Books by Val Andrews

Unlock Your Creativity: a 21-day sensory workout for writers is the first book in the series co-authored by Sue Johnson and Val Andrews. Unlock Your Creativity begins with exercises to help the reader identify their creative aspirations. It then takes them on a 21-day journey through the senses, showing a variety of ways to fuel their creative writing. Sue and Val support this sensory workout with a selection of practical planning tools, hints and tips to keep the creative writer focused on achieving their goals and to help sustain their momentum and work-flow when life gets in the way. This book also incorporates exercises and information from Sue and Vals successful Unlock Your Creativity Workshops. It is a must read for anyone who has always wanted to write but doesnt know where to start.

As the twentieth century dawns, Holmes and Watson hear a knock on the door. Their enigmatic guest is Abdul Faziel, an Arab man from the mysterious land of Marrafaze – a land only rumoured to exist.Son of the Sheik, Faziel is fleeing his homeland to seek help. His father has been turned against him by the connivance of his brother, Mustapha, and the Grand Wazir. Mustapha wishes to usurp the throne and dispose of anyone who gets in his way.The plot thickens when Sherlock visits his brother Mycroft. Mycroft insists that Sherlock journey to Marrafaze in order to make diplomatic contact with the Sheikdom, over the fate of a certain mineral that has been discovered there – a mineral that could be manipulated for warfare, and disastrous if in the wrong hands.But there is no map to Marrafaze, and Holmes and Watson must embark upon an arduous trek across the Sahara desert, voyaging through uncharted territory.Battling alone through the blistering heat, with food and water in short supply, it seems they’ll never be able to navigate a way out of the barren wilderness.When they finally make it to Marrafaze, ‘the end of the world’, they encounter a land ruled by religious superstition and the whims of the Grand Wazir. Isolated in strange and incomprehensible territory, Holmes and Watson find themselves in unimaginable danger.

Christmas is fast approaching – but for Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr John Watson, a sudden visitor is to change what little plans they have made for the yule-tide.James Harding, owner of a Guildford antique business, has travelled to 221B Baker Street armed with an intriguing proposition for the ever-dutiful detective.He has received an invitation from a Mr. Gerald MacMillan to assemble some friends and spend the festive period with him at his stately home in Sussex.A bizarre proposal considering Harding had only just met MacMillian.Holmes, who swiftly recognises MacMillan as a former confidence man, together with Watson shall form the rest of the travelling party.Whilst there, the famous duo try to uncover the intentions of the seemingly hospitable host who has chosen to spend Christmas with a stranger.True to form, the festivities are disturbed by an incident so shocking it threatens to ruin Christmas, but for Holmes it’s just the beginning ...Sherlock Holmes and the Yule-tide Mystery promises to be one Holmes’s most baffling cases yet. 

Some people, even today, think that Dr. Crippen was wrongly convicted and should never have been hanged for the murder of his wife, Belle Elmore. The incomplete remains found in the basement of 39 Hilldrop Crescent on Wednesday 13th July, 1910 were not enough for an absolute identification, although given that Crippen along with his lover, Ethel Le Neve, had apparently fled by boat to Canada, there seemed to be damning circumstantial evidence. As his ship entered Quebec they were both arrested by Walter Dew, an experienced Scotland Yarder who had been involved with the 'Jack the Ripper' investigation. He had been tipped off as to their presence by the vessel's captain, who had made the first recorded use of the new Marconigram resulting in the capture of a murderer. The subsequent trial at the Old Bailey was a sensation never again to be repeated.Here for the first time you can read both sides of the story. First the definitive facts of the case as outlined by award winning Sunday Times journalist, David James Smith, whose book, Supper with the Crippens, is widely recognised as being the last word on the subject. Then there is the clever fiction weaved by master story teller, Val Andrews in which he yet again proves, as Sherlock Holmes stated, that 'It may seem to point very straight to one thing, but if you shift your own point of view a little, you may find it pointing in an equally uncompromising manner to something entirely different'. It is left to the reader to decide which version of events of 100 years ago they prefer to accept.