Hello detectives! I’m sorry I’ve been quiet here lately, but there’s a very good reason: I’ve been working as hard as I could on the fourth draft of The Ministry of Unladylike Activity, and I’m delighted to be able to say that it’s now finished and with my editor!

This doesn’t mean that the book is done – not at all! It’s now going to be copyedited (a process where a specially-trained editor who hasn’t seen the manuscript before takes a very careful look at it for inconsistencies and mistakes), and then I’ll have it back for a few more changes before it’s turned into a format that looks like the final published book. I’ll be able to see it twice more, checking it for spelling mistakes and tiny problems, and then it’ll go away to be printed, all ready for publication in the UK and Ireland on September 29th.

This fourth draft was also the point where I input a lot of feedback from my first group of sensitivity readers. I started using readers on my fifth book, Mistletoe and Murder, and I now use them as standard. They are basically experts on particular topics and experiences – if I want to make my world as diverse as I can, almost as diverse as the real world, I need to write about people who have different backgrounds to me, and sensitivity readers help me make sure that my research has got all of those backgrounds and experiences right. Readers make my writing so much more thoughtful and interesting and realistic – I wish I’d known I could hire them before! The feedback for this book included:

• More insight on the background of one of my new main characters, including a clearer version of their father’s story, and better understanding of the relationship between their parents
• Insight on the motivations of one of my secondary characters that led to a breakthrough about the resolution of their subplot
• Suggestions about ways to make one of my most important set-piece moments even more vivid
• Suggestions about the mechanics of the murder itself that’s made it even sharper than it was before
• Confirmation that my WW2 research was (mostly!) correct, as well as reminders about ways I could use it even more fully
• Suggestions about appropriate pet names!
• A question about the reason for my inclusion of a particular plot that made me realise why I’d written it, and how to resolve it

As you can see, sensitivity readers are awesome!

While I wait for the next round of Ministry notes, I’m going to keep working away on responding to all of the letters you sent me during the pandemic. It’s taking me a while, but I will get to all of you … eventually!

I’m also preparing to announce a lot of exciting things, including the cover of Ministry (there’s a really fun story behind it that I can’t wait to tell you about!) and my tour list for this autumn. I am not going to be able to visit everyone who wants me for various reasons, but I can promise that there WILL be several in-person events and signing opportunities in more than one country. So stay patient and stay alert, I’ll have more news soon!

Also, I know that a lot of you are disappointed that this website still doesn’t have comments open. I am working on this problem, but it’s possible that we just may not be able to get them back. I know this is upsetting, and I’m sorry, but my first priority is being able to keep you all safe online – they won’t return until I’m confident the new system will do that.