Revisiting Rougemont

by
A Letter from Christine

A Letter from

Christine Tipper

Cosy mysteries, gentle adventures, and one very curious terrier
This Week  ·  Tuesday, 12 May 2026

Hello dear reader,

There is something quite particular about wandering familiar streets in the company of an old friend. Memories tumble out at every corner, half remembered and half re-imagined, and you find yourself laughing about things you had not thought of in years. That is precisely the day I had yesterday, and I could not wait to share it with you.

My friend came down to Exeter for the day, and we set ourselves the lovely task of revisiting the corners of the city that have woven their way into my writing. Exeter is a city that wears its history lightly. The Roman walls, the cobbled lanes, the cathedral close where the rooks gossip from the lime trees — it all has a way of slipping into a story when you least expect it.

This week’s wander

Returning to Rougemont

We began, as one really must, at the top of Castle Street, where the old gatehouse of Rougemont Castle stands quietly above the bustle of the High Street. It is easy to walk past it. Most do. But pause beneath that weathered Norman arch and a thousand years of footsteps press in around you — soldiers, sheriffs, prisoners, judges, and now, of course, the occasional novelist with a notebook.

I will admit I had a slightly proprietorial feeling about the place this time, because a pivotal scene from one of the Paige Harper Mysteries unfolds right there at the gatehouse. I shan’t say which one — that would spoil the fun. But I would love to know if you can guess.

A little puzzle for you

Which of the five Paige Harper Mysteries features a scene at the Rougemont Castle gatehouse? Cast your mind back through Paige’s adventures and see if you can place it. I would so love to hear your guesses.

From the gatehouse we drifted down through the side streets and out across the Cathedral Green, where I took an awful selfie that she’s begged me not to share.

What struck me most, walking those familiar lanes, was how a place changes when you bring a story to it. I cannot pass certain doorways now without seeing my characters in them. A bench by the city wall is forever the bench where a particular conversation happened. A shop window reminds me of a clue. Writing has spoiled me in the loveliest way — it has layered Exeter with ghosts of my own making, and I am terribly fond of every one of them.

I have been quietly tucking observations away for the new series, too. Old friends are very good for that. They notice things you have stopped noticing, and they ask the sort of questions that send a writer scuttling for her notebook.

🐶   Sprite’s Corner

A nose for adventure

Paige and Sprite spent a glorious afternoon at Rougemont Gardens this week, and I am reliably informed it was a tremendous success on all fronts. The wisteria is just past its best but still putting on a show, the lawns are at that particular shade of early-summer green that makes you want to lie down on them, and the benches are well placed for the contemplation of important matters — sandwiches, mostly, if you ask Sprite.

For those new to us, Sprite is Paige’s Norfolk Terrier — a small, sturdy, opinionated little soul with the soft heart of a poet and the focused determination of a very small hunting dog who has just remembered she is, in fact, a very small hunting dog. She made the acquaintance of a Spaniel called Bertie, conducted a thorough investigation of a particularly interesting hedge, and had what Paige can only describe as a meaningful moment of eye contact with a squirrel.

If you have not yet visited Rougemont Gardens, do put it on your list. There is something about that pocket of green tucked beneath the old castle walls that feels rather like stepping into a chapter of a book — which, of course, it has been.

From the writing desk

A new series stirring

A little update on the new series — it is coming along nicely, though I am keeping the details close for now. What I can say is that this week’s wanderings have left me with at least three useful ideas, two pages of scribbled notes, and one very strong suspicion that a particular character is about to do something I had not planned for her at all. That is usually a very good sign.

I shall share more as soon as I am allowed to. In the meantime, do let me know which novel you think the Rougemont gatehouse scene comes from. And if you have a favourite spot in Exeter that you would like to see Paige and Sprite visit one day, tell me that too. I keep a list.

Until next week, then —

Let the adventures continue.

Christine

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www.christinetipper.com

Browse the Paige Harper Mysteries and read more from Sprite’s Corner