The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. […]
Three years of CrimeFest! From pitch to panel
Last weekend was CrimeFest in lovely Bristol. The sun shone, and I had loads of fun. This is my third CrimeFest and honestly, it’s been a bit of a journey. 1 – CrimeFest 2016 I went armed with what I thought was a finished manuscript (ha ha at 2016 me) that needed a little polishing but was […]
My top 7 favourite podcasts
I’m at my desk most of the working day, writing stuff. If I’m not doing that I might be cleaning (yawn) or doing insane amounts of washing (also yawn) and I usually pause at lunchtime to go for a walk or a run. When doing the non-writing things I like to listen to podcasts. Here […]
My top 4 female-led crime series
‘I, Witness’ is the first in a series featuring PI Madison Attallee. It is no mistake that when I sat down (finally) to write that novel I’d been talking about for years I came up with a character like her. I like complex, outspoken women; my heroes growing up were Tank Girl, Madonna and Courtney […]
Interview with debut author Lara Dearman
I caught up with Lara Dearman to discuss her brooding and atmospheric debut, The Devil’s Claw (TDC). She tells me how folklore, and her own childhood have informed her writing. If you like Ann Cleeves you’ll love Lara’s work. Book two, Dark Sky Island, is coming soon. The sense of place and setting seems to […]
The absent mother in fiction – Madison Attallee
‘I am a terrible mother.’ Opening line of ‘I, Witness’ I studied drama, first at the fabulous BRIT School and then at Kingston University for my undergraduate degree. I’m not a very good actress, but I love plays and the emotions they evoke. I read Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’ at both school and university. I’m […]