special event in sidmouth

12 March 2026

Authors rarely get the opportunity to give a talk in the home town of their book's protagonist, but in a full circle moment, I had the privilege of speaking to a full house (plus those in an overfill room) in Sidmouth about their now known local legend, Kathleen Pettigrew. 

The MI6 super ‘secretary’ was the first woman I started researching for my debut book Her Secret Service. I picked up her trail in the delightful coastal Devonshire town where she had spent her retirement, and the rest is history. Kathleen’s story is a central thread throughout the book and she is the reason why the book begins and ends in Sidmouth, a perfect haven for retired spies! 

It was a true honour to tell Kathleen’s story for the first time, and a privilege to share it with those in Sidmouth, where the former ‘Miss Moneypenny’ had lived out the final phase of her life just the same as she had when working for MI6, under the radar. 

A huge note of thanks to the Sid Vale Association for the invitation to speak.