302 ratings | 2 reviews | avg rating:3.61

B.K. Duncan’s Followers (12)

B.K.’s Bookshelves

to-read (53)
currently-reading (0)
read (310)
1920s (1)
great-war (78)
jung-psychology (1)
on-creative-writing (20)

B.K.’s Friends (6)

Caity

683 books | 48 friends

Jonathan Marshall

26 books | 1 friend

M.J. Mallon

703 books | 658 friends

Anthony Whitt

1,136 books | 1,197 friends

Christine

172 books | 57 friends

Ruth Wade

0 books | 2 friends

B.K. Duncan

Goodreads Author

Born

The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.bkduncan.com

Twitter

BeaKDuncan

Genre

Historical Fiction, Crime, Mystery

Influences

Robinson Davies, Sarah Waters, Arturo Perez-Reverte, Andrew Taylor, Ba ...more

Member Since

January 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscombkduncan

edit data

Born on a steam railway and brought up on the South Coast of England, such beginnings were destined to leave BK Duncan with a love of vintage transport, crashing seas, and Art Deco architecture.

Following a career encompassing developmental learning and management consultancy, specialising in personal and organisational change, she made the switch to full time writer, combining producing her own work with lecturing in creative writing in colleges and academies in Hertfordshire and Cambridge. Her summers are spent on two never-ending tasks – re-pointing the walls of her flint cottage and reclaiming the wilderness of her meadow garden.

For relaxation she reads, goes to the theatre, and explores the local countryside but her two great passions

...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask B.K. Duncan questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

When you're reading, not writing, do you prefer to read from a book or an e-reader? Do you collect books? If you do, which is the most interesting book in your collection? And what are your top favourite modern fiction books?

B.K. Duncan Thank you for such a variety of questions, Lesley, all about my favourite subject. I read books the old-fashioned way. I guess because they are my sto…moreThank you for such a variety of questions, Lesley, all about my favourite subject. I read books the old-fashioned way. I guess because they are my stock-in-trade, have childhood memories of hours spent in libraries, and feel I already spend too much of my time in front of an electronic screen. Plus, I love the smell of books. Particularly pre-owned ones. There is something about picking up a battered hardback in a second-hand bookshop or charity shop or from a market stall and wondering who read it before me; where it has been until it got in my hands; what did the other owners find in its foxed pages? One of my cherished ones has a history all of its own; a 1951 first edition by Harold Dearden had been in the Derby Mechanics’ Institution Library and stuck on the title page is this notice:
‘The attention of borrowers is directed to the following Extract from Clause 171, Derby Corporation Act, 1901:- “No person shall return to any Lending Library any book which has been to his knowledge exposed to infection from any infectious disease, but shall at once give notice that it has been exposed to infection to the Medical Officer of Health or to the Inspector of Nuisances, who shall cause the same to be disinfected and then returned to the Librarian. If any person offends against this enactment he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding forty shillings.”.”’
Doesn’t that make you want to write a story? Particularly given the title of the book: ‘Aspects of Murder’.

I don’t collect books as such (although my groaning shelves of thousands would give lie to that) and acquire them for reading rather than any monetary or rarity value, but I will hunt down a scare book on a subject I’m researching or to add to a particular author’s works. I have everything Robertson Davies published. My latest quest is to read all of J.B. Priestley’s vast output – novels, plays, essays, radio broadcasts, criticism, social history, writing wisdom – and as I’ll want to go back to some of them again and again I feel I have to own them. Call it obsessing rather than collecting.

Favourite modern authors is a tricky one because I go through phases of obsession (see above) and it will also change depending on what I am writing myself in terms of genre or theme. I also have a problem determining what constitutes ‘modern’; my books are set in the Great War and the 1920s and so I read a lot of the authors of that time to get a flavour of the tone and language: right now J.B. Priestley feels modern to me! But I’ll plump for a couple because you’ve asked me to . . . Andrew Taylor, Sarah Waters, Annie Proulx, A. S. Byatt . . . You see, I can’t restrict myself at all when it comes to books!
(less)

flag

2 likes · like
3 comments

Hi B.K. I just wanted to say congratulations on becoming a Summer finalist in the People's Book Prize Awards! Good luck for the finals next May, and I hope everybody remembers to vote again 15 May 2016 -26/27? May 2016.( I hope I've got that right?) All the best Christine Ward

