Stella Whitelaw

Last updated

Stella Whitelaw (born 1941) is a British writer and journalist, who has published 58 novels, as well as over 400 short stories in national women's magazines. She began her writing career as a cub reporter and rose to become the first female chief reporter in London. Her writing career, over half a century, includes romance, cat stories, detective fiction, mystery, [1] , writing skills, [2] and human nature.

Contents

She was Secretary of the Parliamentary Press Gallery at the House of Commons for almost 4 decades and worked with 11 United Kingdom prime ministers. First hand experience of the Airey Neave bombing. She lives in Surrey. [3]

She was awarded an MBE in 2001 for services to journalism. She won the Art of Writing competition in the London Magazine, judged by Sheridan Morley and the Elizabeth Goudge Cup at Guildford University.

She has lectured globally on many literary subjects. Politically her lecture Behind the Scenes at the Houses of Commons covers 37 years of UK politics with subjects as diverse as UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher's teeth.

Works

When Jeanie Ross leaves the sheltered life of a Scottish orphanage to work as a seamstress in Carnegie Brown's fashionable London boutique “Rags”, her only ambition is to sew well enough to escape the wrath and sarcasm of the sewing-room supervisor, Madame Colette. But the moment Jocelyn Tait, a spoilt and beautiful heiress, sets eyes on young Jeanie, a daring plan forms in Jocelyn's mind. The shy and timid Scots girl is thrown into a strange and bewildering new world of wealth - complicated by the unexpected arrival of Jocelyn's stern guardian, Luke Adamson.



Into the hot desert sun walks a man from Leila's past, the man she had fallen for when an innocent teenager. She had changed now and he did not recognise her. James Miller was in the Middle East to track down a secret device lost in a plane crash on the mysterious Black Mountain. His mind was not on that one night in Austria when Leila had thrown herself into his reluctant arms. Leila had tried to forget the humiliation, hardening her heart to all men, but during their perilous journey to find the Black Mountain, she discovers that the old magnetism is still there.


Chaperoning the teenage winner of a trip to Delhi was not high on Joanna Hamilton's list of desired job tasks. Nevertheless, she devotes herself to the onerous duty of escorting the rebellious teen through Northern India. Her task is made even more difficult by the documentary crew filming the journey - especially dealing with the autocratic director Matthew Howard. Yet as they travel through the breathtaking landscapes of India, Joanna finds herself falling for the proud man, that is, until she is informed that their relationship could jeopardize all that he has worked for. Amongst the beauty of the Taj Mahal, Joanna must decide whether she should let him go, or fight for their blossoming love.


Non-Fiction

Book Series

Jordan Lacey Series

  • Pray and Die (2000)

Someone has to investigate the mean streets of Latching, West Sussex - and that someone is Jordan Lacey, ex-policewoman, now advertising her services as a private investigator in the local paper and working out of a junk shop in the quiet part of town. Will there be enough crime in the sleepy streets of Latching to keep her in business? It looks like there is. Ursula Carling is convinced that her husband is having an affair and employs Jordan to track down the mistress who is sending hate mail. But Ursula isn't telling Jordan everything: for example, her husband died eighteen months ago. Then Jordan discovers the body of a dead nun in an abandoned hotel, along with clues to a hidden World War Two fortune, clues which somehow connect to Ursula Carling. But when she tries to notify the police, in the shape of the devastatingly attractive DI James, she finds herself accused of crying wolf. Not even the slice of poisoned carrot cake she mysteriously received is enough to change his mind. Perhaps it will take an altogether more dramatic attempt on Jordan's life to make DI James sit up and take notice.

  • Wave and Die (2001)

In the sequel to Pray and Die, off-the-wall private investigator Jordan Lacey has progressed to cases of an entirely different class: from missing tortoises to stolen water lilies and vandalism at the Women's institute. But Sussex wives will be careless with their husbands, and soon enough Jordan is on the trail of another missing spouse. Complications arise when the husband in question is found dead in a burning showroom, and his 'wife' turns out not to be married to him. Then Jordan is accused of the arson attack at the scene of the crime and really starts to wonder whether sleuthing is her true vocation. There's a silver lining to every cloud, however, now that Jordan's in this deep, she doesn't have to via for the attention of dishy DI James, since he's hounding her.

  • Spin and Die (2002)

Zany and eccentric PI Jordan Lacey takes on her new case with verve and ingenuity. She is hired to follow Sonia Spiller, a woman suspected of a compensation fraud against a Latching department store. And then there's a second surveillance case in the same department store - to track down vanishing stock, posing as a temporary sales assistant. It's Christmas and Jordan even helps DI James buy a present for his mother. But when a man spins to his death on Hell's Revenge, a high-tech, scary funfair ride, Jordan realizes the cases are horribly linked. The plot thickens as Jordan herself is accused of being a stalker, a JCB destroys the bowling pavilion revealing some grisly remains and one of her friends gets beaten up. Jordan is even trapped in a watermill wheel - but will the dashing DI James come to her rescue?

