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A bestselling crime series by local author Madeleine Eskedahl will come to life next month, when she takes fans to some of the places where the secrets of her books are set.
Eskedahl has just released Angels of Clay, the third in her Matakana series.
To celebrate, she is inviting readers on a guided tour of the locations that inspire her. The Matakana Mystery Tour will be held on November 30.
“Places often trigger my imagination,” Eskedahl says. “I’ll see a spot and know exactly what I’d like to have happen there.”
Eskedahl says Angels of Clay was inspired by the discovery that thousands of US Marines were stationed in and around Warkworth during World War II. Researching their time in the area, she explored the social changes and romances that developed between local women and the visiting troops – some ending happily, others tragically.
Born in Sweden, Eskedahl has lived in New Zealand for more than 30 years. When she’s not writing, she volunteers as a “Penguin Ranger,” monitoring Little Penguins along the Leigh coast.
Her first thriller, Blood on Vines (2021), launched The Matakana Series and earned a place on the Whitcoulls Top 100 list. It was followed by Rings on Water and now, Angels of Clay, which follows a killer stalking the shadows of a quiet coastal town – two victims, one message, and a truth buried since the war.
Eskedahl says she has already started work on the next book, Circle of Death, which is set to continue the gripping saga.
The combined bus/walking tour will visit Point Wells, Omaha and Tawharanui. It will start at 10.30am and conclude at 2pm with a light lunch at Ravish and a glass of wine at The Vintry.
It has been arranged as part of this month’s Matakana Book Festival.
Tickets can be booked online at www.trybooking.com.nz/baaz.
