Give My Regards to Uncle Stalin by Fiona Veitch SmithA recent review of the second book in my Poppy Denby Investigates series, The Kill Fee, has made me laugh. The reader’s main gripe was that in her opinion my characterisation of communists was too ‘po...
Review CWA Dagger-Shortlisted TitlesDid you know that the CWA have set up a website where people can leave reviews of the shortlisted books for the CWA Daggers 2017? http://daggerreads.co.uk/readers/ No prizes I’m afraid, but as it’s mo...
Is Originality Overrated? By Rafe McGregorI came across Richard Bradford’s excellent Crime Fiction: A Very Short Introduction at the end of last year, while preparing a syllabus for a creative writing module. I was disappointed but not surpr...
My Writing Space by Mike JecksMichael Jecks is the well-known author of many, mostly historical crime novels. ‘It is a bit of a shock to realise that I’ve been a professional author for 23 years, now. I’ve published 4...
Writing Psychological Thrillers – How far can you go when you’re sworn to secrecy? By AJ WainesAs a former psychotherapist, I’ve been faced with enough guilty secrets, obsessions and shocking revelations to keep several novelists busy for the rest of their lives! My work involved connecting wit...
How Crime in the Wild West Pays Off for Author EverettDuring 1989-1991 I was hired to write profiles of famous film/ television personalities for TV Scene magazine which mostly contained photographs and interviews with then current American television st...
Keeping Secrets by A L BirdCan you keep a secret? Really, truly? Not a word, not a hint to anyone? As if your life depended on it? Or indeed your livelihood? Well, thriller writers can. And so can many of their protagonists. Ye...
A Day in the Life…. by Abi Silver, author of The Pinocchio Brief, out in July 2017, published by Lightning Books.Waking early in “so much to do today” mode, I check my list of “Things to remember to take in,” even though I checked it twice the previous night. After a while I rouse the kids, who grumble, they’re...
Dagger in the Library 2017 Winner AnnouncedThe winner of the CWA 2017 Dagger in the Library has been revealed: Mari Hannah. The winner was declared at a reception at the British Library on Saturday 17 June by Martin Edwards, Chair of the CWA....
CWA to announce Dagger Shortlists at London reception on 26 JulyThe Crime Writers’ Association will announce shortlists for the 2017 Dagger awards at a drinks reception to be held at Waterstones, Piccadilly (Lower Ground Floor) from 6.30pm on Wednesday July 26. Sh...
Alibis in the Archive hailed a great successA new crime-writing event, Alibis in the Archive, was a huge success. It took place at Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, Flintshire June 9-11 and involved a partnership with the CWA and the Detection C...
The Debut podcast series by Charles E McGarryI’m very excited to reveal that a new podcast series about my journey to publication is to be released on June 20. My first crime novel ‘The Ghost of Helen Addison’ will be released by Polygon on July...
National Crime Reading MonthJune, and the CWA’s initiative sees plenty of crime-writing events taking place in many locations throughout the country. To find events in your area, do visit the National Crime Reading Month website...
CWA Announce Longlists for Prestigious Crime Writing DaggersThe Crime Writers Association announced the much anticipated longlists for the annual Dagger awards at a reception during CrimeFest in Bristol on the evening of Friday 19 May. The Chair of the CWA, Ma...
Domestic noir has sinister real-life inspirationby B E Jones It’s the story about the shoes that has always stuck with me. Years ago, when I was a newspaper reporter in Cardiff, I was asked to write a feature on domestic abuse. I was only 27 but I’...
Crime Writers appoint Libraries ChampionThe Crime Writers’ Association has appointed its first Libraries Champion, Ruth Dudley Edwards. Ruth and the CWA will work with libraries nationwide to support the public library network, promote the...
At the annual CWA conference, held in Edinburgh in April, we asked CWA delegates for a short story of under 500 words with the following titles: ‘Inevitable Crimes of Passion’ and ‘B...
A Million Books SoldThere I was, putting the final touches to my latest manuscript prior to sending it off for editing, and flicking around the internet in case anyone had mentioned my books on Twitter (they hadn’t...
Dagger in the Library 2017 Shortlist AnnouncedThe shortlist of the CWA 2017 Dagger in the Library has been announced. The Dagger in the Library is a prize for a body of work by a crime writer that users of libraries particularly admire. It is one...
Where I write and why it matters, by California-based author Dylan H JonesToday, there’s a commotion in the cafe. It’s seven fifteen on a Sunday morning and the barista is nowhere to be found. In the kitchen, the mostly Mexican cooks and servers are shrugging their shoulder...
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