Julia Chapman Books

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Julia Chapman is a British author who writes cozy mysteries. She embraced a nomadic existence at an early age, visiting a plethora of countries, including the US, UK, Japan, and Australia.

Her followers might be surprised to learn that she worked as a waitress, bookseller, and even a pawnbroker. They may also wonder whether she’s related to Julia Stagg, who wrote the Fogas Chronicles.

The books are set in the French Pyrenees because Stagg lived in France’s Ariege-Pyrenees region for several years. She managed an inn with her husband, a job that compelled her to wear several hats.

She was the receptionist, cleaner, chef, and chambermaid while writing her novels. People compare Stagg to Chapman because their pictures are the same. That isn’t a coincidence.

Julia Chapman is Julia Stagg’s pseudonym. She publishes the Dales Detective Mystery series as Julia Chapman. However, the Fogas Chronicles have crime and thriller elements, so the transition to the cozy mystery genre via the Dales Detective Mystery series wasn’t nearly as jarring as people think.

Although, growing accustomed to a pen name took longer than she expected. Surprisingly, storytelling did not come naturally to Chapman. She remembers reading ‘Stig of the Dump’ by Clive King and feeling a compulsion to write stories that inspired others the way King inspired her.

She also worshiped her local librarians because their recommendations introduced her to authors she wouldn’t have discovered on her own.

Nonetheless, writing wasn’t necessarily in the cards for Chapman. In fact, her teacher contacted Chapman’s parents and told them that Chapman was misusing her creativity. Or, at the very least, she wasn’t making full use of her imagination.

Fortunately, her father was a natural storyteller. He would often regale them with stories of his life in the US Navy. Once he heard of Chapman’s storytelling deficiencies, he tasked her with writing a new story each week.

The girl obeyed. He would read her work whenever he came home. He also compiled the stories in a book, although Chapman doesn’t remember where it went. The habit kickstarted Chapman’s interest in writing.

She became an avid scribbler, though it took her a while to pen a complete novel. Her first book is sitting in a drawer somewhere. Every agent she approached rejected it. But she persisted and kept writing until she secured a spot in the publishing landscape.

Chapman loves hearing from her readers. The coronavirus crisis was particularly eye-opening because many readers used her books to fight the stress of lockdown, and they told her as much in their emails.

Best Julie Chapman Books

Storytelling is not Chapman’s only passion. She loves walking, running, and biking. In fact, the author does a lot of plotting while cycling in the mountains. Naturally, she also reads a fair amount. Chapman’s best books include:

Date With Death: Samson O’Brien and Delilah Metcalfe are feuding neighbors. They have very little in common, or so it seems. And yet, they have no choice but to work together. Samson returned to his hometown after the police force dismissed him.

He tried to put his skills to good use by opening the Dales Detective Agency, but the residents of Bruntcliffe were hesitant to welcome him. They thought he was trouble.

Meanwhile, Delilah’s wayward dog was the least of her worries. Her dating agency was struggling. She was barely keeping the business afloat, and Samson had made things worse by following a trail of deaths that began with a supposed suicide to her doorstep.

Fortunately, Samson was willing to put his differences with Delilah aside long enough to solve the mystery threatening their loved ones.

Date With Malice: Samson has a difficult task on his hands. The detective must join forces with Delilah Metcalfe once more to solve a case and regain the trust of his community.

His trial began when Mrs. Shepherd came to his door and insisted that someone was trying to kill her. Samson had every reason to dismiss her claims as an elderly lady’s innocent ramblings until he recorded a series of bizarre occurrences at a retirement home.

Suddenly, Mrs. Shepherd did not seem so crazy. Something was going on at Fellside retirement home, and finding answers meant enlisting Delilah’s help. With Christmas around the corner, can the pair uncover the malevolent force threatening Bruntcliffe’s elderly residents before it’s too late?

When Does The Next Julia Chapman book come out?

Julia Chapman doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Date with Justice and was released on April, 4th 2024. It is the newest book in the The Dales Detective Series.

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