Re-examining a Favourite

For this exercise, I’d like you to take a story that gripped, surprised and satisfied you, then deconstruct it. It can be a novel or a brilliant short story, but make sure it’s something you’re familiar with so that you can read it again in a more critical way. What kept you focused? How does …

A timely review

When searching through Twitter whilst reading on the Julia Crouch writing course The National Centre for Writing I saw an opportunity to read Laura's third novel, The Square of Sevens as its length of plus 20 hours had stopped me reading it at times when I had lots of other things to do. So, when …

Preparing for Derby

Two days before my event with Tom, in Derby, I’ve finished his latest “Spectre” illusionist novel and am now preparing for the event at the Quad. The complex nature of this golden age mystery incorporates classic illusions, like the bullet catch, alongside references to Sherlock Holmes. You can see where Tom gets his influences from. …

My weekend with Poirot

Whilst working on a course for the National Centre for Writing with Julia Crouch one of the elements that we were advised to look at was the golden age of crime writing. Hercule Poirot is one of the quintessential golden age characters and Sophie Hannah is ably continuing Agatha Christies' legacy with her interpretation of …

A Rankin short

The Rise by Ian Rankin was a bargain at £1.65. As stories go a rich clientele in a London apartment block with 16 apartments has a lot of scope for something to happen without using to many characters to impede the flow of the story. A very interesting characterisation of how flats and people in …

The last of the crime Writers

For the last four or five years, I've watched the Fun Loving Crime Writers at Harrogate and Stuart Neville is the last guitar playing writer that I'd not yet read from the list. Although I've been meaning to read him for a while, it was nice to know that this book will be one that …

My week with Dhand

This week has been the culmination of a highly complex year, in which I've finished two books in draft, published my first book and started to take it on tour. After several lone talking events at libraries, today was the first of two events this month where I've been on stage with a number of …