Novel places - East of England

The birth place and residency of many authors, the East of England is the perfect backdrop for numerous novels. Summarised as a region of contrasts by Barbara Erskine and the home of constable country, the East of England has something to offer for everyone...

Hiding from the Light, House of Echoes by Barbara Erskine

Pulling into the long broad main street in Aldeburgh she sat still for a moment peering through the windscreen at the shops and houses. It was an attractive place, bright, neat and at the moment very quiet. Clutching her piece of paper she climbed out of the car and approached a man who was standing staring into the window of an antique shop. At his feet a Jack Russell terrier strained at the leash anxious to get to the beach. He glanced at her piece of paper. ‘Crag Path? Through there. Overlooking the sea.’ He smiled. ‘A friend of Edgar Gower’s are you? Delightful man. Delightful.’ Unexpectedly he gave a shout of laughter as he strode away.  (Extract from House of Echoes)

Barbara Erskine writes...

I love the contrasts. Beautiful ancient villages, Constable country, Colchester’s museum and ancient castle, witches, ancient Rome. Every mile reflects history. This is a  gentle, pretty, landscape moulded  by man. Then comes the coast where broad river estuaries and salt marshes lie under huge skies. 

Between seaside towns one finds  more primitive, liminal places, where sea meets land, sky meets earth. Low cliffs crumble into the night and are swallowed by a greedy sea; mists drift up over the sands. It is a haunted  coast, where ghost ships  patrol and smugglers tiptoed up lonely creeks and the east wind howls in the dark.

More about Barbara Erskine

Journey's End by Josephine Cox

Mary stepped forward from the doorway. ‘I’ll make us a fresh pot of tea, shall I?’ she suggested tactfully.  ‘That’s if nobody has any objections?’ Rona, Elsie’s daughter, worked alongside Mary in her flower-shop in Leighton Buzzard, and the two women were fast friends. Grateful for the intervention, Lucy gave a warm smile. ‘Thank you dear, that would be nice.’  But Elsie’s feathers were still ruffled.  ‘I’ll have two sugars in mine,’ she snapped, ‘and just a whisper of milk, if yer please. There’s some Garibaldi biscuits in that tin.  We’re keeping the homemade ones for Doctor Nolan.’   (Extract from Journey’s End)

Josephine Cox writes...

The town of Bedford is on of the jewels in the county of Bedfordshire. Being a market town, Bedford is both traditional and modern. There are many wonderful buildings of historic interest, such as the old corn exchange, the Town Hall and the churches. It’s historical past is brought up to date at the Harper Centre, where once stood a fine old building, now houses a wealth of well-known stores where you can browse the shops at your leisure.  Bedford boasts many colleges of repute, I attended the teaching college on Godlington Road.  A walk along the magnificent river with its fine bridges and beautiful gardens will take you right through the heart of Bedford, with all manner of festivals and competitions lining its banks throughout the year.

More about Josephine Cox

The Alexander Cipher, The Exodus Quest by Will Adam

Daniel Knox was walking north along Sharia Bab Sedra when he saw the earthenware bowl on the street-trader’s flapped out tablecloth. It was filled with matchbooks and packets of white napkins, and it was propping up one end of a line of battered Arabic schoolbooks. His heart gave a little flutter; he suffered a moment’s deja vu. He’d seen one like it before, he was sure of it. Somewhere interesting, too. For a moment he almost had the answer, but then it eluded him, and the feeling slowly faded, leaving him merely uneasy, unsure whether his mind was playing tricks.  (Extract from The Alexander Cipher)

Will Adam writes...

I live in the village of Langham, on the fringes of Dedham Vale and the Stour Valley, better known to the world as Constable country. I’m lucky enough to have the perfect writer’s retreat, a small, thatched cottage with my desk positioned by my study window so that I can look out onto my garden as I work. And the surroundings are ideal, too: quiet, rural and blessed with numerous attractive walks through local meadows, farms and woodland, all rich with wildlife. Whenever I find myself struggling with dialogue or a plot point, which is often, I’ll head out to the nearest footpath and tramp the countryside muttering to myself and waving my arms until I’ve worked it out... so it’s probably just as well that I usually have the footpaths to myself.