Essex


<p>Essex author, <a href="https://www.lesleykara.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lesley Kara</a> knows a good book, she&#8217;s a Sunday Times bestselling author of psychological thrillers after all. Her first novel, <em>The Rumour</em>, was the highest selling print crime fiction debut of 2019. Sold in over 18 countries and is now a major TV series on Channel 5, starring in Emily Atack and Rachel Shenton. There are other too, including the Essex author&#8217;s most recent novel, <em><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/448461/troublemaker-by-kara-lesley/9781529177343" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Troublemaker</a></em>. Lesley is also the co-host of the popular podcast, <em>In Suspense</em>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1003" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/0060AU.jpeg" alt="Essex author, Lesley Kara" class="wp-image-29378" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/0060AU.jpeg 1003w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/0060AU-800x798.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/0060AU-1000x997.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/0060AU-400x400.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/0060AU-768x766.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/0060AU-500x500.jpeg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1003px) 100vw, 1003px" /></figure>



<p>While Lesley now lives in Kent, the Essex author was born and grew up in Chelmsford. First published in her forties (having worked as a nurse before studying at Greenwich University and becoming a Faber Academy graduate), Lesley is a passionate advocate for women’s creative second acts!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lesley-kara-s-book-recommendations">Lesley Kara&#8217;s book recommendations </h2>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-troublemaker-by-lesley-kara"><em>Troublemaker</em> by Lesley Kara</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1535" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781529177343.jpg" alt="Troublemaker by Lesley Kara" class="wp-image-29377" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781529177343.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781529177343-521x800.jpg 521w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781529177343-651x1000.jpg 651w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781529177343-768x1179.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Storm used to be just like her name. Wild and strong. A force to be reckoned with. But ever since her younger brother was killed in a violent mugging, she has led a very different life: quiet and cautious, seeing danger everywhere. Storm’s tendency to panic has resulted in several false alarms, so when she witnesses a murder with uncanny similarities to the way her brother was killed, and yet no body is found and no one is reported missing, the police don’t take her seriously. But Storm knows what she saw. And the murder is only the start – the killer will stop at nothing to keep Storm quiet. But how can she solve the murder&nbsp;<em>and&nbsp;</em>stay out of danger when no one believes her?</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-love-lane-by-patrick-gale"><em>Love Lane </em>by Patrick Gale</h3>



<p>&#8216;I can’t wait to dive into this one, as it features the same character, Harry Cane, from <em>A Place Called Winter, </em>which I absolutely adored. I recently heard Patrick talk about the book at a live event and it sounds irresistible,&#8217; says Lesley Kara.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1524" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781472257468.jpg" alt="Love Lane by Patrick Gale" class="wp-image-29369" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781472257468.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781472257468-525x800.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781472257468-656x1000.jpg 656w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781472257468-768x1170.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>When veteran Canadian wheat farmer, Harry Cane sails home to an England transformed by two world wars, his arrival triggers unwelcome self-examination for the family he abandoned, and for whom he has never been more than a distant myth. His daughter feels duty bound to take him in but is riven with doubt. Harry’s effect on the next generation is less predictable, and enables his granddaughter to deal with an unspeakable trauma. Can Harry stay and make a new life before it’s too late, or will he find himself cast out again, punished for having witnessed and understood too much?</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-all-in-by-claire-powell"><em>All In </em>by Claire Powell</h3>



<p>&#8216;I loved Claire’s debut <em>At The Table </em>and this new novel sounds like the perfect holiday read. Claire captures the hilarity and poignancy of family life and relationships so well, you’ll be hooked for sure.&#8217;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="622" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781784746087-copy-622x1000.jpg" alt="All In by Claire Powell" class="wp-image-29370" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781784746087-copy-622x1000.jpg 622w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781784746087-copy-498x800.jpg 498w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781784746087-copy-768x1235.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781784746087-copy-955x1536.jpg 955w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781784746087-copy.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 622px) 100vw, 622px" /></figure>



