Winter has arrived and the storm season is here in force. It has been nothing but driving rain and brooding dark skies, so November has been very lazy. When we get a break in the weather, there is the seasonal clearing out and repairs to be done, and walking on the beach when the winds ease is a small pleasure.

But mainly, this is hunker-down time. Need a good book? One that starts with ‘It was a dark and stormy night’? Well, have a look at LOUISA’S LAMENT. The story kicks off in the late evening of November 6th, 1892, when, on a stormy night, there was frenetic activity in Dr Steele’s quarters facing into the front quad of Guy’s Hospital:

Working with June Schneider, the artist, much research has gone into creating the artworks for the book and its cover. After years of investigating, I have built up vivid pictures in my mind of what it was like to live and work in London in the late 19^th century when the story takes place. We spent many hours studying archive pictures and discussing how to convey the key scenes from the story. I hope you will like the illustrations when you see them.

LOUISA’S LAMENT is out in the new year and you can register your interest by sending a note to: annie@patoakleypublishing.london

Come back at the end of next month on the eve of 2023 to see another picture from Louisa’s Lament.