Coles charms at literary lunch

The event at Fylde Rugby Club at which he was promoting his new thriller A Death In The Parish was a sellout and fans were in rapt attention as he gave an enthralling talk before signing copies of the book.

Until 2022, Rev Coles was a Church of England priest in Northamptonshire, while in the 1980s, he was the instrumentalist half of pop band The Communards. He was also a contestant in the 15th series of BBC TV's Strictly Come Dancing and is a popular voice on BBC radio.

The event was organised by Lytham bookshop Plackitt and Booth and his appearance was among several by leading authors at their literary lunches this year.

Next up is Kate Mosse on July 18, while Canadian thriller writer Shari Lapena is the guest on July 20.

Details of all the events at www.plackittandbooth.co.uk.