Lesley Kara in conversation with Chris Penhall
Troublemaker

Tuesday 02 June, 7.00pm
Grays Central Library, Thameside Complex, Orsett Road, Grays, RM17 5DX

Best-selling author of The Rumour, Lesley Kara, will be talking about her sharp, incisive and claustrophobic new novel. Troublemaker is a masterful psychological thriller which asks how do you solve a murder when no one believes it took place?

Tickets: £10 / £8 concessions (students, under 27s and unwaged)
50% discount for Thurrock Libraries members who book in-person at Grays Library, cash only
Box Office: essexbookfestival.org.uk or Mercury Theatre 01206 573948

Event Information

💬 The event will include an audience Q&A session.
🖊️ After the event there will be an opportunity to get the book signed by the author.
📚 Our bookseller will have copies of the books available to purchase on the night.
🚗 There is a large public car park at the rear of the building in Cromwell Road (pay and display).
♿ There is disabled access via the main entrance. There is 1 toilet with access for disabled people on the ground floor, using a RADAR key.
🪑 Seats are unallocated.

Lesley Kara

Photo of Lesley Kara © Christian Davies

Lesley Kara is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rumour, Who Did You Tell?, The Dare, The Apartment Upstairs and The Other Tenant.

The Rumour was the UK’s bestselling crime fiction debut in 2019 and Channel 5’s adaptation – starring Emily Atack and Rachel Shenton aired in late 2025.

Lesley is an alumna of the Faber Academy ‘Writing a Novel’ course. She now lives in Kent.

Troublemaker
The Sharp and claustrophobic new novel from the bestselling Lesley Kara

   How do you solve a murder when no one believes it took place?

Storm used to be just like her name. Wild and strong. A force to be reckoned with. But ever since her younger brother was killed in a violent mugging, she has led a very different life: quiet and cautious, seeing danger everywhere.

Storm’s tendency to panic has resulted in several false alarms, so when she witnesses a murder with uncanny similarities to the way her brother was killed, and yet no body is found and no one is reported missing, the police don’t take her seriously.

But Storm knows what she saw. And the murder is only the start – the killer will stop at nothing to keep Storm quiet. But how can she solve the murder and stay out of danger when no one believes her?

Troublemaker is the incisive, sharp and claustrophobic new novel from one of the UK’s foremost thriller authors that asks how can you solve a murder when no one believes you?

Order a copy of the book from bookshop.org.

Christine Penhall

Chris Penhall writes uplifting stories set in gorgeous places.

A member of The Society of Authors and the Romantic Novelists Association, she has written six books, the first of which, The House That Alice Built won the Choc-Lit Search for a Star Competition in 2019.

A freelance radio and podcast producer, Chris worked for BBC Essex for many years and was an Associate Producer for the Richard and Judy Podcast for Jibba Jabba Pods for 9 years. She presents and produces a community radio show called Books and Tunes, a podcast called Chris and Lizzie’s Random Bookish Chats with fellow author Lizzie Chantree, and also runs writing workshops.

You can find more information about her on her website www.chrispenhall.co.uk
Instagram: christinepenhall
or Facebook as ChrisPenhallWriter
linktr.ee/chrispenhall