THE story of a woman whose body lay unnoticed in London for more than two years has inspired an author’s second book.

Philippa East “could not stop thinking about the story” after watching a documentary about the death of Joyce Vincent.

Joyce, 38, died in December 2003 but it was not until January 2006 that her body was discovered in her London home.

The story was transformed into a documentary and led to Philippa writing Safe And Sound.

She said: “It’s another psychological suspense story, very much in the similar genre and style as Little White Lies [Philippa’s debut novel].

“It is really a mystery about a young, charismatic, pretty, full-of-life woman whose body is found in her bedsit in London.

“What is particularly bizarre and heart-breaking is her death seems to have gone unnoticed for 10 months.

“Her body is found by the housing manager, who goes to visit the flat with the bailiffs because her rent has stopped being paid.

“They discover her and the housing manager, Jenn, takes it upon herself to try to investigate how this has happened and how this young vibrant woman could have ended up in this situation.”

Philippa, who grew up in Haddington, said that finding the end of the book had proven challenging.

However, she was “proud” of the story, which has already attracted positive reviews.

She told the Courier: “I set myself up with this really interesting question, which is the hook of the book: how did her death go unnoticed for 10 months?

“I realised I did not have the answer and it took me months and months and months of writing different outlines to try to answer my own question.”

The novel has been published by HQ and follows on the heels of Little White Lies, which was released in February last year and has sold more than 70,000 copies.

Philippa, who splits her time between working as a clinical psychologist and therapist and an author, described the sales as “absolutely fantastic”.

The author, who now lives in Lincolnshire, said: “I don’t know 70,000 people!

“It is something to be proud about but it is humbling to think that many people have taken an interest. I am absolutely grateful to every single one of them and I keep writing for them.”

Philippa, 39, developed a love of reading growing up on Haddington’s St Martin’s Place with mum and dad Claire and Brian.

However, it was not until she turned 30 that she decided to try her hand at writing her own stories.

The former Knox Academy pupil is now turning her attention to a third book. She said: “There is definitely second book syndrome!

“I’m having more of a third book syndrome but at the time the second book felt really hard to write, mainly because I spent so much time in the world of Little White Lies.”