PODCAST: Jenny Ashcroft on How Real-Life Anonymous Letter Scandals Shaped Her Narrative

PODCAST: Jenny Ashcroft on How Real-Life Anonymous Letter Scandals Shaped Her Narrative

Jenny Ashcroft lives in Brighton with her husband and three children. Before that, she spent many years living and working in Australia and Asia – a time which gave her an enduring passion for stories set in exotic places. She has a degree in history, and has always been fascinated by the past – in particular the way that extraordinary events can transform the lives of normal people.

Jenny talks to Cheryl about real-life anonymous letter cases, the thrill of writing historical fiction, and the power of community in the book world. Her latest novel, Secrets of the Watch House, is out now.

Publisher details

Secrets of the Watch House
Author
Jenny Ashcroft
Publisher
HarperCollins
Genre
Fiction
Released
29 January, 2025
ISBN
9780008469061

Synopsis

Violet Ellis is living in the shadows of her father’s ruined reputation. So, when wealthy widower James Atherton offers her employment, she immediately begins the treacherous journey to his home on the remote Cornish island of Aoife’s Bay – despite the bone-chilling allegations surrounding his late wife Elizabeth’s death.

In James’s company, Violet begins to feel the love that has been missing all her life. But when anonymous letters start to plague the bay’s residents, threatening to expose what really happened to Elizabeth, Violet feels the hostility towards her grow. She has an unsettling sense of being watched in her new home, and as the mysteries of the island draw her in, she starts to fear she might never find a way out …
Jenny Ashcroft
About the author

Jenny Ashcroft

Jenny Ashcroft is the author of several historical novels, including Beneath a Burning Sky and Island in the East. She previously spent much of her life living, working and exploring Australia and Asia, and now splits her time between Australia and the UK. The Echoes of Love is in part inspired by her Greek grandmother's stories, and is Jenny's most personal novel to date.

Books by Jenny Ashcroft

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