Burnham-On-Sea writer Paula Wilkes has published her latest crime novel, The Crime Within, a tense new thriller that follows DCI Elaine Edwards as she investigates a chilling murder inside an otherwise quiet block of flats.
The story opens with the discovery of a young woman found murdered in her home. As DCI Edwards begins to unravel the case, a second body is soon uncovered, turning the building into the centre of a spiralling investigation.
Paula, who has lived in Somerset for many years, says her writing is rooted in family, imagination and a lifelong love of storytelling. Married for 49 years, she is a mum of two and a grandmother whose lively family often inspires her ideas. After more than two decades as a Senior Financial Manager with a major bank, she embraced retirement as the moment to pursue her creative passions.
Her writing career began with children’s stories inspired by her grandchildren, including Annie and the Butterfly Fairies and the Tilly and Ted series — gentle tales encouraging children to love and respect nature. She later moved into young adult and adult fiction, exploring darker emotional themes in novels such as Without You and the three‑part Maisie series, which follows a young girl’s fight for survival after a traumatic childhood.
Paula is also the creator of the DCI Edwards crime series, which includes Hush Baby Hush, Sweet Revenge and now The Crime Within. Her recent works also include Samantha’s Story, an emotional drama about a woman trapped in a troubled marriage, and The Willow Brook Murders, a tense tale of two brothers bound by love and shadowed by violence.
Across every genre she explores — from magical children’s adventures to gritty crime and heartfelt drama — Paula writes with warmth, compassion and a storyteller’s instinct for the unexpected.
The new book is available to buy here from Amazon.
