Essex


<p><a href="https://www.michelleharrisonbooks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michelle&#8217;s Harrison</a>&#8216;s adult debut, <em><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/two-little-liars/michelle-harrison/9781835015100" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Two Little Liars</a></em>, is a chilling psychological thriller, inspired by Osea Island, and the witch trials Essex was once well-known for. Muddy caught up with Michelle to chat all things Essex, and of course to find out about the inspiration behind her new book, published on <strong>Thu 4 Jun</strong>. We&#8217;ve also got five copies to give away, read to the bottom to find out how to enter!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1002" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/Author_photo-1.jpg" alt="Author Michelle Harrison" class="wp-image-28775" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/Author_photo-1.jpg 1002w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/Author_photo-1-534x800.jpg 534w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/Author_photo-1-668x1000.jpg 668w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/Author_photo-1-768x1150.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1002px) 100vw, 1002px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-born-and-raised-in-essex-have-you-ever-moved-away">Born and raised in Essex, have you ever moved away?</h3>



<p>I grew up on a council estate in Grays and moved to Stafford aged 19 to go to art college, and from there on to Oxford when I got a job at Oxford University Press. Oxford is a beautiful city! I lived there for three years, then ended up buying a house nearby in Banbury. I eventually returned to Essex to be closer to family after my son was born.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-a-bit-about-your-latest-book-two-little-liars">Tell us a bit about your latest book, Two Little Liars</h3>



<p>It’s about two girls who tell a terrible lie about a local boy, with catastrophic consequences. Dubbed the ‘two little liars’ in the press, the girls are kept anonymous but never meant to see each other again. When their paths cross years later on a college trip, one of them is murdered. The book is partly set in the nineties leading up to the murder, and twenty years on when the killing is still unsolved and a threat forces the suspects into a reunion which turns deadly.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1669" height="2560" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/TWO-LITTLE-LIARS_high-res-1-1-scaled.jpg" alt="Two Little Liars by Michelle Harrison" class="wp-image-28776" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/TWO-LITTLE-LIARS_high-res-1-1-scaled.jpg 1669w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/TWO-LITTLE-LIARS_high-res-1-1-521x800.jpg 521w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/TWO-LITTLE-LIARS_high-res-1-1-652x1000.jpg 652w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/TWO-LITTLE-LIARS_high-res-1-1-768x1178.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/TWO-LITTLE-LIARS_high-res-1-1-1001x1536.jpg 1001w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/TWO-LITTLE-LIARS_high-res-1-1-1335x2048.jpg 1335w" sizes="(max-width: 1669px) 100vw, 1669px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-set-on-the-fictional-blackwater-island-was-it-inspired-by-anywhere-local">It&#8217;s set on the fictional Blackwater Island. Was it inspired by anywhere local?</h3>



<p>Yes, it’s inspired by <a href="https://www.oseaisland.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Osea Island</a>, in the Blackwater Estuary (my fictional island name is a nod to this). I spent a weekend on Osea a few years ago and found it fascinating. It’s been used as a naval base, a rehab retreat, and even featured in TV and film (<em>The Third Day</em> starring Jude Law, and <em>The Woman in Black</em>). It’s cut off from the mainland for sixteen hours a day, with access via a Roman built causeway that appears twice at low tide. There’s something incredibly eerie and atmospheric about it.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-essex-witch-trials-underpin-the-story-too-is-that-something-you-ve-always-been-interested-in">The Essex witch trials underpin the story too. Is that something you&#8217;ve always been interested in?</h3>



<p>I’ve always had an interest in the subject, but was unaware Essex had such a rich history until I was researching this book. I wanted to include an element of witchcraft in the story and had taken inspiration from other places and objects, namely the witchcraft museum in Boscastle, Cornwall, and a bottle said to contain a witch that’s in Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum. I invented the history of witchcraft on Blackwater Island but reference the Chelmsford witch trials, using some of the accusations levelled at the victims (cursing livestock, causing illness and so on) as inspiration for my fictional witches.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/osea-island-boat-creek.jpg" alt="Boat at Osea Island" class="wp-image-28783" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/osea-island-boat-creek.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/osea-island-boat-creek-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/osea-island-boat-creek-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Osea Island</figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-has-essex-s-historical-association-with-witches-influenced-any-of-your-other-books">Has Essex’s historical association with witches influenced any of your other books?</h3>



<p>Not so much historically, but my children’s book <em>A Pinch of Magic</em> draws on the folklore of Canewdon and its witches. I loved the tale of there always being six witches in the village, with three in cotton, three in silk (three poor, and three rich) and a stone falling out of the church walls whenever a Canewdon witch dies. In my story, the church became a prison and the witches became the Widdershins sisters, who are living under a family curse.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-story-is-pretty-dark-a-big-contrast-to-writing-children-s-fiction-was-it-a-welcome-change-to-write-something-so-different">The story is pretty dark, a big contrast to writing children&#8217;s fiction. Was it a welcome change to write something so different?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>It really was. I’ve been writing children’s books for half my life, so a change was long overdue. There’s a misconception that it’s easier to write for children than it is for adults, but most writers agree the opposite is true. Children are far less forgiving, and you need to grab their attention straight away. You also have to think carefully about language and content, whereas with adult fiction nothing is really off limits. <em>Two Little Liars</em> was fresh and exciting for me to write, and flowed very easily.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-we-hope-for-more-of-the-same">Can we hope for more of the same?</h3>



