Linda Stratmann

Linda has a virtually life-long interest in true crime, and a large collection of books on the subject. She is a qualified chemist’s dispenser, having trained in a very old branch of Boots, just before the shop and the course were modernised. After taking a BSc in Psychology she was an Inspector of Taxes for 27 years, before leaving to pursue her writing. She is a black belt in both aikido and Japanese sword.

She has a passionate though not uncritical love of the Victorian period, and probably spends more time in the 19^th century than the 21^st. She will dress up in the appropriate costume at every possible opportunity. Linda’s research skills are self-taught but over the years she has become a competent amateur genealogist, and archive user.

Linda writes three crime fiction series: The Frances Doughty Mysteries set in 1880s Bayswater, feature a clever and determined lady detective, who has to battle wily criminals and the prejudices about suitable roles for women. Through her adventures we explore aspects of Victorian life such as diet, education, medicine, women’s rights, fear of premature burial and the fashion for cycling.

In the second series, set in 1870s Brighton, Mina Scarletti is a deceptively diminutive lady with a twisted spine, whose boldness and confidence enable her to overcome her apparent disadvantages. Mina writes horror and ghost stories and exposes the activities of fraudulent spirit mediums.

The third series, commencing publication in 2021 chronicles the early cases of Sherlock Holmes, when he was in his early twenties and before he met Watson.

Linda has given many public talks on true crimes. She has been a guest panellist at Crimefest Bristol since 2011, has been a guest on radio shows and appeared in two television documentaries on the history of anaesthesia and two editions of the Fred Dinenage Murder Casebook.

Linda has served on the committee of the CWA for several years and was Chair from 2019-2021.