Dive into Eve Wersocki-Morris's Clem Fatale mystery series

About Author

Eve Wersocki Morris grew up in North London and has been making up stories her whole life. Diagnosed with dyslexia aged 12, she is now the author of two novels for older MG readers, with her debut The Bird Singers now nominated for multiple awards. Eve is also a volunteer with Coran Beanstalk Literary Charity.

Honie Beam studied Illustration at Maryland Institute College of Art and now lives in Greenville, South Carolina, Honie spends her free time drinking coffee, playing the mandolin (badly), and doodling dragons. Her work is inspired by the countless books she consumed as a child and a desire to spark that same passion in others.

Interview

Eve Wersocki-Morris introduces Clem Fatale has been Betrayed (Little Tiger)

April 2025

Dive into danger, drama and dance halls in 1950s London, the setting for Eve Wersocki-Morris's new Clem Fatale detective mystery series.

Clem Fatale's father, leader of the Spider Gang, goes missing during an ambitious jewelry heist; has someone betrayed the gang? Can Clem, and her new sidekick Gilbert get to the bottom of the mystery - and recover the Fool's Canary gem?

Read a Chapter from Clem Fatale Has Been Betrayed.

Review: "A fabulous new read packed with humour and dastardly adventure. I loved it!"

Q&A with Eve Wersocki-Morris, introducing Clem Fatale has been Betrayed

"Clem's London in the book kind of has a character of it's own. You could say that London is Clem's best friend.
She describes it as dirty and crooked but underneath it's full of secrets and adventure."

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself, your loves and loathings, and what brought you into writing for children? What kinds of stories do you enjoy writing?

I'm Eve Wersocki-Morris, I am allergic to strawberries, I love cats, and I have always been a writer. I have been writing and drawing ever since I can remember! When I was 13 years old I wrote my first full-length novel, it was about gangsters, and it was 147 pages long. So you're never too young to be a writer! I am dyslexic so I like books which are fast and exciting so even if I can't read every word perfectly, I can still get invested in the plot and the characters.

2. What happens in your new book, Clem Fatale has been Betrayed?

I sometimes think of Clem Fatale Has Been Betrayed as a spoof (a comedy version) of the thrilling adventure films of the 1940s and 1950s which I loved watching as a child - films like The Maltese Falcon, The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes! It's set in 1951, six years after the end of the Second War World, because I think it's a fascinating part of British history; a time of regrowth and change.

3. Can you tell us more about the 1950s crime fiction genre, and what makes it so recognisable?

The term used to describe those old fashioned 1950s films I loved as a child is 'film noir' which means dangerous, dark and gloomy; indeed many of these films were shot in black-and-white with lots of dramatic shadows! These films are thrilling, suspenseful, adventurous; with a tough main character; mysterious baddies sending threatening packages and anonymous phone calls; glamourous and gloomy locations like huge mansions and secret alleyways. They are full of twists and turns and drama!

The main character is often isolated from the authorities (like the police) so has to make their way on their own. There is an archetype in film noir (archetype means a type of character, like a 'wicked witch' in a fairytale) called a 'femme fatale' who is a dangerous, villainous woman. I thought it was quite funny that Clem Fatale rhymed with Femme Fatale - and that's where the whole idea for the story started

For those in the know, there are quite a few references to old films in my book - there's a scene where Clem and Gilbert use a flash blub to distract a villain and this is a nod to an excellent Hitchcock film Rear Window!

4. Are the illustrations by Honie Beam important in building the scene?

Honie Beam has created the most amazing illustrations - I absolutely LOVE every picture in the book! There are a few influences from film noir within the illustrations - for example, the first illustration with Norman Han (the big baddie) is inspired from a scene in The Maltese Falcon where the light from the door spills onto the floor, spelling out the name of Humprey Bogart's detective agency as a shadow on the carpet.

5. The adventure stars Clem and her dad's gang of thieves, but it's Clem's loyalty to her father that drives her actions. Why do you put this father / daughter relationship at the heart of the story?

I think I'm always writing about family love and loyalty - I think family love (for blood families or found families) is one of the most powerful forces in the universe! Clem is a crook - no point denying it! - but she's a crook with a heart of gold!

