My name is Helen Callaghan and I write fiction whenever I’m left unsupervised. I live in Guildford amongst teetering piles of books.
I’ve always written, it’s my one constant. I was at various points a student nurse, barmaid and drama student. Eventually, I settled into bookselling, working as a fiction specialist and buyer for a variety of bookshops, and did that for nearly ten years. In the end I studied for A-levels at night school. I achieved a place at Cambridge University as a mature student, where I read Archaeology.
When I’m not writing fiction I write technical documentation for IT companies.
I also keep a blog, available on this site. The blog is about my writing; including my thoughts on the things I read and see, some digressions on cool little nuggets that come up in the research (I experiment a fair bit with medieval cookery and remote locations), and any other stratagem I can employ to waste the world’s time. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Bluesky.
My novels Dear Amy, Everything is Lies, and Night Falls, Still Missing are published by Michael Joseph Books, and my latest – The Drowning Girls – is available now.
I am represented by Judith Murray at Greene and Heaton Ltd, and you can get in touch with me at info@helencallaghan.co.uk.
Thanks so much for visiting, and please enjoy the site!
Yes – you remind me, I need to blog this!
Dear Helen,
I have just sent an email to Judith MURRAY re: Dear Amy. I couldn’t send it directly to you as I do not have your email address and did not wish to send it via the Comments sections of your website.
I expect Judith MURRAY will send it on to you as it was adressed to you both.
Kind regards
Jean-Paul
French Literary Translator
Dear Jean Paul,
Thank you so much and sorry for my delayed reply – I am not normally set up for comments on the blog as until recently nobody but close friends (who are pre-approved) ever commented on it! I discovered your comment by accident while I was updating the website theme. Clearly this needs to change.
Judith is away on holiday at the moment, but will pursue this the minute she is back in the UK. I really look forward to seeing it – I am very excited about the forthcoming French translation of Dear Amy!
Helen
Just finished “Dear Amy” Couldn’t put it down!! Just loved it & the twists & turns, but not too many as in some thrillers!!
Am slowly becoming addicted to this type of book in the past 6 months, have managed to read this throughout Wimbledon ( at night) to which I am also addicted!!!!’
Really looking forward to your second book!
Thank you for a brilliant read!
Not sure what my “comment is awaiting moderation” means??!! New to commenting on books!
Help!!
So sorry Carolyn – I had the comments set to moderation because normally no-one except close friends and spammers comment on my blog! I’m just updating the theme and saw your comment now. I couldn’t be happier that you enjoyed Dear Amy, and thanks so much for letting me know – it really makes an enormous difference. Thank you very much!
Dear Helen, I just finished reading Dear Amy – it ruined the first day of my holiday here is sunny Cairns and my 51st birthday yesterday! It is a wonderful, exciting thriller the likes of which I have not read for some time 🙂 well done. I’m looking forward to the next one already. Jo Taylor
Hi Joanne,
Thanks so much for letting me know and I’m delighted you enjoyed Dear Amy! I’m writing the next one at the moment which is enormous fun, but high pressure.
So sorry for the delay in replying – I only just discovered these comments now, but I’m really glad I did! 🙂
Helen
Hello Helen
I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed ‘Dear Amy’ I have just read it in one sitting in the garden today! What better way to enjoy this lovely weather…with a glass of wine and a good book! I am really looking forward to reading your next novel, keep them coming!
Hi Margaret – what a splendidly civilised way to enjoy a book! I’m slaving away on the next one at the moment but looking forward to getting back into reading properly when I’m done. The sun will probably have disappeared by then, alas!
I’m delighted you enjoyed Dear Amy, and thanks so much for letting me know – when you write them, you do it alone, and it’s great to hear that it’s been worth the effort. Thank you!
Hello Helen,
I have just finished reading Dear Amy and I am absolutely gutted that it’s come to an end! What a fantastic read, I was thoroughly blown away by the twists and turns.
Your writing is impeccable and I cannot wait to buy your next book! Thank you so much for gifting us all with this compelling piece.
Sophie x
Goodness! Thanks so much, and I’m so happy you liked it – that’s lovely to hear!
Dear Helen-or are you? Just read your book Dear Amy in just 2 days. Wow. Couldn’t put it down and the twist was excellent. I kept thinking that Martin and his cronies were going to be the criminal gang and had lured Margot into something sinister. I never expected that. keep on writing and I look forward to seeing your next works.
A struggling writer.
