Books / Eve Hall
‘I like to see where my characters will take me’: Bristol author Eve Hall on her new crime novel
Writing under a series of pen names – in this case E. C. Nevin, Bristol-based author Eve Hall is about to publish a new cosy crime novel; the first in a new series featuring aspiring writer, Jane Hepburn.
A Novel Murder is set at a crime fiction conference in which Hepburn’s literary agent is unexpectedly killed. Can she unravel the clues to solve the mystery and somehow boost her own writing credentials in the process?
Hall comes to penning her own novels after wide-ranging experience as an editor at Penguin Random House and later Hachette, where she was an editorial director.
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Working with multiple bestselling and beloved authors such as Marian Keyes and Claire Douglas, she also cites the thrill of collaborating with debut, un-agented writers, and sitting around the commissioning table to bring new books to the market.
Eve Hall, A Novel Murder – photo: Eve Hall
Now freelance, and writing novels full time, Hall also runs short courses to help people get into the publishing industry.
To celebrate the launch of A Novel Murder, she will be appearing at The Square Club on June 23, Bradford Literature Festival on June 28, and then Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate – the event that inspired the book – from July 17-20.
It feels like a natural time to take stock, and Hall caught up with Bristol24/7 to reflect on a lifelong love of books.
Eve Hall hillwalking with her dog – photo: Rob Pisacane
How would you define your writing style?
“I find that I naturally end up injecting humour into anything I write. Not farcical belly laughs perhaps, but there is always a thread of it. I love character and find that building up people on the page is one of my favourite parts of writing a novel. When an editor pointed out that this was a strong point of mine I was over the moon.
“I like to focus on little details in life that we can all relate to – the tragedy of a spilled glass of wine, the humiliation of getting the dress code slightly wrong, the desperate desire for a plate of chips on am empty stomach – and put those against a backdrop we may not be so familiar with, namely a murder investigation. Most importantly though, I try and write in a way that keeps you hooked. So to sum up, I’m going to say relatable, funny and page-turning.”
Eve Hall – photo: courtesy of the author
What is your own relationship to the characters you create, and how has it evolved?
“Characters happen during the writing process. I will have some bullet points about who they are before I start, but it’s not until I put them in a scene that I start to understand how they react to the world around them and, therefore, who they really are.
“My main character Jane Hepburn is a bundle of intrinsic flaws and insecurities bound together by hope and guts, with a very good heart. I feel extremely warmly towards her, as though she is an old friend I so want to succeed but who never quite gets in right. I’m in her corner. Me and my partner joke about her as if she was a real person we know.”
Signing copies of A Novel Murder – photo: Jeff Jamieson
What drew you to the ‘cosy crime’ genre – do you read it, too?
“My last normal job – before I went freelance and starting writing – was editorial director for Crime & Thriller in a publishing house. As you can imagine, I read a lot of crime fiction! Cosy, procedural, psychological suspense… all of it. Cosy crime works well with an edge of humour, so this, in combination with my experience, worked well for me. I do read cosy crime, and I especially love the Queen of crime fiction herself, Agatha Christie.”
How do you approach the challenges of plotting a book within the wider arc of a series?
“I don’t really. I am not a great planner. Anything I do plan goes out of the window once I start writing. Each book in this series is a self-contained mystery, but the characters’ stories continue. I do have some idea about where they are going, but there is quite a lot of seeing where they take me.”
On the banks of the Thames – photo: Rebecca Hilsdon
Can you share your own experiences of crime fiction festivals?
“Crime fiction festivals are fun opportunities for authors, editors, bloggers, readers, reviewers – really anyone involved in the book industry or who just loves books – to get together for a few days, drink a bit too much and talk about reading. It’s fun to be surrounded by so many people in your industry, or who love what you are part of creating. Authors usually speak on themed panels, and you can find out a lot about their individual processes, inspirations and backgrounds.
“A Novel Murder is set at the fictional Killer Lines festival, which is loosely based on the one that happens in Harrogate every July. Bloody Scotland is another big one, and Bristol was host to CrimeFest, though sadly 2025 was its final year.
“When you are attending with work, you are with lots of colleagues and are all simultaneously stressed out about the weekend ahead and letting their hair down. There is often a small scandal – someone drinking too much, someone having a fight, someone pairing off with someone they shouldn’t, sensitive gossip too-widely shared. However, I’m yet to experience a murder at one of them!
“I have tentative plans to start my own crime fiction event in Bristol, but that’s a little way off for now.”
The novel is published by Bonnier Books – photo: Jeff Jamieson
How supportive is Bristol as a local community of authors, readers and indie bookshops?
“It’s such a privilege to live in this city. Bristol is a hub of independent bookshops – the brilliant Storysmith being my closest. There are a lot of authors are in the South West, and Hachette, one of the largest publishing houses, opened an office here in 2021.
“There is more happening in London – of course there is – but in London you are also in danger of getting lost. In Bristol, you have a creative community around you that want you to succeed, and that’s a great feeling.”
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A Novel Murder by Eve Hall is published on June 19 by Bonnier Books, and available for pre-order now. The subsequent book, A Killer Plot, will follow at a time to be confirmed. Visit www.evewrites.co.uk or follow @evilevehall.
A free launch party and Q&A will take place at The Square Club on June 23 at 6.30pm; check www.eventbrite.co.uk for ticket availability.
Main photo: Jeff Jamieson
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