I have always loved how the writing community support each other through blog tours, book promotions, even writing conferences. Swanwick Writers’ Summer School is my favourite writing event of the year, and it’s where I met many of the writers who have supported me over the years. Take author Val Penny, for example, the subject of today’s post.
I had kind of lost touch with reading crime fiction until I met Val, and was privileged to work on her first book, Hunter’s Chase, as one of my early editing projects. I found her writing well-paced and engaging, which is essential for any story, but especially so in crime. The specific genre is police-procedural crime, and centres around Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson and his oddball team, solving murders in the fair city of Edinburgh.
I would highly recommend her work for all fans of crime. If you’re like I was, and not read this genre for a while, then this is the best place to fall in love with it again.
You can see all of Val’s books on her Amazon author page here. In the meantime, here’s an extract from her new book, Hunter’s Rules:
“Scott,” Hunter repeated. “Earth to Scott.”
“Evening, sir. This is posh, isn’t it?”
“Are you here to work or admire the décor?” Hunter asked.
“Sorry. The sarge says you need us to take witness statements.”
“Exactly so, and here comes the cavalry,” Hunter said. He smiled at Chloe Ferguson. Everyone called her Fergie. She led her team of CSIs towards him. He looked at her grim expression.
“We’ll need to get this done pronto so the hotel can have their lift back. Of course, it must be thoroughly sanitised before it’s back in use,” she said. “Anyway, Sam’s on her way. We’ll let her get her initial photos taken before we start. It looks like someone’s danced on the floor. Look at those bloody footprints in the car and all over here.” She pointed to the marks on the shiny polished floor.
“Sorry, Fergie. Hands up, that was me and Meera. We checked if the woman was still alive and when she was, Meera did what she could for her while I called you and the ambulance.”
“For fuck’s sake, Hunter. You know better.”
“I did as little damage as I could, but the victim was in a lift.”
“I know, I know. It’s just lucky the professionals are here now. Oh, and there’s Sam. Let’s give her space.”
Hunter watched the quiet photographer get her equipment ready and set to work.
“Neil, if you stay here and keep everybody away from the elevator. No mobile phone photos or films either. See anybody taking any you just confiscate their phone as containing evidence. That’ll stop the rest fast enough. Charlie, you and Scott take statements from the staff on duty in the bar and restaurant tonight. The guests too. See if you can get any descriptions of the woman and whoever she was with.”
“As we don’t know what either of them look like or names or anything, can you give us a clue, perhaps?” Scott asked.
“The woman mentioned the name Frederick. She has dark hair and was dressed in a fancy red velvet dress. A cocktail dress, I think they call it,” Hunter said. “I suppose there wouldn’t be too many red velvet dresses.”
“What are you doing here anyway?” Charlie asked.
“I was treating Meera to dinner, if it’s any of your business.”
“Well, it is. If you were having dinner at the same time as the victim, you could be witnesses. Did you see her?”
Hunter’s Rules is the sixth in Val’s Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series, and will be released on 1st January, 2022.
Val Penny’s other crime novels, Hunter’s Chase, Hunter’s Revenge, Hunter’s Force, Hunter’s Blood and Hunter’s Secret form the rest of this bestselling series set in Edinburgh, Scotland, published by darkstroke.
You can also start at the beginning of The Jane Renwick Thrillers with The First Cut.
Her first non-fiction book Let’s Get Published is also available now and she has most recently contributed her short story, Cats and Dogs to a charity anthology, Dark Scotland.
Val is an American author living in SW Scotland with her husband and their cat.
You can contact her via Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, or her website. Alternatively, you can read her BookBub profile.
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