Set in the shadow of
Regent’s Park, my very first novel - THE DE CLERAMBAULT CODE - throws a special spotlight on this
pocket of North West London.
Firstly, let’s take a
look at Regents Park itself, a favoured all-year-round place for reflection for the novel’s protagonist, Laura Hill.
The park has an outer ring road called the Outer Circle (4.3 km) and an inner ring road, the Inner Circle, which surrounds the most carefully tended section of the park, Queen Mary's Gardens. Apart from two link roads between these two, the park is reserved for pedestrians. The south, east and most of the west side of the park are lined with elegant white stucco terraces of houses designed by John Nash. Running through the northern end is Regent's Canal which connects the Grand Union Canal to the former London Docks. The 166 hectares (410 acres) park is mainly open parkland with a wide range of amenities including gardens, a lake and a boating area. The northern side is the home of the London Zoo. There are several public gardens with flowers and specimen plants, especially Queen Mary's Gardens in the Inner Circle - where the Open Air Theatre is also located (snapped below from an air balloon)
The park has an outer ring road called the Outer Circle (4.3 km) and an inner ring road, the Inner Circle, which surrounds the most carefully tended section of the park, Queen Mary's Gardens. Apart from two link roads between these two, the park is reserved for pedestrians. The south, east and most of the west side of the park are lined with elegant white stucco terraces of houses designed by John Nash. Running through the northern end is Regent's Canal which connects the Grand Union Canal to the former London Docks. The 166 hectares (410 acres) park is mainly open parkland with a wide range of amenities including gardens, a lake and a boating area. The northern side is the home of the London Zoo. There are several public gardens with flowers and specimen plants, especially Queen Mary's Gardens in the Inner Circle - where the Open Air Theatre is also located (snapped below from an air balloon)
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Laura, herself, lives
at Redhill Place (below) off Albany Street:
The local bookshop, West End Lane Books, has been the spot of many
book signings like this one for crime novelist, Ian Rankin:
book signings like this one for crime novelist, Ian Rankin:
Hampstead Heath –
another favourite destination for reflection and jogging
(the City in the background)
(the City in the background)
Then to the island of Korkula
And to the medieval
village of Mali Ston
(and its ominous castle in the background)
on the edge of the Peljesac Peninsula
(and its ominous castle in the background)
on the edge of the Peljesac Peninsula
Towards the end of
the novel and in mourning, Laura travels to Venice
And to Torcello, specifically,
the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta di Torcello
With its world-famous
mosaics - which lead Laura to her ultimately fateful decision
(no spoilers here!)
(no spoilers here!)
As you know, all profits from the sale of all my novels, The De Clerambault Code, Soul Stealer and Retribution go to the charity Cudeca - see sidebar opposite (www.cudeca.org).
See sidebar or click HERE (Amazon UK), HERE (Amazon.com), HERE (Goodreads) and HERE for reviews and further shameless self-promotion! Thanks so much for your support!
N.B. Images from my two other novels are HERE (Soul Stealer) and HERE (Retribution).
And thriller number 4 - set in the UK's beautiful Peak District and the latest in the Alice Myers crime series - will be available soon both in paperback and on Kindle like its predecessors!
Enjoy!
NORA
NORA
35 comments:
Congratulations!
Congratulations on getting your third child into the world. I hope it does well and makes it's parent proud. It certainly looks interesting with all the relevant places it is set in.
Congratulations on your first novel! What a great accomplishment!
Ian Rankin, wow, how cool is that. Great photos as well!
Congratulations on the book! Gorgeous photos (I want to visit England so much), and your "assistant" Lola is just adorable!
Hearty congratulations!
I'd love to follow in Laura's footsteps - such beautiful settings.
Hi Lola and Nora,
Huge congratulations on your third book. Exciting places where it is set Regent Park and all the gorgeous gardens and the West End.
Best of luck with this.
happy day
hugs
Carolyn
what a lovely descriotion of your part of London. I would love a good book shop near by. Sadly they are closing all to fast because of ebay amazon and digital books.
See you next week x
Wonderful post and photos ~ book sounds fascinating ~ will check it out ~
carol, xxx
www.acreativeharbor.com
Wonderful post and photos ~ book sounds fascinating ~ will check it out ~
carol, xxx
www.acreativeharbor.com
How nice to go back and share your first novel with us. I'm working on my third novel right now.
That's beautiful, I love how you lead us through the novel. And I loved revisiting London this way, one of my fav places in the world. Thank you for sharing with us at OBW!
Wow! Congratulations Nora. You're a star.
All the best,
Melody
I especially like the autumn shot!
Tan Renga Shadows
The views of the UK and Europe (I assume that Britain is not really Europe) are wonderful in all seasons. London is huge but Regents Park and Hampstead Heath are each an oasis of quiet in an urban jungle...Dubrovnik being walled is perhaps an oasis in a land of strife. Amazing and beautiful views all!
What lovely and dramatic settings!
=)
Such an enjoyable blog - I will return!
Wow...this is lovly shot!
So many nice trip..engoy:)
Congratulations on your novels! I love city parks, they're such an oasis (I know, it's an overused cliche, but a true one). Getting into nature recharges me.
Congratulations for publishing and going LIVE!...:)JP
congrats to you! and a big round of applause to your generosity to Cudeco, as well as others who provide the sevice to cancer patients!
I just ordered the Kindle version of your book. I'm anxious to start reading it!
Nonnie, USA
Beautiful travels! Loved all the seasons too.
Lovely post with all those gorgeous photos. I love reading books set in UK.
Hello Nora & Lola,
How thrilling it must be to publish!
I look forward to reading your comment on my blog.
Happy Blue Monday!
Congrats!Lovely photos and now I want to read that book.
A milestone to be proud of ... thank you for giving us a tour of the locations!!
Congratulations and thanks for letting us see the locations in your book!!
Nora, what splendid settings for your novel, and I can only imagine getting to spend time in all these places and getting to know them in order to write about them.
Thank you for an interesting trip!
Congratulations on your novel Nora… fantastic! Thanks for sharing the love up-close with I Heart Macro:-)
I'm glad to have set foot on Regents'Park when I went to London in 2006. Beautiful images.
wow! and congratulations
much love...
Beautiful pictures!!
Jocelyn @ http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/
This novel sounds like it is jammed full of interesting places...
I would just look but now I really want to jump in and read this!
Thanks for linking to the letter "J".
A+
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