs. I mean, I go on retreats all the time, as regular readers know, and find them incredibly productive. But this was different – 13 writers and me, lots of teaching and writing and eating excellent food, in a lovely 1920s guesthouse. It was a huge amount of fun (and work, but I don’t mind that), and I look forward to many more. Now I’m planning future retreats and some new courses and masterclasses for after Miss Bingley comes out. Writers, watch this space.

Last week, it was my great honour to launch Marion Taffe’s debut novel, By Her Hand – a historical novel set in Mercia in the early tenth century that I highly recommend.

On 3 May, I’m launching another debut novel by a local author, The Butterfly Women by Madeleine Cleary. It’s set in the heart of Little Lon, and that’s where the event’s being held. Details and bookings here.

No rest for the wicked.

(Which reminds me, I LOVED Wicked. I’d just seen the new Melbourne production, which I think was even better than the first, with two incredible leads, so wasn’t expecting the film version to blow my mind. But it did, or at least it’s really grown on me.)

Oh, and in case you hadn’t heard …

It’s not long now until Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective descends upon an unsuspecting world. I’ll post soon about launches and events in April and May (that’s when the book is out in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, although of course you can pre-order now). US readers will have to wait until July (sorry!).

In the meantime, we’ve received some lovely praise for the book. Here’s a sample:

‘Loved this adventure in Austen’s world, with Caroline Bingley taking centre stage and proving what we knew all along; that there was much more to her character than met the eye! Wonderful scene setting and addictively pacey, this book will delight Jane Austen and Agatha Christie fans alike. Queen of the one-line put-downs, Miss Bingley makes the most brilliant sleuth – proving that detective work is right up there with watercolours and dancing as the height of ladylike accomplishments!’ – Fliss Chester, author of the Cressida Fawcett Mysteries

‘Utterly delightful! Miss Caroline Bingley is revealed as a perfectly imperfect heroine in this charming Austen-inspired escapade. Beyond its entertaining surface and mannered Regency dialogue also lies a shrewd critique of British imperial rule and a resounding message of female empowerment. As Miss Bingley would say, no hand wringing allowed!’ – Kyra Geddes, author of The Story Thief

‘I can only assume that Jane Austen would be delighted to read of Miss Bingley’s exploits. An elegant and utterly accomplished mystery’ – Sulari Gentill, bestselling author of The Woman in the Library and The Mystery Writer

Thanks to the many authors who’ve supported Sharmini and me in the lead-up to launch with blurbs, encouragement and hugs.