Like many crime writers, I am delighted that Martina Cole has been named as the latest recipient of the highest honour in British crime writing, the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Diamond Dagger.

She has written 25 novels, all published by Headline, seventeen of which reached No.1. Total sales stand at more than 17 million copies, making her…

Are you an aspiring crime writer who is keen to develop your craft? Then perhaps I can help.

Do you fancy taking an online crime fiction course or having your crime novel assessed? Well, I run an eight week course exploring the craft of crime writing and also work with my daughter Laura, a skilled editor and manuscript assessor, to provide…

Writing can, at times, be an emotional experience for both author and reader and one of the big challenges for writers is the way that they tackle those difficult subjects.

The idea has come to my mind, as it does so often, as I work on my next novel, which includes a scene in which a character discovers in a deeply distressing way how little…

I am returning to a familiar theme for this blog. Much of my teaching of writers who are beginning out on their careers focuses on the perils presented by overwriting. It's something I have learned from watching skilled editors at work down the years.

Overwriting occurs when authors cram in too much information. In such cases, every time the pace picks up in a narrative, the writer slows it down by carrying out ‘information dumps’, dropping in lots of background that…

An exciting new initiative has been launched featuring online interviews with popular crime fiction authors.

Mug Shots is run by Tall Tales Mysteries, a leading UK murder mystery company based in the Darlington area of County Durham.

The idea for Mug Shots happened when Scottish-based crime writers Jackie Baldwin, Ian Patrick and John…

As you may know from my previous blogs, I am fascinated by the way that characters evolve and that includes minor characters who elbow their way into a story in which they were only supposed to feature briefly.

Well, it’s happened again as I start work on the latest DCI Jack Harris novel for the good people at my publisher The Book…

DCI John Blizzard is back! I am delighted to say that the latest novel in the crime fiction series featuring the detective has been published by The Book Folks.

In No Age to Die, a convicted sex-offender and murderer is released into the community and Blizzard knows there will be uproar.

The local church, which is sheltering the man, is…

The number of reviews and ratings on Amazon for my twentieth crime novel is now more than 140. Thank you to everyone who has contributed.

Kill Shot (The Book Folks) plunges DCI Jack Harris into a scenario where what appears to be a local murder not only challenges his view of an old friendship but also turns out to have national and…

Novelist John Dean has announced the 2021 dates for weekend writing workshops at his home between Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, subject to ongoing Covid restrictions.

John, author of 20 crime novels and currently published by London-based The Book Folks, is the creator of the popular DCI John Blizzard and…