  • Hide and Die (2003)

The fourth in the much-acclaimed Jordan Lacey series Jordan Lacey, Latching's intrepid and unconventional P.I., has two new cases to solve: a paternity dispute and a weird cross-dressing mystery. Neither case is as simple as it seems and during her roller-coaster investigations, she unearths more than she expects. She becomes entangled in a ten-year-old unsolved murder and it doesn't help when she is held hostage by a bull mastiff, engulfed by a freak tidal wave and poisoned by some suspicious parsley. Her own emotional dramas escalate when Detective Sergeant Ben Evans talks her into a holiday and Detective Inspector James, the object of her unrequited love, has a fit of old-fashioned jealousy.

  • Jest and Die (2004)

PI Jordan Lacey's next assignments have her up a tree carrying out nightly surveillance, and protecting a handsome comedian from a female stalker. When she accidentally unearths an international crime racket, the situation gets too dangerous, even for Jordan.

  • Ring and Die (2005)

Jordan Lacy, Latching's zany private eye, is thrown in the deep end literally when fishing rods start disappearing from the pier. Next, stolen pedigree puppies start adding to her case load. But it all gets more serious when one of the anglers is found hanging in the bell tower of a church, his past life shrouded in mystery. Then a cache of diamonds goes missing from a raided security box and a revengeful gang member is determined to find out where they are hidden.

  • Turn and Die (2007)

Jordan Lacey back by popular demand Jordan Lacey has a back-to-front mystery to solve. The lovely Holly Broughton has been acquitted of trying to murder her husband, but she hires Jordan to find out who framed her and why. When Jordan's life is threatened on three separate occasions, she realizes that she may, for once, be on the right track. Jordan finds herself propelled towards a solution that is claustrophobic and totally unexpected.

  • Fold and Die (2009)

The new Jordan Lacey mystery back by popular demand! - Jordan Lacey, Latchings zany but intrepid private eye, goes cruising to Norway as the undercover bodyguard of Joanna Carter, a woman who believes that her life is in danger. Then Joanna is murdered. Under suspicion for the crime, and hampered by storms, winds, and a cast of mysterious characters, can Jordan solve the mystery before it’s too late?

  • Jazz and Die (2014)

Jordan Lacey, former policewoman-turned-private-investigator, needs work, so when dishy DCI James offers the job of guarding Maddy, unruly daughter of a famous jazz trumpeter, from a stalker, she accepts immediately and heads off to the festival in Dorset in her new sports car, the Wasp. But discovering DCI James's cold case involves a victim the same age as Maddy, and from the same school, Jordan is sure there is a link. Events escalate, and Jordan must rely on her wits and training to keep Maddy safe. Once again she's on the heels of a cold-blooded murderer and is unstoppable in her determination to chase the killer down.

  • Jordan Lacey Investigates (2018)

Three gripping Jordan Lacey stories gathered together for the first time in one must-have collection. Zany and eccentric PI Jordan Lacey takes on new cases with verve and ingenuity and in these stories, often she will bite off more than she can chew. In the tradition of classic murder-mysteries but with plenty of grit to boot, these gripping stories will have you on the edge of your seat.


Casey Jones Cruise Ship Mystery Series

  1. Second Sitting (2008)

A brand-new series from the creator of Jordan Lacey - Casey Jones is Cruise Director on board the luxurious Countess Georgina for her trip to the Caribbean. Casey’s days and nights are filled with an endless stream of prima donna singers and feather-clad chorus girls. But when a guest collapses during the second sitting at table two, and later dies, Casey finds herself trying to uncover a bizarre chain of events helped by the gorgeous Cruise Doctor, Samuel Mallory.

  1. Dead Slow Ahead (2008)

A Casey Jones Cruise Ship Mystery - Cruise Entertainments Director Casey Jones is back on board the Countess Georgina for the Mediterranean cruise. She has a new deputy the charming Lee Williams and a fresh troupe of entertainers. However, things on board don’t always run smoothly, and with a disgruntled guest reporting a missing couture Chanel gown, and items going missing from the ship boutique, Casey senses this cruise is not going to be all calm.

  1. A Wide Berth (2010)

Casey Jones is forced to abandon her planned holiday and head to Acapulco to join the Countess Aveline after crew member Tracy Coleman vanishes into thin air. It's possible that Tracy jumped ship rather than work for Pierre Arbour, a man who gives new meaning to the term obnoxious, but Casey suspects that something rather more sinister has occurred.

Related Research Articles

Gracie Allen American actress and comedienne

Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen was an American vaudevillian and comedian who became internationally famous as the zany partner and comic foil of husband George Burns, her straight man appearing with her on radio, television, and film as the duo Burns and Allen.

Elinor Brent-Dyer English childrens author

Elinor M. Brent-Dyer was an English children's author who wrote more than 100 books during her lifetime, the most famous being the Chalet School series.

