South Shields born author Suzy Aspley began writing her first book after a prompt at a writing retreat in the Scottish Highlands - secrets rattling in a matchbox - reminded her of a story she once covered as a newspaper reporter.
After pitching successfully at Dragon’s Pen in summer 2019, where all four panellists wanted to see her manuscript, she won Bloody Scotland’s Pitch Perfect competition in September 2019 and a month later was shortlisted in the DHH Literary Agency New Voices Award at the first Capital Crime festival in London.
In 2020 she was awarded a mentorship through Hachette's Future Bookshelf Initiative and was delighted to work with Hodder Executive Publisher Jo Dickinson on the manuscript for her debut novel into 2021.