Book Extract: The Crime Writer by Diane Jeffery

I’m so delighted to be welcoming Diane Jeffery to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, The Crime Writer.

2019. Leona Walsh, a 34-year-old wife and mother vanishes on a bitterly cold afternoon while out jogging on the edge of Exmoor. It’s a mystery which captures public interest and ignites wild speculation. The police have a prime suspect: Leona’s husband, Matthew, a renowned crime writer. He can plot the perfect crime. But is he capable of committing the perfect murder?

Despite extensive searches, the police find no trace of Leona and her disappearance remains shrouded in mystery. As public interest dwindles, Matthew returns to raising their two daughters, aware the cloud of suspicion is never far away.

2024. Some human bones are discovered in a garden. Could they be Leona’s remains? And if so, is there enough evidence to find out what really happened five years ago?

Journalist Gabriela Conti covered the news story back in 2019. The police may have stopped watching Matthew, but Gabriella hasn’t forgotten him. And she is determined this case will define her career… even if that means getting close to a murderer.

There is a chance to win a copy of a previous paperback by Diane Jeffery below but first, she has kindly shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy. 

*****beginning of extract*****

The following extract is taken from Chapter 6.

Leona Walsh, a local counsellor and mother of two, has gone missing. Volunteers are helping police to search for her around Wistlandpound Reservoir, where she was last seen. Journalist Gabriela Conti approaches Matthew, Leona’s husband, a renowned crime writer, in the hope of getting an interview.

I have chosen this extract because it is the moment where the two main characters in my book meet for the first time.

*****

Gabi was in the group behind Matthew Walsh’s, tasked with checking the area to the right of the outer path around the lake, no easy job given the dense undergrowth. It took her group longer to advance and it soon became clear she had no hope of catching him up. She swore to herself and left her group, ignoring the group leader who called after her. She felt a small pang of guilt as she attempted to run towards Matthew and his kids, lifting up her knees, holding her stick aloft and sinking into the snow with every step. Everyone else had come here to help search for Leona, or for clues that might lead to locating her. Gabi, on the other hand, had come today with the aim of exploiting the tenuous link she had with the Walsh family – the fact she’d attended the same school as Leona – in order to get an exclusive. But seriously, what chance did they have of finding anything in these conditions?

She joined Matthew Walsh’s group, inserting herself between him and the girl next to him, presumably his daughter, Scarlett. With the wind pinching their faces, they trudged side by side through the thick snow, in silence to begin with. She stole glances at him as they walked, sizing him up. He looked tired. Not just his face, with the dark rings under his eyes, but his posture. When they made eye contact, she gave him what she hoped would pass for a sympathetic smile, but he didn’t return it. ‘There’s a good turnout today,’ she began, wincing at her opening gambit.

He grunted in reply, his eyes back on the path in front of him. She launched into a monologue, hoping she was making all the right noises – so sorry you’re going through this, keeping everything crossed they’ll find your wife alive and well, et cetera. More grunts in response.

‘Matthew, I went to school with your wife,’ she said.

That got his attention. ‘Oh?’

‘We were in the same year, in the same house, in many of the same sets.’

‘Were you two close friends?’ he asked.

‘Not particularly.’ She laughed, but it sounded hollow. ‘I wasn’t very cool at school. I was rather – what did they call it then? – “square”.’

‘Oh?’ he repeated.

So far, he’d spoken to her merely in grunts and monosyllables. Was he always like this or was it due to the stress of his wife’s disappearance? Perhaps he was wishing she’d shut up. She could understand if he wanted to be left alone.

‘Your wife was very popular at school.’

‘But?’

Had she implied a ‘but’? It wasn’t intentional. Leona had been popular at school, but at the expense of some of her classmates. She’d been competitive and bitchy about girls she perceived as rivals. A bully, really, as Gabi knew to her cost.

‘I was bad at sports, always picked last for the netball team, that sort of thing,’ she said. ‘Plus, I was a swot, which didn’t help. So, no, we weren’t close. But we knew each other quite well.’

He nodded knowingly, as if he understood what she hadn’t said.

‘I was wondering if you’d like to talk to me,’ she said.

She pulled off one of her blue woollen gloves with her teeth, and delved into her jacket pocket for a business card. She introduced herself properly, but her words came out sounding incoherent, even to her, with her mouth full of wool. Matthew took the card and she took the glove out of her mouth.

He read her name aloud from the card at the same time as she repeated it. ‘Gabriela Conti.’

‘Gabi. I’m a journalist with the North Devon Echo. I thought you might like to get your side of the story across in an interview.’

His face clouded and he hesitated before taking the card. She’d obviously hit a false note.

*****end of extract*****

About Diane Jeffrey – 

Diane Jeffrey is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author.

She grew up in North Devon and Northern Ireland. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat.

Diane has written six psychological thrillers, all published by HQ / HarperCollins.

THE GUILTY MOTHER, Diane’s third book, was a USA Today bestseller and her fourth novel, THE SILENT FRIEND, was a Karin Slaughter Killer Reads pick for ASDA. Her fifth psychological thriller, THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE, won the 2023 International Thriller Writers award for the best ebook original novel.

THE OBVIOUS SUSPECT is Diane’s seventh psychological thriller.

Diane is an English teacher. When she’s not working or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays.

Above all, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Say hello to Diane via her website, Instagram, Twitter (X) and Facebook. 

The Crime Writer was released by HQ Digital on 13th March 2025. Click here to buy on Amazon UK, Waterstones and Amazon US. 

*****

Win your choice of Diane Jeffery’s previous paperback releases (Open INT)

We are giving you the chance to win one of the following (of your choice) –

The Other Couple, The Couple at Causeway Cottage, The Silent Friend, The Guilty Mother, He Will Find You or Those Who Lie.

This competition is open internationally and all you have to do to enter is click this link.

*Terms and Conditions –

Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter link above. 

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner.

Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. 

Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  

I (Novel Kicks) am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.