Sunderland author Glenda Young shortlisted for national award

Her latest cosy crime novel, Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel, has been shortlisted in the Listening Books Members’ Choice Award 2024.

The author earnt her place on the shortlist after being one of the most-popular audiobooks with members of Listening Books, a charity whose audiobook lending service is for anyone who finds reading difficult due to a physical or mental illness, disability or learning difficulty.

Glenda’s book, which is narrated by award-winning actor and voiceover artist Coleen Prendergast, is shortlisted alongside famous names including TV star Miriam Margolyes, comedian Sara Pascoe and international bestselling author David Nicholls.

Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel is set in Scarborough and stars a team of obsessive crazy golfers determined to win a mini-golf tournament, by fair means or foul.

When the captain of the rival team ends up dead, amateur sleuth and Seaview hotel landlady Helen Dexter with her rescue greyhound Suki are called into action to help solve the crime.

Glenda said: “I’m over the moon to be shortlisted. It’s amazing to know that my book has been read and listened to by so many people too.

“And while I’m probably best known for my bestselling historical sagas set in Ryhope, when I couldn’t get out to research during lockdown I turned to writing cosy crime set in my happy place of Scarborough.

“I wrote a murder mystery about a troupe of 12 Elvis impersonators called Twelvis, who arrive in town for an Elvis fan convention. However, one of them ends up dead and has his blue suede shoes stolen.

“My publisher Headline loved the book and asked for a series. The books have also been translated into Spanish and Italian and cosy crime fans overseas love the books too. So far, there are three books set in the Seaview Hotel with more to be published in 2025 and 2026.

“I’m also writing more historical sagas after the very successful launch this year of The Toffee Factory Girls.

“This book is inspired by Horner’s toffee factory and Dainty Dinah toffee of Chester-le-Street and is the start of a trilogy set during WW1. I love writing the two different genres of historical sagas and cosy crimes and helping put the north east on the map.”

It’s not the first time that Glenda’s books have been shortlisted for a national award.

Her series of cosy crime books were shortlisted for the Best New Crime Series with Richard Osman and Val McDermid in the Dead Good Readers’ Awards at Harrogate crime festival in 2022.

Glenda added: “It was an honour to be at the awards ceremony. Richard Osman won and although he wasn’t in Harrogate, he’d left a tab behind the bar so we all had a free drink and raised a toast to him.”

Glenda also runs two hugely popular Coronation Street fan websites which have an impressive and international following.

And she writes Riverside, the first weekly soap opera for The People’s Friend, the world’s longest-running women’s magazine.

Riverside is now available as an audio drama where all of the narrators are ex-soap stars from the UK and Australia.

And due to the success of her books, Glenda now sponsors a creative writing student at the University of Sunderland.

You can meet Glenda at one of her book signing events which are listed on her website:https://www.glendayoungbooks.com/