Gianina Turner talks to South Bristol-based novelist Emylia Hall about her mystery detective series, changing genre and writing retreats… PLUS! We have one copy of Emylia’s latest novel that must be won!
Tell us about yourself and how your path has led you to becoming a successful author?
I grew up in the wild of Devon, and after spells in York, Lausanne, London, and the French Alps, I moved to Bristol in 2007 and have been here ever since. My first novel, The Book of Summers – a coming-of-age story inspired by childhood holidays – was published in 2012, and three more contemporary fiction novels followed.
But in 2023 I turned to crime with The Shell House Detectives, the first in a mystery series set in West Cornwall. The fourth Shell House book, The Death at the Vineyard, was published in November, and there are at least two more to come.
When I’m not buried in a novel I work as a writing coach at The Novelry and am also the founder of Mothership Writers, inspiring new mums to pick up a pen and write.
What drew you later to mystery and crime fiction?
My first novel was a Richard and Judy book club pick and one of the bestselling debuts of that summer, so I got off to a great start as an author. But sales dwindled with subsequent books, and by 2019 I was writing out of contract and the pressure was on.
I had a sudden yearning to write something different: to embrace a new genre, learn something new, and have some fun along the way. So, I abandoned my work-in-progress novel (and two years’ work – gulp!) and set off down a new path… one that, ultimately, turned into a sandy beachside track, and led me to The Shell House Detectives.
My Shell House Detectives mysteries fall under the sub-genre ‘cosy crime’, which really means that they’re not gory or disturbing; while sad and scary things happen, the overall atmosphere is one of escapism and positivity. I love what the poet Wendell Berry says: ‘Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.’ That, for me, is a guiding light – in writing, and beyond.
What have been some of your writing highlights so far?
It was great fun being interviewed by Richard and Judy when The Book of Summers came out and was chosen for their book club. I had a short story broadcast on my favourite radio station, BBC 6 Music, on Jarvis Cocker’s show and listened to it one Sunday afternoon while cooking a roast. Fearne Cotton posted on Instagram, out of the blue, about how much she loved The Thousand Lights Hotel.
But really, I’m living my best writing life right now. While my Shell House books have been Kindle Top 10 bestsellers and the rights optioned for TV, what I’m most grateful for is my publisher’s ongoing enthusiasm and commitment. I’m so happy to be writing this series, and really appreciating the response from readers, too.
Emylia likes to ‘hole up at a’blow away the cobwebs’ at the beach
How did your recent writing retreat help with your current manuscript?
I love going away to write and solo retreats have been part of my process since almost the beginning. I tend to pick out-of-season coastal spots, holing up in a tiny cottage or a room with a view, and writing dawn till dusk. There’s a new Shell House mystery published every six months, so these retreats have become even more important to me, as they let me step away from busy family life and for a few precious days be fully immersed in the world of my novel.
If I can, I pack my skateboard or my bodyboard to blow away the cobwebs. I just came back from a stay in Mount’s Bay and now that I’m back at my usual desk, it feels like it was a dream – but I do have the chapters to show for it!
https://www.emyliahall.co.uk
Book giveaway
Enter now for your chance to win The Death at the Vineyard, worth £8.99!
WIN! We have one copy of local writer Emylia Hall’s latest Shell House Detectives novel, The Death at the Vineyard that must be won!
The Death at the Vineyard is the fourth book in the Shell House Detectives series, released in November 2024. The plot… At Shoreline Vines, high on the Cornish cliffs, the Harper family are preparing to welcome glamorous investor Celine Chevalier to their vineyard. They desperately need Celine’s backing to keep their business afloat. But everything is jeopardised when a body is found in one of their fields. Police believe the death was a tragic accident but the victim’s family suspect otherwise and turn to the Shell House Detectives to investigate…
TO ENTER
For your chance to win The Death at the Vineyard, simply email news@southbristolvoice.co.uk, putting the words ‘The Death at the Vineyard competition’ as your subject line, and tell us the answer to the following question:
Q. When was The Death at the Vineyard first released?
The closing date is midnight 2 February 2025.
PS! Don’t forget to include your name, address and contact details!
Terms & conditions
By entering the South Bristol Voice competition, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions:
The prize promotion is open to UK residents only.
- Entrants must be 18 or over and all entries must be made from within the United Kingdom.
- The prize shall be awarded at the discretion of South Bristol Voice. We reserve the right, at any time, to verify entries and to disqualify any entries by any person who tampers with the entry process or who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Conditions of Entry.
- Directors, employees and their immediate families of the Promoter and the agencies associated with this promotion are not eligible to enter.
- Multiple entries per household and individual are accepted, but only one prize will be distributed.
- No purchase is necessary.
- The closing date for receipt of entries is midnight on 2 February 2025.
- The winner will be chosen at random.
- The Prize: As specified above
- The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable and no cash alternative is available.
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