My name’s Maggie Matthews and I own The Wicked Bookworm. It’s a bookshop in the Cornish village of Castlefield, my home. It’s not your typical village, to be honest. My aunt has the tendency to attack people with household objects, and the Castlefield Book Club comprises of quirky women, to say the least. Still, the one thing that makes our village totally unique is the fact that there’s an evil chicken roaming the cobbled streets. I’m fairly certain she’s out for the blood of innocents. She once attacked a group of nuns.

Somehow only my aunt and DS Alistair Ashworth seem to be able to scare off Pandora. As if Alistair wasn’t already impressive enough. I’m sure my main character Detective Black wouldn’t agree, though. He thinks he’s the best detective.

I’m also a mystery author and Detective Black pops up at the most annoying, but also convenient times. I love writing about murders, but it so happens that a few murders have also occurred in our relatively quiet village. Before, I thought Pandora was the most evil resident, but it turns out that people can hide dark secrets behind a smile.

I never would have thought I’d be in the middle of real murder cases, but together with Detective Black I’ve discovered valuable clues that have helped the police catch killers. Surprisingly, it’s very thrilling, especially when I get to work closely with Alistair.

It also means I’ve been in danger a few times, which I could do without. I suppose that’s the greatest benefit of writing fictional murderers. The worst they can do to you is give you a paper cut.

Either way, if you’re ever in the neighbourhood, stop by for a warm cup of tea, biscuits, and a bit of murder.