Consider the Ravens

A murder mystery set in 15th century Lindisfarne Priory

Winner of the inaugural Lindisfarne Prize for Debut Crime Fiction.

Book coming July 2026 – Published by Bedford Square Publishing

Agented by Jenny Brown Associates

LINDISFARNE

Lindisfarne is a very special place, and has been for centuries. I stumbled across it on a day trip with my brother. It’s a beautiful and peaceful spot, with history whispering away in every corner.

SCRIBES

My hero was always going to be a scribe. They spent months working on a single book, often in very uncomfortable surroundings, but dedicated to making such beautiful work. A chance news item sparked off some more ideas...

RAVENS

I’m not sure why the novel needed a raven, but like all the elements I’m writing about, I started from a position of near-total ignorance! Ravens are some of the most intelligent birds around...

The Book

This is a novel about secrets.

Linnet, grew up surrounded by secrets and has some dangerous ones of her own. The monks on Lindisfarne have all earned their place on this remote island for reasons they don’t want to discuss. Of course the biggest secret is who is killing people and why?

REVIEWS

Cressida’s work stood out because of the originality of her plot, her characters, and unique narrative voice.

Having read the first chapters submitted for her entry, I genuinely can’t wait to find out what happens next.

L J Ross

When I looked at the entries, the question I asked was, ‘Did I care enough’? Did I want to know what happened next, and certainly with the winner we chose, we all wanted to know what happened next in that story.

Paul Jones – Cheshire Cat Books

ABOUT CRESSIDA DOWNING

I’ve always loved reading and books.

My first job was as a bookseller and I’ve been a freelance editor for over twenty years.

I live just outside Cambridge with my husband and two cats, and two occasional visiting adult children.

I also run Reading Retreat with my business partner, Sara Noel.