Fiona Erskine

Engineer. Writer. Swimmer.

My blog

Engineering Intelligence – INWED

Posted on June 19, 2026

Tuesday 23rd June is the International Women in Engineering Day and the theme this year is Engineering Intelligence – aimed at highlighting the ‘breadth of expertise, judgement and leadership women …

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Experiments with pricing

Posted on April 15, 2026

Today I put the ebook of Phosphate Rocks: A Death in Ten Objects back on sale through Barnes & Noble and KOBO, removed it from Kindle Unlimited, and updated all …

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Chernobyl – the 40th anniversary

Posted on April 3, 2026

In the early hours of the night of April 26, 1986,  an explosion destroyed reactor number four of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Reactor #4 and Rubble The fourth unit had …

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Coming soon – new editions of the Jaq Silver Adventures

Posted on July 3, 2025

I wrote last week about getting the rights back to the four Jaq Silver thrillers, and my mixed emotions about leaving my first traditional publisher. Now it’s full steam ahead. …

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Interview in E&T

Posted on May 18, 2025

I was delighted to be interviewed by fellow author Nick Smith in Behalf of the Engineering and Technology Magazine E&T. We talk about pen names, the world of work, tools …

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A Love Letter to New Zealand

Posted on March 7, 2025

I knew that New Zealand would be chock full of amazing places, but I was unprepared for how vast, how varied or how beautiful it is. Milford Sound, South Island, …

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Author Chat with Caroline Maston – UK Crime Book Club

Posted on January 15, 2025

On Friday 10th January I had a one hour chat with Caroline Maston from the UK Crime Book Club. You can see and listen to the recording here Among many …

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Starting 2025 with an apology

Posted on January 2, 2025

Happy New Year! I have an apology to make. I’ve been ignoring you. After redesigning my author website (with the invaluable assistance of Simon Appleby at Bookswarm), I then neglected …

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Revisiting Bhopal

Posted on November 20, 2023

In August 2023 I travelled to Bhopal, India to revisit the former Union Carbide Factory, site of the world’s worst chemical accident. In the four decades since the accident in …

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The one thing we can all agree on

Posted on August 11, 2023

1 Book Review Why are women still so poorly represented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths? Does it matter? What are the obstacles? How do we change things? Athene Donald …

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Bond Boys

Posted on May 30, 2020

Part II – Is it time for a few Bond boys? My debut thriller, The Chemical Detective, was described as ‘an audacious, female-led thriller which took the disposable women of …

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A Female James Bond

Posted on February 2, 2020

Part I – Is it time for a female James Bond?  “Is nothing sacred?” meowed Spike the cat, official representative of the men in my life. “Your sex has appropriated …

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Sunny southern sojourn with friends and family and a stonkingly good book. London looking stunning!


In Houston for the day job, I went back to visit my old house and primary school from when my dad had a sabbatical at Rice University. Fleming park is much smaller than I remember but the fire ants are still there! Highlight was a full Tex-Mex with Theresa and Bhopal expert Kenneth Bloch - plans afoot for a new book.


I swam 24km in 5 days. Hard work?

Try tuna canning, salt drying or sulphur mining...

https://fionaerskine.substack.com/p/sulphur-and-salt


Goodbye #egadiislands and thank you @swimtrek for an amazing week - 24 kilometres with wonderful guides, fellow swimmers and multicoloured fishes!


This week #PhosphateRocks e-book is only £0.99 in UK

Who doesn't love a story about a demolition gone wrong? @raine_clouds_writes @lesleykellyauthor 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Phosphate-Rocks-Death-Ten-Objects-ebook/dp/B0CTRRXKNY

PS: The audio book narrated by @rain.goblin is pretty special too


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Celebrating Reviewers - 0.99 offer!
(with the link this time!)

Losing Control: Terror in Teesside (The Teesside Murders: DI Julie Cadell Investigates Book 1)

Celebrating reviewers everywhere
Losing Control is $0.99 / £0.99 for 1 week

It’s darker than it looks.
It’s later than you think.
She’s braver than she knows.

@amwbooks @EastHullPete @northern_crime @NJCooper_crime @NolanDom @evecsmith @AntonyJohnston @william1shaw

It’s review a book #RAB week.

If you enjoyed a book - please do leave a brief review wherever you get your recommendations. @judithoreilly @evecsmith

https://amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/RY3U5SDB5ROD8?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

https://amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/RFI268IQLS95H?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

We're thrilled our next guest will be @radiomukhers. Abir will be talking about 'The Pinnacle', 15th July (7pm).

It's free to attend @hull_libraries (Central) or via the online stream. All the info on the link below 📚

If you can get there then do, these sessions are hilarious

Produce a best seller in an hour with the #northerncrimesyndicate at @BoroLibraries Tuesday 23rd June 6.30pm.
@TrevorWoodWrite @judithoreilly @robparkerauthor @rutherfordbooks #chrismacgregor
https://www.crossingthetees.org/whats_on/whose-crime-is-it-anyway/

📢 Latest Loss Prevention Bulletin Issue - Marking 40 Years Since Chernobyl

The issue offers valuable insights for anyone committed to strengthening process safety.

A sincere thank‑you to all contributors for their continued commitment

🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/4uCIfIS

This weekend marks the 40 year anniversary of the worst recorded nuclear accident.
There is still much to learn.
#Chernobyl #Chornobyl #nuclearenergy #processsafety
https://open.substack.com/pub/fionaerskine/p/chernobyl-40-years-on?r=1fdqiv&utm_medium=ios

Still plenty of events to come!😁 More info and ticket links here: 👉 https://www.carolynkirby.com/blank-page-3

How refreshing to read @Megankstack in the @nytimes
‘A zombie regime, humiliated and crushed? Why do I find myself thinking of Russia’s Soviet Union-to-Vladimir Putin trajectory?’

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