All writers are asked where they get ideas from and whenever I start a new project, I often find myself wondering about the process I go through from that first spark to the finished novel. For instance, with Death on a Dirty Afternoon, I know very well where the original idea came from but I’m…
Category: Characters
‘Killing Ways’ by Alex Barclay
Killing Ways FBI Special Agent Ren Bryce and the Safe Streets Task Force get more than they bargained for when they begin an investigation into what looks like the work of a serial killer. When the murderer’s modus operandi appears to change, the team face an ever-increasing body count and precious little evidence. Ren studies…
‘Horse Flesh’ by Tina Sugarman
Horse Flesh A brilliant harness horse driver risks losing everything because of a drug habit, while the Director of Racing struggles to rid the industry of its dirty tricks and dodgy practices. In this epic tale from the world of competitive Standardbred horse racing, this is a story of riders, trainers, mounties and mysterious strangers.…
‘Wildflower Bay’ by Rachael Lucas
Wildflower Bay Hair stylist Isla’s dream job in an exclusive Edinburgh salon takes a nosedive when she drops a clanger while colouring a customer’s hair. Given two months ‘gardening leave’ by her boss, she suddenly finds herself without a job and without a future. With few friends and not much to look forward to, a…
‘A Thin Line’ by David Boiani
A Thin Line Seattle detective John Corbin spends his working life catching rapists, murderers and paedophiles, but a new killer is on the prowl, ridding the world of villains before the police can intervene. As Corbin discovers more bodies, he is faced with a dilemma – the gap between good and evil appears to grow…
5 Things I Learned from Writing
I always assumed my writing would improve as time went on, though I have to say I wasn’t sure how that would happen. With 13 titles out in the world now, it got me thinking about what I’d learned from each of my books and how that affected subsequent creations. I’ve only included my middle-grade…
‘Old Friends and New Enemies’ by Owen Mullen
Old Friends and New Enemies When Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron is engaged to find a missing husband, his contacts soon lead to a body in the mortuary. But it isn’t the one he was expecting. Shocked to discover an old friend has been murdered, Charlie sets out to find the killer, but the path to…
Billy Burke – Georgian Villain No. 1
In a previous post (Historical Writing – Fact or Fiction?) I talked about using research as a tool to help create realistic descriptions of everyday life. Generally, what I’m interested in is detail that adds authenticity to the story, rather than using characters who actually existed (although some of my books feature brief appearances by…
Killer Clothing…
One of the things I like about writing historical fiction is doing research. Well, I’ll clarify that a bit – the thing I really like is looking at pictures. Trouble is, finding images that will fire the old imagination ain’t that easy, so sometimes it comes down to good old fashioned reading. I mentioned in…
Historical Writing – Fact or Fiction?
Writing about times long past can be great fun, but how accurate do authors need to be with historical fiction? While most readers expect authors to just ‘make stuff up’, a bit of good old fashioned research can make a world of difference. I’ve always believed that writers should use their imaginations – after all,…
