Katie Gayle Books In Order

Publication Order of Epiphany Bloom Books

Publication Order of Julia Bird Mysteries Books

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of two bestselling South African authors Gail Schimmel and Kate Sidley. The two are bestselling authors who have been very successful in writing novels across several genres.
At some point, they thought it would be best if they tried writing a cozy mystery series even though their decision was to some extent influenced by several cups of wine.

They published “The Kensington Kidnap,” their debut novel in 2020, and now have at least a dozen novels published.

Both Sidley and Schimmel make their home in Johannesburg with their husbands, kids, cats, and dogs.

Kate and Gayel always believed that they were humorous together since they had been friends for a very long time.

While attending the Franschhoek Literary Festival, they sat down to have a glass of wine or two and decided they should join forces and write a book.
Even though the alcohol had worn off by the time they returned home, they still believed it was a good idea and began writing it.

They used to plot together with Kate taking the role of lead writer while Gail followed behind tweaking and adding,. until they hit a plot challenge one cannot undo on their own.
They are usually very open and honest with each other and are prepared to have some of their darlings killed.

They are always ready to discuss difficult things such as money and time and why a line one of them thought was really funny is not and now needs to be deleted.
Ultimately, they finished writing their novel and Kate strongly insisted they submit to Bookouture. While Gayle was a little skeptical, she decided to along with it and started pinching themselves when they got a three-book deal.
They would later add the “Julia Bird Mystery” series to their repertoire.

Unlike many authors, Katie Gayle decided to set their series of novels outside their own reality, even though they were very successful in South Africa.

They were wary of setting their cozy mysteries in South Africa given that there was so much complexity and history in the country.

They were not so sure that they could write what they wanted without having to get into all manner of discussions and explanations. As such, it was easier to step outside their comfort zone and set their novels in England.
It was for the most part a commercial decision as it always seemed easy to set their novel in a place that is a more likely setting for a cozy mystery.

Katie Gayle’s “An English Garden Murder” is a novel set in a picturesque cottage in Cotswold where Julia Bird has just about everything she could ever desire. But in the cozy fireplaces and rustic charm, she discovers that in her garden is a dead body.
Reluctantly retired and recently divorced Julia had left London to go enjoy the tranquil life of the countryside. She was getting ready to make her perfect English garden only to discover more than she had bargained for under an old shed.
The body had apparently been there for decades and the big question is who killed the stranger in her garden?

The police are only drawing blanks and even the local book club, which is known for being a gossip fest cannot remember anyone who disappeared from the village.

Since she cannot move forward with her garden project until the mystery is unraveled, she decides to investigate. Working with Jake her chocolate Labrador, she begins to ask questions of the residents,
But the closer she gets to the truth, the more things turn complicated as she finds the body of someone she knows brutally murdered. There is clearly some vicious killer in the village who is not afraid to kill to ensure her investigation goes nowhere.

“Murder in the Library” by Katie Gayle continues to follow the life and times of Julia Bird.

She had been hoping for a quiet life in the rural countryside of Cotswold after years spent in the chaos of the city. But she is very interested in joining in the activities of the little village.

ulia joins the library and is invited to attend a talk by Vincent Andrews a celebrated local author. Devilishly handsome, charming, and talented, Vincent reads to his audience from his upcoming novel.

The story is set in a village very similar to the small village and soon the audience begins to recognize some of the characters in the story. Vincent is hinting that there will be dark secrets coming out which results in gasps of outrage from his listeners.
Ultimately, the reading ends in an uproar but a few hours later Vincent is found dead in the library. Julia feels that she is obligated to help law enforcement and begins her own investigation.

She soon realizes that Vincent led a very messy life as his book sales were on a steep decline and his finances were in disarray. Things get even more interesting when she discovers Vincent’s manuscript is missing.

Katie Gayle’s novel “A Village Fete Murder” opens with Julia Bird looking forward to the year party at the most luxurious homes in the village.

The yearly celebration is being held at Berrywick House and includes fiercely contested flower competitions, overly decorated cake stalls, and a maze where the losers will hide following their disappointment.
Bird is now a notorious and well-known member of the community and fully participates in the village festivities. However, her reputation for attracting drama comes forth yet again, as she stumbles upon a body in the maze.
It seems that the prickly baking competition and know-it-all Ursula Benjamin has been killed by someone at the festivities.

As Julia is grappling with another murder mystery, she begins to wonder if one of the competitors has decided to take the contest to new deadly heights.
Could there be something darker in the victim’s life that could have led to her unexpected demise?

Things get even more interesting when there is another murder and it is clear that the two murders may be connected.

2 Responses to “Katie Gayle”

1. Jean MacMillan: 2 months ago

   RUTH AND EPIPHANY ARE WINNING CHARACTERS AND I IHOPE THE TWO OF YOU KEP WRITING BOUT THEM FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIIVES TOGETHER!

   Reply
2. Mary Louise: 3 months ago

   I love your characters. My only complaint is that you get the reader invested in these characters and then the series is dropped. I want more Julia Bird and Epiphany Bloom.
   PS Both characters would make great TV movie characters.

   Reply