Hannah McLaren

1 week ago | myweekly.co.uk | Hannah McLaren

This brand new BBC cosy crime series is a must-watch for any of you detective drama fans. Key Plotlines Of Death ValleyThis brand new six-part series follows the classic cosy crime formula of case-of-the-week. Main characters John and Janie quickly become a true dynamic duo with every new case they solve. John Chapel is a retired actor turned amateur sleuth whose biggest fan is real-world detective DS Janie Mallowan.

2 weeks ago | thepeoplesfriend.co.uk | Hannah McLaren

After lunch, Julia followed Marianna to her office feeling like she’d already received her first warning. She’d been trying to extract from Mark where he planned to paint that afternoon, and he’d done likewise without giving any information away. Marianna had made a light-hearted yet pointed comment about how Julia was supposed to be working, not socialising. The room was small and modern, with a computer and little else other than paintings on the walls, all clearly Mariana’s.

2 weeks ago | thepeoplesfriend.co.uk | Hannah McLaren

Mark closed his eyes and leaned his head in his hand, his elbow resting on the arm of a bench. The warmth of the day and the lack of sleep had caught up with him. He had finished a sketch of a street corner and decided to give in. He felt relatively safe in town surrounded by concrete and stone, safe enough to switch off. As his eyes closed and his brain headed towards slumber, the sounds around him heightened.

2 weeks ago | thepeoplesfriend.co.uk | Hannah McLaren

Wizzy was so excited that she barely knew where to start. She’d sketched scenes prior to painting them hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. What was so different about today? It was, she decided, the promise of something unknown which thrilled her. After at least 40 minutes spent flitting around the piazzale, she had dozens of small sketches crowding her pages, from building façades to the wandering pattern of coloured cobbles decorating the pedestrianised area beneath the trees.

2 weeks ago | thepeoplesfriend.co.uk | Hannah McLaren

Julia planned to break with tradition and hold the first morning session in the nearby town of Montevecchi. When all the guests had assembled on Villa Davide’s terrazza, Marianna, looking pale and with forced cheerfulness, led them through the house to the cars at the back. “Don’t forget that lunch is at one. The boys will collect you from the drop-off point at twelve forty-five.”Julia, hanging behind the others, spoke quietly. “Are you OK?”Their hostess managed a smile. “Just a headache.