Author of contemporary fiction with a touch of magic
It’s time to reveal the cover for Crow Investigations book eight, The Magpie Key. 🤩
I think the designer (Stuart at Books Covered) has done a wonderful job, and I do hope you like it.
The book is out on 20th October in ebook and paperback (audio to follow) and is available for preorder!
Pre-Order The Magpie Key ebook
Yay! The audiobook of The Shadow Wing has landed! Thank you to the talented Kate Rawson for her excellent narration and the team at W. F. Howes. 😊📖🎧
You can get it from all the usual retailers – or request it from your library!
I’m excited to share that the sixth Crow Investigations book has a title and a release date – meep!
It’s called THE SHADOW WING and will be out on 20th July 2021.
The cover is by the talented Stuart Bache at Books Covered and I love the stark black-and-white imagery. Hope you like it, too! 😊
You can pre-order The Shadow Wing in ebook right now!
(Print pre-order details coming soon.)
The fifth instalment of my Crow Investigations series, The Copper Heart, is out now!
Here are some store links to find The Copper Heart:
BLURB:
Heavy is the head that wears the crown…
Lydia has taken over as the leader of the Crow Family and is trying to keep the criminality to the bare minimum. DCI Fleet has told her he is ‘all in’ but there have to be limits and Lydia doesn’t want to find out what they are.
When the head of the Silver Family, Alejandro, drops down dead, Lydia needs to work out whether it was natural causes or murder. And fast.
Lydia has made enemies of the Pearl King, Maria Silver, and her own uncle. Plus, her position at the top puts her in the sights of many more. Lydia has evaded death in the past, and is gaining greater mastery over her power every day, but now she isn’t just worried about saving herself…
Can Lydia find out what happened to Alejandro Silver before she runs out of luck?
Tradition. Loyalty. Respect. Murder. Normal Family stuff…
The fourth instalment of my Crow Investigations series, The Pearl King, is out now!
Here are some store links to find The Pearl King:
BLURB:
Tradition. Loyalty. Respect. Murder. Normal Family stuff…
Lydia is pulled into the Crow Family business by her shady Uncle Charlie. He has decided that Lydia needs to learn the truth about her infamous Family and to step into her role within it – whether she likes it or not.
After Lydia’s wrongful arrest, her relationship with DCI Fleet is decidedly rocky, but when a teenage girl goes missing from Highgate Woods she must put aside her emotions and work the case.
Lydia is increasingly alarmed by Charlie’s methods, but is trapped by loyalty. Then a direct attack on the Crows raises the tension between the Families to boiling point, and the mysterious Pearl Family step out of the shadows.
Can Lydia restore balance to the magical Families of London without losing her soul?
Meep! I really enjoyed writing The Fox’s Curse and am thrilled with the response to it so far. Thank you!
It got a shiny orange bestseller flag and was listed as a ‘hot new release’ but, more importantly, I’ve heard from lots of Lydia Crow fans that it’s their favourite one so far.
One of the most daunting things about writing a series is the fear that I will let folk down, so I’m mightily relieved!
Here are some links to buy The Fox’s Curse (or to check out the first chapter for free):
BOOK DEPOSITORY (FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY ON THE PAPERBACK)
BLURB:
A cursed Fox. A vengeful Silver. A whole lot of trouble…
Lydia Crow has long suspected there is more beneath London than just trains, but has never been keen to poke around in the dark. But when Paul Fox, powerful member of the Fox Family, blackmails her into taking a case, she has no choice.
Investigating a suspicious death in a disused tunnel of the London Underground for her ex-boyfriend causes friction between her and DCI Fleet – and not the fun kind.
Uncle Charlie is still pressuring her to work for the Family business, her ghostly flatmate is looking for answers about his own demise, and Maria Silver is out for blood. Preferably Lydia’s.
With old alliances broken, it’s harder for Lydia to know who to trust. There is a big choice up ahead and it’s getting closer by the second. Lydia has to find a path in the darkness – and fast.
REVIEWS:
‘I’m completely hooked on this series, and it just gets better and better. The Fox’s Curse is so much fun – gripping, romantic and wonderfully atmospheric, with a cast of delightfully engaging characters. I can’t get enough of it!’ Clodagh Murphy
‘All my favourite things together- mystery, crime, a sassy female PI and a Magical underworld going on right under Londoner’s noses.’ A.L. Michael
‘The Lydia Crow books are a firm favourite of mine, combining intriguing crime fiction with a hint of other-worldly mysticism. The characters are brilliantly drawn, and Sarah Painter cleverly makes them believable despite them having magical powers – or even being dead. With just enough comedy to make the dark bits even darker, and the perfect amount of mystery, these books are a wonderful read. I can’t wait for the next one!’ Kerry Barrett
THE SILVER MARK is the second instalment in my urban fantasy mystery series, Crow Investigations.
It’s out NOW from all good book shops in ebook and paperback – yay!
The launch went really well and the book hit the ‘hot new releases’ and several charts on Amazon. Thank you so much if you have bought it already!
I had a lovely moment last week when The Night Raven and The Silver Mark were both in the top five of the Paranormal Suspense chart.
Even better, there have been some fabulous reviews posted online and I couldn’t be happier. Or more relieved!
