TIM BATTERSBY. AUTHOR • MUSICIAN • STORYTELLER
FROM THE STAGE TO THE PAGE. THE STORY CONTINUES.
A lifetime of stories. Dozens of books. And absolutely no intention of behaving sensibly now.
PULL UP A CHAIR... WELCOME TO THE STORYTELLER'S ROOM
Ever wondered where fictional characters come from?
Why do some stories begin with nothing more than a name?
How does an author decide whom to murder?
Or why perfectly respectable fictional people sometimes refuse point-blank to follow the plot?
Come inside.
This is where I'll share the stories behind the stories—memories from the stage, thoughts about writing, favourite characters, occasional bits of nonsense and glimpses behind the curtain.
No admission charge. Tea optional. Mischief highly probable.
Tim Battersby is a Grammy Award–winning musician, storyteller, and author of over 40 novels and short stories. Born in the UK, the son of a British Intelligence Officer, Tim has spent his life blending art, performance, and mystery into a uniquely colorful career.
For over 35 years, Tim performed with the acclaimed Battersby Duo, bringing original music to children across the U.S. Their work earned them a Grammy win for All About Bullies: Big and Small in 2011, as well as nominations for Sunny Days (2010) and The Fury (2024). They performed six times at The White House, appeared on Sesame Street, and graced stages at The Kennedy Center, The Marcus Center, and The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center including performances at festivals and theaters across America.
WELCOME TO MY WORLD
For most of my life, I’ve been telling stories.
Sometimes they came with music, laughter and a stage. Sometimes they arrived as mysteries, thrillers, time-travelling adventures, eccentric characters and people who refused to leave my imagination alone.
These days, they mostly arrive as books.
Welcome to my little corner of the world—a place where sinister country houses conceal inconvenient corpses, journalists stumble into international conspiracies, perfectly respectable people behave very badly, time travellers rarely arrive where they intended, and occasionally a bloodhound knows considerably more than everyone else.
I’m Tim Battersby.
I write stories.
And I’m delighted you’re here.
CHOOSE YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE
MYSTERY & SUSPENSE
Murder, secrets, conspiracies, and the uncomfortable suspicion that absolutely everyone is lying.
Enter the Mystery →
HISTORY & ADVENTURE
From wartime Europe to vanished centuries, history becomes considerably more dangerous when you step inside it.
Travel Back in Time →
COMEDY & CHAOS
Eccentric characters, magnificent misunderstandings, and ordinary days that go catastrophically—and hilariously—wrong.
Cause Some Trouble →
STORIES OF LIFE
Family, memory, friendship, love, and the extraordinary moments hidden inside seemingly ordinary lives.
Discover the Stories →
Long before readers discovered his mysteries, thrillers and historical adventures, audiences across North America knew him as one half of The Battersby Duo. For decades he travelled thousands of miles each year, bringing laughter, music and imagination to concert halls, theatres and festivals. Children grew up with his songs, parents laughed alongside them, and families left each performance carrying home memories that would last a lifetime.
The music earned international recognition, including Grammy nominations, but awards were never the destination. The real reward was always the audience—the smile from a child in the front row, the applause at the end of a performance, the quiet knowledge that, for an hour or two, life had become a little brighter.
Yet, even while entertaining from the stage, another performer was quietly waiting in the wings.
FEATURED FROM TIM'S BOOKSHELF
THE NEWSPAPER CHRONICLES
Three investigations. Three countries. One highly unconventional team.
Reporter Jamie Stroud, the formidable Lucy D’Tremont, Sir Christopher Fenton, and a remarkably talented bloodhound named Poirot pursue stories that lead from American newsrooms to political corruption, organized crime, and international intrigue.
The Bloodhound Affair
The Chicago Affair
The English Affair
[ DISCOVER THE TRILOGY ]
A FEW MORE TALES FROM THE SHELF
THE LIMPING GHOST
A World War II comedy of errors in which competence is optional and catastrophe appears to be compulsory.
WHELYANN HOUSE
An ancient house. Five buried skeletons. A poisonous secret that should have remained buried with them.
THE COFFEE CONUNDRUM
Proof that even something as innocent as a cup of coffee can become gloriously complicated.
ARTHUR'S ABSURD ADVENTURES
Meet Arthur Penhaligon—a beautifully dressed gentleman with an almost supernatural ability to turn ordinary life into complete chaos.
THE BALLERINA
A story of ambition, sacrifice, resilience and the complicated dance between dreams and reality.
THE HOUSE ON CYPRESS LANE
A warm, moving story about neighbours, family and the unexpected connections that quietly change our lives.
[ EXPLORE ALL BOOKS ]
The storyteller.
Throughout his life Tim collected people, places and moments the way others collect photographs. A chance conversation in a village café, a forgotten newspaper clipping, an old country house with creaking floorboards, a lonely railway station, a faithful bloodhound, an unsolved mystery—each found its way into an ever-growing notebook of ideas.
When the curtain finally came down on a remarkable musical career, retirement did not signal an ending.
It was simply the beginning of a different adventure.
Instead of touring with guitars, Tim began travelling through history, mystery and imagination. One novel became two. Two became ten. Ten became dozens.
His characters now roam Victorian manor houses, wartime Europe, sleepy English villages, bustling American newsrooms and impossible journeys through time itself. Murder mysteries sit comfortably beside heartfelt family dramas. Comedy walks arm in arm with suspense. Ordinary people discover extraordinary courage, while unlikely heroes remind us that kindness can be just as powerful as strength.
Readers often remark that Tim's novels feel cinematic. That may be because every page is written by someone who spent a lifetime understanding audiences—knowing when to make them laugh, when to surprise them, and when to tug gently at the heart.
Although his books span many genres, they all share one simple belief: that hope deserves the final word.
Today, Tim continues to write with the same enthusiasm that first carried him onto a stage so many years ago. New manuscripts appear almost as quickly as old ones find new readers. Fresh ideas arrive with every sunrise, and another story is always waiting patiently around the corner.
Looking back, it is tempting to see two separate careers—one in music and one in literature.
But perhaps there has only ever been one.
A lifetime devoted to telling stories.
Only the stage has changed.
And for Tim Battersby, the next chapter is always the most exciting one yet
Tim Battersby Gallery
Testimonials
"Goofy wacky and whimsical are all adjectives to describe the musical antics of The Battersby Duo. Their beautiful voices shine."
School Library Journal
“Rarely do our marble walls and chandeliers witness such levels of silliness, as The Battersby’s inspire in their audiences”
The Kennedy Center
"Battersby Duo songs effervesce with off-the-wall humor, unexpected lyrics and a dash of British quirkiness."