Nikki Copleston

Nikki Copleston is the author of the DI Jeff Lincoln crime novels, contemporary police procedurals set in Wiltshire. She writes short stories and flash fiction, winning the Wells Literary Festival short story competition in 2019 and the Frome Festival short story competition in 2022. She says:

“I’ve always loved writing, making up stories even when I was a child. My very first novel was inspired by my mother’s memories of the house where she grew up. I sent the typescript to a publisher, but, unsurprisingly, they rejected it — though very politely.

“After leaving school, I qualified as a librarian and worked in London for a number of years. I kept on writing, though, and was thrilled when an agent expressed interest. Although nothing came of that, I realised I should aim for a particular genre — and what did I most enjoy reading? Crime novels, especially police procedurals.

“I finished the first version of “The Price of Silence” in 1990, but it took nearly thirty years and a major rewrite before I was happy to publish it – by which time I’d already written two sequels, “A Saintly Grave Disturbed” and “The Shame of Innocence”. I’m so glad I rewrote it, though. If I hadn’t, it would have remained my guilty secret!  The fourth DI Jeff Lincoln title, “The Promise of Salvation”, was published in 2021, and book five, “A Strange and Murderous Air“, in November 2023.

You can find out more about Nikki and her writing via:

Below are the recordings from the panels Nikki has kindly taken part in…

The 11am: Crime panel, the second panel of the 25 Jan 2026 Festival …

Then the 23 March 2026 Monday Mini-fests panel on Dialogue and Description: