Latest news with #DorothyKoomson
Daily Mirror
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Martin Compston's 'terrific mystery' series now free to stream
The thriller is based on the book by Dorothy Koomson and follows two estranged friends who are reunited 17 years after being accused of murdering their schoolteacher Line of Duty aficionados are in for a surprise as ITVX has added a lesser-known series featuring Martin Compston to its streaming service. The drama, which stars Jodhi May from Dune Prophecy and Spooks' Lorraine Burroughs, is adapted from Dorothy Koomson's novel. It tells the tale of two former friends who come back together after 17 years, having once been accused of killing their schoolteacher (portrayed by Compston) during their teenage years. The series in question is The Ice Cream Girls, which at the time of its original airing was hailed by viewers as "a terrific mystery". A fan commented on IMDb: "You will be entertained and gripped until the surprising conclusion." This short series consists of only three episodes, allowing UK viewers to binge-watch it for free, albeit with advertisements. Another viewer rated it highly with 9 out of 10 stars, stating: "I have to admit I didn't read the book and I can't make a parallel between it and the series but maybe I don't have to." They continued: "This was another perspective of the Ice Cream Girls story and it can be appreciated even if you haven't read the book. "I didn't expect the ending and as I have understood it is different from the book, but I have really enjoyed it." The show garnered impressive ratings, with its premiere episode attracting 5.53 million viewers. Shot in Bray, County Wicklow, the location stands in for the seaside city of Brighton. Georgina Campbell and Holli Dempsey star as the younger versions of Serena Gorringe and Poppy Carlisle, the duo implicated in the murder. Sam Wollaston from The Guardian shared his thoughts on the premiere, remarking: "There's an obviousness to it. An ITV drama-ness about it. It's so consciously trying to be a psychological thriller, not just your bog-standard thriller." He continued, expressing his commitment despite reservations: "I'll watch the rest, because it's enthralling enough for me to want to know what happens, or rather what happened. But I won't be lying awake at night thinking about it." The gripping series, The Ice Cream Girls, is currently available for streaming on ITVX.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Brighton's Koomson sets new novel on Brighton's seafront
Fans of Britain's best-selling adult fiction writer Dorothy Koomson will be pleased to know her new novel, Beach Hut 512, due out on Tuesday is set on Brighton's thriller delves into what goes on behind those brightly painted doors on beach huts, after a body is found in one. Koomson moved to Brighton in 2007 and says it is a good place to be a writer."I love living by the sea", she said. "There's nothing like a good walk along the seafront to clear your head or to work out the knots in a plot." Koomson's books are regularly Sunday Times bestsellers, have sold over 2.5 million copies in the UK and have been translated into more than 30 languages. Her novels include My Other Husband, The Chocolate Run, and The Ice Cream Girls, which was made into a 3-part TV is known for her emotional, thought-provoking emotional thrillers, but she is passionate about increasing child literacy, and getting more children reading for pleasure. She wrote her first novel when she was only 13 and has not stopped writing since. "Historic research has shown that having a range of books available to children is so important to build empathy and allow all sorts of children to feel seen and that they and their lives are important," Koomson told the to research by the National Literacy Trust last year, just 1 in 3 children in the UK enjoy reading, the lowest percentage since same research found just 1 in 10 children and young people aged 5 to 18 say they do not have a book of their own at percent of children and young people from ethnic minority backgrounds say that they do not see themselves in what they read. This is particularly true for children and young people from Black ethnic backgrounds, which Koomson says needs to said: "All children deserve to see that they can be the main character in a story; that children like them can do extraordinary things. "The recent research that shows that diversity in children's books has decreased is very disheartening." Koomson featured on the 2021 Powerlist as one of the most influential Black people in Britain, appeared in GQ Style as a Black British trailblazer, and was a judge for the 2022 Women's Prize for Fiction.