<i>Whos Harry Crumb?</i> 1989 film by Paul Flaherty

Who's Harry Crumb? is a 1989 American comedy-mystery film featuring John Candy as the title character. Paul Flaherty directed the film, which co-stars Annie Potts, Jeffrey Jones and Shawnee Smith. An uncredited cameo appearance is made by Jim Belushi. The story concerns the often incompetent, sometimes brilliant, private investigator Harry Crumb, who searches for a kidnapping victim.

Camp Casey was the name given to the encampment of anti-war protesters outside the Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas during US President George W. Bush's five-week summer vacation there in 2005, named after Iraq War casualty US Army Specialist Casey Sheehan.

<i>Passage</i> (Willis novel) novel by Connie Willis

Passage is a science fiction novel by Connie Willis, published in 2001. The novel won the Locus Award for Best Novel in 2002, was shortlisted for the Nebula Award in 2001, and received nominations for the Hugo, Campbell, and Clarke Awards in 2002.

Ann Foster was an Andover widow accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials.

Phyllis Matthewman , British writer of children's books, mostly boarding school stories, and adult fiction.

Penelope Halsall was a best-selling and prolific English writer of over 200 romance novels. She started writing regency romances as Caroline Courtney, and wrote contemporary romances as Penny Jordan and historical romances as Annie Groves. She also wrote novels as Melinda Wright and Lydia Hitchcock. Her books have sold over 70 million copies worldwide and been translated into many languages.

Margery Lawrence was an English romantic fiction, fantasy fiction, horror fiction and detective fiction author who specialized in ghost stories.

<i>The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon</i> (I Mean Noel) book by Ellen Raskin

The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon is a children's mystery novel by Ellen Raskin, published in 1971.

<i>The Dressmaker</i> (Bainbridge novel) novel by Beryl Bainbridge

The Dressmaker is a gothic psychological novel written by Beryl Bainbridge. In 1973, it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Like many of Bainbridge's earlier works, the novel is semi-autobiographical. In particular, the story was inspired by a relationship that she had with a soldier as a teenager. The characters of Nellie and Margo were based upon two of her paternal aunts.

<i>The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read</i> book by Susan Hill

The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read is a short story collection by British writer Susan Hill published in 2003 by Chatto & Windus (hardback) and the following year in paperback by Vintage Books. It "received long and favourable reviews in The Guardian, The Spectator, The Sunday Times and The Times Literary Supplement.

<i>Skinned</i> (novel) novel by Robin Wasserman

Skinned is a young adult sci-fi by Robin Wasserman. First published in 2008, the novel has since been renamed Frozen and is the first book in the Cold Awakening trilogy. After her organic body dies in a car accident, Lia's mind is scanned and downloaded into a mechanical body with no resemblance to the original. Grappling with the concepts of personal identity and what it means to be human, Lia must decide if she wants to return to her old life, or assimilate into her new one.

<i>The Man Who Wasnt There</i> (Barker novel) book by Pat Barker

The Man Who Wasn't There is a novel by Pat Barker, published in 1989. It is the story of a 1950s latch-key kid and his search for a father.

<i>Breaking and Entering</i> (novel) book by H. R. F. Keating

Breaking and Entering is a crime novel by H.R.F. Keating. It is the twenty-fourth novel in the Inspector Ghote series.

<i>The Shanghai Moon</i>

The Shanghai Moon is a Lydia Chin/Bill Smith mystery novel by S. J. Rozan. It was published in 2009 by Minotaur Books. In 2010 it was published by Ebury Press in the UK as Trail of Blood. Set partially in New York City and partially in the Shanghai Ghetto, the book follows Lydia Chin as she tries to recover a fictional stolen jewel also called The Shanghai Moon.

<i>The Heat of the Day</i> Novel by Elizabeth Bowen

The Heat of the Day is a novel by Anglo-Irish Elizabeth Bowen, first published in 1948 in the United Kingdom, and in 1949 in the United States of America.

Laura Mary Catherine Beatty is a writer awarded the Authors' Club First Novel Award for her 2008 novel Pollard, also shortlisted for the Ondaatje Prize.

<i>Pollard</i> (novel) book by Laura Beatty

Pollard is the debut novel of Laura Beatty, first published in hardback in 2008 by Chatto & Windus and the following year in paperback by Vintage Books. This was her first novel though she had previously written biographies. It won the Authors' Club First Novel Award and was shortlisted for the Ondaatje Prize

<i>The Secret Garden</i> (1987 film) 1987 film

The Secret Garden is the 1987 Hallmark Hall of Fame made-for-television film adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel The Secret Garden, aired on CBS November 30, 1987 and produced by Rosemont Productions Limited. The film stars Gennie James, Barret Oliver, Jadrien Steele, Billie Whitelaw, Michael Hordern and Sir Derek Jacobi.

References

  1. "Fantastic fiction". 2017.
  2. Whitelaw, Stella (1996). How to write short-short stories. ISBN   9780749002091.
  3. "Stella Whitelaw". fantasticfiction book site. 19 May 2010.
  4. Whitelaw, Stella (2015). Prosecco Fortune. ISBN   9780719815386.