Billingham’s new Series

Now that the Theakston's list is out, this used to be the point at which my year had started, but it's now just the countdown to the highlight of the year, where I meet some of my closest friends in the industry and have a good laugh, too. Thinking about laughing, this book was a …

A Timely Review

Mark Edwards latest release, The Darkest Water, is another great mixture between psychological thriller and police procedural. Although I hadn't read the proceeding story to this, Mark during his advertising for the launch, did several readings on Facebook from the police sections of the novel, which involved the protagonist Imogen, this enticed me to read …

Well Written Distractions

During this years' festival season, as I prepare for my first in person appearance at a festival, there are a number of expertly well written distractions to stop me from undertaking my preparation reading. Traces, written by Val McDermid and then a brand new series on Disney Plus, Tracker, written by Jeffery Deaver. Both of …

Congratulations Clare

Congratulations to Clare who announced last week that she had decided to go back to the police force, but was still going to carry on writing Ffion Morgan in her spare time. Ffion is Clare's first series character and Game of Lies plot line is current with the number of reality TV shows out there. If …

An Unexpected Journey

Although this title is often linked to fantasy, it is definitely the case in crime this time, with Lucy Clarke's The Hike. With many good journey books, it's often about the relationship between friends and with a rock star, somebody on a trial separation, a mum missing a kid and a memorial journey, all of …

My dual obsessions

As a writer will tell you, all authors need other hobbies to keep them level. Mine is a possibly unhealthy obsession with all things medical drama. If you take a medical drama from the last 30 years, then I've probably seen it. This is why when looking for something a little different to read, Simon …

More than just a missing child.

Mara's No One Saw a Thing is a great play on the missing child plot. When Andrea's journalist protagonist loses her daughter on a train this could have been like many books I have read before, but, why this happens makes it different. When her and her husband go to see all his friends for …

Spring Bloody Scotland 3

Although this may be my first year as a published writer, this is the 4th or 5th occasion that I've done an event for Bloody Scotland's online book group and one of the elements of this group is to relook at a classic. Ironically, Graham Greene's Brighton Rock was also chosen as one of the …

Spring Bloody Scotland 2

Sarah Hilary was best known for her Marnie Rome series, but recently has started on a series of stand alone books, the first of these being Fragile. Stand alone's allow for a more in-depth look at complex themes as they do not have the tie downs of a large character arc, and Black Thorn the …

Spring Bloody Scotland 1

Heather Critchlow's Unburied is the second in the Cal Lovett podcast series and is the first of the Bloody Scotland book group trilogy that I've got to read for the end of March. I'm really looking forward to discussing this new talent with the other panellists. Heather was kindly available to do an interview with …