<p>Yes, I’m currently working on a second thriller for adults, about a woman in the early stages of an <em>almost</em> perfect relationship, except the man she’s seeing seems to be hiding something. In a moment of madness she has a set of his house keys cut − but nothing can prepare her for what she finds. It’s called<em> I Let Myself In</em>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-are-your-favourite-places-to-visit-on-the-essex-coast">Where are your favourite places to visit on the Essex coast?</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1002" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/Frinton.png" alt="Frinton-on-Sea beach huts" class="wp-image-28782" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/Frinton.png 1002w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/Frinton-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/Frinton-1000x666.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/Frinton-768x511.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1002px) 100vw, 1002px" /></figure>



<p>Frinton-on-Sea is lovely for a beach day. I quite like having a poke around Leigh-on-Sea too, and I have fond memories of visiting Walton-on-the-Naze as a child. I took my own son there a few years ago and it hadn’t really changed.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-anywhere-else-you-like-to-walk-in-the-county">Anywhere else you like to walk in the county?</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.explore-essex.com/places-to-go/find-whats-near-me/weald-country-park" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Weald Park </a>in Brentwood is great for long walks, picnics and deer spotting. <a href="https://www.explore-essex.com/places-to-go/find-whats-near-me/belhus-woods-country-park" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Belhus Woods Country Park</a> is pleasant as well.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-about-historical-sites-in-essex">How about historical sites in Essex?</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2025/10/Colchester-castle-1000x667.jpg" alt="Colchester Castle" class="wp-image-25772" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2025/10/Colchester-castle-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2025/10/Colchester-castle-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2025/10/Colchester-castle-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2025/10/Colchester-castle.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Colchester Castle</figcaption></figure>



<p><a href="https://colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/visit/colchester-castle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colchester Castle</a>, where hundreds of suspected witches were held (and where many sadly died in the cells). And I always loved <a href="https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/coalhouse-fort-park/overview" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Coalhouse Fort</a> when I was little. I have many happy memories of walking around the fort with my mum and exploring the pillboxes. It always felt like an adventure!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-you-need-a-break-and-a-coffee-where-are-you-heading">When you need a break and a coffee, where are you heading?</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="998" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/Bakehouse.jpg" alt="The Bakehouse, Chelmsford" class="wp-image-28784" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/Bakehouse.jpg 998w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/Bakehouse-798x800.jpg 798w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/Bakehouse-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/Bakehouse-768x770.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/06/Bakehouse-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 998px) 100vw, 998px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bakehouse, Chelmsford</figcaption></figure>



<p>I love <a href="https://www.bakehousecoffeeshop.co.uk/locations/bakehouse-chelmsford/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bakehouse</a>,Chelmsford. Delicious cake, beautiful views, and the added bonus of being just across the way from <a href="https://www.greenbrookgardencentre.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenbrook Garden Centre</a>. Also, <a href="https://www.rootsupminster.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Roots</a>, Upminster is consistently good.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-about-for-lunch">How about for lunch?</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/The-hoop-copy-1.jpg" alt="The Hoop Stock" class="wp-image-28777" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/The-hoop-copy-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/The-hoop-copy-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/The-hoop-copy-1-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/The-hoop-copy-1-768x769.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/05/The-hoop-copy-1-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Hoop, Stock</figcaption></figure>



<p>I’m a big fan of <a href="https://marleysbrasserie.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marley’s</a>, Hornchurch, <a href="https://alecsrestaurant.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alec’s</a>, Brentwood and <a href="https://www.thehoop.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Hoop</a>, Stock. I quite often pop into the <a href="https://www.chefandbrewer.com/pubs/essex/boars-head" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boars Head</a> pub in Herongate, too.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-do-you-love-about-where-you-live">What do you love about where you live?</h3>



<p>I love the fact that I’m thirty minutes from the countryside, the city or the seaside. It’s an area with great connections.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-books-are-in-your-to-read-pile-right-now">Which books are in your to-read pile right now?</h3>



<p>It’s less of a pile and more of a cupboard! But I’m excited to read <em>The Witchfinder’s Sister</em> by Beth Underdown, which is set in Essex, and <em>Yesteryear</em> by Caro Claire Burke.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-last-read-you-won-t-forget-in-a-hurry">Last read you won&#8217;t forget in a hurry?</h3>



<p>I adored <em>Kala</em> by Colin Walsh, a literary thriller about a missing girl. It’s beautifully written and does something clever with time which really stood out for me.</p>



<p></p>



<p><strong>We&#8217;ve got five copies of <em>Two Little Liars</em> up for grabs, <a href="https://essex.muddystilettos.co.uk/reader-treats/win-a-copy-of-two-little-liars-by-michelle-harrison/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enter here</a>, for your chance to be a winner.</strong></p>



<p></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">In the mood for more?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://essex.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/walks-near-me/best-winter-walks-in-essex/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Off you stroll! Walks in Essex with pub-lunch pitstops</a></li>



<li><a href="https://essex.muddystilettos.co.uk/most-read/vitamin-sea-10-beaches-worth-the-road-trip/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vitamin Sea! 10 Essex, Suffolk &amp; Norfolk beaches worth the road trip</a></li>



<li><a href="https://essex.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/walks-near-me/best-coastal-walks-in-east-anglia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fancy a ramble? 21 stunning East Anglian coastal walks&nbsp;</a></li>
</ul>


Muddy meets: Essex author Michelle Harrison

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