Here are some links to buy The Silver Mark (or check out the first chapter for free):
What reviewers are saying on Amazon…
‘To love a series, you have to love the protagonist – and I do. Lydia is brave, witty, vulnerable, headstrong, and lovable, and struggles with a fierce sense of integrity… Tensions are building, conflicts are threatened, and there is an intriguing amount of undeveloped power hinted at for several characters. I’m very much looking forward to following Lydia in her future adventures. (May those adventures follow as soon as humanly possible!)’
‘I’m a great fan of both Paul Cornell and Ben Aaronovitch, with their stories of Magical London. Lydia can certainly hold her own with the Shadow Police and Peter Grant.’
‘I loved learning more about the magical families of London, and watching Lydia and Fleet’s friendship develop.The Silver Mark was so exciting I read it in one sitting, ignoring all the other calls for my time, along the huge pile of other books which were before this one in the queue!
It is fantastic, and I can’t wait for the next one.’
CLICK HERE FOR BOOK ONE – THE NIGHT RAVEN
My new novel, THE LOST GIRLS, is out now!
Meep!
The Lost Girls is available in ebook and paperback.
And, for a limited time it is FREE to read on Kindle Unlimited.
I embraced my ‘dark side’ for this supernatural thriller and I can’t wait for you to meet Rose and Mal…
Thank you so much to those who have already bought the book – you launched The Lost Girls into the ‘hot new releases’ on Amazon – THANK YOU!
And, here’s the blurb:
Around the world girls are being hunted…
Rose must solve the puzzle of her impossible life – before it’s too late.
Edinburgh student, Rose MacLeod, has been losing time for as long as she can remember. Days and weeks disappear, leaving terrifying gaps in her memory. Now she is seeing horrifying visions; waking nightmares of violence and death. Around the world young women like her are being killed and Rose has a ringside seat.
Mal Fergusson was raised to hunt demons in the cities and mountains of Scotland. With his father dead and his brother in a coma, he no longer believes in the grand battle between good and evil. Instead, he scrapes a living as an investigator and occasional hitman for the supernatural Mafia of Edinburgh and tells himself that as long as he doesn’t kill humans, he isn’t truly lost.
Tensions are rising in Scotland’s capital and Mal must capture Rose to keep his demonic boss sweet – but is he really willing to harm an innocent to do so?
However, there is more to Rose than meets the eye…
The Lost Girls is a dark and twisty supernatural thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman.
As I intimated earlier, this blog is now moribund. I have changed the name from ‘blog’ to ‘news’ to reflect the sporadic nature of my updates.
If you want to keep up with my new releases, get behind-the-scenes information, and exclusive giveaways, I would love it if you joined my mailing list.
I usually send out an email once a month and it’s definitely the best way to connect with me these days.
Even when I take a little social media break to get some intensive writing done, I still read and reply to my emails!
Plus, you get a free Harper family short story, The Art of Giving.
Sign up here:
[mc4wp_form]
So, onto my news update…
Beneath The Water is finally here! Huzzah!
Beneath The Water is set in both Arisaig on the west coast of Scotland in the present day and amidst the medical community of Edinburgh in 1847.
Stella Jackson is broken-hearted after her fiancé leaves and she runs away to Scotland. Initially she stays with her best friend, but ends up working for the mysterious Jamie Munro in the beautiful, but remote, Munro House. It’s a Gothic love story set in a stunning part of the world with a historical strand which explores the background to some of the medical breakthroughs we take for granted today such as obstetric anaesthesia.
‘I really enjoyed this story about secrets in the past and present… A very compelling read.’ – Portobello Book Blog
‘A little bit historical, a little bit suspense, and a lot of great writing.’ – Five star Amazon.com review
Like the sound of this book?
Why not add it to your ‘want to read’ list on GoodReads?
Thanks so much!
Or, it’s available to buy now:
In ebook or paperback.
The audiobook is read by the talented Fiona Hardingham who also narrated In The Light of What We See.
Hello, my lovelies.
Well, it’s a been a while, hasn’t it? Blogging has rather fallen off my to-do list this year and, I’ll be quite honest, I’m not sure whether that situation will improve… I am thinking of renaming this section of the site ‘news’ or ‘what I’m working on at the moment’ to indicate the more sporadic nature of the updates.
If you miss hearing from me and want to keep up-to-date with my writing news, life stuff, reading (and tea!) recommendations, then the very best thing is to sign up to my Sarah Painter Books newsletter.
I promise I won’t inundate your inbox (I usually send an email once every 4-8 weeks) and you will be the first to hear my news, as well as getting access to exclusive content and giveaways.
My news today is that I have finally finished all of the rewrites and edits on my new book. It’s called Beneath The Water and I have a cover AND a release date – huzzah!
Ta-da! What do you think? I really hope you like it…
It’s out on 8th February 2018 in paperback, ebook and audio formats, and you can pre-order it right now:
The blurb isn’t up yet (sign-up to my mailing list to be notified as soon as I have it!), but the book is set on the west coast of Scotland in the present day with a historical strand, set in Victorian Edinburgh.
In other news, I had a lovely summer and am now raring to go with my new writing projects.
I have just finished the rewrites on a supernatural thriller (darker and more violent than my usual fare) and am getting stuck into a new series idea… More on that as soon as I’m able to talk about it!