Dear Martin – thanks, and delighted you enjoyed it! And very happy you picked up the Martin thing, as it was deliberate. Good luck with your own writing and thanks again!
Hi Helen,
Currently reading your book, and am thoroughly enjoying it, have just got to realise that Margot lives in Girton, as do I! I had to come and find you just to tell you that 😉
Thanks so much for your message – I rarely check the webpage and missed it, I’m sorry! Delighted you are enjoying Dear Amy and yes, Margot lives in Girton. It seemed the best place to put her. 😉
hello Helen
I’ve already read this book(dear amy)… it was very enjoyable… i am 16 years old and next week i have an orale test. i would like to take this book as my book review… i can’t wait to present it!!
Oh my! Well good luck with the test, and I hope you pass with flying colours. I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Dear Helen,
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your debut novel Dear Amy. The characters were well formed, the writing style superb and I loved the plot twists. It had me gripped to the end.
I look forward to reading your next book.
Carla
Hi Carla and thank you! I’m hoping to have a new book out in February next year, but holding off on an announcement until there is a definite date. The book, Everything Is Lies, has gone off for copy-editing and typesetting now, so fingers crossed it will be soon.
But thanks so much for your kind words, and for visiting the site! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! It’s really nice to hear from people that liked the book, as it’s something you don’t normally know about otherwise. As a writer you work from home as a rule and you are in this weird sort of bubble, so news from outside it is always welcome! 🙂
Just finished “Everything is lies” on audio from amazon.
It is a great book, now I am off to try dear amy. 🙂
Thanks so much – delighted you enjoyed it, and I’m thrilled with the job they did on the audio. People keep telling me how much they loved the performances, which I’m allowed to say since I had nothing to do with it. 😉
Hi Helen,
Two years I listened to Everything is Lies and then Dear Amy on Audible. Both books stuck with me and even now I occasionally find myself mulling over plot twists or writing styles employed. The books were great 😊
When I’d seen you had a new book coming out, I promptly added it to my Audible wishlist and awaited publication… and then I forgot to check the wishlist again 😬 Luckily for me, I did finally check it at the start of this year and discovered Night Falls, Still Missing was now published and ready for me to buy and listen to!
The Scottish setting and Morven Christie’s beautiful accents created a world for me that was different from your other books, but like your other books the writing sucked me in and kept me enthralled until the end (which was about 2am today!). Thanks for your efforts writing it, I really enjoyed listening to it 😊
May I ask, what is your writing process and how long does it take you to formulate an idea, set it out and write the book itself? Do you have plans for more books in the future?
Thanks, Cass (Australia)
Hi Cass, and thanks so much for your lovely comments! I’m thrilled you liked the books and am happy to say I have no plans to slow down at present!
Currently I’m writing a book set in Cornwall, about two sisters who inherit a dive school after their father dies. Cass, the younger sister, goes to Australia for the best part of a year (so strange a Cass from Australia should ask me about this!) and when she returns, she discovers her sister Sid has taken up with someone from the dive school who seems intent on running the business into the ground. Even worse, after someone finds some incriminating evidence on a dive, she begins to suspect that he has had something to do with the death of her father…
It’s strange talking about my normal process because the pandemic has set it on its head. So, for the latest, I get an idea – a tiny flicker which is not so much a story as “What would happen if…?” and I wanted to look into this underwater world where objects are not as near or far as they appear, and also to explore the idea of in-laws – these strangers we bring into our family. What happens if one of these is a traitor, an enemy?
I would normally travel to Cornwall (and I did manage to get there for a week in the summer between lockdowns!) and then engage with diving (I was studying for my open water certification before all the dive schools closed). I find that being in places and doing things just opens up ideas in your mind.
I try to write at least a thousand words a day, and if I feel blocked I put the laptop away and take up notebooks, which makes you feel more free to make mistakes. For years I was in writing groups, and I still have friends I share my work with and write with – virtually at the moment, because of course we can’t meet up except on Zoom.
Nevertheless have been ploughing on – and hoping to hand in a first draft of the new one to my publisher this month! There’s no title yet (I call it Undine, which is kind of a code name) but hopefully soon!
Hi Helen,
I read your book ‘Everything is lies’ such a long time ago, and yet I still go come to it every now an then. This may be a long shot however, I am doing a speech on the Author’s voice that has been portrayed through some characters of their novel. I was wondering if you were portraying any of your beliefs or opinions through Sophie? And if so how?