Sunderland Echo
·Aug 2026
Boldon crime author looks to inspire others wanting to write a ‘killer thriller’
Boldon-born crime author Marrisse Whittaker will lead three writing sessions at The Word in South Shields during September’s Write Festival. Whittaker, who wrote her first book at 61, published her debut thriller The Magpie after the 2020 lockdown and secured a three-book deal with Bloodhound Books. Her sixth novel, A Body of Lies, has now been released, and she hopes the sessions will give aspiring authors practical insight into creating and publishing a crime thriller.