Q&A: author Antony Johnston

But it's one thing to write a book, and quite another to turn it into a series. For The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead I thought hard about which elements and characters would return. This book takes Gwinny into a new environment; in contrast to the country house setting of the first book, here she's solving the murder of an ageing rock star in the houseboat community of Little Venice - two things she knows almost nothing about - while also looking after the victim's Border Collie. But some familiar elements also return, such as Gwinny's friend Birch, a former Met detective, as well as her ongoing troubles fixing up the old Chelsea house she inherited.

Much of the inspiration for this second book came from Little Venice itself, which is a lovely area in London that often flies under the radar. It's an oasis of peace and quiet, despite being just five minutes' walk from Paddington, so naturally I thought it would be an ideal place to stage a ghastly murder.