I’ll let you in to a bit of a secret. Emylia Hall was one of the first authors I featured on Linda’s Book Bag way back when I began blogging in 2015 and I’ve been rather obsessed by her writing ever since. You’ll find my reviews of some of Emylia’s books here.
Indeed, I had a bit of a fan girl moment in July when we met one another for the first time in real life in Harrogate!
Consequently, with The Shell House Detectives mystery series one of my favourites and the latest book coming out today I simply had to invite Emylia onto the blog to chat with me all about it. Let’s find out more:
Staying in with Emylia Hall
Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Emylia. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me. I know already but tell readers, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?
I’ve brought The Death at the Vineyard, which is the 4th book in my Cornwall-set cosy crime series, The Shell House Detectives Mysteries. It’s out today! So it’s great to mark the occasion with you, Linda – thank you for having me.
The happiest of publication days Emylia. Congratulations. I’m thrilled to have The Death at the Vineyard on my TBR as The Shell House Detectives Series is just fabulous!
What can we expect from an evening in with The Death at the Vineyard?
Well, the novel is set in deep autumn, a season when gales are battering the coast, rain is hammering the roof of The Shell House, and night closes in fast. So we’d best stoke the fire and hunker close. Things might get a little creepy as there are rumours of an old ghost story up at Shoreline Vines, the titular vineyard. But local myth aside, Ally and Jayden have their hands full with a new case – one that starts mundanely, with a piece of missing machinery, but very quickly escalates into a murder investigation. Along the way, my sleuths will encounter a bereaved father, a glamorous French investor, and an ambitious land-owning family on the edge of ruin (or triumph …).
It sounds brilliant. I love the dynamics between Ally and Jayden in this series, but I’ve yet to read The Death at the Vineyard. How is the new book being received?
Some amazing authors have read early copies, with Susan Fletcher describing it as ‘Cosy crime at its finest,’ Emma Stonex saying it’s ‘haunting and riveting,’ Lucy Clarke proclaiming it ‘deliciously dark,’ and ‘masterfully woven’ from Libby Page. I feel really lucky to have such wonderful support for this series – including from fantastic bloggers like yourself, Linda.
It’s no more than you deserve! And what perfectly apt comments. I agree with them all. How does The Death at the Vineyard take the series forward?
I wanted this story to have a darker feel, owing to the season, I think, and the bleak beauty of the vineyard and surrounding landscape in November. I also wrote it at a time when there were some sad things happening in my personal life; loss, in various forms, was looming large, and I think that found its way into the writing too – but in a way that is, I hope, ultimately uplifting and life-affirming. Because there is so much love in this novel too. While my Shell House mysteries are ‘cosy,’ I always take death seriously and never want to underserve my characters’ emotions. I love what the poet Wendell Berry says, in his poem The Mad Farmer Liberation Front: ‘Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.’ That, for me, is the essence of good Cosy Crime.
And you do it perfectly. I’m sorry to hear it has been tough at times this year. 2024 has been a bit of a challenge all round…
With the uplifting rather than the challenging in mind, what else have you brought along and why have you brought it?
Two things: a photograph and a bottle of Cornish sparkling wine (it’s publication day, so I’m feeling celebratory!).
Spending time in Cornwall on self-styled writing retreats is a really important part of my process. I tend to hole up in a coastal cottage, out of season, often on my own but sometimes with a writer friend, and fully immerse myself in my story for five or six days. I find so much joy, inspiration and productivity on such retreats. A new Shell House mystery publishes every six months, and I honestly don’t think I could get them written without this pure time, this ‘bubble’ away from real life. When I was working on the first draft of The Death at the Vineyard, this time last year, I had a writing week in St Ives. It was luminous, full of wild weather and such beauty. One of my favourite spots to work in, come rain or shine, is the restaurant above Porthmeor beach, which has covered pods with heaters and blankets. This photograph encapsulates what that writing trip was for me: serenity and focus – with a sea view.
That sounds quite perfect!
One the same trip I visited Polgoon Vineyard just outside of Penzance, and took a tour, hoping to stitch a few authentic details into the story. It’s a wonderful family-run vineyard (and let it be said, the Coulsons are nothing like the Harper family in my story!) and there was a perfectly haunting feeling to the rows of leafless vines tracking down the hillsides – they appeared almost skeletal (something that’s brilliantly reflected in the book cover for The Death at the Vineyard).
I love the covers for this series. So evocative. And you mentioned sparkling wine…
I left full of inspiration, and with a couple of delectable bottles of Pinot Noir sparkling wine in my backpack, to boot. This particular wine has a part to play in the story too, so let’s crack one open by the fireside. Cheers!
Aha! I can’t drink ordinary wine as it makes me ill, but there must be something in the sparkling wine process as that suits me just fine. Congratulations on The Death at the Vineyard Emylia and thank you so much for staying in with me to chat all about it. It’s been lovely to catch up again. Now, you pour the wine and I’ll give readers a few more details:
The Death at the Vineyard
At Shoreline Vines, high on the Cornish cliffs, the Harper family are preparing to welcome glamorous investor Celine Chevalier to their vineyard.
They desperately need Celine’s backing to keep their business afloat. But everything is jeopardised when a body is found in one of their fields. Police believe the death was a tragic accident but the victim’s family suspect otherwise and turn to the Shell House Detectives to investigate.
As Ally and Jayden question the community, they discover that Shoreline Vines has always been shrouded in mystery. There are old rumours about buried bones, and even a curse on the land itself. Are these just local myths or is there something sinister hidden in the vineyard’s past?
As tensions reach breaking point, Ally and Jayden must uncover the truth, in a gripping story of family secrets and shocking betrayals.
Published by Thomas & Mercer today, 15th November 2024, The Death at the Vineyard is available for purchase here.
About Emylia Hall
Emylia Hall lives in Bristol with her husband and son, where she writes from a hut in the garden and dreams of the sea. She is the author of the Shell House Detective Mysteries, a series inspired by her love of Cornwall’s wild landscape. The first, The Shell House Detectives, was a Kindle Top 10 Bestseller, with the rights being optioned for TV. The Death at the Vineyard is her fourth crime novel. Emylia has published four previous novels, including Richard and Judy Book Club pick The Book of Summers and The Thousand Lights Hotel. Her work has been translated into ten languages, and broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music. She is the founder of Mothership Writers and is a writing coach at The Novelry.
For further information, visit Emylia’s website, or you can follow Emylia on Twitter/X @EmyliaHall and find her on Instagram.
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