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…

As a crime writer, I am constantly drawn to familiar themes when creating my novels. They are the concepts that bring me back time and time again and spark my creativity as I weave them into my narratives.

The themes which keep me coming back include the lies that people tell themselves to justify their actions, the lengths they will go…

I am delighted that my good friend Ian Robinson has joined the Book Folks stable of writers with the first in a new murder mystery series.

Latent Damage follows a London murder squad, and, in particular, Met detectives DI Nash and DS Moretti who are hoping for some down-time when a fatal knife attack occurs.

The kill is clean. A calling…

There’s a continuing debate in writing circles about ‘how long is long enough’ when it comes to novels. For instance, some of my novels are reviewed by readers who say they have too much detail whereas some others review the same book with the observation that there’s not enough.

Most authors receive similar reviews and you’ll sometimes hear…

The Crime Writers’ Association has announced a new sponsor for its annual international writing competition for unpublished writers.…

Delighted to hear that the latest crime novel from my good friend Bud Craig has been published by The Book Folks. Stealing Time is the latest run-out for his private investigator Gus Keane. Much to be recommended. You can find out more, and purchase the book on Kindle or in paperback, at  …

The number of reviews and ratings on Amazon for my twentieth crime novel is now well over 120. 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…

Having recently delivered the manuscript of my latest DCI John Blizzard crime novel to the guys at my excellent publisher The Book Folks (No Age to Die has now been published), my attention has turned to the next DCI Jack Harris mystery.

It’s always an enjoyable moment for an author, not least because having spent many hours editing their…

I am really looking forward to joining fellow crime writers Jackie Baldwin and Ian Patrick as part of the Tall Tales Mysteries virtual murder mystery weekend on January 22-24.

You will have the chance to meet us on Zoom from 4pm until 5.30pm on Saturday January 23 when you can hear us talking about our work and answering questions. I’ll be…

As a writer, a lot of my time is taken up with the creation of characters who engage the reader. I think the key to getting it right is to create someone about whom the reader cares; the reader does not necessarily have to like them, but they should care about what happens to them.

If you place a character about whom the reader has no feelings in a dangerous situation, the reader won’t be that bothered if they survive or not. Make the character one that they care about and they won’t…

In a recent blog, I wrote about how I am always interested in what triggers a new character for a writer. When and how do they burst into life?

I am thinking of this once again because I have been working on the latest DCI John Blizzard novel for the Book Folks and, although some of my regulars appear, I needed some new characters as well, preferably trailing behind them a new plotline!

For me, characters often start out with the jobs I need them to do within the story. They…

A reminder that The Debut Dagger competition for new crime writers, which is run as part of the UK-based Crime Writers’ Association’s annual Dagger awards, is open for entries until February 26, 2021.

It’s a brilliant opportunity for writers seeking to break into the genre and you can find out more at…