Former University Centre Shrewsbury academic launches her debut novel

The first book in Dr Lucy Andrew’s Harriet Smith Investigates series, it sees Emma’s timid sidekick, Harriet Smith, transformed into a feisty con-woman-turned-detective who is hired to investigate a murder that hasn’t yet been committed.

Lucy, who has a PhD in English Literature from Cardiff University, is a former Senior Lecturer in English Literature and former Programme Leader of the English degree at University Centre Shrewsbury, where she also ran the English Literature public events programme.

She is an avid fan of Jane Austen and cosy crime and decided to combine her two passions to create a Jane Austen Regency world of murder, mystery and mayhem.

Now living in Wolverhampton, Lucy is still closely involved with Shrewsbury literary life. In addition to co-running the Monday Murder Club, a monthly crime fiction reading group at Shrewsbury Library, she is a Lead Writer for the Shrewsbury Spark Young Writers teen group.

Lucy will be launching A Very Vexing Murder at Shrewsbury Library on Monday, April 13 at 3.45pm. She will be interviewed by fellow Jane Austen expert, Shaney Lloyd, a Shrewsbury writer and one of Lucy’s former students at University Centre Shrewsbury.

“It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to launch the book at Shrewsbury Library,” says Lucy.

“I spent several years living in Shrewsbury as Programme Leader at University Centre Shrewsbury and I continue to be involved in the town’s rich literary and cultural life.

“I began writing A Very Vexing Murder when I lived in Shrewsbury and, in fact, it was joining a writing group alongside my students at the university that prompted me to start writing again after a hiatus.

“I shared the opening chapter of A Very Vexing Murder at one of the first meetings of the writing group and it was my students’ encouragement that made me carry on.

“I’m still in touch with that group of students – we continued the writing group beyond their graduation – and, in fact, some of them run the Monday Murder Club with me at Shrewsbury Library.

“Living in Shrewsbury offered wonderful inspiration for writing a historical novel and the town has definitely influenced my vision of the fictional village of Highbury in my book.

"What I love about Shrewsbury is the little nooks and crannies that feel untouched by the modern world, so that definitely helped me to get into the headspace for writing a period piece. And, if you read carefully, you might spot a reference to one of Shrewsbury’s famous alleyways!’​

At her launch event, Lucy will be sharing her inspirations for A Very Vexing Murder, discussing why Jane Austen’s Emma is such appropriate source material for a detective retelling and explaining why she chose Harriet Smith as the heroine of her novel, as well as signing copies of the book. “I’m very excited to be sharing my novel with the people of Shrewsbury,” says Lucy.

“It’s great to be able to host a launch event in the place where I started work on this novel and with some of the people who encouraged me to keep going with this project and to believe in myself as a writer.”

If you want to find out more about Lucy’s books and research, you can sign up for her Secret Sleuths Club for access to her monthly newsletter and her exclusive Secret Sleuths Club article ‘Five ways Jane Austen paved the way for Golden-Age detective fiction’.

The launch event is free but places should be booked by emailing [email protected] or by booked directly at Shrewsbury Library.

A Very Vexing Murder, published by Corvus, part of Atlantic Books, is available now.