One aspect of writing a book set in Stockholm that I’ve particularly enjoyed is researching all the places that existed in the 1940s that you can still visit now.

When writing certain scenes in Codename Charlotta, I’ve tried to use as many places like that as possible.

Some f these are obvious settings, like the Central Station, the exterior of which looks largely the same as did eighty years ago, and Humlegården park in the city centre.

If you have children in Sweden, around this time of the year you won’t be able to escape the sounds of perennial Christmas classic Tomtarnas julnatt, which is also known as Tipp Tapp.

Hands up who used to have an Ericsson brick? I remember having a trusty Ericsson mobile phone back in the late 1990s (before switching to a Nokia in the early 2000s). But would you believe me if I told you that Ericsson was founded in 1876 (the year Bell patented his telephone) and that it started making telephones only two years later, as Bell did not hold the patent for Sweden?

On the way back from the UK this summer, we took a slight detour via Copenhagen and my husband kindly agreed to come with me to the Museum of Danish Resistance.

Did you know that even if you only borrow a book from a library, rather than buying a copy of it, the author still receives royalties?

Ever since I started working on The Third Letter, back in autumn 2020, I’ve listened to certain songs, particular musical genres, and certain artists to inspire me.

A few of the quiet, reflective, emotions-driven books that I have enjoyed in recent years.

You know when you read a book and you close it and sit back and just… think. And even when you’ve put the book on the shelf, it stays with you, lingering there in your mind, prompting questions and giving you pause.

Looking back at 2024, I’ve come to the conclusion there were more ups than downs, which is a pretty good way to end one year and start the next.

From celebrations in the Anderson shelter and homemade decorations to parties for children and adding Christmas cheer as best they could, people made the most of what they had during the Second World War.