‘The Beautiful Game’ – Filled with dread
‘The Perfect Crime’, a collection of crime fiction short stories by diverse writers, is reviewed by Peter Kalu on Writers Mosaic. Peter says, ‘There are… Read More »‘The Beautiful Game’ – Filled with dread
thriller
My favourite children’s book
‘It’s such a moving, powerful story but it’s also beautifully written. It’s about kindness and compassion, about how what we’re like on the inside should… Read More »My favourite children’s book
The Perfect Crime is out now!
22 bestselling crime writers. 22 deadly destinations. One deliciously sinister collection 🔪 I’m delighted that ‘The Perfect Crime‘ is out now, published by Harper Collins. It’s… Read More »The Perfect Crime is out now!
Wuthering Heights – the novel that has influenced me the most
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… Read More »Wuthering Heights – the novel that has influenced me the most
My Mother’s Secret – Location
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… Read More »My Mother’s Secret – Location
Marketing and Me
‘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… Read More »Marketing and Me
How to create the perfect villain!
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… Read More »How to create the perfect villain!
Labyrinth – new thriller!
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 of a crime thriller. It's set in Hackney in London, and as you'd imagine, fromRead More »Labyrinth – new thriller!
One Year Later – Italy
I’ve always loved Italy, so when I needed a seemingly idyllic holiday for my family in One Year Later, my current psychological thriller, it made sense to choose Italy. I’ve certainly enjoyed remembering the delicious Italian food I’ve eaten on all those trips, the sandy beaches and the slower pace of life…but as the FlowerRead More »One Year Later – Italy
One Year Later – Dante
I did not die and yet I lost life’s breath… I always like to have a theme or a leitmotif running through my novels and in this one, One Year Later, it’s Dante’s The Divine Comedy. There’s the obvious aspects - it’s set in Italy, it’s hot as hell, but it’s about a young man’sRead More »One Year Later – Dante
One Year Later – Book Club Questions
Is anyone in a Book Club? I must admit, I don't really have time, although I'd love to be! I have a Book Buddy instead, which is much more random and sporadic, but she inspires me to read books I'd never have chosen myself, and then we go for a walk or aRead More »One Year Later – Book Club Questions
One Year Later – Nick Flowers
Here's an extract from One Year Later, told from Nick Flowers' perspective, the day his niece, Ruby-May, died. If you prefer to read it, you can download a different extract told from Nick's point of view here: One Year Later - Nick Flowers https://youtu.be/B9dk99onT-I
One Year Later – The Prologue
Here's the prologue to One Year Later. Let me know what you think! If you prefer to read it, you can download it for free here: One Year Later - Prologue https://youtu.be/F6qf4QRVfcg
One Year Later – Behind the Scenes
The inspiration behind One Year Later... https://youtu.be/hIazMxexyM8
One Year Later
Here's what One Year Later is all about. https://youtu.be/lVmBz2DAQw0
One Year Later – Behind the scenes: The Cottage
When we bought a large plot of land and a house that we were planning on renovating in Somerset, I had the idea to set my next psychological thriller, One Year Later, partly in Somerset. In the garden of our house we found the ruins of an old cottage…and I started thinking, what if aRead More »One Year Later – Behind the scenes: The Cottage
One Year Later – Behind the Scenes: Somerset
I wrote my psychological thriller, One Year Later, in Bristol, but at the time we were renovating a house in Somerset. We spent the summer camping in the garden and dreaming about moving in one day. It inspired one of the settings for my forthcoming novel. The Flower family, who are somewhat dysfunctional, grew upRead More »One Year Later – Behind the Scenes: Somerset
One Year Later – Behind the scenes: The Pond
In the garden of the house in Somerset that we’ve been renovating is a small pond. In my next psychological thriller, One Year Later, a toddler drowns in a large pond in the garden of a rambling farmhouse. One year later, the family meet on a remote island off the coast of Italy for herRead More »One Year Later – Behind the scenes: The Pond
Blueprint for a house…and a story
In May 2017 we bought a house in Somerset. It was originally built in the 1950s and for almost two years we’ve been renovating it.… Read More »Blueprint for a house…and a story
Letter to my younger self
What would you tell yourself if you could? The Royal Literary Fund recently gave me the opportunity to write and record a letter to my… Read More »Letter to my younger self