Fiona Erskine

Engineer. Writer. Swimmer.

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The prolific Northern Crime Syndicate and the covers of their books

June 2025 – A Month of Crime

Posted on June 10, 2025 in Events

Update: Unfortunately the Crossing The Tees Festival event with Jess Kidd due to take place on Friday 13th June at Acklam Library has been cancelled.

June is National Crime Reading Month in the UK, and I’m gong to be busy.

On Saturday 21st June at 2.00pm, I’ll be in The Accidental Bookshop in Alnwick to celebrate Independent Bookshop Week. Don’t forget to support your local bookshop all year round!

On Monday 23 June at 6.30pm Crossing the Tees Festival with Guisborough Library are hosting the Northern Crime Syndicate in Whose Crime is it Anyway?

We (that’s me and my criminal gang: Robert Rutherford, Rob Parker, Trevor Wood and Chris McGeorge) invite you to assist us in writing a bestseller in an hour. Prepare to laugh until you cry…

Whose crime is it anyway?

And last – but most definitely not least – on Tuesday 24th June at 7.30 pm, I’ll be interrogating Terry Deary (yes, THE TERRY DEARY of Horrible Histories fame) about his new crime novel Actually I’m a Murderer, at Ceddesfield Hall in Sedgefield, thanks to Back of Beyond Books.


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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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?’

Top cinema visit #1 was the glorious #HAMNET - a reminder of just how good a movie can be

Movie #2 of #3 - Astonishing #Marama . New Zealand horror is not for the faint hearted, but even if (like me) you close your eyes, the brilliant sound will fill in the gaps. Unforgettably…

Thoroughly enjoyed #3 of 3 cinema visits #WutheringHeightsMovie - a book I have always loathed. Over analysis does it no favours, I was swept away by the sound and visuals… and it’s laugh-out loud funny in places which leavens the grinding grimness.

The Salt Oracle by Lorraine Wilson
⁦@raine_clouds⁩ https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8128830782

We're looking forward to being part of Carolyn's tour for 'Ravenglass'! Carolyn will be with us @hull_libraries (Central and online), 11th February 📚

Fantastic to hear @Ofmooseandmen features on @BBCBooks - such a great publisher and @RonanHession1 is one of my favourite authors and a great interviewee. (Ghost Mountain fell in the bath - sorry!)

Saturday 10 January 2026. ⁦@TonyKent_Writes⁩ will be in ⁦@wstonesdurham⁩ FREE event. See you there! #RevengeOfOdessa

I have news!
Stellar thanks to @SFcrowsnest for a stirring introduction - to #TheLye and to #agentjarrold for his immense courage. Watch this space…

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