An aspect of my writing that I really enjoy is talking to groups of readers, both formally and informally. In addition to the occasional local book festival, during the course of a year I will be talking to a number of small groups, including members of the WI and the U3A. My talks are well received, particularly when I describe my work on high profile murder cases. My experience of forensic work includes matching soil from footwear to the crime scene, testing hair from a victim of arsenic...

My first book, ‘Corpse Way’, is set in Swaledale against the backdrop of the lead mining legacy and the scenery of the ruined buildings and hills worn bare by the process of ‘hushing’ to expose the lead ore. This is one of the most intensively mined parts of Swaledale in 18th and 19th centuries. This mine entrance, which is featured on the cover of ‘Corpse Way’, is close to the Old Gang Smelting Mills, the largest remaining lead smelting mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Smelting began in 1797 and continued until 1907. It is a fascinating glimpse of the lead mining era, accessible from Surrender Bridge and well worth a visit.

It is always a slightly nervous occasion but I'm pleased to say it looks very good. The new format has a different font with more space between lines which gives it a pleasing appearance. The cover is very distinctive, reflecting the fiery themes that run through the book: “Dr Mills Sanderson can only watch as fire envelopes Yardley Forensics and destroys forensic evidence associated with important criminal cases. Tragically a body is discovered in the laboratory when the flames...

Everyone has been rallying round to help and local businesses are working hard to re-open but it will be a long time before things are fully back to normal.The bridge on the road from Grinton to Leyburn has collapsed and the alternative road from Richmond has suffered a landslide, making access to the villages more difficult but hopefully this will not discourage visitors coming to our beautiful part of the dales.

I have just finished my first edit and disentangled a few loose threads. It is inevitable that there will be the odd occasion when continuity goes awry; for example where someone travels by car to a location then travels back by bike. However, strangely, in this book it seems that DS Nina Featherstone is getting quite forgetful and I have had to remove occasions when she has repeated herself, picked up an item belonging to the victim but never mentioned it again or had to rush off to see...