New crime novel with a menopausal twist

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release: 25th November 2025

New crime novel with a menopausal twist

Many crime novels feature younger female protagonists. So The Menopause Exchange’s newsletter editor, Victoria Goldman, decided to give her latest crime novel an additional twist. Madeleine Batten, the main character of Little Secrets, is experiencing several menopausal symptoms while she’s attempting to solve a 20-year-old murder-mystery at The Panbrook Prison Hotel.

“I wanted Madeleine to be believable and seem very real,” says Victoria Goldman. “She’s in her early 50s, and around three-quarters of women will be experiencing some menopausal symptoms at this time of life. Madeleine is a hard-working hotel manager and an organised perfectionist, attempting to juggle a hectic workload and the needs of her soon-to-be-married daughter, as many women do when they’re in their 40s and 50s. Added into the mix is the hotel’s 10th anniversary weekend, a true-crime controversy that’s divided the media for the past 20 years, and an array of hotel guests to please (and suspect of murder and mayhem). Little Secrets is ultimately a crime novel, so obviously nothing goes to plan…”

Little Secrets is a compelling, atmospheric locked-room mystery set in a former prison that's been converted into a luxury hotel. In 1999, a prison nurse at HMP Panbrook was accused of the murders of five prisoners. But was she innocent – or was she guilty? To discover the truth, we need to head back to the past… Little Secrets is ideal for fans of Sarah Pearse, Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware and Claire Douglas.

‘A rollercoaster ride you will not forget! Ingenious and intriguing from start to finish.’ – Janice Hallett, award-winning British author of several mystery novels including The Appeal.

Victoria Goldman has been editing The Menopause Exchange newsletter since its launch. She is an experienced health journalist and editor, including Freelance Health Editor for Bupa, and copyedits and proofreads fiction and non-fiction books for UK publishers and authors. She has a Biomedical Science BSc. and an MSc. in Science Communication, with specialist expertise in writing evidence-based health information for companies, charities, magazines and websites. She has written two other crime novels, The Redeemer and The Associate, which was the Editor’s Choice Winner of Best Indie Novel of 2023 in the Crime Fiction Lover Awards.


You can find out more about Little Secrets and Victoria Goldman’s other crime novels through Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FQBXK4B4) or Waterstones (www.waterstones.com/book/little-secrets/victoria-goldman/978...). Victoria’s website with details of her editorial work and crime novels is https://vgoldmanbooks.com.

The Menopause Exchange, which was established in 1999, is unbiased and independent and isn’t sponsored by any companies or organisations. Our free quarterly newsletter contains articles written by top UK medical experts, including menopause consultants, GPs, specialist menopause nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, complementary practitioners, a menopause counsellor and a pelvic health physiotherapist. Norma Goldman, founder and director of The Menopause Exchange, has been giving presentations and webinars on the menopause for over 26 years, to groups of women, healthcare professionals, workplaces and, more recently in 2025, groups of men. To find out more about her presentations and webinars, or to join The Menopause Exchange for free, visit our website: http://www.menopause-exchange.co.uk. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter/X (@MenopauseExch).

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NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. The Menopause Exchange was launched in June 1999.
2. Articles in the Autumn 2025 issue of The Menopause Exchange newsletter include: A man’s guide to the menopause; Non-hormonal treatments for sweats and flushes; Nutrition at the post-menopause; HRT prescriptions.
3. Norma Goldman, founder and director of The Menopause Exchange, has a pharmacy degree and a Master’s degree in health promotion. She gives webinars, talks and workshops on the menopause to women and men, as well as employees in the workplace including hospitals, women’s groups, healthcare professionals, GP practices, organisations, companies and at exhibitions.
4. Victoria Goldman, editor of The Menopause Exchange newsletter, is an experienced health journalist, editor and proofreader, with a Biomedical Science BSc. and a Science Communication MSc. She is also the author of three crime novels – The Redeemer, The Associate and Little Secrets. Her website is: https://vgoldmanbooks.com.
5. The aim of The Menopause Exchange is to raise the awareness of the menopause among women, men, healthcare professionals, complementary practitioners, line managers, health and safety officers and anyone else who is responsible in the workplace for the wellbeing of employees.
6. All press enquiries to Victoria Goldman at vgoldmanbooks@gmail.com