Her Rising Star
Her Rising Star is out on 26 May 2026.
It’s less than a week until the publication of Her Rising Star, the third book in my Gloucestershire Crime Series. If you like crime fiction that’s light on police procedure but rich in character, mystery and setting, please consider preordering it now. Preorders help authors become visible on Amazon.
As well as from Amazon, the paperback can be ordered directly from the publisher and bookshops .
Here’s a sneak peek at the prologue.
PROLOGUE
Gloucester Evening News – Thursday 6th September 2018
Livestream Show Takes Gloucestershire By Storm
David Oakley, Editor
A current affairs programme, specifically for Gloucestershire, is reporting live views of six figures and growing, according to its producer.
Beamed live from the internet, Gloucestershire Debate has locals glued to their TVs, laptops and phones as they tune in for their weekly mix of chat and controversy. In each episode, eight panellists discuss a hot topic, leading to lively discussion and sometimes fiery clashes of opinion. Issues so far have ranged from the merits of the Eurovision Song Contest and the perils of reality TV to serious debates on fertility ethics and euthanasia.
Two participants are Gloucester residents Rose Aduba (35), a care assistant at Gentle Oaks Nursing Home, and supply teacher Conrad Colman (30). Amongst the others are a retired GP, a student and a warehouse worker, and all living in the county from Ashchurch to Cirencester. Also taking part is prospective independent candidate for Chalford Queens ward, Lesley Anderson (50).
“We’re delighted with how the county has taken our programme to their hearts,” said Jeremy Hurst (47), the prime motivator of the project. Hurst is widely known for his role on the daytime soap Love Station, set in a Manchester radio station. For some eight years, he played silver-tongued Dave Raven, the station’s handyman and wannabe presenter.
When the show was cancelled, he swapped his screwdriver for a movie camera and relocated to the Cotswolds, where he recorded film shorts for the tourist board and launched an accompanying podcast. Gloucestershire Debate is his first foray into livestreaming. “More locally produced programmes are in the pipeline,” he explained. “It’s the future of television, and we’re pleased to be at the forefront of the revolution.”
Gloucestershire Debate is filmed at the former Peonies Tearoom in Cheltenham. The premises in Imperial Mews has been vacant since the owners filed for bankruptcy last year. Mr Hurst said, “It is an honour to be able to bring this beautiful Georgian building back to life. Although our café is a studio set, we’ve been true to the original design. We’re presenting a window on an authentic coffee shop experience where locals gather with friends and strangers to put the world to rights.”
Viewers can link to the 90-minute livestreams every Monday at ten a.m. and two p.m.
About Her Rising Star
DI Steph Lewis comes under an unforgiving media spotlight in this twisty locked room mystery, where murder is committed live on air.
While attending a police conference at Cheltenham Town Hall, Steph is summoned to a nearby film studio. A chat show panellist has collapsed during a live broadcast.
At the scene, Steph discovers the man sprawled on the floor. The livestream is still running, other panellists are horrified and the studio is in chaos. Is the death accidental, the result of a severe allergy, or is there more to the fatality than meets the eye?
Despite intrusive press interest in the case, Steph must investigate her suspects: the producer, the studio runner, the cameraman and the diverse cast of panellists.
Nothing about this on-screen death adds up.
Is just one of them a murderer? Or do they all have something to hide?
Her Rising Star is the third book in the Gloucestershire Crime Series, featuring DI Steph Lewis, a spirited, no-nonsense detective with secrets of her own.
'A tense, twisty plot with a heart-rending ending.' JACKIE BALDWIN
'Beautiful writing, a terrific plot and gut-punch of an ending.' BRIAN PRICE
'Original, compelling and filled with deliciously unpleasant suspects!’ ANTHONY ABERFORD
Purchase Links
The book is also available to order from bookshops.
I hope you enjoyed reading the prologue of Her Rising Star. Please pop back here on Friday when I’ll be featuring the first page of Chapter One in Front Page Fridays.
*Bargain Alert!
Her Deadly Friend, the first book in the Gloucestershire Crime Series is on sale in ebook at 99p from 19th May 8am GMT/11amPST and ending exactly seven days later.