Everything in its place

Mystery of the Night Watchers by A.M. Howell

Usborne, 2021

As a fan of A.M. Howell's writing it is a huge pleasure to provide the first stop on her blog tour celebrating the publication of  Mystery of the Night Watchers, her third and latest novel. I have read and shared Howell's wonderful novels with my classes ever since The Garden of Lost Secrets was published in 2019 and every time the children are mesmerised; often they mention the almost relentless piling up of mystery upon mystery as the vital key to the stories' success. Elsewhere on this blog I have written about Howell's connection to the work of Helen Cresswell and Philippa Pearce, authors of my own youthful reading whose highly charged prose connects the everyday with the supernatural and fantastic world of the child's imagination. Howell is a contemporary author to cherish - one to join those ranks of great authors -her quiet, intense worlds blooming to life in today's readers' minds.

When The House of One Hundred Clocks was published, I was overjoyed to find that the setting was my personally beloved city of Cambridge, and I wrote a walking tour to help readers locate all the places in the book. The way in which Howell takes great care not only in the historical accuracy of the novels but in their geographical placement too, is one of their great successes too, their authenticity ringing true even as one marvels at the almost incredible details of their plots. Suffolk and Cambridgeshire have a particularly personal resonance for Howell, so when she offered to tell us more about how this part of the world provides inspiration for her books - particularly as she is the winner of the East Anglia Book of the Year! - how could I possibly resist?

Ann-Marie Howell writes: 

The rich history of East Anglia has provided huge inspiration for all of my stories. My regular walks around Ickworth Park near Bury St Edmunds, managed by the National Trust, inspired my debut, The Garden of Lost Secrets, and my time spent living and working in Cambridge was the reason for setting The House of One Hundred Clocks there. 

I have always wanted to use my hometown of Bury St Edmunds as a setting in one of my books, but I needed to find the right story to tell. It’s a very historic town with many listed buildings, a beautiful cathedral and ruined abbey. After I had decided the backdrop to Mystery of the Night Watchers would be the exciting passing by the earth of Halley’s comet in 1910, I realised perhaps I had stumbled across the right idea. In the centre of the town is a lovely seventeenth century building called Cupola House, now occupied by a restaurant. The house gets its name from the cupola on its roof - a type of roof top observatory. I realised this could be an excellent place for my characters to watch the comet from!

My fourth book with Usborne, publishing in 2022, was also inspired by living in the east. I can’t reveal too much, but it is set after the second world war and is full of secrets and
unexpected twists and turns. Living in this part of the country has given me lots of ideas for future stories too – I now just need to find the time to write them all!

With Mystery of the Night Watchers hitting the shelves this month, readers are in for a treat - if you have enjoyed the puzzle-laden plotting of Howell's first two books then you will love this one too! And if you are as much a fan of these novels as I am, doesn't the sound of the fourth one coming next year fill you with excitement? And the possibility of more books inspired by the author's surroundings? I just can't wait, Ann-Marie! 

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Mystery of the Night Watchers by Ann-Marie Howell is published on 8th July 2021. Do support local independent bookshops where you can! 

With thanks as always to Ann-Marie Howell and Fritha Linqvist for their help in the preparation of this blog.