News, interviews, and the stories behind the Zoe Blaise Mysteries.
Follow the latest from Tess M. Calloway, explore the science and ideas behind the fiction, and discover interviews, feautures, and other appearances from the world of Zoe Blaise.
Deadly Cosmetic Conspiracies
Beauty may be only skin deep. The conspiracy rarely is.
After more than three decades in cosmetic science, perhaps writing conspiracy thrillers was inevitable.
Deadly Cosmetic Conspiracies is my new Substack — a place to go behind the Zoe Blaise Mysteries and explore the science, characters, locations, research and real-world ideas that inspire the fiction.
It isn’t another stream of book advertisements. It’s about the stories behind the stories, the science behind the fiction and the questions that so often begin with two dangerous little words:
What if?
Read Deadly Cosmetic Conspiracies here
LATEST NEWS
1. Shadow Ledger — The story before Zoe
The Zoe Blaise world now has a beginning. Shadow Ledger goes back to Giovanni Jones before he became the Count, revealing the failure, decision, and discovery that ultimately led to Orpheus — and, eventually, Zoe Blaise.
Discover Shadow Ledger here
2. Deadly Cosmetic Conspiracies launches
A new home for the stories behind the stories. Deadly Cosmetic Conspiracies has launched on Substack, beginning with Welcome to Deadly Cosmetic Conspiracies. Read the newsletter here.
3. Coming Soon — In Conversation with Yellow Shelf
I recently sat down with Yellow Shelf to talk about the Zoe Blaise Mysteries, the science behind the fiction, and the rather unusual journey from cosmetic scientist to conspiracy thriller writer.
The interview will be published soon. I’ll add the link here as soon as it is available.
DEADLY COSMETIC SCIENCE
The real science behind the fictional world.
Deadly Cosmetic Science is my LinkedIn newsletter exploring the science, claims, and industry questions that sit behind — and sometimes inspire — the Zoe Blaise Mysteries.
It continues on LinkedIn alongside Deadly Cosmetic Conspiracies. The two are related, but different: one looks particularly at the science behind the fiction; the other opens the door more widely onto the characters, locations, research and writing behind Zoe’s world.
Edition 25 : When Your Face Becomes Data (1st October 2026)
Edition 24 : Why Evidence Matters (15th September 2026)
Edition 23: When Doing the Right Thing Isn’t Enough (1st September 2026)
Edition 22 : When Some Readers “Get It” — And Others Don’t (27th August 2026)
Edition 21 : Who Was Giovanni Jones? (18th August 2026)
Edition 1: When Cosmetic Science Turns Deadly – The World of Zoe Blaise Mysteries Begins (4 November 2025)
Edition 2: Meet Zoe Blaise – Brains and Instinct (18 November 2025)
Edition 3: When Beauty Becomes Addiction – The Science Behind Cold Indifference (2 December 2025)
Edition 4: When Beauty Turns Invisible – Exploring the Science Behind the Digital Secrets (16 December 2025)
Edition 5: Fiction & Scientific Responsibility (30 December 2025)
Edition 6: The Reality of The Writing Landscape (13 January 2026)
Edition 7: The Dangerous Comfort of “Everyone Does It” (27 January 2026)
Edition 8 : The Author Who Stared Into the Algorithm and Blinked (10 February 2026)
Edition 9 : Rummaging Through Zoe Blaise’s Desk (24 February 2026)
Edition 10: Beautiful Lies: Digital Facade and the Seduction of Control (10 March 2026)
Edition 11: The Connection Beneath the Zoe Blaise Stories (24th March 2026)
Edition 12 : Decryption – When Zoe Met Rafael (7th April 2026)
Edition 13 : Can Beauty Kill? With Case Notes from Zoe Blaise (21st April 2026)
Edition 14 : Cease & Desist is Not Zoe Blaise’s Style (5th May 2026)
Edition 15 : Science or Manipulation? (19th May 2026)
Edition 16 : Faith, Spies, Lies & Truth (2nd June 2026)
Edition 17 : Review: Behind Every Beauty Product… (16th June 2026)
Edition 18 : Villains We Never Notice (30th June 2026)
Edition 19 : Why Wales? The Quiet Secret Behind Zoe Blaise’s World (14th July 2026)
Edition 20 : Why Italy Found Its Way Into The Zoe Blaise Mysteries (28th July 2026)
INTERVIEWS & MEDIA
Conversations about the Zoe Blaise Mysteries, cosmetic science, writing and the rather unexpected route from one career to the other.