B.K. Duncan Hi, Christine.
Thank you so much for your congratulations. I'm so thrilled an proud that readers have voted me into the final of The People's Book Priz…moreHi, Christine.
Thank you so much for your congratulations. I'm so thrilled an proud that readers have voted me into the final of The People's Book Prize. It is a truly democratic prize in that it is voted for exclusively by the public and I will be one of the finalists in both the fiction category and for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award.
Since I received the good news I've been hard at work finishing the second book in the May Keaps series -- Found Drowned -- which will be published to coincide with the Awards Ceremony on May 27th 2016 (if you want to see me in the flesh, it'll be televised on SKY). You had the correct dates for the opening of the polls for the final, 15th to 27th May, and anyone can register between now and then to have the opportunity to vote. People can also leave a comment on Foul Trade (fiction section: page 2: click on the cover with the map) to let others know what they thought of the book and to encourage votes to be cast my way. The webpage link is here: www.peoplesbookprize.com

Thanks again for your kind words. Knowing that readers have enjoyed what I've written gives me such immense pleasure and the satisfaction of a job well done comes from being told my work has been appreciated.

Best wishes
BK(less)

flag

like
Comment

See all 10 answers from B.K. Duncan…

Combine Editions
B.K. Duncan’s books

Average rating: 3.81 · 419 ratings · 88 reviews · 5 distinct works • Similar authors

	Foul Trade (May Keaps, #1) 3.74 avg rating — 185 ratings — published 2014 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Last Post (May Keaps #0.5) 3.80 avg rating — 168 ratings — published 2014 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Found Drowned (May Keaps, #2) 4.06 avg rating — 65 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Foul Trade: A haunting historical mystery that will keep you hooked (May Keaps Book 1) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Foul Trade 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by B.K. Duncan…

12 posts
B.K. Duncan's Blog

BK Duncan on writing Foul Trade

Interview with BK Duncan on Cambridge TV

View more on B.K. Duncan's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on July 02, 2016 22:57

View all 12 posts »

Series by B.K. Duncan

May Keaps (2 books)
by

B.K. Duncan (Goodreads Author)

3.81 avg rating — 418 ratings

Quotes by B.K. Duncan (?)

“I died again today; one more little piece of me has gone,”
― B.K. Duncan, The Last Post

0 likes

“I don’t care what happens because we’ll meet again on the other side and be happier than we ever could be in this life.”
― B.K. Duncan, The Last Post

0 likes

recent posts
B.K.’s Groups

Should have read classics — 1119 members — last activity Apr 17, 2020 07:38PM
This is a group that is reading some of the classics that maybe we should have read but we got so turned off by "classics" we had to read in high scho ...more

The Roaring 1920's — 90 members — last activity Dec 01, 2017 01:46PM
I have developed an unequivocally, irrevocable passion for the era of the 1920’s because it is one of the most fascinating times in American history—e ...more

The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group — 31400 members — last activity 2 hours, 13 min ago
“It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky. Rain spattered a mysterious, hooded stranger who peered over the ...more

Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends — 6751 members — last activity 3 hours, 15 min ago
This group warmly accepts newcomers. Whereas mystery and thriller is the focus, we also love a great read, regardless of genre. Originally formed from ...more

Kindle British Mystery Book Club — 1207 members — last activity Jul 21, 2025 10:47PM
This is a book club for people who love British Mysteries both modern and classic. You do not have to own a Kindle. We have a monthly reads and these ...more

English Mysteries Club — 2857 members — last activity 2 hours, 58 min ago
Do you love mysteries written in the "English" style? Why not come and join us? We are an established group of mystery readers, which has just re-laun ...more

The Women's Mystery Club — 1524 members — last activity Aug 27, 2024 08:53AM
This group is for reading, sharing and discussing mysteries/crime novels that are written by female authors or a female character is the lead. For exa ...more

Historical Mystery Lovers — 1519 members — last activity Sep 15, 2025 09:03AM
""Come, Watson, come! The game is afoot." ~Sherlock Holmes (The Adventure of the Abbey Grange) This group is dedicated to the discussion and sharing ...more

Historical Fictionistas — 15643 members — last activity 2 hours, 31 min ago
Welcome to Historical Fictionistas! We want to experience all different kinds of HF with all different kinds of people. The more diverse, the better. ...more

Goodreads Authors/Readers — 54892 members — last activity 23 minutes ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more

More of B.K.’s groups…