Elly Grant

Hi, my name is Elly Grant and I like to kill people. I use a variety of methods. Some I drop from a great height, others I drown, but I've nothing against suffocation, poisoning or simply battering a person to death. As long as it grabs my reader's attention, I'm satisfied. I've written several novels and short stories. My first novel, 'Palm Trees in the Pyrenees' is set in a small town in France. It is the first book of my ‘Death in the Pyrenees' series and they are all published by Next Chapter. The others in the series are, 'Grass Grows in the Pyrenees’, ’Red Light in the Pyrenees’, ’Dead End in the Pyrenees', 'Deadly Degrees in the Pyrenees' and ‘Hanging Around in the Pyrenees’. Next Chapter has also published my grittier crime novels set in Glasgow, 'The Unravelling of Thomas Malone' and 'The Coming of the Lord' as well as my thriller, ‘Death at Presley Park’, my quirky black comedy 'But Billy Can't Fly', my Romance 'Never Ever Leave Me' and my book of dark short stories, 'One Dark Year' as well as a collaboration of short stories called 'Twists and Turns'. As I live much of the year in a small French town in the Eastern Pyrenees, I get inspiration from the way of life and the colourful characters I come across. I don't have to search very hard to find things to write about and living in the most prolific wine producing region in France makes the task so much more delightful. When I first arrived in this region I was lulled by the gentle pace of life, the friendliness of the people and the simple charm of the place. But dig below the surface and, like people and places the world over, the truth begins to emerge. Petty squabbles, prejudice, jealousy and greed are all there waiting to be discovered. Oh, and what joy in that discovery. So, as I sit in a café, or stroll by the riverside, or walk high into the mountains in the sunshine, I greet everyone I meet with a smile and a 'Bonjour' and, being a friendly place, they return the greeting. I people-watch as I sip my wine or when I go to buy my baguette. I discover quirkiness and quaintness around every corner. I try to imagine whether the subjects of my scrutiny are nice or nasty and, once I've decided, some of those unsuspecting people, a very select few, I kill. Perhaps you will visit my town one day. Perhaps you will sit near me in a café or return my smile as I walk past you in the street. Perhaps you will hold my interest for a while, and maybe, just maybe, you will be my next victim. But don't concern yourself too much, because, at least for the time being, I always manage to confine my murderous ways to paper. Read books from the 'Death in the Pyrenees' series, enter my small French town and meet some of the people who live there ----- and die there. Alternatively read about life on some of the hardened streets of Glasgow or for something different try my other books and short stories.