Can you really trust a crime writer?

[John Dean]

I will deliver two free talks in Dumfries and Galloway to celebrate Book Week Scotland in November, both of them looking at the conversation between writer and reader. The theme of Book Week Scotland this year is Blether and I will look at how you can’t always trust the writer to tell the truth!

What do I mean by that? Well, convention dictates that the reader can trust the author to tell them the truth but in crime fiction the author is continually trying to mislead the reader.

In my DCI Harris novel The Vixen’s Scream (The Book Folks), for example, one of the key characters is someone who would have the reader believe that they have committed numerous murders, that they are a serial killer.

But is this true? Can the reader trust me as the writer? Can they trust the character who is telling them these things? For me, that uncertainty adds to the enjoyment of the experience.

I enjoy the cat and mouse game the writer plays with the reader, each trying to out-think the other as they work their way to the big reveal at the end of the story. I think readers think the same way.

I will give the talks at: Tuesday 19^th November – Dalry Library 11.00am

Thursday 21^st November – Kirkcudbright Library 2.00pm

Both events are free but places must booked from Kirkcudbright or Dalry Customer Service Centres or by dropping into the venues:

Kirkcudbright Customer Service Centre – Tel: [phone]

Dalry Customer Service Centre – Tel: [phone]

You can find out more about The Vixen’s Scream at

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VIXENS-SCREAM-captivating-featuring-Detect...