When I was a teenager, I steadfastly refused to believe that so-called ‘classical literature’ could be better than the assortment I chose from the local library. What did these authors have to tell me? By this time in my life... Read more
There’s a thin band of cream silhouetting the cranes that hover over the half-built office blocks in the city centre. I head home, below an arc of houses that will be bright as jewels when the sun comes up. At... Read more
I have dreamt in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind. Wuthering Heights by Emily... Read more
…one of the scenes I lost, which I pine for, is where Joseph is in a small canoe, floating down a river lined with boats full of orchids that are for sale. I’ve just been interviewed by Erin Davies, aka... Read more
‘I don’t much like it. Marketing is about selling & writers, as we know, are about writing and reading. They’re generally not known for their ability to get you to buy a Prius when you wanted a Yaris’ I’ve recorded... Read more
I had a wonderful chat with two of my favourite crime fiction writers, Vaseem Khan & Abir Mukherjee, for their Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast – out today! Luckily I had two books to talk about, ONE YEAR LATER , as well as... Read more
The thing about being a writer and not having a ‘proper’ job is that we don’t have IT support, coffee breaks, water-cooler chats and personal development reviews. Receiving criticism about your writing can be excruciating. It sometimes feels like a... Read more
Many of our most common and beautiful garden plants have come from far-flung locations throughout the world, brought to us by intrepid explorers who have literally risked life and limb in their search for the rare and exotic. Our gladioli... Read more
Today I ran a lesson about villains for homeschool with my nine-year-old daughter. She loved it and created a supreme baddie: Galactica, Queen of the Galaxy, who is 962 years old, born when an asteroid crashed into the Milky Way.... Read more
I recently saw a set of three mugs in one of my favourite shops. They read: I’m the oldest child – I make the rules. I’m the middle child – I’m the reason we have rules. I’m the youngest child... Read more
Setting is so important to me. It’s almost like another character, setting the tone and the mood as well, as obviously, the location. My last four psychological thrillers, Bone by Bone, The Stolen Child, My Mother’s Secret and One Year... Read more
My exciting news is that I’m working on a new book. Provisionally called Labyrinth, it’s a re-imagining of Vertigo, the movie directed by Hitchcock. It’s a slight departure for me, as it’s less psychological thriller / family drama and more... Read more
I’m an award-winning thriller & nature non-fiction writer. I teach writing to people who want to be published.
