A young woman has gone missing. It’s nearly Christmas. Why does hardly anyone seem to care?
Kelly Ingles’ case should have been one to tug on the public’s heartstrings: a young woman missing in the run-up to Christmas.
But Kelly wasn’t perfect – she liked to party, enjoyed a drink, didn’t always make the best decisions. And when evidence of her drunken antics appears online, it becomes clear that Kelly might not just have been in the wrong place at the wrong time; she might also be the wrong sort of girl to encourage public sympathy.
It’s a case that’s right up Maxie Reddick’s street. As a criminology professor, she’s made it her mission to challenge unconscious biases within the criminal justice system – the sort of biases that cause girls like Kelly to slip through the cracks.
But can she get the police and public on board before it’s too late?
- I’ve lived in a few places around the UK – Fife, Lancaster, Liverpool, London, Brighton, Manchester and now Newcastle – where I was born. The locations in my novels tend to be loosely based on one of these places. The crime novels are set around Lancaster and the North-West as I needed a location which had both a coastline and deep, dark valleys!
- I love walking. I have a dog who needs walking every day and this gives me a great reason to be on our fabulous beaches most mornings. I also love the hills and having moved back to the North-East, I’m now discovering the Cheviots.
- I always have a very strong image of my characters and usually find celebrity pictures of who they might look like. In Wrong Sort of Girl – Kelly’s boyfriend looks like Graziano di Prima – one of the Strictly 2021 professional dancers! Although in book he’s Spanish rather than Italian.
- I love ice cream – any time of the year. There is an ice-cream parlour in South Shields called Minchella’s and it makes the best ice-cream. If you’re ever in the area, you just have to try it.
- I used to work in marketing and research before starting writing. When I think about it, they were good practise for what I need to do now. I spend a great deal of time doing research into crimes and procedures and I have to be able to understand the motivation of various characters – something that’s very important in marketing.
- My main character – Professor Maxie Reddick – is based upon my old choir teacher. She was a big, bold woman with a wicked sense of humour and such a twinkle in her eye. I always thought that she would never let anything get in the way of her wanting to do something.
- I volunteer for a charity called The Cinnamon Trust – we walk dogs for people who are too ill or elderly to walk their pets themselves. It means that people get to keep their companions with them for longer – something I believe is very important.
- I think there is nothing better than having a good laugh and great banter with friends – usually over a glass of wine. I love the spark of conversation with people who know you better that you know yourself and those great belly laughs that happen with people you love.
- I am the world’s worst at keeping houseplants alive and cannot understand why anyone has them.
- Today – as I write this – is actually my wedding anniversary! We have one tradition which is to have fish and chips with a bottle of champagne. I’m looking forward to it already!
About the book
Wrong Sort of Girl is published by Ruby Fiction and available now as an ebook
You will find buying options on the Ruby Fiction website here: Wrong Sort of Girl
Sharing #TenThings she’d like her readers to know about her today is author Helen Bridgett whose latest novel, Wrong Sort of Girl, is published by Ruby Fiction today. Happy publication day Helen – hope you have a great time celebrating!
