I have recently been advising several aspiring crime writers on how to improve their work and much of the discussion has centred on dialogue.

Dialogue is crucial to the success of a novel. Good dialogue lifts a story, bad dialogue wrecks it. However, it’s vital to remember that writing dialogue isn’t about replicating a real-life…

Crime novelist John Dean has teamed up with his daughter Laura, a skilled editor and manuscript assessor, to provide manuscript assessments.

Should you be interested in finding out more, then feel free to drop John a line and he and Laura can discuss your needs.  For further details, you can contact John at …

The latest novel in the crime fiction series featuring Detective Chief Inspector John Blizzard has passed 50 reviews and ratings on Amazon, having been published by The Book Folks. Thank you to those who took the time to pass on…

This may interest. Culture Perth & Kinross Libraries in Scotland have announced that Douglas Stuart, Sally Magnusson, Vic Galloway, Elaine C Smith, Cameron McNeish and many more will be appearing online at the Soutar Festival of Words during April. Tickets are available now, and with the exception of a small charge for a couple of workshops, all…

Libraries, booksellers, publishers and festivals are among those being invited to take part in National Crime Reading Month this June.

National Crime Reading Month is a unique festival, held throughout the UK, which promotes the crime genre. Hosted by the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA), it will take place throughout the month of June,…

I am delighted that the Selkirk Arms in Kirkcudbright is supporting my weekend writing workshops, to be…

Interested in crime fiction? Then check out Priscilla Masters talking about her craft in the latest instalment of the free Tall Tales Mysteries Mug Shots series of films, which I have helped to plan, at…

I am pleased to say that the latest novel in the crime fiction series featuring Detective Chief Inspector John Blizzard has attracted some encouraging reviews, having been recently published by The Book Folks.…

Ever wondered what inspired authors to become crime writers when they were young? If so, it's worth checking out the videos featuring conversations with a number of authors on the Crime Readers' Association website at 

Video showcases Archive - The Crime Readers' Association…

I am delighted that charismatic detective inspector Maureen Lyons is back in the latest episode of David Pearson’s The Galway Homicides series – Murder in an Irish Bog (The Book Folks).

David has a great knack of dreaming up intriguing mysteries then telling the story with verve and pace.

In this case, a passing comment in the post…

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…