<p>A marriage on the rocks. A family in disarray. A weekend in the sun at a luxury, all-inclusive hotel. What could possibly go wrong? Jo and Dave haven&#8217;t had a holiday in years. They&#8217;ve had other things on their plate: failed IVF, the death of Dave&#8217;s mother, doing up the bathroom. Jo and Dave soon find that tensions don&#8217;t disappear in paradise. In fact, they might just get worse. Set over the course of one scorching weekend, All In is a compulsively entertaining and bittersweet novel that asks: when life gets choppy, how does love stay afloat?</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-date-by-t-h-murdock"><em>The Date </em>by T.H. Murdock</h3>



<p>&#8216;I recently read this debut and was blown away by it. I read lots of psychological thrillers and it’s rare that one hooks me as fast as this one did!&#8217;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1534" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/thm_thedate02.jpg" alt="The Date by T.H.Murdock" class="wp-image-29371" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/thm_thedate02.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/thm_thedate02-522x800.jpg 522w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/thm_thedate02-652x1000.jpg 652w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/thm_thedate02-768x1178.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>A year ago, after a perfect date, Miles Deverill was charged with murder. The young actor became front-page news when he was accused of killing Caira Kennedy, a woman he had just met that night. Now acquitted, Miles can’t escape the past. And then the threatening messages start―in Caira’s own voice: this is not over. Is she still alive or is someone playing a twisted game? Desperate to escape, Miles joins friends on a remote road trip. But deep in an isolated forest, one of their group is murdered. Someone close to Miles knows exactly what happened on his date ― and this time he has to face the truth. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-land-and-its-people-by-david-sedaris"><em>The Land and its People </em>by David Sedaris</h3>



<p>&#8216;I have long been an admirer of David Sedaris. He is a brilliant memoirist, humourist and chronicler of life, and this collection of essays is bound to make you chuckle,&#8217; says Lesley Kara.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1502" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781408714126.jpg" alt="The Land and Its People by David Sedaris" class="wp-image-29372" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781408714126.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781408714126-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781408714126-666x1000.jpg 666w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781408714126-768x1154.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Throughout these 23 essays &#8211; at once acerbic and tender, playful and profound &#8211; Sedaris shows how much there is to marvel at when you keep your head up and your eyes open, observing with warmth and curiosity our fascinating human species and the lands we inhabit.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-grey-wolf-by-louise-penny"><em>The Grey Wolf </em>by Louise Penny</h3>



<p>&#8216;I only recently discovered Louise Penny, even though she is a number one <em>New York Times </em>bestselling author. This book is part of her immensely popular <em>Chief Inspector Gamache Series </em>set in Québec, Canada, but like all good series, you don’t necessarily have to start with the first one.&#8217;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1534" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781399730549.jpg" alt="The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny" class="wp-image-29374" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781399730549.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781399730549-522x800.jpg 522w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781399730549-652x1000.jpg 652w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/07/9781399730549-768x1178.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Relentless phone calls interrupt the peace of a warm August morning in the small village of Three Pines in Quebec. Someone has managed to track down Armand Gamache, head of homicide. His rage shatters the calm of their quiet Sunday morning. A sequence of strange events that begin The Grey Wolf, all propel Chief Inspector Gamache and his team toward a terrible realisation. Something much more sinister than any one murder or any one case is fast approaching. A threat unlike anything they&#8217;ve seen before.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-essex-author-s-fave-indie-book-stores">This Essex author&#8217;s fave indie book stores</h2>



<p><strong><a href="https://www.caxtonbooks.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Caxton Books</a>, Frinton-on-Sea</strong>: &#8216;This shop will always have a special place in my heart because of the support they showed to me when my debut, <em>The Rumour</em>, came out. It helped, of course, that <em>The Rumour</em> was set in a fictionalised version of Frinton!&#8217;</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://stationbooks.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Station Books</a>, Tunbridge Wells</strong>: &#8216;A wonderful little shop run by Laura and Ross. They specialise in fantasy and science fiction but stock a good selection of other genres too.&#8217;</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/most-read/beach-please-10-holiday-reads-you-need-this-summer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Beach please! 10 holiday reads you need this summer</a></li>



<li><a href="https://essex.muddystilettos.co.uk/life/people/muddy-meets-the-women-creating-connections-at-the-umbrella-hub/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Muddy meets the women creating connections at The Umbrella Hub</a></li>



<li><a href="https://essex.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/summer-holiday-ideas-for-kids/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Things to do with kids in Essex this summer</a></li>
</ul>


6 recommended reads from Essex author, Lesley Kara

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