6. How do you make the reader care about a gang of thieves who steal, albeit from rich households? Any favourite characters in the gang?

Most of the characters in the book are crooks! Some of them are proper no-goodun' - cruel and mean (and occasionally very silly) - but others are honest crooks - like Clem and her dad. They might be stealing from the filthy rich but they care about their other gang members, they've got good hearts. I think Clem's bond with her dad is a really important part of making the readers care about Clem - she just wants to do the right thing, even if she is navigating this world of thievery and black market deals.

Writing a book full of gangsters is really fun! My favourite character from the Spider Gang is Screw, the gang's getaway driver. He is a regular cockney geezer; an ex-racing driver who has a terrible sense of direction! And then there's the proper villain; Norman Han, a crooked businessman, owner of the glamourous Havana night club; he is very smooth and suave - and there's an excellent scene where he dressed up as a shark for a costume party.

7. Clem Fatale's adventures take place in London - glamorous night clubs, greasy spoon cafes and its network of alleys and roads. How did you get familiar with the 1950s London scene?

Clem's London in the book kind of has a character of it's own. You could say that London is Clem's best friend - she describes it as dirty and crooked but underneath it's full of secrets and adventure. I've lived in London my whole life and love the feeling that there is always more to discover.

I wrote the first draft of Clem Fatale during the Covid lockdown and it was almost a nostalgic process; I was really missing going into central London and walking the streets; seeing the bustle of people; so describing London in the book was like revisiting my favourite place in my mind.

Clem has a brilliant sense of direction and knows the London streets like the back of her hand - I can't claim to be as brilliant as Clem but I do have a good sense of direction and love finding new short-cuts when I'm out and about in the city. I spent a lot of time looking at maps as I was writing the book - especially for the scenes with the high-speed taxi chases! I like plotting out where the cars will go.

8. You also explore attitudes in London of the time and post-war communities. Can you tell us how you built a picture of the period?

Yes, London in 1950s might have a lot of similarities to today - Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben and Charing Cross Road - but many people held very different attitudes from our own. There was a lot of prejudice towards non-white Brits and anyone who had come over to the UK after the Second World War. My own Polish grandparents came to the UK in 1947 and (although they didn't live in London) it was important to me to show some of these new communities making a life in the city.

There's a character in the book called Konrad who is an old friend of Clem's; he's seventeen and the son of a Polish pilot. And they also befriend Winnie, who has travelled to the UK from Jamacia; Winnie is a trained teacher but earns her living driving a black cab. The prejudice and racist views of the time are depicted in a character called Sargent Stickler, a policewoman who is incredibly nasty!

While I want the book to focus on the fun adventure, I felt it was important to reference these challenges affecting a lot of communities in 1950s London. Clem's London isn't all glamour and excitement, there is grit and danger below the surface.

9. What else do you have planned for Clem and the Spider gang? Can you tell us about their next adventure?

Oh yes! Clem and Gilbert will be back with another mystery adventure! If you read the newspapers at the end of the book you will see a clue to the next book…

10. Which more hidden parts of London do you enjoy visiting when you're taking a break from your writing? Which spots would you recommend for a visit?

Oh what an excellent question! I very much enjoy Seven Dials, it can be a peaceful spot mid-week; between the traffic and bustle of Charing Cross and Covent Garden. It's always fun to veer off Piccadilly Circus for a quiet stroll down Jermyn Street and see the old fashioned gentleman's clothing shops; Piccadilly Arcade is a fun place for window shopping. I do love introducing non-Londoners to The Wallace Collection, a National Gallery hidden off Marylebone High Street; very good for a cup of tea.

School events: I offer interactive, creative and inspiring assemblies and creative writing workshops for schools. In the assemblies, I talk about being a dyslexic author and how it never stopped me fulfilling my dream to become a published author; and we'll do some fun activities to bring 1950s London to life and explore what it's like to be an author.

For the workshops, I combine writing and drawing to make storytelling accessible to a variety of ages and abilities to learn about descriptive writing, creating imaginary settings, characterisation and writing dramatic and suspenseful stories.

Schools can get in touch for more information and fees via my website

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