Commercial crime fiction almost always demands resolution. It’s implicitly understood that when a reader buys a crime novel the case will be solved, and the subsequent prosecution will be airtight;...

While it’s hard to find postive elements of the current global crisis, one thing many of us have is more time on our hands – working from home (avoiding the...

In September 2019, Cressida Dick, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service in London, gave an interview to the Radio Times magazine. She was asked her opinion of two well-loved TV...

When the idea for a new detective novel, None the Wiser popped into my head at the end of 2017, I had to be careful that the investigation team followed...

Let’s say you’ve survived the shock that writing a novel actually means what feels like writing that same novel several times over with lots of drafts and changes of plans...

Sam Blake writes writes bestselling thrillers – her latest Keep Your Eyes on Me has been in the Irish top ten for eight weeks (and is currently 25% off at...

“Where do you find your ideas?” someone asked me recently, perhaps not expecting me to take her so literally as I settled down to fill her in. It’s one of...

I had a discussion last week about plot twists with another writer. Love them or hate them, they are often the cause for discussion and if you want to know...

For this week’s column, I thought I’d take a look at how to start a novel. It’s February, spring is in the air and with new growth taking place, what...

Over the years I have facilitated many creative writing workshops, almost always with a focus on the short story. Mainly, this is because short stories are my true love. As...