HOLD THE FRONT PAGE! (While I take a few notes…) – tips on historical research from Karen CharltonAlthough the Internet is still the first port of call for historical crime writers who want to research an era, many of us still glean a wealth of knowledge and inspiration from the old newspapers of...
The ‘Museum Murder’ series by Jim Eldridge – a BBC scriptwriter’s journey to becoming a novelist2018 saw the publication of Murder at the Fitzwilliam, the first in my historical crime series ‘The Museum Mysteries’. Set in Cambridge in 1894, it introduced Daniel Wilson, a private investigator and...
A fond farewell to MC BeatonBarry Forshaw, author of Crime Fiction: A Reader’s Guide, on MC Beaton (aka Marion Chesney), the creator of Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth, who has died at 83. Although many crime novels fit more or...
‘The Abduction’ by A.A. ChaudhuriTHE ABDUCTION by Alex Chaudhuri Hot on the heels of serial killer whodunnit, The Scribe, Kramer & Carver are back in new twisty thriller, The Abduction, published by Endeavour Media, 20 December 2...
What Women Want – Graham Brack takes a view on the sometimes differing tastes of female readersBy Graham Brack I am writing this in the United States where I have been amusing myself by, among other things, visiting bookshops. Needless to say, I focus on the crime fiction shelves where two thou...
Domestic Noir – crime that’s close to home by Alice CastleDomestic noir is not new. Ever since the first performance of Medea in 431 BC, or Mrs Bluebeard’s first peek into that forbidden chamber, women have been confronting horrible truths close to home. The...
The Inaugural Capital Crime Event by Ali KarimIt was a brave decision for thriller writer Adam Hamdy and his partner the literary agent David Headley (and bookseller) to start a new convention (Capital Crime) showcasing the crime and thriller gen...
Bloody Scotland on a Desert Island, by Caro RamsayIt was the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival one weekend in September. The sun shone, the torchlight parade down from the castle was spectacular. The winner of the McIlvanney Prize Manda Scott s...
Morecambe and Vice Crime Writing Festival Brought Me Sunshine, by Rachel SargeantEver thought of going to a crime fiction festival but not really sure what to expect? I felt the same, and given my tendency to shyness, I couldn’t imagine plucking up the courage to attend one. That...
Back where I started – well, almost, by Pauline RowsonDeath in the Cove is my twentieth crime novel and the first historical mystery I have written. My other nineteen crime novels being contemporary with fourteen featuring my rugged and flawed detective,...
The Art of Deception by Patrick GoochIn 1990, Time magazine reported that, in his lifetime, Camille Corot painted some eight hundred canvases, four thousand of which are to be found in the United States. So, how many fake Corots are ther...
CWA Dagger Shortlists 2019 AnnouncedThe author behind one of the biggest shows on TV, a world renowned forensic anthropologist and the son of ‘the godfather of tartan noir’ have been shortlisted for the prestigious CWA Dagger awards. Th...
Farewell Andrea Camilleri and Thank You, by CWA International Dagger Judge Ruth MorseWith the inauguration of what in 2006 became the International Dagger, the CWA took great care to get things right, especially since there had been a ruckus about books in translation. This matters be...
Hiddleston, Hitchcock and The Archers, by Sean O’ConnorThe Fatal Passion of Alma Rattenbury is the latest book by radio, TV and film producer Sean O’Connor. He has found that his work as a producer was inspired by his interest in true crime – and vice ver...
What’s the attraction of reading crime thrillers? By Rachel AmphlettI think, like many crime thriller authors, my love of the genre started when I was about five years old and started reading the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. By the time I was in my very e...
Down the Rabbit Hole – the Story Behind Splinter in the Blood by Ashley DyerSplinter in the Blood began with an image: a woman with a gun standing over a shooting victim. My earliest jottings on the story date back to April 2014. I wrote, ‘She looks down at him and feels ange...
Time to get Crime Writing for Prestigious CWA CompetitionsTwo crime writing competitions are open now. 1) The CWA Margery Allingham Short Story Competition Not to be missed for lovers of short-story writing – and being shortlisted for this renowned competiti...
Popular Crime Writer Kate Ellis Launches Latest TitleOn 6 December Kate Ellis welcomed another addition to her list of titles. Kate is best known for her long-running series featuring archaeology graduate turned police inspector, Wesley Peterson. Howeve...
Are Shorter Reads Better? by David BecklerI’ve watched the growth in the popularity of novellas with interest, something you can read on your morning commute or in a couple of lunchtimes. Novellas are also a good way to discover new authors....
Where A Book Begins – The Back-story of Death on a Shetland Isle by Marsali TaylorDeath on a Shetland Isle began with a story, a true one, of how of how two people went missing from Eynhallow, an island in Orkney. I enjoy putting Shetland folklore in my books, and for this one I wa...
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