Apparently, Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin is penning another Rebus story, his fourth  comeback since the curmudgeonly investigator closed his first final case in Exit Music in 2007.

This delights me as Rebus is my favourite modern detective (Sherlock Holmes is the greatest of all time in for me) but which is your favourite all-time fictional detective?

You can tell me at my Facebook site…

The subject of e-books can spark fierce debate – are they ‘proper’ books? I have heard people suggest that they are not ‘proper’ because they are not physical items, although you hear such comments less and less as it becomes clear that this is no flash in the pan.

Personally, I love hardcopy books and I love e–books (some of my own works are hardcopy and e-books and my company also publishes some authors…

Part of the Darlington Arts Festival

Saturday May 23

2.30--4pm

A Life of Crime

Darlington Art Gallery, Crown Street Library, Darlington

Darlington-based crime writers Bud Craig, whose recently published second novel is Dead Certainty, Mike Beck, author of Harry’s Torment, and John Dean, whose latest novel is A Breach of Trust, talk about their life of crime, including explaining why…

My latest novel, A Breach of Trust (Hale) is out on January 30. A crooked businessman suffers a fall at home and there is no reason to think it is anything other than an accident until after he dies when information comes to hand which points towards murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Blizzard and his team are brought in to investigate and attention quickly focuses on…

The Open Mic night for authors 2014/15 b season begins on Thursday September 25.

The nights, supported by Darlington for Culture and which offer a forum for writers to read their material and audiences to enjoy it, run at Voodoo Café/Cantina, 84 Skinnergate, Darlington, on the last Thursday of the month. Each session starts at 7pm…

The other day I gave a talk at a local library (in Barnard Castle, County Durham) to help mark its refurbishment and I was delighted to do so.

As you may know, I am part of the Crime Writers’ Association, which stages events in libraries to do our bit to highlight their importance in an age of austerity cuts. Talking to writers, one of the reasons they champion libraries is the impact that they have on young readers, allowing parents to give their youngsters access to books which…

An initiative to bring together artists across the borough of Darlington is being launched.

The inaugural First Wednesday Arts Network, run by Humantics CIC and Darlington for Culture, will take place on 6^th August between 6pm and 8pm at the Forum Music Centre, Borough Road, Darlington.

Allison McKay, who runs Humantics CIC, owners of the Forum, said: “It was strongly identified at the Arts Debate led by Darlington for Culture during the arts…

There’s lots of literary event the Darlington Arts Festival

Thursday 1st May, 7pm: Café Create, 95 Parkgate, Darlington

The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists: 100 Years On

The…

The countdown has begun for the second Darlington Arts Festival which will begin in late April and run throughout May at a wide range of venues across the borough. 

Co-ordinated by Darlington for Culture (DfC), the group which speaks for arts and culture in the area, the festival has more than fifty events on its programme.

Many of the organisations and individuals supporting the event are reflected in the programme, which…

I am delivering two master classes and a weekend residential creative writing course as part of the Darlington Arts Festival, which takes place in Darlington, County Durham, UK.

They are:

Saturday May 3 Crime Writing Masterclass,

Crime novelist John Dean presents a day-long workshop at the Friends’ Meeting House, Skinnergate. Time 10am-4pm

Want to create the perfect villain? Being driven to murder? Then this masterclass from the creator of the John Blizzard and…

Those of you with books in UK libraries will know how important Public Lending Right is to authors because it pays a small amount for each borrowed work.

For the many authors, such as myself, who do not make enough from their writing to go full-time but whose books are popular in libraries, the arrival of the annual PLR payment in February is eagerly awaited.

However, like all areas of life in the UK, the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review has had an effect.  Libraries…

Check me out on the excellent Crime Readers’ Association website at http://www.thecra.co.uk/find-an-author/dean-john/

The next Open Mic night for authors, the first of 2014, is on Thursday January 30.

The nights, supported by Darlington for Culture and which offer a forum for writers to read their material and audiences to enjoy it, run at Voodoo Café/Cantina, 84 Skinnergate, on the last Thursday of the month. Each session starts at 7pm and the cost of entry is £3 paid on the door.

More information is available  from

Inscribe Media Limited…

Happy to confirm that A Breach of Trust, the latest Blizzard novel, has been accepted for publication by Hale. More info in due course.

Writers must make a major decision before they start writing: which viewpoint?

Most authors go for the conventional third person approach in the past tense. It is my natural instinct, too. I like it because it means I am standing above the action in the role of nebulous narrator.

I can look down and draw attention to events happening in various places, creating tension and variety. It works beautifully for novels: it can be very effective if my detective thinks someone is…

The Open Mic nights for authors, which are supported by Darlington for Culture, continue their 2013/14 season on Thursday November 28.

The nights, which offer a forum for writers to read their material and audiences to enjoy it, run at Voodoo Café/Cantina, 84 Skinnergate, on the last Thursday of the month. Each session starts at 7pm and the cost of entry is £3 paid on the door.

John Dean, of Darlington business Inscribe Media, which runs the sessions, said: “The open mic nights…

After a tough few months, I'm back writing my latest novel again. Feels good to be renewing my friendship with Blizzard and the team!

I run the Global Short Story Competition. Check it out at www.inscribemedia.co.uk

The Open Mic nights for authors, which are supported by Darlington for Culture, conclude their 2012/13 season on Thursday June 27.

The nights, which offer a forum for writers to read their material and audiences to enjoy it, run at Voodoo Café/Cantina, 84 Skinnergate, on the last Thursday of the month. Each session starts at 7pm and the cost of entry is £3 paid on the door. After June 27, they will resume on September 26.

John Dean, of Darlington business Inscribe Media, which…

Darlington crime novelist John Dean will be featured at Jeremiah Vokes’ book shop in Coniscliffe Road, Darlington, during the week May 12-16, when his latest novel To Honour the Dead will be available to buy. The initiative is part of the Darlington Arts Festival.

In To Honour the Dead, published by Hale in November 2012 and the third…