Rosalind Stopps Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Rosalind Stopps is a mystery fiction author from East London that is best known for her debut novel “Hello, My Name is May.” Early in her life, she went to Lancaster University where she got her creative writing master’s degree.

While she wanted to tell stories for the longest time, she would spend many years working with disabled children and their families. Once she published her debut novel, she was convinced that she was destined to become a professional author and has never looked back since.
Her short fiction has been read at live literature events in New York, London, Hong Kong, and Leeds. They have also been published in at least five anthologies.

While her debut novel “The Stranger She Knew” did very well, it was her second novel that would prove to be her best as it made the long list for the Gold Dagger Award by the CWA.

Rosalind currently makes her home in South East London where she lives with her family and a large number of dogs. When she is not penning her fiction, she can be found reading or hosting at the South Bank Arts Centre in London.

Like many authors, Rosalind Stopps was always a great reader ever since he was a child. She used to have books on the go and would replace them immediately after she finished one.

As a child, she used to get into a lot of trouble for reading when her parents and teachers expected her to be revising or doing her homework. Every Saturday, she used to head to the library during the afternoons to read everything she could get her hands on.
In fact, she read even books traditionally reserved for boys such as books on football or about fighter pilots. Some of her favorite novels during this time include the likes of “Lone Pine Club” by Malcolm Saville and “Swallows and Amazons” by Arthur Ransome.
She remembers that at some point, she stood in the middle of the children’s library and realized that there was nothing she had not read in there. Thankfully, the librarians were gracious enough to let her start reading adult books despite her young age.

She still reads widely across many genres but her current favorites include Kazuo Ishiguro, Elizabeth Strout, Stephen King, and Ann Tyler who are also among her inspirations.

As an adult, writing continued to be Rosalind Stopps’ secret indulgence similar to eating her children’s chocolate or swimming at night naked in the sea. She used to write snippets here and there, even though she did not have any discipline or pattern to her writing.
With five children, it was all she could to just try and write anything with the scant time she could steal from the many things she had to do during the day. Things changed when her kids grew up and she suddenly had time to attend writing classes.

Her stories began to get longer and she made friends with the many aspiring authors in her classes. Somewhere during those years, she got a creative writing master’s degree which only served as a distraction to actual writing.
Writing in the early mornings, it took nine months to pen the first draft. It would then take about a year and a half to edit and revise before she finally published her debut novel in 2019.
Her interests outside of writing include family, her dogs, and the politics of trying to make the world a better place.

Rosalind Stopps’ novel “A Beginner’s Guide to Murder,” tells the story of Meg, Grace, and Daphne who are still in the early days of their friendship.

At the opening of the novel, they are meeting for coffee following a pilates class. They are women in their seventies who are nervous and unsure about how to appropriately interact with each other.

Their discomfort only goes higher when Nina a 17-year-old girl asks them for help. As Nina dashes into the bathroom, they have to deal with a suspicious man who comes asking about her.

Afterward, they take Nina back to Meg’s house where they offer her tea and proper clothes. It is not long before they realize that the girl happens to be a victim of human trafficking and now they need to help her.

However, they also have to keep themselves safe as her pimp has been patrolling the streets and seems determined to get her back whatever the cost. They are terrified of reporting to the authorities even though they may not have the skills and strength to protect Nin and themselves properly.
They ultimately decide to hire an assassin to take out the pimp as they believe they will be doing the world a favor.

It is a beautiful and beguiling treat with shades of Kate Atkinson. The author balances exquisitely realized characters, dark themes, a great plot, dry humor, and feminist sensitivity to make a great read.

Rosalind Stopps’ “The Stranger She Knew” is set in 1017 and introduces May. She is unable to speak and hence the many thoughts she has usually do not make it out of her head.

She ultimately finds herself in a nursing home but things are hard since she cannot communicate. This results in most people even including her carers misreading their attempted words and responses.

Jenny her daughter regularly visits and sees something in her mother. There is also a new woman at the home who wants to befriend May who seems to get her. But their friendship is threatened by a stranger in the opposite room. He reminds May of her husband, the abuse she had to endure from him, and her difficult life in Hull.

May will fight tooth and nail to ensure Jackie will not fall into the clutches of the man. Stopps pens a very vivid story and we can feel May’s frustration in her marriage as every action she takes only aggravates her husband and results in even more acts of abuse.
It is a gripping and beautifully written story with unexpected tension and wit that will have its readers glued to its pages.